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Step 1
Practice “nice touching” for animals. Do this by engaging in a little role-play using stuffed animals. Show the child how to pat dogs lightly and to stay away from the dog’s ears, eyes, mouth, and tail. You can also let the child to act the part of “Fido” while you do the patting—and then reverse roles. Explain that some cats don’t like to be patted at all.
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Step 2
Explain to your child that you will not allow him or her to play alone with a dog or cat—no matter how well the child knows the animal (and no matter how much the child begs).
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Step 3
Tell your child what to do if he or she is alone and does encounter a strange dog: 1. Explain that he should walk away calmly--and never run.2. If the child thinks the dog might hurt him, he should as calmly lie down in a ball and cover his ears.Again, you can practice this as a role-playing activity.
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Step 4
Remind children that they would be upset if someone came and snatched a toy away from them—and that dogs don’t like that either. Explain that animals also don’t like to be bothered while they are eating—partly because they may worry that their food is going to be taken away.
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Step 5
Teach a child that she must ask permission of two people before she pets a dog: the parent and the dog owner.
