
Home
Males Females
Puppies Our Past
Breed Info
Agility
Fun Photos Junior
Handling Links Contact Us Site Map
Common Sense: Understanding What Actions Might Cause
the Family Dog to Bite Dr. Sophia Yin
Understanding what can drive a dog to bite the family kids is pretty
simple. They are the same things
that drive humans to need a break from their
kids. Reason 1:
For instance, most people dislike it when others stick their grimy hands
in their meal.
Similarly, dogs want to eat in peace.
Reason 2: We teach children that it’s clearly
wrong to steal toys from each other. It’s also rude to
steal toys from the dog. Kids should be taught
to leave Fido’s toys alone. To build in a tolerance in
case the child makes a mistake when your
attention has lapsed, dogs should be trained to give up
their toy for a reward or even a sequence of
rewards. That way, they will willingly give the child the
toy instead of feeling possessive.
Reason 3: Kids frequently can’t help but get
in your face. They often have to be trained to maintain
the appropriate social distance. Similarly,
putting your face into a dog’s face, even if it’s all in the
family, can be irritating to the dog,
especially when the dog has no control over the child’s behavior.
Reason 4: Most people dislike being disturbed
when they are resting or sleeping. But fortunately for
us humans, we can often close or lock our
bedroom door. Similarly, dogs need a safe location where
they can be away from kids and excitement.
Kids should avoid bugging them in their “private”
location or any time they are sleeping or
resting. If they call the dog from far away and the dog
chooses to get up and come over to the child,
this type of interaction is okay. But if the dog chooses
to be left alone, he should be.
Reason 5: Kids dislike being handled roughly,
and so do dogs. Dogs can be trained to tolerate or
sometimes even enjoy this handling, so that
they are not reactive when an accident occurs
(See Perfect Puppy in 7 Days, chapters 1 and
6), but in general children should be taught to be
polite.
Reason 6: It’s rude to climb on, step on, or
otherwise invade someone’s personal space. It’s also
rude to do the same things with dogs.
Reason 7: Loud screaming can frazzle humans,
imagine its effect on the more sound-sensitive dog!
Reason 8: We often forget that even some
friendly gestures, such as pinching a child’s cheeks, may
be irritating. In general, dogs dislike being
hugged, even by family members. You can tell by the
expression on their face. You can train dogs,
especially as puppies, to enjoy cuddling and hugging
and other close handling. But even so, it’s
important for children to know the types of interactions
their pet likes and also to realize that other
dogs may not have the same tolerance as their dog does.
Types of Child-Dog Interactions That are
Appropriate With
all of these DON’Ts, it must seem like kids can’t interact with pets at
all. In reality, they just need
to be taught to be polite and kind to pets,
instead of treating their companion like he’s stuffed animal.
Parents should also teach their children to
read the signs that Fido is fearful or anxious, so that the
child knows to back-off.
Once the children understand that they should
be kind to their pet, they can be taught appropriate
games to play. For instance, fetch where the
dog willingly gives the toy and remains polite before it’s
tossed is fun for dogs who love to retrieve.
Kids and pets love to learn tricks that result in rewards
such as yummy treats or bits of the dog’s
meal/kibble. All dogs need their exercise, and kids can be
a part of this too, if the dog is
well-trained. Hide-n-seek is a great way for dogs to learn to have fun,
and the dog is practicing his search and
rescue skills.
Adults should ensure that the dog has lots of positive associations with
the kids. The kids can
regularly give food rewards for the dog’s
calm, polite behavior, such as automatic sits.
Even if the child is generally well-behaved
and the dog very tolerant, it’s essential for all interactions
to be supervised. Accidents can happen in a
split second. A
Final Take-Home Message
The key is to teach both the dog and the
children to be polite. Make sure your children interact with
your dog the same way you want them to
interact with you. Follow these simple do’s and don’ts and
everyone will be safer and happier.
Home
Males Females
Puppies Our Past
Breed Info
Agility
Fun Photos Junior
Handling Links Contact Us Site Map
Karmadi English
Springer Spaniels
Diane & Carmen
Herns
2839 Ardoch Road,
Clarendon
Ontario, Canada
K0H 1J0
(613) 464-0269

Web creation and design
by Linda Macdonald
Graphic design by Lori Stewart
Questions or comments? Email the webmaster
©
2006 Diane Herns. All
rights reserved.
|