The potential relationship between a child and the family guardian (the dog) is a beautiful and touching sight to behold and needs to be nurtured, guided and developed. Children need to be the 'alpha' to the dog no matter if the child is a newborn or a teenager.
Know Your Dog Breeds
What is the typical temperament of the dominant breeds in the mixture or purebred? Is the dog a ‘family’ dog that loves its humans and just wants to please them and be near them or is the dog more aloof?
Prevent Accidents
More children are injured from dog attacks than any other form of injury. Many times this could be completely avoided. Teach your children to recognize the warning sounds of a dog and to read the dog’s body language.
Different dogs send out different warning types. Some dogs will avoid children, getting as far away as possible. This is a warning that your dog does not want to play and wants to be left alone.
Sometimes a dog will stiffen his body or growl meaning that he wants the child to go away and stop bothering him. Just because this is clear to us and makes perfect sense does not mean your children automatically know what these signs mean.
For their safety and your dog’s safety, make sure they do know.
Tips for child interactions
Involve Your Children in the Dog Training Your dog is a family member and just as you teach your children manners, respect, rules and give them guidance, you must also do the same for your dog.
My Grandfather, who was a very wise man said, “Raise your children and your pets so that you can live with them. If you can live with them, anybody else can too and they will
always be ok.”
A professional dog trainer can help you socialize your dog and integrate the human members with the animal ones. Your children should always be involved in the training and know the boundaries of responsible pet ownership, so everyone is on the same page.
Dogs will behave according to their instinct if they are not properly trained or the training is not consistently reinforced. Your dog should respond to all commands no matter what distractions are present.
Be Consistent
Make sure all dog training, consequences, actions and reactions to your dog and between children and dog are repetitive, constant and always reinforced.
Dogs Act From Instinct
Dogs are not ’little’ people dressed in fur. They do not act or think like humans. They act out of instinct. A dog that is not properly trained and not socialized will react out of instinct. Children typically make a dog feel threatened as they stare at the dog and are closer to
the dog’s eye level.
Because children like to play and wrestle around with the dog, the dog typically does not see children as figures of authority but instead, often sees them as litter mates on the same level as the dog. Children need to learn to respect the dog as a fellow family member.
Never, ever allow children to abuse, hit, tease, yell at or be rough to the dog in any manner. A dog that feels trapped, cornered or hurt will strike back even if they are normally an easy going dog.
Adult Supervision is Crucial
Never ever leave toddlers or small children alone with the dog. Telling this wee one to leave the dog alone is not supervision. Your dog deserves you to be there for his protection as well as the child’s.
Children this young do not understand the dog’s warning or how to behave around the dog. Many dog bites occur from children tormenting and teasing the dog way beyond his tolerance level of endurance.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Children screaming, running, yelling and startling a dog that is sleeping can lead to a bite. Even though we may not consider that the dog is being provoked, the dog thinks he is and that is all that matters.
Watch your children and teach them how to play and talk around the dog. Fast moving children with shrill voices screaming trigger a chemical response in the dog that signals that they are prey.
It is extremely difficult to stop a dog once he is in prey mode. He is not responding to rational thought processes at that point.
Do Not Leave a Dog Chained in the Yard
If you must leave your dog unattended outside, make sure it is in a fenced yard with no possibility of escape and never, ever chained up. Chained up dogs invite children to
tease them.
The dog is trapped, cornered with no place to go and at the mercy of children passing by. They start out making the dog bark, throw things at him and then it goes on from there.
Children feel empowered when they can tease a dog that cannot get to them. Things they would not normally do if the dog could catch them. The dog learns to hate kids and manifests an aggressive behavior.
No good ever comes from this for the dog or the children. If your dog has access to a fenced yard, make sure he will not be in harm’s way by the neighborhood children.
Unrealistic Expectations
Keep realistic expectations when choosing the family dog in the first place. Does the dominant breed in the mixture need special attention that you are aware of and willing to work with?
Unrealistic expectations are the result of watching the “perfect dog” on TV. No dog is 100% perfect. Some dogs are just like humans that are mentally disturbed or have an illness or
physical defect that affects their behavior. Just as humans are all different, so are dogs.
Their Own Place to Call Home
Your dog needs a safehouse, crate, pen or separate room, where he can retreat to safety. Children should never be allowed to bother the dog when he is in his place; his RESCUE ZONE.
Remember that YOUR dog may tolerate YOUR children but not what other children do. Adults are responsible for the safety of their dog and other children from the dog.
