As with any greeting, it’s best to follow proper protocol to ensure all parties feel safe and comfortable. Adults, as well as kids, need to follow these steps when meeting an unfamiliar dog to reduce a dog’s anxiety and the danger of a dog bite.

With proper foresight, supervision and management, you and your pet can both enjoy this season safely and hopefully with little stress.

For everyone’s happiness and safety, it’s important to get things right when managing a dog and a baby in the same household.

Whether you’ve lost a dog too early in their life to an accident or disease, or you’ve seen them through until they are old and frail, it’s never easy to say goodbye.