Kid friendly dogs
A big part of developing a kid-friendly dog is to coach dog-friendly kids.
‘Stop the 77’ has become part of a bite prevention campaign based on the 77% of dog bites being delivered by either the family dog or a friends dog.
Leah and Justine from thefamilydog.com are both parents and dog trainers who created their website which is aligned with helping families with kids and to reduce the ’77’.
‘Stop the 77’ video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABDrhNBwdpk
Another great clip to help any age sharpen their observation skills.
Dog Body Language – What your dog is desperately trying to tell you! www.thefamilydog.com
The 2 videos on the link below have both been created by thefamilydog.com
and are geared for 2 different age groups including pre-school. http://national.macaronikid.com/article/713888/4-ways-even-the-best-parents-put-kids-in-danger-around-dogs
Then there’s this for another age group
DOG STARS (Bite prevention video for kids!)
Here’s the most recent kids video called Pat, Pet, Pause
The Family Dog: Best Dog training for the WHOLE family
One of the toughest roadblocks is…
Many dog owners are blissfully convinced that because they have never witnessed a display of aggression from their dog that the dog is unlikely or even incapable of delivering a bite. Sadly this is one reason the ’77’ statistic exists.
“Our dog loves kids” and “Our dog would never bite” are two of the biggest lies we might tell others or ourselves. Some dogs do love kids but this should not be put before a dogs desire to protect himself if he is pushed.
A dog can be just feeling grumpy or physically ill. He can hide mild discomfort very well and shouldn’t be placed in a position where reaching his threshold of tolerance with the kids could cost him his life.
Some kids may make the assumption other dogs are like the one at home.
Differences can be anything from being able to touch a dog’s paw to being able to reach for a toy on the ground near the dog.
In one podcast Leah and Justine use an example where a child might be able to get away with riding their own dog like a bucking bronco (when Mum & Dad aren’t looking). To date nothing has happened but when they go over to a friends house and try the same with another dog and uh oh!
We truly believe their program provides multiple benefits for humans and dogs.
I also implore everyone to nominate at least one place in the home where a dog can voluntarily retire knowing that the kids will not pester him.
He must be able to retreat here without being pursued but it should be somewhere close enough that he still feels a part of the family.
Then apply the same rule with the kids, e.g. dog not allowed on couch or dog not allowed into bedroom etc. This way every being can find both fun and peace. This gorgeous pooch (photographed) just loves having a pic taken.
Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)