Dog Behavior & Training Tips



	meet the instructors \| meet the staff \| news \| links \| testimonials \| our graduate brags \| community Dogs and Kids Tips Sign up to receive Woofology's Tip of Week via email: Click here! Sadly, many family dogs end up in shelters because things have not gone well with the kids in the home. Whether the child is an infant, toddler, pre-school aged or older, it's critically important to help your dog learn to be comfortable with your child, so they can happily coexist. The links below will help you understand some of the most common reasons that things don't go well. Please, take your time as you explore, and be sure to view the clips showing young children interacting with dogs. Many of these dogs are completely stressed and being forced to tolerate way too much. The clips will help you recognize your dogs body language more readily, which will help you know when to intervene on his behalf! There are 2 sides to the relationship between a child and a dog - don't forget your dog's perspective! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! If you're planning to have children (or already have them) be sure to do your homework on how to make it a happy and successful endeavor for everyone, including the family dog! Preparing Your Dog for Baby A booklet by Lisa Patrona, Dip. DTBC, CPDT-KA American Humane Association's Pet Meets Baby A Guide for Families Bringing Children Home to Pets The Safety Guide to Children and Dogs by Victoria Stilwell Thank Your Dog for Growling Aggression Toward a Child Dog Bite Prevention How Kids and Pets Should Not Interact How Kids and Pets Should Interact Raising Puppies & Kids Together: A Guide for Parents This link takes you to a great book on the subject of puppies and kids. It's a must have for any family with kids and a new puppy! Dogs Don't Like Hugs and Kisses By Joan Orr Baby Grows Up By Doggone Safe This page provides video clips that show exceptionally tolerant dogs that are being expected to put up with too much from the kids. These dogs may continue to tolerate this unwanted attention, they may not. They should not be expected to. The owners of these dogs love their dogs and their kids, the just don't recognize the subtle signals that the dogs are sending to tell that they are not enjoying the interaction. Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Get "Magnetized" to Dogs By Madeline Gabriel This link: http://www2.the-kennel-club.org.uk/safe_and_sound.html goes to an interactive game, designed to help kids (and adults!!) learn to safely interact with dogs. Play the game yourself, and supervise your children as they play too! Great oppotunities to learn what to do - and what not to do around dogs, that'll keep everyone "Safe and Sound!" More on dogs and kids safety - click below to read advice from the ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/kids-and-pets/safety-tips.aspx What to expect from your child - and at what age - as they interact with the family pet: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/kids-and-pets/how-kids-respond-to-pets.aspx Read here what the ASPCA says about age and what kind of pet is appropriate to consider at various points in a child's development: http://www.aspca.org/adoption/adoption-tips/kids-and-pets-interaction.aspx Click below for age-appropriate activity and game ideas: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/kids-and-pets/fun-activities-for-kids-and-pets.aspx And finally, warning signs that your child's behavior is dangerous to pets: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/kids-and-pets/warning-signs-that-your-childs-behavior-is-dangerous-to-pets.aspx Finally, one more critical component toward creating healthy relationships between your child and the dog, is for parents to make sure that interactions are appropriate; the dog's interactions with the child must be controlled, and focused on creating and rewarding success - for what the dog is doing right! Preventing inappropriate behavior(s) and rewarding good behavior is the key! Here is a note and video clip, sent to us by one of our students. It shows toddler-aged Tyler, working a trick with his pup, Erin. Mom and Dad are supervising, making sure that Erin learns how to properly interact with Tyler, and vice versa! "Before this [puppy] class Tyler could not even get near Erin without getting chewed on. This class has helped us make huge strides in the relationship that Tyler and Erin have developed. Thanks so much! We will see you in the next class!" http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTyler1021?feature=mhum