Interaction Between Beagle Puppies and Children
Your new Beagle puppy will be exciting and your child will want to spend a lot of time holding and playing with the pup after you bring it home from the Beagle breeder. You must remember that your puppy, though cute and tiny, is still an animal. Animals have instincts that differ from humans.
You must keep in mind that your Beagle puppy will usually only tolerate so much from a small child. Explaining to your son or daugther how to play with the new Beagle is important. Tips include: explaining that all living creatures feel pain and to be very gentle when playing with the Beagle puppy, not to bother the puppy too much especially while he is eating or sleeping, and that screaming, pulling, kicking, and restraining your Beagle puppy is very harmful and should never be allowed.
You must always have an adult supervising the interaction of your child with your Beagle puppy. Show your child by example what is considered nice and good play, so your child has something to follow. Have your child help with walking and feeding the new Beagle puppy; this will teach your child responsibility and respect for animals. Allowing your child to help with bathing the puppy will also show your child about responsibilities. Once your son or daughter understands these ideas, you can slowly allow for more alone play time but supervision is always best.
Once your child understands the concepts, having your child attend training classes with your Beagle puppy is a smart idea. This step will show your child tips to training. Your child can watch on and see how the trainer interacts with the Beagle puppy and follow by example.
Sometimes a child can be afraid of dogs, even Beagle puppies. This is very common and can be resolved over time to allow your child to live a life filled with the joy of having animals around. Some tips to cure this phobia or fear include:
- Teach your child to remain calm around the new Beagle puppy. Most children will scream and run away when they are frightened, this will only startle the dog and cause the dog to react in a playful or scared manner. When you remain calm, the dog has no reason to behave otherwise.
- Tell your child your Beagle's name. Most dogs have a cute or non threatening name that sounds much better than just calling the dog a dog; this will help your child feel more at ease, and may be more inclined to approach the Beagle puppy.
- You can now take your child to a park and have her watch the dogs in their element of play and fun. Show her the ones that are behaving nicely; this will allow for a comfort level around the dogs. She will be used to seeing many different types of dogs, including your Beagle puppy, playing in a non-threatening way.
