I’ve decided to make my three-part article about dogs and children available for free. This subject is near and dear to my heart as well as just being extremely important information. Most dog bites to children happen to the face and can be traumatizing, disfiguring or even fatal. If both dogs and children are taught from a young age how to safely and respectfully interact they can build a beautiful friendship together.

[ PART ONE ] [ PART TWO ] [PART THREE] [ PART FOUR ]

The goal of rehabilitating a dog who shows aggression towards children is to have a dog under control while around children. The goal shouldn’t be a dog who will be best friends with a child as this is a dangerous and unrealistic expectation. This is accomplished by exposing the dog to the child in a comfortable setting and at a distance where the dog is showing no signs of fear. The utmost importance is the child’s safety. Never attempt this type of training without consulting a dog trainer or animal behaviorist. Never attempt this type of training without the permission of the child’s caregivers. The dog must be on leash and if necessary muzzled at all times.

These methods work for rehabilitating a dog around any person or animal. For the sake of this section, I will be focusing on children.

Obedience command must be well-trained

You will have no luck getting your dog under control if you don’t first train them basic obedience commands. Every dog should, at the very least, know to sit, down, stay, heel and recall (come). Also known as ‘the five basic commands” (Guide 5: Dog Training: 5 Basic Commands). You will first need to train these commands without distractions and then gradually build distractions until you can comfortably handle your dog in public. Once your dog is well-trained then you can begin exposure therapy.

Exposure therapy/desensitization

The goal is to associate the child with something positive using classical conditioning techniques. For more information about Classical Conditioning, read Guide 2: Intro to Learning Theory. The dog’s experience that they associate with the child must be a positive, relaxed experience. More stress and pushing the dog past their comfort level will result in more trauma, fear and aggression.

To influence the dog to associate something positive with a child you’ll be using the dog’s favorite treats whenever the child is around. You may have to start from quiet a distance to begin. Always start where the dog feels comfortable. Treat and reward, work on basic commands and focus commands (Guide 5: Dog Training: Watch Me).

Keeping the child safe is the primary concern

Of course the safety of the child is the most important thing. Small children should be held by a guardian or sit in their lap. Older children should understand and have the self-control to not approach, touch or talk to the dog. The dog should be on leash at all times and if necessary, muzzled. How do you know if your dog should be muzzled? If they’ve bitten or tried to bite anyone before then they should be muzzled during desensitization. Before you muzzle your dog make sure you first condition them to wear it (Guide 3: Training Tools: Muzzle).

Once an incident occurs you can never assume the dog will be safe around any child

Referring back to the above point; the child’s safety is the primary concern. You simply can NOT trust your dog around any child ever again. You can train your dog to be calm, to behave himself and tolerate the presence of children but you will never be able to fully trust your dog to never bite a child if put in an uncomfortable situation. You will always need to rely on your leash, training, and barriers when necessary to keep the children in your life safe from a traumatizing experience and your dog safe from a dangerous dog record or worse; euthanasia. 

Don’t Punish a Growl

Something quite often misunderstood and mismanaged in any “dog aggression” type scenario is the growl. A growl is an important communication tool for a dog. It’s a way for them to communicate that they’re uncomfortable with something. If you punish the growl you will remove the growl which means no warning system in place and a bite will likely occur with zero warning from your dog. Never punish the growl. Instead; respect the growl for what it is; your dog’s communication. Interpret it to mean you need to give your dog more space and time for desensitization.