How Safe Is Your Home When Children and Dogs Are Together?

Many adults assume accidents won’t happen — until they do. Everyday interactions between children and dogs can quickly escalate if early warning signs are missed. Children don’t naturally understand how dogs communicate stress or discomfort, which is why adult supervision and awareness are essential.

One thing is clear: keeping children safe around dogs is always the adult’s responsibility.

In my one-to-one work with families introducing dogs to babies and young children, the focus is rarely on “fixing” the dog. Instead, it’s about helping adults:

• Understand canine body language

• Manage interactions appropriately

• Set up safe environments before stress builds

Young children can’t recognise stress signals or know when to give a dog space. That responsibility sits with us — through supervision, positioning, and calm early intervention.

Where Incidents Commonly Happen

Most incidents don’t occur in extreme situations. They happen during everyday life:

• In the home

• During play

• When dogs are resting or eating

• When adults assume familiarity equals safety

Prevention, Not Fear

Prevention isn’t about blame or fear. It’s about awareness, realistic expectations of both dogs and children, and stepping in early before situations escalate.

Further Learning

If you’d like more structured guidance, I recommend the external safeguarding awareness course Safeguarding Children Around Dogs.

This is not a dog training course. It focuses on:

• Prevention and risk reduction

• Adult supervision and responsibility

• Understanding canine body language

• Managing everyday situations safely

• What to do if an incident occurs

The course is short, practical, self-paced, and designed for parents, carers, and early-years professionals. Click below for more information 👇

Helping adults understand risk is one of the most effective ways to keep both children and dogs safe.