Dogs are pack animals and to them, the adult member/s are the pack leaders. Chances are that they will listen to you and not your child. Until you are confident about your child and your pup’s relationship, don’t leave them alone. Most dogs bite out of fear or in self-defence. You need to ensure that your child doesn’t pull the dog’s tail or ears, try to take away the dog’s food, get too rough when playing with the dog, etc. As a parent, you need to ensure that the child learns to behave with the dog. If a dog is getting annoyed, s/he will give warning signs. The dog may walk away, hide under the couch, give a gentle growl, it’s tail will be down, it’s ears may be flattened back…there are many indicators. If the child is troubling it too much, it may avoid the child. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to pick up the cues and ensure a harmonious relationship between the dog and child. Both can be trained to behave in a suitable manner.