by Andy Sands, Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant
Hello again Suncoast, and welcome back to Training Tuesday. We are in the middle of the series “Kids, Dogs, and Holiday Celebrations.” We’ve been discussing various things that may make dogs fearful, predominantly during the holidays. We started way back in October, preparing for Halloween, and all of those potentially ‘scary for dogs’ costumes. We learned that dogs don’t understand the concept of removable parts or changing silhouettes. Then, we shifted our focus to holiday gatherings, typically involving large crowds and children. Last week I gave you steps to take to help fearful dogs be introduced to new adults or older teens. This week we shift the focus to children. Some dogs are not comfortable around children, even if they have been fine with adults and older teenagers. The holidays are upon us, and the earlier you can prepare, the better.
Children and Canine Etiquette
If you look through pet adoption websites like PetFinder.com or others, you will often find disclaimers about a potentially adoptable dog not being particularly “kid-friendly.” We’ve discussed it previously, and many people now know that dogs are not capable of generalized learning. In other words, dogs don’t know how to apply knowledge of something already learned to a broad range of experiences. A teenager is much different to a dog, than a bouncy toddler, or an older adult. So, if a dog has only been around adults, and has learned that adults are good, the dog will not automatically transfer that knowledge when he encounters a young child. The dog may become anxious or fearful around this little human. For more information on generalization refer to part two of this series.
On the other hand, whether the dog is well socialized or not, children must also be instructed on proper canine etiquette and body language. The first and most important thing to tell children is that they must never, ever, approach or pet a dog without first asking permission of the dog’s owner. Once permission is given, and not before, they may introduce. Keep in mind, there is a proper method of introduction, and it is not approaching the dog and holding out your hand, like so many of us learned as kids.
A proper introduction includes standing sideways, and offering the dog a treat in an open out-stretched hand. If there is not a treat available, be sure to teach the child to stand sideways, and avoid direct eye contact with the dog. Dogs interpret direct eye contact from strangers as threatening and very rude. Then, allow the dog to approach. If the dog approaches in a friendly manner, the child may scratch the dog under his chin, or on his chest. The thing to avoid is patting the dog on his head, which is as natural to us as shaking someone’s hand. However, in dog language this is extremely rude. It would be akin to me smacking you on the butt when we first meet. Obviously, once a dog is known to you, you may take certain liberties, like a friendly pat on the head.
There are several layers to proper introductions, whether from children or adults, and this is just the first step. Come back next week on Training Tuesday, and we will finish up the steps involved for proper introductions. Following that, we will discuss how to help your fearful dog make friends with kids. Then you can put this whole series together, and use it for years to come. The holidays repeat every year, so this knowledge is timeless.
