When you have both children and dogs, the little ones can get snappy. And I’m not just talking about the dogs! Read the July 24, 2011 For Better or Worse comic, and you may get a new perspective!

This is a tolerant dog who loves his boy! Most dogs don't like this level of closeness - think of the appropriateness of hugging a stranger.

Teach your child to behave appropriately, and not only will your dog thank you, but your child will become safer around other people’s pets. Some tips for your child are:

1. Use walking feet and inside voices. Dogs see a running screaming child as a playmate, and dog play sometimes involves jumping and nipping.
2. Always ask an adult before approaching someone’s pet.
3. Approach dogs from the front so they see you coming.
4. Let the dog sniff you first, then pet him on the neck – not the head.

Learn how to read dog emotions so you can help your child meet and interact with family dogs. For more information on reading dog body language, see our blog entry What is Your Dog Telling You? Read His Lips…

Still having nipping problems? Find a trainer who specializes in aggression issues. Be prepared that good trainers teach people as well as train dogs, and you and your family will need to do some homework. If training with a professional doesn’t work, your dog may not be suited for a household with children. To find a new home, go through a no-kill organization to guarantee your dog is adopted rather than euthanized.

Your dog (and everyone else’s) will thank you!

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Over this past year, I have been amazed everyday watching my baby boy turn into a toddler. Around 10 months, we noticed that his communication skills really started to flourish. He began using sign language and becoming more verbal. Interestingly, he has also become more observant of the communication between our dogs.

Last night, he was playing in the living room when our two Golden Retrievers started to play rough with a little growling and baring of teeth. My son stopped playing, smiled and looked as if he was going to get in the middle, but then he babbled as if talking to the dogs and quietly walked around the dogs. After the dog play session was over, my son walked over to Rankine and gave him a big hug. They snuggled for a few minutes and then he was off to playing again.

As I watch him interact with our 4 dogs, it is clear to me that he has learned to read our dogs signs to know when he can hug them, play with them, pet them and most importantly when they want to be left alone.

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…and eyes, and ears, and tail…

Dogs don’t communicate with words or crying like we do. Their whining, barking, and growling is used in limited, and usually extreme, situations. To “hear” what your dog is saying, you really need to watch their body language.

Use these signals to assess your dog during training, agility, or other dog competitions. If you see signs of stress, try something easier for the dog to build up his confidence. Find games you can play to take his (and your) mind off of the surroundings at sporting events such as Touch Nose to Hand or other dog tricks.

A calm dog is relaxed – especially his eyes, mouth, ears, and tail. Take for example Rankine when his baby is walking all over him. Notice how his ears, lips, and eyes are relaxed. This is a calm dog who doesn’t mind the baby’s antics.

Had Rankine been asking baby to stop, you may have seen one of the following cues:

• Lip licking
• Yawning
• Ear flicking
• Flinching
• A “crescent” shaped whites of his eyes
• Intentional turning away from the baby
• “Freezing.” This is different from stillness in that you can almost see the tension in the body. If you ever see a dog “freeze,” beware. This is often a precursor to snapping.

You can learn more about a dog’s body language at Living with Kids and Dogs by Colleen Pelar. Watch her videos to see how dogs show their stress.

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Huggies Adventure Zone was at this year’s Boo at the Zoo to see who has the fastest crawler in the Denver area.  Of course being married to “Mr. Competitive”, our baby had to win!  So on Saturday morning, we were off to Zoo not to trick-or-treat or to see the animals, but to win a baby crawling race. 

We got to the Zoo and immediately checked out the course.  Being good dog trainers we knew to bring a high value reward (stuffed puppy dog), to aclimate our little guy to his environment and make sure he had a little obstacle familiarization.  After scoping out the surroundings, we had  a relaxing lunch in preparation for the 1 o’clock show down. 

We arrived a few minutes early as Dad wanted to check out the competition – eleven other babies varying in age from 7 months to 12 months.  Our guy was one of the younger babies, but not to be overlooked because he has got speed. 

The Huggies representative had the babies line-up, gave a run down of the rules, and said “Go”.  Moms and Dads were yelling excitedly to get their babes going.  One of the older babies pulled out into the lead and stopped about half way.  In the meantime, my guy wasn’t quite sure what the fuss was about.  FINALLY, he locked in on his favorite toy and took off down the stretch winning the 1st prize of six months of diapers by a couple feet.

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While at our son’s Halloween party, I overheard another parent explaining how her daughter got a scratch on her face… her daughter had been chasing after the dog and pulling on the dog’s face.   Understandably, the dog became irritated by the little girl’s behavior and nipped at her face.  Consequently, the family immediately found a new home for their dog:(

Needless to say, I was extremely saddened by this story as it was a totally avoidable outcome.   The little girl should never have been allowed to chase and torment the dog.  Despite the unfortunate outcome, the family should be commended for finding the dog a new home rather than dropping the him at the pound.

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