Children are not instinctively gentle
Children are not instinctively gentle with animals. Interactive play between parent and child, using stuffed dogs as props, can be a fun way to introduce them to the idea that a pet should be handled with gentle loving care.
At this stage, objects still get mouthed, so stuffed dogs should still have short pile fabric.
2 to 3 years
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Finally, you can graduate to nice, furry stuffed dogs! The long pile isn’t considered a hazard–mainly because children age 2 to 3 no longer place everything in their mouths.* Kids this age have developed good hand coordination and like to put it to work with arts and crafts and simple puzzles. Plain stuffed dogs make use of a creative imagination. You might also consider a doggie hand or finger puppet. These work the mind as well as hands and fingers!
*No more thumbs or pacifiers at this age!! It will affect your child’s oral and dental development.
3 to 6 years
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After age three, make-believe is a favorite pastime and children interact with each other, using toys as props. It’s common at this age to develop strong attachments to favorite toys, and express feelings towards a particular doll, teddy bear, or stuffed dog.
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