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Small child and dog – how to ensure their safety at home?

boy with a dog in the kitchen

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Small child and dog – how to ensure their safety at home?

A small child and a dog can make a big mess at home. If you want to block the space where your child runs or crawls, and at the same time not lose sight of his eyes, put a railing in the door frame of the room. It does not limit the child like a playpen, and will be useful, e.g. when you need to separate a quadruped and his little master. When you leave a child in the room, an electronic nanny can watch over him, except for the dog, sending noises from around the cot to the receiver that parents carry with them. The cost (PLN 250-600) depends on the range of the device (this is important, e.g. when going out to the garden).

In the bedroom, the toddler can play on a soft carpet (it is better than a rug because it does not slip). In the whole apartment, the floor should be resistant to scratches on the dog’s claws and damage caused by moving the child in the walker (we advise against soft pine parquet). Wood varnish must be durable, environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

A small child and a dog, not stuffed animals for a dog

The dog often sneaks and carries baby toys in its mouth. It is unlikely that we will be able to secure them effectively, so they should be easy to wash, such as non-toxic puzzles with animal pictures (PLN 30-40). Buy stuffed animals that can be washed in the washing machine or in hand. Also, the child’s clothes should be easy to wash and not covered with hair – cotton, corduroy, denim (hair is “attracted” by fleece, suede, velor, velvet).

The quadruped and baby play often cause the walls in the room to become dirty. Washable paints are best for impressed hand and dog paws. They should be anti-allergic (Beckers, 1 L – 38 PLN), resistant to scrubbing (Dekoral, 1 L – 28 PLN) and do not stop breathing of the walls (Nobiles, 1 L – 9 PLN). If the dog is large, it is worth buying a stable bed and potty with a base that makes it difficult to roll over. Remember that a baby’s bedroom should have a thermostat. Dry air does not serve children and animals, so you should use humidifiers (PLN 140-500) or ceramic stoneware (PLN 8-15). Humidifiers clean the air and filter it from pollen and mites.

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boy with a dog in the kitchen
photo: Shutterstock

A small child and a dog, or electrical hazards

Keep a lot of tempting objects away from your small child and dog – a dustbin and trinkets that are easy to swallow. It’s best on all fours to “see” the whole apartment and from this perspective look at various corners, and then write a list of threats. Close electrical sockets with plugs. They can be flat pieces of plastic in a neutral color (5 pieces for 5-6 PLN in Castorama, 3 pieces for 5.80 PLN from Canpol, 10 pieces for 11.20 PLN from Chicco), or e.g. night lamps for sockets. Osram for PLN 24.50 turns on automatically after dark, while the energy-saving Astrell lamp for PLN 9.91 lights with a switch (blue, green and red are recommended for the child’s bedroom).

Remember, however, that lamps or illuminated animals can arouse undesirable, excessive interest of the child. Cables can be covered with plastic sheaths (they are flat or round, the cost of a 2-3-meter sheath is 1.50 – 6 PLN per piece, fastenings 3-5 PLN for 10 pieces). Secure the edges with transparent silicone covers (e.g. Canpol, 4 pieces for 5.20 PLN or Chicco, 8 pieces for 21 PLN). In the baby’s room, place furniture with oval edges (to be bought, e.g. at IKEA), and secure the cabinet knobs with locks (Chicco for 13.64 PLN or Canpol for 4.60 PLN with adjustment).

A small child and a dog, i.e. we secure the kitchen

If a small child and a dog pull out victuals from the fridge and comfort them together, choose a fridge with a solenoid valve preventing unauthorized access to it (unfortunately, such models usually cost over PLN 9,000). A much cheaper solution will be the fridge door lock (Chicco with magnets – PLN 16.30).

Many fridges have a light indicator (e.g. Electrolux for PLN 1649) or an audible alarm (e.g. Amica for PLN 2499), which warns that the door has not been closed. Also, some washing machines have a function that protects (when washing or permanently) against opening by a child.

dog and child on the balcony
photo: Shutterstock

A small child and a dog, a trip to the balcony

Building or securing the balcony can be commissioned to a window installer or you can create a garden mesh of varying thickness, strength and shape of the mesh (usually a grille or honeycomb). In Castorama, a running meter of a mesh with a meter width costs about PLN 12.92.

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Another solution is to install cellular polycarbonate sheets (sheet price depending on the thickness 71-219 PLN). If we have a cat, we can also install a mesh – e.g. fiber. We can also put in the balcony door a frame with a mesh that prevents children and animals from getting outside. Windows should be equipped with multi-stage stops.

A small child and a dog, or an aromatic training

When playing with your child and dog, it’s a good idea to have baby skincare wipes on hand that can also be used to wipe toys soiled by the dog (e.g. Cleanic Dzidziuś, Penaten, Johnson’s Baby, Nivea Baby, Bambino). Their cost is usually from 6 to 10 PLN for 70-80 pieces, while in a plastic box from 13 to 15 PLN. Some companies offer allergy wipes (e.g. Nivea Sensitive No Perfume – PLN 10 for 70).

While walking, protect your baby’s skin with a protective cream, e.g. AA Baby for PLN 6.60 (not tested on animals, for all seasons), Johnson’s Baby for all weather for PLN 9.50, Bambino with vitamin E for 4, 20 PLN, Nivea Baby (without water, hypoallergenic and with protective filters) for 10.70 PLN. After spontaneous play with the dog, sometimes you need to use non-irritating sensitive skin powder or washing milk – e.g. Bobas (without fragrances, 5.60 PLN for 600 g), Jelp (without phosphates, color and whiteness, 6 PLN for 600 g ), Lovela (16 PLN for 1.8 kg), Coccolino Sensitive (7 PLN for 600 g).

After washing, rinsing liquid will be useful, which will reduce the electrification and covering of clothes with hair – Lenor Sensitive (PLN 9 for 1 liter), Silan Sensations (PLN 8, 10 for 1 liter), hypoallergenic Coccolino Sensitive (PLN 6.45 for 1 liter) ) or Jelp (PLN 9 for 2 l). Familiarize your dog and cat with the scent of children’s cosmetics before the baby is born – this will help them later get used to the child’s presence. When a newborn is born, the smell of the home changes, which can bother animals with tender noses.

dog and child on a walk
photo: Shutterstock

A small child and a dog, in straps and on a leash

A well-positioned dog can accompany guardians and the child during a walk (if he is not shy and does not entangle the leash around the pram). In order for the toddler to walk safely next to the dog, braces are needed to learn how to walk (PLN 12-40). If the dog is powerful, the wheelchair should have wheel locks and a hand brake (700-2500 PLN).

All draft dogs (Bernardine, Bernese Mountain Dog, Hovawart, Leonberger) are usually eager to pull a sled on which the child sits. It is necessary to secure the baby well against falling – e.g. equip a sledge with a backrest. If the child is wearing diapers, the dump truck will not be painful, nevertheless it is worth dressing them quite thickly to absorb the fall.

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Marek Majewski, poet:

I believe that a child should grow up in a house where a dog lives – preferably a large, gentle, patient character, respecting the home hierarchy and his place in the herd. Dogs usually treat children with forgiveness and indulgence. Still, for a deep, heartfelt bond to be established between the animal and its small owner, the whole family must have long-lasting and strong bonds.

If we, adults, do not take care of a warm atmosphere of trust at home, our children and pets will not be happy. Friendship with a dog, of course, has a salutary effect on the child’s personality. Before the war, it was believed that the young master growing up with animals would in the future relate well to his service …

Beata Tyszkiewicz, actress:

I strongly say that licking your dog’s face, feeding, wrestling and sharing a pet with a child are absolutely necessary. My children had dogs and grew up into people. God gave and the dog helped! I think that without a pet at home, the educational process is incomplete.

Labradors, cocker spaniels and, of course, mongrels are great as play companions. Adult interference in this dog-child relationship should not be large, although there are times when you need to protest against excessive confidentiality – e.g. when a dog eats a child’s dinner. The problem with kids and pets is that they usually like the same!

Grzegorz Miecugow, TV presenter:

As a Bernese owner, I know that dogs of this breed are irreplaceable, caring companions of children. I even read an article about it in your monthly. Two mongrels – the finds we had before the Bernese were also great friends of the whole family. More important than choosing a breed is the decision regarding the age of the animal.

Puppy should be devoted a lot of time, care, tenderness and care, and young parents sometimes forget about it. If there is an infant or a few-year-old in the family, maybe a better idea would be to take an older, well-positioned dog? Although many people are afraid of taking an adult quadruped from the shelter, I encourage you to do so. Asylum staff will help us make the right decision and will definitely show us a pet that our children will love.

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