Teaching Kids How to Behave with Dogs
Some dogs are extremely tolerant of even rough handling by children, and will happily accept being used as pillows, or being dressed up in baby clothes and wheeled around the neighborhood in a stroller. However, dogs, even those that are considered to be members of their human families, are animals first, and will defend themselves as such if necessary. It is important to teach kids to handle dogs gently and with respect.
Teaching Kids to Control Themselves
How children conduct themselves around dogs has a big impact on how dogs react and respond to them. Kids must be taught early on that dogs aren't toys provided for their amusement. Instead, help kids understand that dogs are not just living and breathing, they're also thinking and feeling creatures that deserve kindness and compassion.
Like young dogs, young people often have very little self-control, and may have to be restricted from interacting closely with dogs until they're able to behave calmly in the presence of them.
Do's and Don'ts:
Don't allow kids to run up to or by your dog.
Do teach kids to let sleeping dogs lie undisturbed.
Don't allow kids to tease your dog through a fence or with food.
Do teach kids to talk to dogs calmly, not scream or shriek at them.
Don't let kids harass your dog if he's chewing on something.
Do involve kids in your dog's socialization and training program, even if they're not your own children.
Don't allow kids to handle your dog roughly.
A little common sense goes a long way. If kids don't behave appropriately around dogs, or vice versa, then they don't get to interact until more training has been done.
Dogs should be provided with their own kid- free zone, whether it's their bed, a crate, or an unused, out-of-the-way or little-used room in the house. Kids must be taught to leave the dog completely alone when the dog retreats to his safe zone — no poking fingers in the crate, reaching for him, or whining allowed.
Respect for the Dog's Space
Like people, dogs have an invisible circle around them, defining their personal space. The size of the circle depends on the temperament and personality of the individual dog, as does the dog's likely response when the boundary is crossed. Some dogs are quite accepting of their boundaries being crossed, depending on the circumstances, while others will flee, and still others will defend their space with threats or outright aggression. Much of what kids want to do to dogs, like hugging them tightly around the neck, is quite naturally perceived by dogs to be acts of dominance or aggression. In fact, unprovoked dog bites inflicted on children are relatively rare, although the provocation that preceded the bite might not be obvious to the casual observer.
