If there is one thing that families do wrong in trying to introduce a dog into their lives, it is not supervising the children enough so that they are behaving appropriately around the dog. Here is a list of things children need to learn about dogs:

• Children should not take away food, toys, or stolen objects from dogs. This is a job for parents only.

• Children should pet the dog on the neck in a stroking or gentle scratching motion instead of banging on his head.

• Most dogs do not like to be hugged by children or have the child put his face in her face. You can teach your dog to tolerate this, but parents should be cautious with shelter or rescue dogs where not a lot is known about their history.

• Growling means go away. A child should stop what he is doing and tell a parent, who will need to seek the advice and help of a professional to make sure growling doesn't escalate to biting.

• Children should not run around a new dog until the dog has learned to keep its mouth to itself.

• Visiting children need to be taught the rules, and a parent needs to supervise to make sure they are adhered to.

• Children should not interrupt a dog while he is eating. Parents can teach the dog to accept the presence of children while he is eating, but this should always be supervised.

• Children should not jump on or startle a sleeping dog. Parents can teach the child how to call or clap so that the dog wakes up and comes to them.

• Children need to be supervised with new puppies and dogs so that all parties can learn the appropriate way to interact with one another.

• Children should attend training classes with their families to learn how to interact appropriately with their new dog. Older children can participate in training the dog.

The more vigilant a parent is in observing the new dog and the children together, the more successful she will be in redirecting inappropriate behavior and preventing bad habits and undesirable behavior problems from developing. You can't teach anything if you aren't there, and the time you will save not having to fix all the things that have gone wrong will benefit you for years to come.