Kids & Puppies, the chasing the nipping, the jumping!

interactions: Litter of Newfs 5 weeks old

child 4 years old , training sit, going through
a whole box of biscuits, But it worked 

You may as well get your coffee now, dredge up any cuss words you think you’ll want to call me and be prepared for the truth, because if you did not get it in the prior blog article on kids and dogs it will be explained again here but a little differently. If you got it, good for you!




Okay, so last time I talked about going over the rules of teaching your kids to respect a dog’s space and while I was referring to dogs that are adopted and older, this week I’d like to talk about kids and puppies. Puppies that nip, chase, and bite your little ones, until your little ones are screaming all the time and have become so petrified of the puppy that it makes you just want to pull your pull hair out!

Trainers get so many complaints over this problem and if you have not read my previous blog about teaching your children how to respect dogs, then please do so before moving forward here. 95% of the puppy’s actions are not the puppy’s fault, so take that newspaper and hit yourself over the head for not being more aware of what to expect and how to handle the two together. If you have any uncertainties about the training of a dog, set up classes and be ready to learn before the little love bug occupies space in your home. Maybe pre-puppy kindergarten class needs to be taught before puppy kindergarten! You know, similar to how the public school system analyzes your kid to see if he/she is ready to join the ranks of daily learning and torture! This way we can weed out the puppy parents that are not truly ready to have a puppy live with them.

So why did I go with 95% and not 100% of bad behavior being the puppy’s fault? Well, because due to bad breeding there are a percentage of mentally unstable pups who due to neurological problems can act out. And 95% is just my guess based on the amount of questions I deal with on a daily basis.



Causes and explanations


First let me state that the majority of pups are taken away from their litter mates too soon. Just as you would put your toddler in a day care with the same age appropriate peers to learn social skills, your puppy deserves the same. However there are no schools that take pups on a daily basis so they can learn important social skills, and this is why leaving a pup longer with their litter helps them to better develop these vital skills.


Years ago it was pretty standard that a pup would be sold when it turned 8 weeks old and today I am seeing dogs sold at 5 and 6 weeks old which is way too early not only as it pertains to the health of the pup but also the social skills. In my opinion, even 8 weeks is too early for a pup to fully learn social/play skills among its peers and this is why we see the behaviors we do in young pups. At age 8 weeks they still in many cases have not yet learned what bite inhibition is, how to be alone away from their pack, or how to fully grasp what is prey and what it is not.

You’ve all heard this before, “I think my dog was abused when he was young because he cowers and backs away when I raise my hand to pet him, but I’ve never hit him or raised my voice to him.”

While having been abused is certainly a possibility, it is not as prevalent as you think. Here’s the thing, when pups are taken from their litter mates too soon they may be leaving at a time when the siblings were too rough making them fearful of other dogs or people.

Here’s another one...

“I think my puppy was in many fights or beat up badly by another dog because he is aggressive to other dogs!

This pup may have been taken from the litter at a time that it perceived itself to be the bully of the litter and so it continues to be dominant or aggressive over those around them, or the pup was taken at a time when it was bullied in the litter and when it feels trapped it feels the need to lash out before it gets hurt.

And yet another…

“My puppy cries all night long and he’s destroying my house!”
A pup that has not had a chance to move away from the pack/litter during sleep or other daily activities may suffer separation anxiety.

Let me give you one example of what how pups learn from the social atmosphere of their littermates.
I’ll discuss bite inhibition: Each day as the pups grow they develop stronger muscles which help them to walk, play, and run. At the same time they are developing teeth, tiny sharp teeth and stronger muscles in their jaws. This is when the mother will stop nursing them which is about 4 weeks of age. At this age mom is starting to teach them how to play and if they go too far, mom corrects them. When mom is not there to correct, this is the general scenario. Puppy A goes after Puppy B too roughly, Puppy B yelps and walks away. This ends their play session. When this happens each time they play together, eventually Puppy A learns that he may not bite/play so rough if he wants to continue playing with Puppy B.


So when little incidents like this are not allowed to happen, then Puppy A may develop aggressive tendencies toward other dogs because he knows he can win, and Puppy B may develop fearful tendencies.

Seeing kids through puppy eyes

As I stated in my last blog, kids run on impulse and dogs run on instinct. The impulse of children is to run, scream, hit, tug, and yell. The instinct of a dog is fight, flight, and prey chase. What might a dog see as prey? Running, & screaming! How do dogs view a fight or flight situation? Being cornered, hit, or being tugged on! So if a dog cannot get away from a situation they will growl, bark, or bite which is the fight or flight mode. In prey mode, they chase and capture.

What I am saying here folks is that every young child possess all of the qualities that would affect a young pup’s natural instinct.

How to stop nipping, biting, chasing

So, how do we stop the dog from nipping, barking, and chasing? Well it is up to the parent/owner of the dog to teach it what they will not accept around the house and kids and this needs to start the day they bring the pup home. Okay, okay, I’ll give an inch, the day after they bring the pup home!

Watching the dog and child chasing each other around the yard is semi cute, until, well… let’s put it this way, “Ah look at little Johnny being mauled by Muffin!”

There are rules you need to set down for the dog, and there are rules needed to set down for the children or you are going to have problems. If you don’t set rules, you’ll either hate the dog or hate the children and since you can’t give your children away; I suspect the dog will be the one leaving!

Teach your dog basic obedience in a quiet non distracting area and start with sit, it is the easiest command to teach because all you have to do is hold a treat over its head until its bottom touches the ground and put the command ‘sit’ to it. Once you have taught the dog a reliable sit, then the kids can do the same. Don’t ask the kids to give the dog a sit command until you have taught it to the dog first.

Teach the dog a firm ‘leave it’ command. This command means leave everything in its view alone and bring its attention back onto you. If you get a good leave it command you can eventually give the command from a distance which will help in situations when you are not in the immediate area.
‘Ut- uh’ over ‘No, no’.

I really don’t care for the word 'no' in training. From the day the pup goes to a new home all it hears is no, no, no, no, and no! No is also the first word parents tell their children when something is about to go wrong as well. Eventually that word doesn’t mean much any more to either the dog or the child. Dogs need simple one or two word commands, but normally it’s an adult’s nature to always say ‘no’ in certain situations, so it is better to change the wording for training. Another reason I like ‘ut-uh’ is because it takes the anger and frustration out of the human’s voice. A resounding ‘No’ can sound pretty angry and we don’t want to frighten the dog, we want to train him. There’s a big difference between a trained dog and a frightened dog!

The whole wording situation for me came about when I had a Bearded Collie named Watson. He was a beautiful and well behaved dog, and we used to call him Wat, for short. So imagine how confusing it was for him when I would yell something to my hubby from another room, and hubby who almost never heard me the first time, would reply, “WHAT?” Well, the poor dog ended up running from room to room thinking someone was calling him! So the wording in training should be thought out as well as the wording in a dog’s name!

Reward
At my job, I don’t work for free and I don’t expect my dogs to either! Many people feel that food rewards are not appropriate and while that may be great for some older dogs who are already well balanced, when it comes to puppies you will get a faster response with a food reward than you will with a tug on the collar. As well, you are developing a new relationship and the fear of what will happen next should not be a part of that relationship. I always subscribe to the theory that you catch more bees with honey! Food rewards are just another training tool that can be replaced with praise once you and your dog have a trusting relationship.

Training should be made a daily part of your routine so it shows the dog consistency in what you expect of it. Always keep the children at a distance and you can gradually move them closer as training progresses.

Chasing

Train with both the kids and dog, but keep the kids at a safe distance.

Attach a light clothesline rope about 10 feet long to the collar/harness of the dog and let it lay on the ground by your feet. (I prefer clothesline rope over a leash because it is light and the dog usually forgets it is attached to him.)

Have your kids about 20 feet off to the side of you. Give the kids the go ahead to start running back and forth about 25 feet from the dog. If the dog goes to chase the kids, step on the leash and say ‘ut uh.’ Once he stops, and he will because you are still stepping on the rope, he will probably look up at you as if to say, “hey I can’t move!” You will then give the sit command that you have taught him and reward him for sitting and staying with you. He is not going to know that it is the rope holding him back as you do not have it in your hand, so he is going to start associating your words with him not being able to leave the position. Gradually have the children move/run closer and closer past the dog. This needs to be repeated several times daily and in different parts of the yard or home as pups do not always associate one action or training with each place it visits. Just because he may have learned it outside, does not mean he will carry that over to the inside of the home. When the training is over always remember to give a release command which is usually “Fido Okay”

Two things are happening above can you spot what they are?

Jumping:
You will again have the clothesline rope attached. Again lay the rope at your feet and step on it just at the point it flows from the collar and hits the ground, have the kids in front of the dog about three to five feet away jumping, giggling, and patting their chest. The dog is likely to try and jump up on them and at the moment that the dog’s front feet start to leave the ground you will again say “ut, uh.” The dog will again not be able to move because your foot is on the rope. Give the sit command and the moment the dog sits, praise and reward. The same two things are happening, have you spotted them yet?

Biting/nipping

Hopefully with the practice of the first two lessons your words of “ut, uh” should have the dog stop, sit down and waiting for you to reward him but in case that does not happen there are a couple other things you can do.

Remember that pup in the litter I mentioned above? The one that yelped and ended play because the other pup got too rough? Well you can do that as well. You can yelp once turn your back and walk away and ignore the dog, or, with a gated room or a small pen already set up for training you can remove the dog from you, the object it desires, and end play that way. (However a dog’s crate should never be used for this purpose)

As mentioned in last weeks blog post, a pup’s memory, like a young child’s, is not very good or long lasting, so you want to keep him in this area for no more than a minute to two minutes, then take him out and let him try to behave again. If he nips, pick him up and repeat the processes. The more the process is repeated, the faster he will learn that if he wants to play with you he must act appropriate and this is where the game of fetch from the previous post comes into play. Also you can take him out of the penned/gated area, give him a safe chew toy such as a Kong stuffed with cheese or Nylabone bone with the command ‘toy.’
It is a good idea to have something placed strategically in the home and outside of the home that you can give the dog to chew on or hold in his mouth the instant it starts to nip.

Again, two things are happening here which many humans fail to do, can you spot it?

Another trick of the trade is to spray the area the dog is going after with Grannicks Bitter Apple. So if Fido is always after your youngster’s shoes put a few sprays of bitter apple on them. This product can be found in your pet store. It is a citrus type spray and dogs are not big on the taste. Eventually the pup will think that this is what the shoes always taste like and he’ll probably loose interest. In some instances this works well, but I would not depend on this alone as you are really not teaching the dog not to go after the youngster’s shoes, just briefly deterring or delaying it.
With explanations of how to train in different situations I mentioned that two things happened in each instance; let’s see if you spotted it. First of all, as humans we are great at telling our kids and our pups ‘No’ and what they can’t do or can’t have, but we are not very good at then redirecting them to what they can do, or can have! This is where much of the breakdown happens.

Dog chews shoe, human yells at dog, dog hides. But dog does not learn what he can have instead! As with the nipping of children, obviously you don’t want them gnawing on the child’s leg, but have you showed them what they can gnaw on instead? Each negative action by the dog as illustrated above was replaced with a positive action.

‘No jumping, or chasing, but if you sit nicely you get a reward! No biting my leg, and if you stop you can chew on a tasty bone!’

Remember, teaching the correct behavior goes hand in hand with the negative behavior you are trying to stop. I think humans overlook that aspect. It is much more rewarding for a dog to get praised for doing the right thing than to get in trouble for doing the wrong thing.

When you have accomplished the above then include one child at a time in the training and let the child reward the dog’s good behavior. Although the majority of dogs never see a child as being above them because children are not consistent, at least you want the dog to see that good things come from the child when the right behavior is done. When it comes to a food reward you may want to do a hand over hand with your child and show them how to hold the food in a flat open palm and not leaving fingers sticking up to be mistaken for part of the treat!

With that being said, never trust that a dog and child will act accordingly if you are not around to supervise. The above is just to show both dog and child how to get along. Never should they be left unsupervised!

For step by step in basic obedience using a positive method, click here.

To see video of how this method works click here

Kids and Dogs, good companions?

The child has no escape here and the child
 is on the same level as the dog. In a home situation
 this is a disaster waiting waiting to happen.

Chance & Steeler visit David J. Thompson Mailing~ Day Care Center 
Before any interaction with the dogs, I give instructions to have the children sit in a circle , then I bring the dogs to them. This shows the dog's that I have things in control.  It is just as vital to explain possible upcoming actions by the dog to children before they happen. (dog may give a paw, may lick the face, may sniff, etc.)
After learning about the dogs, all posed very nicely for a picture!  

Kids and dogs, are they always a match made in heaven?

This article was written for families that adopt older dogs. While the basic premise is the same for all dogs, puppies require a bit more stabilization and training by the adults in the home before the child can get involved  in any way.

‘Wow! Kids with a clubhouse and a dog?’ That’s what I used to think as I watched Petey and Spanky in the Little Rascals. Mine was a dog-less home, I had only a pet chicken named Henry, and thus I set out to capture every neighborhood dog that I could find and take it for a walk, regardless of whether it wanted to go or not! Did I ever get bit? Yes, but not from walking a dog. On a day when the neighborhood children were teasing a fierce Chihuahua mix  my leg became a victim and while I was an unwilling participant in the bite, it taught  me respect for the dog! And of course after that, dragging my pet chicken downtown on a leash didn’t look so bad  either!

Lassie of course was another of my favorites. Heck, what kid didn’t want a dog to protect them the way that Lassie had protected Timmy?  Hollywood had some great characters, but they were just that, trained characters, even the dogs. Which brings me to my topic; do kids and dogs always go together?

Having had children and dogs, and going on twenty plus years of experience with both, I can safely state that children and dogs do not always make good companions. As well, I will never agree with this reasoning by some ill prepared people that state, “getting a dog will teach the children some responsibility.” I for one do not want my young children responsible for any other living creature at such a young age. Who needs the pressure? If you are getting a dog that you intend to care for yourself while teaching your children lessons along the way, that’s fine, no one really suffers.

I’ve seen some absolutely wonderful dogs up for adoption but on occasion difficulties do arise. One has to realize that a shelter only has information from the owner who surrendered the dog. If I drop off Fido and say, “yeah, he loves kids!” they may take that as fact until they can disprove it. The truth is, until you get the dog into your home you won’t know for sure how it will get along with your children. Dogs may act fine until they begin to settle in, and that’s when Cutie can turn into Cujo! It may happen all at once or you may see it gradually.

Within the last few years, Therapy Dogs International has required children to be near the immediate area where dogs are being tested for therapy work and I can see why this feature was proposed. Young children have ear curdling screams and quick unpredictable movements which to a dog can be seen as possible prey to be hunted down, or, an untrustworthy source.

Keep in mind older dogs that have not grown up around children are not used to the closeness that a child adorns on them. You know, sharing the love, the spit, the hugging, and the hair tugging which youngin’s seem to want to thrust upon a dog. Kids sometimes show a kind of... well, ‘in you face’ love that only a mom can enjoy!

It’s my personal view that parents, while not thinking their kids are perfect, certainly believe they would never hurt an animal and this is true of the majority, but it is not the hurting of the animal that  triggers most dog bites. Actually what causes most attacks are children doing what children do best which is innocently giving their unconditional love to anyone or anything around them. Heck, I’ve seen youngin’s cuddle with a hermit crab and get pinched!

Much of the problem is that children just don’t know how to respect the personal space of a dog and this is usually when the growls and nips start to happen. With that being said, know that when you adopt a dog and you have children, you now have double duty on your hands! Not only do you have to keep your dog up to date with training, you also have to remind your kids how to respect the dog’s boundaries as well as respect the dog’s warning signs. Only when a child learns to respect the dog, will there be some peace in the home. Don’t feel bad, it’s not just young kids who act like this, I’ve seen some seriously sick minded adults act ridiculously stupid around a dog!

 When my oldest son was about three years old he received a bite on the nose while bending over a mother dog that was in a box with her puppies. Sad lesson learned, but a lesson learned never the less for both of us. It made me more aware of what my kids needed to learn and my son had a constant reminder of how to respect a dogs space each time he looked in a mirror.  If you were to ask my children today about their childhood, they would tell you that I put the family dog before them, but they did not see, nor could they comprehend, what I was really doing which was to give them a constant reminder of how to respect a dog in order to keep themselves safe from harm. Now if you ask my husband the same question his response would be, "I wish I was treated as good as the dog!"

No dog should ever be left alone in a room with a child. Even though you go over rules on a regular basis with your children and do regular training with your dog, both child and dog really only remember the last few hours of their life unless an incident was painful or frightening.
If you have ever asked your pre-school child what he or she did during the school day , you'll find you won't get much of an answer, and if you do it won't make much sense anyway because they forget!   This is the reason that parents, dog trainers, and teachers, are repetitive with teaching, as neither dog nor youngin’ remember what they have learned the first few times a lesson is taught and some do not retain what they have learned very long after they have learned it!

Unfortunately words are not as strong as actions. We can tell a child, “hot, don’t touch!” But what does hot really mean to a child? How many children actually burn themselves before they understand what you are trying to tell them? Suffice it to say I purposely told  my children to touch a hot surface so they would get a little burn and learn their lessons just a bit quicker! Okay folks, don’t turn me in to CPS, it’s just disturbed humor, it did not really happen!  But you get the meaning?

A hug around the dog’s neck or a kiss on the cheek is just too tempting for young children. Remember, kids act on impulse and dogs act on instinct. It is important to recognize the two for what they are.

 Impulse: A sudden wish or urge that prompts an unpremeditated act or feeling; an abrupt inclination:
Instinct: Acting or happening without apparent forethought, prompting, or planning:


So, what’s the deal? What should we be telling our children? Even if you can get across a few of these basic rules it will be helpful.

Always act in a calm manner around a dog

Always ask an adult if you can pet a  dog

Never approach the dog with a raised hand over the head for petting, go under the chin instead. A hand over the head can be seen as a threat to a dog.

Never put your face up to a dog’s face

Don’t stare at a dog

Don't jump on the dog

don't hug/pull around the neck or body.

No screaming and running around the dog

Don't tease any dog, especially if the dog is in a pen, behind a fence, or tied up

No tug games. When you play tug and the dog ends up with the prize you are actually putting them above yourself and other humans in the home.

Always keep in mind that dogs do not see young children as being above them, they are seen as equal or lesser than the dog.


Growling, tail tucking, cowering, and ears back, are a dog’s way of saying, 'please leave me alone!' teach your kids these cues


And a really big misnomer is, 'a wagging tail means the dog is happy and wants to play!'   This can also mean , 'Attack mode.'            

                                     WOW!  Doesn’t owning a dog sound like fun?

Ah, don’t despair folks! Many dogs are adopted into a family and work out just fine, but teaching children the correct way to respect and play with a dog is not only playing it safe but it can be fun and rewarding as well. Showing a child how to train a dog using positive and fun training methods can fill the child’s need to be with the dog and give them a sense of pride and accomplishment at the same time! Keep in mind that that all training should be supervised by an adult and lessons should be kept short. Lessons can occur frequently throughout the day but they should be kept to fifteen minutes max as a child does not yet have the tool needed not to show their frustration. Believe it or not your dog will pick up all frustration in a human's voice.  Again, this goes along with a child’s impulse reaction, so always explain what and why you are doing something and keep it fun for both the child and the dog!

Safe Play

Games like hide and seek (hiding something and asking the dog to find it), and fetch games are fun and non threatening to dogs as long as the kids don’t chase after them to get the object they’ve asked the dog to fetch. The dog should be taught to bring the object back and drop it.   Teaching objects is also a fun way to play with a dog. Train one item weekly, and once the dog knows that item start teaching another item the next week and so forth. All trainings should be done under parent supervision and remember, the better the reward the better the dog’s attention! 
 Like everything else, this learning process has to start in the home.

How to protect ones body

Just as important as teaching children how to respect a dog is  teaching them what to do if a dog suddenly goes on the attack! Now there's one I bet you didn't think of!

Tell the child not to scream or run. tell them to drop to the ground on their belly, bring their knees up to their chest and curl up like a ball, protect the back of their head and neck with their hands by interlacing their fingers, or if they have a backpack, book, toy, etc. use that to protect their head and neck and wait for the dog to leave. He may get in a few good bites, but if they respond to the attack as little as possible,  as hard as it might be, chances are the dog will no longer view them as a threat and will leave.



Keep in mind that parenting skills include teaching your children how to act in  foreseen and unforeseen situations with animals. Showing young children what they can do rather than just saying what they can’t do and guiding them through it with a ‘hands on demonstration’ is very much worth the time and effort in keeping your children safe.

"So, until next time, before seeking out your new dog, guide your kids through the rules and hey, check out some pet chickens as well!  After all, they make for better eatin’ in the long run! "


Click here for some great advice on  kids and dog interaction from the ASPCA

Click here to view a great youtube video on reading a dog’s body language. After you view it, see if it's  worth watching with your children.

And Just for fun! Check out Jessie the Jack Russell! Dogs with excess energy do very well with learning tricks. And no good deed goes without reward! This should get your kids energized and ready to help you  train! 

Steeler (Therapy visit)
The child is near the dog but acting accordingly.
Basically just not moving! If he
were a touchy- feely- mobile kid there may
be a different outcome under the best
of circumstances. Why? Well, one step backwards
and the child would fall on the dog.

Chance (therapy visit)
 Chance was not brought up with kids like Steeler was, but he is trained to act accordingly.
Mack, the young lady, is acting calm and although close, she is not  right in his face, and both dog and human are looking away from each other so there is no threat.

This is a therapy visit and this adult
 knows my dog fairly well, but  kids
 do this all to often and this should
be avoided. Humm, maybe the
grownups are setting the bad
example!

Normally this would be a NO, NO.The child's hand is
clearly over the dog's head and their faces are in close
proximity.  A nervous/fearful dog might bite in this situation.