Timmy and Lassie made it look easy—a docile, well-behaved child and an intuitive, superbly trained dog, happy just being together, saving kittens and helping old people. And then there’s the real world.
Chewed up toys. Tantrums. Tears.
Don’t get me wrong. I think kids and dogs are a natural combination but there are hidden responsibilities to keep in mind.
Attention, Attention!
OK, everyone loves attention, but no one more so than kids and dogs. Neither really cares if it’s positive or negative. Sometimes, kids will tease the dog just to create a little blip on the parental radar screen. Keep this in mind and praise all positive kid/dog interactions. Take time to notice when your child pets the dog calmly or helps with the feeding. If you see any rough play or teasing, quietly remove your dog from the situation and isolate him in a crate or private room. Don’t discipline the dog, just remove him peacefully. Ignore your child for 15 minutes to let him know that rough play ends interaction time.
Teasing
You’ve heard of manhandling. I’m thinking of lobbying Webster’s to include kidhandling, a scaled-down, pint-sized version of the same activity. Since kids—especially those under the age of 8—are going to tease dogs (Sorry, but it’s a fact of life. Even Timmy did it when no one was looking.), you need to get your dog used to the way kids poke, prod and generally kidhandle them by mimicking the behavior safely. Pry your dog’s mouth open, handle his feet, tug his coat. As you’re doing it, praise him and give him treats. When your child handles the dog properly, praise them both and let your child be the one to give him a treat!
Play Training
Children often get bored with the repetitive nature of training a dog. Spice it up a bit with these ideas:
Treat Cups—Cut a hole in the lid of any small sized container and place some treats inside. Make several cups and distribute them around your house and by the door. Each time you shake the cup, reward your dog.
Use the treat cups to play the name game. Give a treat cup to each member of the family. Have “Lindsay” shake the cup while you say Lindsay’s name. Send your dog back and forth to different friends and family, each person shaking a cup while you say their name.
Play treat cup hide ‘n seek. Hide with a treat cup. Shake the cup and let your dog find you. Want more? You can find other fun treat cup games in my Teach Yourself Visually book.
Leapin’ Lassie—Set up a broomstick on two low objects (no higher than your dog’s elbow). Encourage your child to encourage your dog with a toy or treat and to say “Follow” and “Over” as they take the jump together.