Pets Stack Exchange
Pets Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [children]

The interaction between pets and children

This tag represents questions regarding the interaction between pets and human children of all ages. Typically however, the upper range is when the child is old enough to effectively manage a pet without without any adult supervision (usually mid-late teenage years, depending on the child).

This tag is not for posts about animals and their own children

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How do I introduce our dog to a brand new baby

My wife is about to give birth to our first child, and we are trying figure out the best way to introduce our dog to the newborn. The dog, a 12-year old pug, has been an "only child" so we are unsure how he is going to react. Typically, he is an…
psubsee2003
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How do I know if my toddler is making a cat dangerously uncomfortable?

My son loves a cat in our building. The cat rolls on its back and stretches out, and my son strokes his fur. But then he tries holding the cat with both hands, sometimes around the waist (the cat steps out) and sometimes the cat's head. He gets more…
Brian Rushton
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What signs should I look for in my children to know they are ready for a pet

My children are rapidly approaching the age when they will start becoming responsible enough to manage a pet on their own. My wife and I want to encourage this to help teach them the responsibility of caring for someone else, to place the needs of…
psubsee2003
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How stressing is it for fish when someone taps/slaps their glass?

Everything I've read says you shouldn't tap an aquarium because it startles the fish, and that's bad for their mental health. I've been satisfied by that argument. As of late, my toddler has started tapping and even slapping the glass of one of our…
Cort Ammon
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What is the best way to introduce cats to newborns?

My wife and I are expecting twins in the fall. We have two cats (5 years and 8 years). One is friendly (if a little shy) around strangers while the other will hiss and growl at people he doesn't know (but is generally not otherwise aggressive and…
dethtron5000
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Cat holding baby's stuff hostage, but cat's demands cannot be met

We've had this cat for almost 4 years. She's peed on stuff only when obviously mad at us, until about a year after we brought a baby into our lives. The problem is the baby loves to interact with the cat in a way that kind of sucks for the cat. She…
James M. Lay
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Can I make my dog comfortable around children?

Our puppy is now 9 months old and doing sooooo much better than he was previously. But then just to test him, we have two young kids, 6 and 8 who are staying with us for an indeterminate period. Long story, and kind of beside the point. The point…
Amanda
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Help! Puppy keeps being too rough with one of my children

My 3.5 month old German Shepherd is a good girl most of the time. We are just having a problem with her at the moment in that she is being too rough and grabbing one of my sons clothes more than anyone else in the family. He is 11. There are…
RDub
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My cat is scared of my grandkids?

My cat literally pooped himself because he's terrified of my grandkids and a flotation device he saw in their wading pool. He never does this, he just started when they came to visit. They have visited before but not for this long of a time. They go…
Dana Jordan
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What small pets should I consider for a preteen with limited space?

There are no other pets or children in the house, this child will be keeping the pet in their room and be responsible for it's care and feeding. The parents will be supervising the care-giving, but the child will be responsible for providing the…
James Jenkins
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Yorkie vs. 10-month old son - how to deal with aggression

I have a Yorkie named Master Chief and a 10-month old infant named Austin. I think in general he has been a real sport about the new baby in the house. It was a major change for all of us, but one he couldn't understand and certainly didn't ask…
Adam Plocher
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Best methods to help your dog if he is scared of children?

We have a five-year-old Basset hound with a loving and easy going temperament, however, he has had no exposure to children in his life and when approached by young children he gets scared and runs away, of course, this is much better than him…
IronBasset
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What kinds of fences/toppers would deter cats from yard without harming a toddler?

I have an issue where a neighborhood cat seems to like to use my yard (particularly the rose bush areas) as its personal litterbox. This wouldn't be a huge problem, except that the cat seems to track fleas in, which then yet on my wife and young…
Namey
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How to scare dogs away from attacking a child?

A friend of mine with a one-year-old child lives in a neighbourhood with many aggressive, poorly trained dogs who sometimes get out without a leash. Obviously, the best thing is to avoid a conflict in the first place (e.g. keeping the child away…
user22053
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How to "coach" dog - child meetings at the street?

My son is around 6 years old. On the way to school we see many different dogs. He wants to touch everyone. What guideline can I provide my son, to interact with unknown dogs? Aims: not scare my son; not risk anyone's health. Is there any "code"…
Allerleirauh
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