More About Dogs and Kids

fluffydears Last month I wrote about training our own dogs to remain calm around young children because I feel so strongly that not only is the stigma of "dog attacks child" so often unfair and inaccurate, but also because as dog lovers we should be doing all we can to encourage children to love and to respect dogs. I can't think of a better gift for a child than a life-time of canine companionship.

I want to follow on this month with suggestions for trying to teach every child you encounter with your dog how to safely meet and feel confident around dogs. I personally use every opportunity I get to introduce unknown kids to my lovely cocker spaniel, but this does have to be carefully structured and supervised.

When you're out with your dog and see a child approach look for signs that the child would like to engage with your dog. If that seems likely, ask first if they'd like to meet your dog; if affirmative, confirm this with the adult accompanying them as well. If affirmative, try this sequence:

  1. Tell the child to ask their Mum, Dad, or whomever first if this is okay;
  2. Then they should ask you for permission as the dog's responsible human;
  3. If affirmative, they should then ask the DOG, i.e. approach, but only to about a metre from the dog, and then extend their hand quietly as a fist;
  4. If your dog responds with a sniff, give the child the go ahead to quietly and slowly stroke the dog, under the chin or down the chest, i.e. not from above the dog as this can be very threatening;
  5. From that point you can monitor how much more interaction is good; be sure to praise both the child and the dog for meeting calmly! Do not allow the child to hug the dog around the head or talk or blow directly into their face - these behaviours are not natural to the dog and can be quite stressful, which is exactly the situation we are trying to prevent. It's better to keep the encounter short and sweet and leave both parties happy with the meeting and hope that the child's interactions with other dogs will go as positively.
    6. Rex
  6. As you leave, remind them that not all dogs will appreciate meeting them as much as yours did, and they should always be careful with any unknown dog.

We all need to do all we can to ensure that the kids/dogs mix works, especially as we know that kids are unpredictable and that a lot of dog owners don't really know a great deal about canine behaviour. Next month, I'd like to back up even further and write about bringing home a new baby to a dog already established in a household.


Toilet Training

doggie_sitting Expect a few messes in the short term!
This is the biggie! Some dogs are toilet trained, and many others aren't. Some families who don't expect this to happen are on the door of Doggie Rescue the next day expecting a refund because their dog did a poo on the carpet!

Almost all dogs will make a mess inside the house for at least a couple of days while they adjust to their new surroundings.

What do I do?!!

  • Give the dog frequent opportunities to go to the toilet outside - at least every couple of hours.
  • Find a spot outside where you'd like the dog to do his toilet, carry him to the spot and say, "Go to the toilet" (or equivalent). The dog will quickly become used to the command and the spot.
  • Praise the dog whenever he goes to the toilet outside. Have some doggie treats handy so you can reward the dog when he does the right thing.
  • Don't yell at the dog, or smack him when he goes to the toilet inside. Instead, say, 'no' firmly, then pick up the dog and place them outside in the spot where you want them to go. They will probably not go to the toilet again then, but at least you are reinforcing what you want them to do.

Be patient!

The good news is, most dogs toilet train themselves in a few days. Some dogs do take much longer however, and a handful of dogs never really catch on.


On Lead aggression

Many readers will have noticed that some dogs who will happily and safely greet other dogs when running free in a park will bark, lunge and try to attack another dog whilst walking on lead. There are probably multiple reasons for this, but I think the most important one is that it is a fear reaction, i.e. the dog has lost its freedom to either run away or defend itself so goes on the offensive first. What can be done so on-lead walks can continue as a pleasurable activity?

What I have done when working with private clients is to teach them how to convince their dog that they are a totally confident pack leader and will look after the dog. My method has been to teach the dog to focus on their human by training the most basic of cues . . . "watch" or "look at me" or whatever works when used consistently. This may be the only tool needed to turn around this behaviour, especially If combined with a reliable "sit - stay", but it will take time, perseverance and consistency.

This "pay attention" command should be trained constantly and everywhere possible by INSTANTLY rewarding the dog for looking up. Food is fastest and easy but keep it healthy and remember to factor it into their daily diet. Effusive but quiet verbal praise is also important. Once taught and somewhat generalised the distraction level should gradually be increased, again with constant rewards as the potential anxiety level goes up. The food treats can eventually be faded out.

In the meantime, walks should continue but 'owners' must manage the situation. Be vigilant and avoid aggressive encounters so the training doesn't deteriorate. Cross a street, or do an about-turn, or make a wide circle around an approaching dog, and do explain to the other human what you are doing, in positive terms.

When you are ready to test your dog with other dogs, let it see an approaching dog but from afar, outside the dog's arousal zone. Ask for "attention" and keep the dog's attention by talking and continuing to reward at random intervals. You could either ask for a "sit - stay" or just let the other dog pass at a safe distance, talking to the other walker if necessary. You might want to practice with an understanding 'owner', holding a long distance conversation. Gradually increase the number of dogs you meet on a walk, and close in the distance, but never push your dog too fast so that it reverts to past aggressive behaviour.

I have seen this simple cue training work amazingly well, but only with really committed people who realise the importance of teaching their dog to trust them. They can't tell us why they are afraid or anxious so we must give them an alternative response for a learned behaviour for those necessary on-lead walks.