Teach Dogs AND Children to be safe!

"It’s a matter of proactive parenting to build your child’s powers of observation and good judgment. Show her the right things to do ahead of time."
Madeline Gabriel

Visit her blog here:
http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/helping-toddlers-not-be-magnetized-to-dogs-part-3/

I LOVE the way Madeline thinks and teaches! Take time to read her whole series on how to help your dog feel safe with children and to help children be appropriate around ALL dogs.

Fantastic. Can't wait for the book! :)

Train Your Dog to Be Friendly!

I cringe every time I see someone thump a dog on the head. Flat hand pats dog in varying degrees of thump-itude. Dog winces, blinks. Sometimes the dogs don’t mind. I am thinking of a certain Labrador I know who is so happy to have anyone touch him, he doesn’t mind where or how and he’ll thump you back with his tail so hard it’ll nearly break your kneecap. But other dogs… sometimes they are bothered with the thump-approach to greetings.

A polite canine greeting involves lots of body arcs and nose-to-tail inspections. Polite dogs don’t confront each other squarely with direct eye contact. That’s “cruisin’ for a bruisin’” language! However, this is how most people approach our dogs, so we have to help our dogs learn to accept, if not enjoy, these kinds of greetings.

You can teach your dog to accept rough handling, even from strangers. You can start simply, with an easy game I teach children and parents to play with the family dog. It’s called, “I Spy.” Mom says, “I spy Sparky’s shoulder.” Child touches Sparky’s shoulder with a flat hand. Mom feeds Sparky some cheese. “I spy Sparky’s ear.” Child pats Sparky’s ear. Sparky looks at Mom for the cheese and gets some. In this manner, Sparky can be desensitized – made less sensitive – to touches from family members. When Sparky begins to seek out the touch (in order to earn the cheese!), you can begin asking friends to touch Sparky while you reward him.

You can also give Sparky easy tricks to do so that he has a predictable interaction when strangers approach. Usually, if a dog is offering a Sit-Up behavior, people stand back and watch rather than thump him on the head. If Sparky can shake a paw in greeting, this gives those pesky strange hands a predictable place to touch Sparky. Remember to reward Sparky for his good behavior!

A week ago, I watched as about 9 children gathered around my dog to pet her all at once. There was plenty of thumping and patting. Since this isn’t something that happens to her often, I automatically rewarded her with huge chunks of jerky. She was happy to hit such a jackpot and eagerly accepted all the busy hands touching her. I expect that the next time she’s surrounded by children, she’ll wag her tail and tell me that all the thumping in the world is worth it if I pay her well enough! Your dog also deserves a reward for being a good dog. And, if your dog is sensitive, be proactive and train him to accept the affection of a stranger, no matter how thumpily it’s offered.

Iced In!

We’re iced-in today. School is closed and kids are home. It’s Saturday in the middle of the week. If the power goes out, computer is down, X-box and Wii won’t entertain the children, but they can still have a lot of fun. Gather the kids and the dog, some tasty treats for both (popcorn is a great dual-species treat!) and let’s play some games.

Remember the one-foot-per-year-old when giving your child and dog freedom to play. For example, if you have a 10 year old child, you should be no more than 10 feet away, and paying attention to how your child plays with the family dog.

Things the children can do with the family dog, named Gypsy for our examples:

Children 2-6

• Bring her a toy or a treat, just drop it on the floor and walk away.
• Play the “I spy” game (“I spy Gypsy’s paw” – child gently touches paw – you give Gypsy a treat for permitting it. Change the underlined item to other body parts.)
• Help the child lay a “treat trail.” Someone holds Gypsy while the child walks away, putting down a treat every 2-3 feet, down the hallway, around a corner… and then a pile of yummies at the end. Return to Gypsy, release her and watch her follow the trail. (Hold your child’s hand to keep him from getting ahead of Gypsy in her search.)

Children 6-10

• Read her a story. Dogs don’t judge – just let the child read. You reward Gypsy for laying still next to the child. (Reward can be petting or massage to keep her quiet.)
• Brush her, under your supervision – some dogs may be sensitive to this, so reward her for every brush stroke with a tasty treat. (Stop before Gypsy’s tired of this.)
• Have the children do jumping jacks nearby while you reward your leashed dog for ignoring them.
• Round-Robin-Recalls. Have all family members sit in a circle. Give each person several tasty treats (for Gypsy). One person calls Gypsy. If she does not immediately come, the caller may pat the floor or show the treat. Gypsy comes and earns the treat. That person says the name of the next person to call Gypsy. Play as long as Gypsy enjoys the game.
  

Children 10-15

• Play the “shell” game – with your supervision: Get three small plastic bowls or cups. Put one treat or piece of food under one cup with Gypsy looking. Teach Gypsy to sniff the cup and knock it over to get the food. Start easy, then get more difficult as she gains experience.
• Play Hide-and-Seek Come. Hold Gypsy by the collar. Let your child show her a treat or toy and then run away to hide (easy at first) in another room. Have your child call Gypsy and release her. When she finds the child, she earns the treat and big happy praise! Repeat, changing roles.

Who says an indoor-day has to be boring! Children and young dogs have boundless energy. Enjoy the opportunity to make an iced-in day a relationship-building day for your whole family.