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.
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.
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.
You want to make sure that the games your child and dog play together are respectful and not too rough for either participant. Puppies and very small children will struggle the most with this so I advise waiting until everyone is old enough and have enough self control to safely interact with each other during times of heightened emotions (during play).
ALL GAMES PLAYED BETWEEN YOUNG CHILDREN AND DOGS SHOULD BE SUPERVISED.
Of course, anyone can play these games with the family dog!
Hide and Seek
Hide and seek is a really fun game to play because it teaches your dog to find your child, which is an impressive trick and you never know if it may one day be an important skill for your dog to have.
Give your child some treats and tell them to go hide while you hold the dog. Not too hard of a hiding spot, somewhere low enough that the dog can find them and see them once close enough. Not in a cupboard, but maybe behind a door (open enough it’s easy for the dog).
Once your child is hiding and ready, tell your dog “go find __(child’s name)___”. Go with your dog while they search for the child. If your dog seems to lose interest or is unsure of what to do, have your child call out the dog’s name once. This should renew their interest in the game. If you need to help your dog find your child, that’s okay, they’re just learning what the rules of the game are. Once found, have your child give the dog the treats and lots of love and praise, once they find them. If your dog seems to really be struggling to understand the game, have your child leave a trail of treats or kibble.
As they get better at the game you will have to be involved less. Eventually it’s a game they will be able to play on their own.
You can add in your dog hiding, but it’s a lot harder to teach. You will need to be involved to help your dog go find a hiding spot and then tell them to stay until your child finds them. It’s a lot of fun and adds a great challenge to the Stay command.
Chase
Chase isn’t a game I recommend for small children or most dogs who will get over excited. Dogs with a calm disposition (and likewise for children) will be able to enjoy this game. If you have a mouthy dog, have them hold a toy during the chase game. This game is not recommended for exuberant/ excitable dogs.
Tug o’ War
Tug o’ War is another game not recommended for dogs or children who are easily excitable. It’s a game for older children. The goal is to make sure your child is winning most of the games. You can teach your dog to drop it/let go of the toy on command to help your child gain the upper hand. If your dog heavily outweighs your child, even if they are calm and interact peacefully you will want to be right there to regulate the game. Your dog should have a strong “drop it” and “leave it” command, and must listen to the child to play this game.
Fetch
Fetch is a fun traditional dog game that anyone can play. It’s a great way to teach kids to throw and dogs to be patient with children. When a child is very young keep the game simple. You are the one to give the dog commands such as sit, down, stay, drop it and leave it. While your dog is in a stay, give the child the ball and tell them to throw it. They won’t be able to throw it far, but it will still be fun for your dog. Here’s the tricky part: have your dog stay until a cue word is given to release them.
Stay. Throw the ball. Give the cue word such as “get it”. The reason why we make the dog wait is to give the child a chance to get out of the way and the dog a moment to collect themselves and look before they immediately run after the ball.
With older children, of course they can be the ones to give the dog commands and they can throw the ball further. They also know to stay out of the path of the dog better than a toddler does. You can get a chuck-it or similar ball throwing arm to help a child throw the ball further for the dog. It’s still important to continue to expect the dog to wait for a cue before chasing the ball. Make sure the child knows not to tease the dog by taking a long time to release them. It should only be a moment before they are released after the ball. There should never be teasing.
Cup Game
An older child can play the traditional cup game with their dog! Instead of using a ball or walnut use a piece of food or a treat. Have your dog sit and stay in front of a small table with 3 cups on it. Place the food under one cup and mix the cups up. Ask your dog to find the treat. They should be able to find the treat with their nose very easily. If they don’t, use a more smelly reward. Something high-value like a small piece of cheese or dried meat.
If the dog doesn’t understand what to do right away, take a step backward and try without the cups first. Put a piece of food on the table and tell the dog to find it. When they get it praise (no need for an extra treat, just verbal and physical praise will do). It shouldn’t take them long to grasp the concept and you can try again with the cups. You can also try giving your dog a peak under the cup to better smell and see the treat. Most dogs will figure out the game quite quickly once they realize there’s treats under the cup.
Dog Sports
Dog spots such as Dog Agility, Flyball or Dock Diving can be a lot of fun for both handler and dog. Most dog spots require some sort of monetary investment as well as an investment in time and may require some traveling, if you plan to compete. Dog sports are a great option for older kids who aren’t interested in school sports or other activities but love to spend time with their dog.
Check locally for any clubs for Dog Agility or other dog sports. If you can find a club to join you won’t need to make or buy your own equipment and your child can learn about the sport through the club. If there are no nearby clubs, you can still self-learn most dog sports at home.
Competitive obedience doesn’t require a lot of investment in equipment. Most breed clubs or conformation clubs will be a good place to start if you’re looking for obedience competitions.
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.
I grew up constantly around dogs. We always had at least one family dog (if not two) and since I was 5 years old I knew dogs were something special and that I had a special connection with them. You could even say I was a little obsessed (to the point my family had to tell me to talk about dogs a little less).
Having dogs can be extremely beneficial for children. Studies have shown that kids who grow up around dogs build a better immune system and have less problems with animal allergies. Kids who grow up with dogs also learn about responsibility, love and caring for another being. They also learn about the unfortunate cycle of life and death. They learn about love, loss and friendship. They have someone who is always there for them, always loves them and always has a sympathetic shoulder when they need it. Dogs can also help a child be more physically active through walks, play, training and dog sports. The benefits are so big I feel every kid should grow up with a dog in their life. That all being said; it is also extremely important that parents/caregivers learn how to help kids and dogs interact safely.
SO many dog bites towards children could be prevented. Dog bites towards small children can also be extremely devastating. From the moment a baby is born or a puppy brought home it is the responsibility of the caregivers to teach both dog and child how to interact safely.
It starts with supervision. Even the most friendly of family dogs can bite if pushed past their limits. Babies and small children should ALWAYS be supervised with dogs. They do not have the brain development yet to learn how to safely interact with dogs. Babies and toddlers tend to pinch, grab and pull as a way to explore their world and they don’t understand that it can hurt someone else. They also like to explore their worlds through putting things in their mouths and physically crawling, climbing and tumbling. Dogs can have a lot of patience but even the sweetest of dogs will react to pain. Never ever leave a baby, toddler or small child alone with any dog.
Likewise, puppies and dogs need to learn they can’t jump on, paw at or constantly lick at a baby. Large dogs can easily knock over toddling toddlers. They need to learn to give space to small ones and keep their paws to themselves. A large, rambunctious puppy can easily hurt a baby or toddler with the intentions of play.
You can introduce dogs and children at any age, whether the child is an infant, toddler or older child and likewise; whether the dog is a full grown adult or puppy. How you introduce children and dogs may vary a bit, expectations can be different based on their age, but no matter what you want the introduction to be soft, slow and calm.
How to Introduce Babies and Dogs
When you first introduce a dog to your baby make sure it is in a calm environment. Wait until all the visitors are gone and the house is quiet. Have the dog sit and you hold the baby so that the dog can sniff from a seated position. Dogs may get excited at the smell of a newborn baby so a leash may be needed if you have an easily excited dog who likes to jump about and express their excitement with their whole bodies. Tell your dog to sit if they start to get excited. If your dog is overly excited, unresponsive or you feel too nervous to let them get too close, then don’t. Dogs can learn a lot about social interactions from not directly touching or being close enough to touch anyone. In fact, a positive experience where nobody gets upset and nobody gets hurt is extremely beneficial to teaching a dog to be calm around new people or animals. Likewise, it teaches the same lessons to the baby too.
Babies and kids learn a lot from what we set as an example. Keep this in mind when you’re interacting with your dog in front of your baby, keep this in mind. Since babies have very poor motor skills, it’s best to avoid petting areas of the dog that the baby may accidently grab or poke that are sensitive (such as the head/face). Start with petting the dog’s shoulders, chest or back. Show your baby how you gently pet your dog. You can even repeat to the baby “gentle pets” and explain it’s a nice dog you’re giving gentle pets to. Talk in a soft, sing-song voice that your baby enjoys.
If your baby grabs the dog’s fur, hold their hand so that they can’t pull on the dog’s fur and release their little grip. Small babies are too young to understand, nor do they even have the ability to control whether they grab at the dogs fur or not. Just release them and continue on with the calm interaction. If your baby seems to grab and pull too much for your dog’s comfort then stop and try again another day. Watch your dog and gauge their reaction. If they seem nervous then stop all interactions between baby and dog for a bit. Instead, focus on peaceful cohabitation from afar.
How to Introduce Toddlers and Dogs
Toddlers can be very unpredictable and this can be hard for dogs. They squeal, run, poke, grab, and climb on everything. This is all totally normal and important skill-building and world-exploration for your toddler, but just like the other safety rules in your house your toddler needs to learn the rules about interacting with the dog. Don’t let your toddler do things like grab, pull, poke or climb on the dog. Teach them, instead, that we pet and play with the dog nicely. Show your toddler by example how to pet and tell them “gentle pets”. Put a lot of emphasis on being gentle with the dog. This can be a hard concept for some toddlers to get, and may take many many repetitions. If your toddler is particularly too rough and your dog isn’t comfortable, then it’s time to end the interaction and try again another time when your toddler can be calmer.
Toddlers can play simple games like throwing a ball for a dog. Getting the ball back from the dog should be the responsibility of an adult or older child. Toddlers should NOT be allowed to take anything from the dog, whether it’s a ball thrown or another toy or chew/bone of the dog. If your dog has any sort of possession issues and you notice signs of their resource guarding (growling, hovering over, and generally protecting their item from anyone) then it is very important you pick up ALL items the dog my guard and remove them access when the toddler is on the floor. This is a very important rule to prevent bites.Your dog can have access to these items when the toddler is not around or when the dog is in a locked crate or room. Do NOT give a dog access to items it may guard when any children are around. Work on this behavior separately and until a child is old enough to understand not to grab an item from a dog.
How to Introduce a Child to a Dog
Children who are 5 or older can be introduced to dogs with a bit more instruction. Let them know to remain calm. Don’t run from a dog (especially excited dogs or puppies), don’t make sudden movements; pet the dog from the chest, neck or back. Do not reach over the dog’s head. Give the dog a treat or throw a ball for them. Older children can pick up the ball from the dog, or give commands such as drop it/release. If a dog enjoys it, a child can rub their belly or brush their fur.
If the dog is extra rambunctious, then just like when introducing a baby or toddler, you can put the dog on leash and ask for a sit or down. Have the child give the command and reward with a treat. Let the dog sniff the child. If they seem overwhelmed or unsure, let them have space from the child and/or take a break.
Teach your child to always ask before petting a stranger’s dog. Have them practice asking “can I pet your dog” and explain that if someone tells them no then it’s important to respect that.
Older Children/Teenagers and Dogs
Dogs are a great companionship for older children and can encourage physical activity and responsibility. Older children can take on the job of feeding, brushing, playing with, walking and even training the family dog (with adult guidance). Dog sports such as Dog Agility or Flyball are great ways for kids and teens to get active and compete in sports with their dogs. Overall responsibility of purchasing food and providing veterinary care should always fall on the shoulders of the adults in the family.
Give the Dog Their Own Space
One of the most important things you can do is make sure your dog has a safe space to retreat to when they’re feeling overwhelmed. Kids can be overwhelming for anyone, including dogs. Keep a kennel or bed in a quiet part of a room that your dog can always have access to. Don’t ever allow the children to climb on or in the dog’s bed or kennel. This space is completely off-limits to children and is a safe retreat for your dog. You can encourage your dog to go to this space whenever the kids get chaotic or you notice your dog getting overwhelmed.
Shara Walsh 