Dogs and children: gentle introductions
An adopted dog arrives with a past you know nothing about: he needs time to feel safe in your home. Never leave him alone with a young child, not even for a minute, however sweet he seems: while your child is small and can't yet look after his own safety, you need an adult who is watching, not just an adult in the room. Give the dog a safe corner where nobody disturbs him, and let him come to your child at his own pace. He sets the tempo.
Most bites come from a familiar dog, in an ordinary moment
A dog who has just been adopted doesn't yet know that your home is safe, and that takes time to settle in. Children move fast, talk loudly, make big gestures: enough to worry him, especially if he can't move away. Many people think only an aggressive or unknown dog would bite a child. That's wrong: a 2011 American study of children treated in hospital for a bite found that in roughly 7 cases out of 10, the dog involved was already known to the child. In under-7s especially, the bite often happens during a calm, ordinary moment, such as a stroke or a cuddle that seemed perfectly harmless, rather than during a sudden attack. Even a familiar, well-trained dog can react unpredictably, and active supervision remains the best protection. A calm, gentle introduction, and above all an adult keeping an eye on both: that's what prevents most of these bites.
The first introductions, step by step
The aim: meetings where the dog stays calm, showing none of the discomfort signals described further down.
Set up a safe corner before he arrives
Put a bed in a quiet corner, away from the through traffic, and declare that spot off limits to children.
Get to know each other outside, calmly
A short walk together before going in helps the dog arrive home more relaxed. An adult holds him on a two to three metre long line, neither taut nor wrapped around the hand, while the children walk ahead or alongside, calmly. If he pulls, barks or freezes, it's all too much at once: increase the distance from the children and give him time to settle before carrying on.
Let the dog come to your child
With a child old enough to follow an instruction, teach them not to rush at the dog, not to stare into his eyes, and to stand side-on rather than face-on. It's the dog's choice whether to approach. With a toddler who can't yet follow these rules, you're the one who guarantees the distance, by carrying them or keeping them away.
Make children mean good things
Every time a child stays calm near him, the dog gets something pleasant, a treat for example. Your child can drop it on the floor without leaning over the dog.
Short strokes, then you stop
Stroke him under the chin or on the chest rather than over the top of the head, for a few seconds, then stop before he has had enough. “He's had enough” shows in his body: he freezes, licks his lips, turns his head away or moves off (the full list is just below). A stroke that's too short always beats a stroke that's too long.
Aim for short sessions, a few minutes at a time, several times a day over several days, and only move on while the dog stays relaxed. In the first days, when you are there to supervise, you can let him trail a light long line on the floor: if needed, you pick it up rather than having to grab him by the collar. Never leave it on him when you're not right beside him.
For children, this is a rule with no exceptions. On your own side, you can work on the opposite in parallel, but only if the dog doesn't stiffen, growl or freeze when you walk near his bowl: in that case walk past at a distance and drop something tastier, without ever touching his bowl or leaning over it. If he stiffens or growls as soon as you go near his food, keep away from it and get a professional involved.
When to get a professional involved
You can move forward gently
- The dog approaches of his own accord and accepts brief contact.
- He rests and eats without tensing when someone walks past at a distance.
- He settles again quickly after a burst of excitement.
Get help without delay
- The dog growls, freezes or stiffens around children.
- His fear doesn't ease after several days, or it gets worse.
- He stares at, follows or stalks a child like prey: fixed gaze, low body, slow silent approach.
- He has already nipped or bitten.
If he has already nipped or bitten a child, don't rely on supervision alone while you wait for the appointment: separate dog and child completely, in different rooms or behind a gate, until a professional has seen you. A dog who has bitten once can do it again, and nobody can watch without ever blinking.
- Reisner et al. — Behavioural characteristics associated with dog bites to children (2011)
- American Veterinary Medical Association — Dog bite prevention (2024)
- Morrill et al. — Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes, Science (2022)
- Quaranta, Siniscalchi & Vallortigara — Asymmetric tail-wagging responses by dogs to different emotive stimuli (2007)
Going further
Frequently asked questions
How do I introduce a baby to the dog?
Plan ahead before the birth: close off at least two rooms to the dog, work on his lead walking so you're ready to go out with the pram, and keep his routine steady. Once the baby is here, make the baby's presence mean good things for the dog, a little extra at every feed for example, so that his life improves with the baby, never the other way round. And never leave the dog alone with the baby, whatever his age.
Which dog is the kindest with children?
No breed is “the kindest”. A large study published in the journal Science in 2022, covering nearly 18,000 dogs, shows that breed explains only about 9% of a dog's behaviour, with huge differences between two dogs of the same breed. What protects a child is a well-socialised dog, supervised interactions and an adult who is actively watching, not a breed label.
How do I introduce a new dog to the family cat?
Gently and in stages, never nose to nose from the start. Keep them apart for the first few days, swap their scents using a blanket from each, then let them see each other from a distance behind a gate while rewarding calm from both. The cat must always keep an escape route up high, and free access to the litter tray and the food bowl. Move at the pace of whichever of the two is more worried.
How long does it take an adopted dog to get used to children?
There's no standard timeframe: the dog sets the pace, sometimes a few days, sometimes several weeks depending on his past. While he's settling in, keep contact short, calm and always supervised, and let him withdraw to his safe corner whenever he needs to. Consistency reassures more than speed.
My dog growls at my child, what should I do?
Whatever you do, don't punish the growl: it's a precious signal saying he needs space, and removing it means risking a bite with no warning next time. Separate them calmly, never again leave your child and the dog unsupervised, and first have your vet check that he isn't in pain. Repeated growling at a child is worked on with a veterinary behaviourist, without delay.
Can I leave my dog alone with my child?
No, not while your child is young and can't yet look after his own safety: never, not even for a few minutes, not even with a very gentle dog. Most bites to children happen with a dog the child already knows, in ordinary, avoidable situations. An adult always keeps eyes on the interaction: that's the best protection against an accident.
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