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I have two German Shepherds and three children. My mother was horrified when I got my first dog, but that dog has been the best playmate and guard dog to all my children. Before you let any children play with your dogs you should make the children aware of several rules.

1, Never pull the dogs fur or tails.
2, Never take food away from the dogs.
3, Be kind to your dog and he will be kind to you.

Dogs are pack animals and as such are usually happy to become part of the family pack, however there must be a pack leader. Generally, the person who is at home with the dog should take on the role of pack leader. In the wild the more submissive dogs eat last, so you should replicate this in your home. Always feed your family before you feed the dog. This will tell the dog that the children are 'above' him in the pack.

One of the best ways to make sure your kids and dogs play safely together is to let your kids 'help' you train the dog. This has two benefits. It shows the children how to handle the dog and which commands to use, and you can make sure that your dog will 'give' a ball to your children on command.

If your children and dogs are brought up correctly, they will both have years of fun together.

Learn more about this author, Jo.H.
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