애완동물과 어린이 소개:트레이너의 조언

주요 요약

• 애완동물을 키우면 아이들에게 큰 도움이 되지만, 올바른 종류의 애완동물을 선택하고 적절하게 소개하는 것이 중요합니다.
• 개를 키울지 고양이를 키울지는 가족의 에너지 수준과 애완동물을 돌봐야 하는 시간에 따라 달라집니다.
• 어떤 애완동물을 키우든 미리 가족을 준비하고 천천히 조심스럽게 소개하는 것이 관건입니다.

그래서, 당신의 아이들은 애완동물을 키우는 것을 좋아할 만큼 나이가 들었고 애완동물을 구걸했습니다. .

강아지를 키울까 고양이를 키울까? 어떻게 아이들을 안전하게 지킵니까? 애완동물을 키울 책임을 어떻게 가르칩니까?

우리는 총체적인 개 조련사이자 Pack Dynamics LLC의 소유주인 Sarah-Anne Reed에게 조언을 구했습니다.

우리 아이가 개를 키울 준비가 되었는지 어떻게 알 수 있나요?

귀하의 자녀는 귀하의 개와 상호 작용하고 돌보는 것에 관한 지침을 이해하고 따를 수 있을 만큼 충분히 나이가 들어야 합니다. 그들이 훈련에 참여하지 않고 당신의 신호를 따르지 않는다면, 불일치는 당신에게 많은 불안을 야기할 수 있으며, 결과적으로 당신의 개가 행동 문제를 가질 수 있습니다.

아이가 발로 차거나, 소리지르거나, 때리거나, 물건을 던지는 것과 같이 여전히 극심한 우울증을 겪고 있다면 개를 데려오기에 편안하고 안전한 환경이 아니며 개가 겁을 먹을 수 있습니다. 개가 무서워할 때, 그들은 그들이 겁내는 사람에게 으르렁거리거나 물어뜯을 가능성이 있으며, 이는 자녀에게 쉽게 물릴 수 있습니다. 개가 공격적이라는 의미가 아니라 아이가 없는 집에 있어야 한다는 의미입니다.

다음과 같은 경우 자녀가 개를 키울 준비가 된 것입니다.

• 지시를 듣고 따를 수 있습니다.
• 고함이나 때림을 포함하지 않는 건강한 방법으로 불안이나 분노를 표현하는 방법을 알아보세요.
• 동물에게 온화하고 친절하며 사랑을 베풀 수 있음을 보여주었습니다.
• 개를 돌보는 것이 무엇을 의미하는지 현실적으로 이해하십시오.

우리 아이가 고양이를 키울 준비가 되었는지 어떻게 알 수 있나요?

고양이는 아이에 대한 책임이 훨씬 적습니다. 그들은 걷거나 훈련을 받을 필요가 없으며 꽤 자급자족합니다. 고양이는 특히 애정이 많고 당신의 무릎에 껴안는 것을 좋아한다면 훌륭한 소꿉친구가 될 수 있습니다. 고양이는 어린 아이들이 고양이에게 먹이를 주고, 양치질을 하고, 화장실을 청소하는 것과 같은 책임을 가르치는 데 도움이 되는 완벽한 초보 애완동물이 될 수 있습니다.

또한 자녀에게 동물에게 애정을 주는 적절한 방법을 가르칠 수 있는 좋은 기회입니다. 꼬리를 잡아 당기지 말고, 잘 쓰다듬는 법, 친절하게 이야기하는 법, 항상 사랑을 나타내는 법을 가르쳐 주세요. 모든 고양이가 애정을 즐기거나 아이들과 편안함을 느끼는 것은 아니기 때문에 고양이를 키울 때 올바른 기질을 선택하는 것이 중요합니다. 새로운 가족을 집으로 데려오기로 결정하기 전에 고양이와 시간을 보내십시오.

우리 아이에게 개나 고양이를 소개하는 것의 차이점은 무엇입니까?

어린이에게 고양이 소개

고양이를 집에 소개하는 것은 개보다 훨씬 쉬운 과정입니다. 환경이 차분할수록 새로운 반려동물이 새 집과 가족에 적응하는 것이 더 편안해집니다. 고양이를 소개할 때 먼저 천천히 새 집을 탐색하고 화장실을 보여줄 기회를 주세요. 고양이의 변화는 어려울 수 있으며 호기심과 두려움을 유발할 수 있으므로 천천히 가족에게 소개하는 것이 중요합니다. 아이들은 몸집이 더 작고 움직임이 더 예측할 수 없으며 어른과 다르게 말하고 행동하기 때문에 동물에게 어려울 수 있습니다.

고양이가 겁을 먹으면 쉿 소리를 내거나 긁을 수 있는데, 이는 어린이에게 무서울 수 있습니다. 그들은 또한 숨어있을 수 있습니다. 어떤 반응도 고양이나 아이에게 행복한 경험을 제공하지 않습니다.

가족이 긴장을 풀었는지 확인하고 한 번에 하나씩 고양이를 각 가족 구성원에게 천천히 소개하십시오. 아이에게 고양이를 불러서 먼저 손의 냄새를 맡게 한 다음 간식을 주도록 하세요. 고양이가 와서 아이에게 편안함을 느낀다면 안내와 격려를 하면서 부드럽게 만져달라고 요청하세요.

도움말:

• It’s better to have several short interactions with your cat so as not to put too much pressure on them.
• Don’t force any interactions. If your cat doesn’t want to be held or touched, respect that they may need more time to settle in.
• Take baby steps until you have created a comfortable experience for both the cat and your child.

Introducing dogs to children

Introducing a dog to your child can be much more involved. Before ever deciding to get a puppy or adopt a dog, always have your child meet the dog first to see how they interact with each other. If you are thinking of adopting a dog, many dogs have had bad experiences with children or adults in their past, which can cause them to be wary and nervous with children and people in general. I do not recommend adopting a dog who shows any anxiety or fear with your child, as it can take months or even years to help a dog overcome fear, no matter how kind your child is.

Once you have determined that the puppy or rescue dog will be a good match for your family and lifestyle, it’s a good idea to bring something familiar into your home to help them adjust. You can bring their dog bed, a blanket, and toys that will be comforting to them. Set up everything for your dog so that they start to learn where their water bowl is and can go to their familiar dog bed or grab their toy if they need some familiar comforts.

The introduction step-by-step:

1. The best way to introduce a dog to your child is to sit them in a chair beside you as the dog is walked into the room by another adult with a slack leash. It’s vital that the dog and child be as calm as possible before they meet giving them the best opportunity for success.If the dog walks ahead of the person on leash, the handler turns around to walk in the opposite direction a few steps, then waits 30 seconds before walking back into the room.
2. Repeat bringing the dog in until he is calmly walking beside the person without any eye contact or talking as they are being walked into the room. Be sure no one is looking at the dog or talking to them, to help the dog feel relaxed, with no pressure.
3. The person holding the leash sits in a chair across the room from the child, and everyone continues ignoring the dog until he settles down and stops trying to get everyone’s attention. Once the dog has been calm for five minutes, you can drop the leash, and then the child can call the dog over for affection in a relaxed, friendly tone. Be sure the child is sitting with their body facing away from the dog, so as not to loom over them when they approach for attention and offer a treat, with the palm of their hand facing up.
4. Once the dog feels comfortable accepting the treat, the child can reach down with one hand and slowly pet them on their chest first, never over their head, as that can make a dog feel uncomfortable. If the dog appears to feel safe and relaxed, they can rub the back, rump, and tummy.

Taking these additional steps will help your dog learn how to calmly interact with your child and teach your child to be kind and gentle to your dog. Your dog has emotions too and can feel nervous or uncomfortable.  It’s wise to keep the leash attached to the dog for a while, just in case you misjudged their reaction, you can easily remove the dog from the room if you need to.

What can I do to prepare my child ahead of adopting a dog or cat?

Discussing the responsibilities

Talk to your children before adopting a dog or cat and explain the additional help you will need from them. Your children should feel included in the process and understand that this is a life-long commitment.

Take a “trial run” by pet sitting

It’s a great idea to dog sit for at least a week for a friend or family member to give a real-life experience to your child about the reality of having a dog. Include them in feeding the dog, teaching them how to brush the dog, give affection and play appropriately and take your child along during walks.

Playing with a dog sounds fun, but are they willing to help take the dog out to eliminate, and do the necessary “poop patrol,” even when it’s a cold or a rainy day?

You can also cat-sit if you are planning on getting a kitty to teach your child about the responsibilities of having a cat, like cleaning the litter box, feeding, and brushing them. It’s also essential to teach them how to appropriately play with and give affection to the cat. If you don’t know anyone you can dog- or cat-sit for you could foster for a week. This not only gives you a tremendous real-life experience and also allows you to see if the pet is a good fit for your family and lifestyle.

Is there any other advice you could give to parents wanting to bring a dog or cat into the household?

If you feel like you are already juggling too much in your life, know that having a dog often feels like having another child. Dogs have different needs than children, but if you don’t have the time and patience to dedicate to training and their care as a family, it’s not a good idea to bring a dog into your home as you will feel even more overwhelmed. A cat may be a better option for busy parents, as they require much less time and attention and don’t need training, but still allow your child to learn about the responsibility and joys of caring for and loving an animal.

I do not recommend asking your children to walk your new puppy or dog until you have mastered heel training. Most adults have difficulty walking an untrained dog and a child could easily get hurt, or the dog could get loose and run away or get injured. Once your dog knows how to heel it’s advisable that you walk your dog with your child for a while until your child feels confident and you trust your child to handle every situation that may happen during a typical walk. If your dog reacts to other dogs, either wanting to play with them or nervous when they see another dog, this can be too much to handle for most children, depending on their age.

Sarah-Anne Reed  is a holistic dog trainer, and owner of  Pack Dynamics, LLC ®.  Her practice focuses on understanding and respecting dogs as a different species and honoring them as individual beings.

This article is copyrighted by Sarah-Anne Reed and Pack Dynamics ®  LLC, and no reproduction of this article without the express permission of Sarah-Anne Reed is permitted.

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