Humane Society of Carroll County, Inc.

FAQ
Lost Dog? | Lost Cat? | Kids & Pets

As parents and teachers, we owe it to our children to show them how to appreciate life. Children are naturally curious and want to please their parents and others by doing the right thing. Don't miss this golden opportunity to teach your children about their pets and the responsibility of caring for them.

Teaching Our Children

First explain to them that animals:

are like babies except they never really grow up to be self sufficient.
need to be fed and watered, and kept brushed and clean since they cannot do this for themsleves.
shown in books and in cartoons do not act like our pets or other living animals.
can't talk and don't understand when we get near their food. They think we'll take it away or worse yet eat it oursleves. At this point, they may bite.
feel pain and experience fear, often reacting by biting or scratching if hurt or afraid. Cats especially don't appreciate being picked up by someone who can only pick up a portion of their body at one time.
Show children at a young age how to hold and pet their STUFFED dog or cat. Make sure they don't throw it or carry it by one leg or an ear. Encourage them to be gentle. Later on, they'll treat the real thing accordingly.

Caution!

Children under the age of 10 should NEVER be left alone with a dog. If a dog goes under a table or chair to escape a child and is followed (even though we can see he has other avenues of escape), he might not recognize this and to defend himself he may bite.

Last year, Maryland had over 11,500 bite reports filed with local Health Departments. Carroll County had over 300 such reports. Most of the time dogs give a "warning snap", however this can cause 100 stitches in a child's face.

Children should never stare at a dog as this is often misconstrued as a challenge to fight in "dog language". Dogs often bite children who are running or screaming as this often elicits "chase and prey" behavior in dogs.