A few generations ago, our forebears were fond of depicting dogs and children together in art and often showed them in an obviously trusting and loving relationship. This relationship has also been honoured in children's literature, ranging from Lassie to Peter Pan, and today generations have grown up not only having experienced wonderful times with childhood pets, but wishing their own children to have the same experience and, with a few simple considerations, they will.

A dog needs to be apart of his "human family". Left to his own devices in the backyard, lonely, bored, uneducated in simple canine good manners and unused to being handled, he is often eventually discarded as being "unsuitable for the children".

Puppies must be taught not to use their mouth on humans, even in play. They must be taught to tolerate having their ears, mouth, feet and tail handled and to allow food to be taken from their mouth. All these experiences will help ensure that the puppy is tolerant of any children who perform these actions. Teaching the puppy to sit before being patted will ensure that the dog does not jump for attention and knock children down.

Puppy pre-schools and obedience classes are excellent for the first time dog owner to learn how to get the dog responding to his wishes.

Young children's lives are a continuous learning experience - not to play with power points, not to run across a road, not to hit a sibling etc, and learning how to play with the family dog is as important, yet simple, as learning these other lessons.

Although many dogs will tolerate almost any behavior from children, they should not be required to do so. Children who are not taught that it is very wrong to hit, kick, pinch or torment their own dog may one day meet a dog who is not so tolerant.

Children should be be seated before picking up a puppy, as a squirming puppy will usually be dropped. A "safe" area should be provided where the puppy can go for rest and children should be told that they must not disturb him. Over-tired children and dogs both get cranky!

Many families with older dogs face the situation of introducing a new baby to the family dog Parents are uaually well aware of how to prevent an older child from becoming jealous of a new baby and, with very little modification, these same principles can be applied to introducing a new baby into a dog's routine.

It is part of good parenting to supervise all activities of babies and small children, and their time with the family dog should be no exception until parents are confident that both the child and dog are of an age where they can understand how to play gently and reliably together.

A few basic things for parents to instil in their children are:

Children should be taught not to run up to strange dogs but to ask the owners permission to pat the dog. They should be taught not to hug strange dogs, or to reach over the dog's head to pat it on top of the head.

If a dog is uneasy or tired of playing with children and tries to get away from them, they must not follow it.

Dog owners should observe the following guidelines with visiting children:

Dogs which are unused to children may be uneasy with their movements and sounds. If a dog is uneasy with visiting children he is better secured in a favourite area where the children cannot go to him.

Don't try and force your dog to allow a child to pat or play with it.

The best relationship between dogs and children, whether active or quiet children, is between a good natured, kindly child and a good natured, good mannered and trusting dog who will listen to their woes, watch television with them, play ball, love them unconditionally and remain in their memories for the rest of their lives.