Children and dogs: keys to safe and respectful coexistence

In Spain, the country where I live, there is not usually much education on how to interact with dogs in an empathetic and respectful way from childhood. Even though the objectives of primary education specifically state that pupils should receive this training, in reality it is not applied.

In my educational project “A nose in your life”, which I have been developing for several years, I teach students two main things:

1-    When we take on the responsibility of including a dog as a member of the family, we must have the respect and empathy necessary to help meet their basic physical and emotional needs.

2- Dogs have a unique language, which we must try to learn in order to contribute to a fluid and harmonious relationship. Our emotional responsibility towards them implies, at the very least, a basic knowledge of the most common signs of discomfort that can be recognised in a simple and practical way in order to prevent risky situations and, above all, to ensure respect for the dog's emotional health.

Furthermore, many of the situations that ended in a bite to a family member, especially a child, occurred precisely because the signals the dog was giving were not respected, and these signals were probably inhibited by adults through physical or verbal punishment. How many of these dogs ended up in a shelter or kennel, accused of being aggressive or ‘dominant’, when they were only victims of human misunderstanding and ignorance?

I encourage members to give workshops or talks in schools. In my experience, the vast majority of pupils love dogs and are very surprised by the meanings behind behaviours such as yawning. They ask lots of questions and share anecdotes, including stories of bites they have suffered, and they learn from all of this.

If we want to secure the future of the concept of empathy and respect for dogs and ensure that it becomes natural in families, children are the surest bulwark for achieving this.

Pablo Cabañas Catón

Happy Shelter Dogs

Spain Country Representative