This week I have been reminded how little most folks know about how to keep dogs and children safe. With that in mind, I wanted to post some basic rules on how to keep kids and dogs safe in your home. Bear in mind that many dogs find children unpredictable and frightening. If you have a shy dog, it is particularly important that you always supervise children around your dog.

1. Never leave your dog alone with a child less than five years of age. A young child may challenge or injure the dog unintentionally and the result could be tragic. Dogs and children should be separated at snack time so the dog doesn't learn to steal food from tiny hands.

2. Have a place where your dog can go to escape the chaos. This can be a pen in the back yard or a crate in the house. The children should never be allowed to bother the dog when he is in his place.

3. If the dog has access to a fenced yard, owners should make sure that neighborhood children cannot accidentally or intentionally tease him. Kids often begin by goading the dog to bark, then to snarl. Or they may throw things at him to chase him away from the fence. However it begins, the end result is usually the same: the kids learn that teasing the dog gives them a feeling of power tinged with the possibility of danger and the dog learns to hate kids. This hatred may be manifest as fear or as aggression, and may end when a child is bitten.

4. Teach your children to be respectful. Most dogs are wary of staring, of quick movements, and of high-pitched screams, all of which are typical of small children. Here's a few hints to alleviate the tension between dog and children.

5. Teach your dog to sit for toys, food or anything else that he may want. This will prevent your dog from grabbing for anything he thinks is his.

6. Teach children not to run past the dog and scream, for this can excite the dog and lead to dominant and even aggressive behavior.

A great website for information about dogs and kids is: http://www.safekidssafedogs.com/

Stay cool!