Spring is the time for new arrivals! It may be that you have a new baby or puppy as new arrivals to your house. They both bring a lot of joy, but also loads of responsibility.
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Making sure baby, children and all animals live and play safely together is paramount.
If there is one golden rule to make sure everyone is happy and no one is injured, it is that babies, toddlers and children should always be supervised when they are in contact with animals.
Also important to remember is that, like young children, puppies need “time out” and sleep periods away from stimulation, otherwise they get stressed.
Providing a cot for baby, and a basket or small crate for puppies in a quiet place away from the hubbub of family life, is very important.
Animals are not toys or playthings - babies, toddlers and all children need to be taught to be calm and gentle when touching pets.
Pulling their fur, poking eyes and ears, and hitting them can be very harmful and animals quickly learn to defend themselves.
If a pet does retaliate in the only way it can - growl, bare teeth and in extreme cases bite or scratch - then it is destined to be confined to the back yard for the rest of its life, be given away, put in the pound or even euthanized.
No one wants any of these as outcomes. So keep everyone happy! Consult your vet for advice, and take your puppy to classes so that it learns to socialise and behave well in what, to them, is a rather scary world.
Instructors at the Animal Welfare League NSW Narooma Dog Training Club are happy to help – so feel free to ring them on 0458 953 281 for information about obedience training. Joining your local dog club will add to your enjoyment of pet ownership and enable all new arrivals to live a happy family life.