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Dogs and Kids
Sniff Around for Dog Events!

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By Valerie Dancer
Dogs and kids can live together harmoniously, if the situation is properly understood
and carefully handled.

Friendships between dogs and kids are both wonderful and character building for the
children.

Most dog bites inflicted on kids are by the family pet, or a neighbours dog. It is not
that the dog is aggressive, it is just that Mums and Dads do not understand that
children, and particularly babies, act very differently to adults, and it is this unusual
behaviour that upsets the dogs.

My own children were brought up with German Shepherds, supposedly well know as
aggressive dogs. The dogs were fairly anti-social to strangers but to the family they
were totally trust worthy. I like to think that it was because I taught the kids to behave
properly around and towards the dogs.

When dogs and kids are living together it is the kids that need to be taught to treat all
dogs with the greatest respect, and to understand that dogs are not toys. As soon as
babies are crawling they need to be told to be kind to the family dog. Puppies are never
too young to learn, neither are babies. If you have just acquired a new puppy do not let
it chew you or play nip, good training for when it is a fully grown dog.

Dogs protect all things that they care about, whether that be the house, their diner, the
car, their bed, kids have to understand to leave dogs alone at certain times or certain
places.  Some dogs are, by nature, herding dogs, so these may chase a child if it runs
away. This could excite the dog to attack.

Some dogs would get defensive if they are cornered or have some one standing over
them.  Kids should be taught to not scream, cuddle the dog tightly or pinch them.  It
should be remembered that as a dog gets older it could become less tolerant, so the
family dog that has always been so good with the kids suddenly nips a child.  Old dog
get deaf so cannot hear a child approaching, so may nip out of surprise. It is not the
dog’s fault!

Kids need to be told:

  • To never approach a strange dog, without asking permission. If the dog is out
    without it’s owner leave it alone.

  • To always approach in a steady quiet manor.

  • No teasing, yelling, hugging, pinching, pulling or chasing.

  • Always leave mothers with young alone.

  • Never try to stop a dogfight!

  • If you are approached by a strange dog, stand still; let the dog sniff you, no
    wriggling fingers, put them in your pocket if you have one.

  • Do not stare at the dog, and never run away.

  • If the dog is barking or growling, slowly walk away, keeping the dog in view.

Be sure your kids understand the difference between your own dog and a strange dog.

It is wise to never leave a baby or very young children alone together, no matter how
well you think you know the dog.

This all sounds a little forbidding but dogs and kids really can have lots of fun together

About The Author: I have owned dogs for 42 years.  Learning to train from my mother who trained to
county level.  Over the years I have found that the old ways of training are not always the best, that
praise is the best form of training, and the younger the dog, the easier it is to train.
www.dogtrainingproblems.biz
Dogs and Kids
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