Kids and Dogs: 3 Don’ts
Tip 1) DON'T ACT LIKE PREY
Screaming, running, and flailing around dogs can trigger what we call predatory drift. A child acting like a prey animal can cause a dog to slip into predatory behaviour: 'I must chase and catch this moving animal, maybe even grab and shake it!'.
Whilst this is a natural response in some dogs (predation is linked to 'feeding' in fight, flight, feeding and courtship behaviours), it's best to avoid triggering a predation response from dogs around children.
Tip 2) DON'T PLAY TUG WITHOUT RULES
Whilst I am a huge fan of adults playing tug with dogs (there is no correlation between playing tug with your pup and aggression directed at family members/strangers), kids will imitate if they see a grown-up playing tug, and a combination of intensity and kids isn't great for dogs.
So make sure that, if your kid is playing (supervised!) tug with your pup, they play with the following rules:
1) Start Cue: dog only grabs when invited ('get it!')
2) Stop Cue: dog lets go on cue ('drop!')
3) Accuracy: dog never puts teeth on humans (if teeth make contact, it's game over for the day!)
4) Breaks: lots of breaks to practice obedience and test the system, as well as to keep the intensity manageable.
Weekly Thought
DON'T ENTER THE PUPPY SAFE ZONE
Dogs need space, just like anybody else. Children can be prone to grabbing dogs, tightly hugging them, messing with their food and water, and interrupting them when they're trying to rest. Some dogs protect their food, water, and/or toys from humans, and some dogs will react to being grabbed/restrained.
To avoid conflict and to keep everyone safe, I recommend a puppy safe zone that your child cannot access, especially for meal times and rest times. Use a baby gate or a separate room where your pup can unwind without the sticky-fingered (albeit loveable) interruptions of your children.
