We believe strongly that dogs are family members. We even go so far as to say they are exceedingly similar to children in many facets. This is just another reason why we call ourselves dog "parent trainers." That door swings both ways when parenting both a child and a dog. We have to teach children how to behave around dogs as much as we teach dogs to behave around children.
If not properly trained, children tend towards to the same default behaviors which can incite dogs into misbehavior. These behaviors include:
Frenetic, excitable petting
Yanking hands away with uncertainty.
Playing "kissy face"
Falling to the ground screaming.
Running away while screaming .
Each of these behaviors tend to excite dogs into:
Grabbing with their mouth.
Jumping on the child.
Chasing and tackling the child, or worse.
These behaviors, in turn, feed back to the dog (and child) which causes all parties to engage in more of these behaviors. And the cycle continues... Keep reading for solutions.
Enter 3D Dog Behaviorist, Amy Haycox!
The key here is not only to tell the children to stop these behaviors. Why? Because telling them what not to do does nothing to inform them what they should do. In the mind of a child, these behaviors are their default setting. At such a young age, they cannot extrapolate alternative behaviors on their own. Instead, they have to be directly coached and taught the right actions to take around dogs.
And so, we were thrilled when Faith Presbyterian Church invited us to host their Sprouts Mother's Day Out event to teach children proper techniques.
"Sprouts Mother’s Day Out offers a loving, safe, and secure atmosphere for children and a caring, supportive ministry to parents and families in our community."
Amy had an enthusiastic crowd of young people ready to learn a better way to relate to dogs.
Amy's presentation and demonstration taught the children how to behave properly around dogs. And these teaching can easily happen at home with your own child. To do so you will need a dog, and you will have to demonstrate how to act. These teachings should include:
How to ask permission before petting
Proper posture when petting dogs - stand tall, no falling to the ground.
How to pet properly - slowly and with firm pressure, no patting
Holding their ground - no jumping back or yanking hands away, unless necessary
If you would like to schedule a visit by a canine behaviorist to your organization, give us a shout at support@threedimensionaldog.com or call 205-563-8383.
For more information about Sprouts Mother's Day Out at Faith Presbyterian Church, visit https://faith-pca.org/mothers-day-out/
Three Dimensional Dog, LLC