Learn to speak dog. If your dog is displaying signs of fear or anxiety, know them. Then learn to get them out of that situation. I had a Boston Terrier named Baxter who had never seen a child before. And one day, we were at a friend’s house, and the neighbors stopped over. Their 5 year old son saw Baxter, started squealing and ran very fast right at him. That behavior frightened Baxter and he tried to bite the little boy. Fortunately, we avoided an issue that day. But a couple of years later, another unsupervised child tried to pet him and they did get bit. Once again, fortunately… it was a nip and did not break the skin. But that was the last time I allowed him to be around children. His fear of children was not going away, and I did not want to put him into a situation where he could fail. I listened to him.
Paying attention to your dog’s body language and learning the signs can help you support them and not allow them to get into a situation with a bad outcome. Teach your kids to be very respectful. And do not let strangers pet your dog if they are displaying any signs of negativity. Dogs have a language. When you learn to speak their language, you’ll feel more comfortable with your dog in any situation.
