Tuesday Training Byte: Teaching children proper dog interactions

I know this might not sound like a dog training issue. Unfortunately, children under age ten make up the majority of dog bite victims, and often by the family dog. Parental supervision does not always work because the parents do not understand dog body language sufficiently to know when a dog is fearful or uncomfortable. Most dog bites are out of fear rather than aggression. Here are some tips to guide child interactions, and tips for recognizing dog fear.

Have a crate set up in an out-of-place area where the dog can go to retreat.

Do not allow children to approach the dog while he is crated.

Do not allow children to take away a dog's food, treats, or toys.

Do not permit children to hug, climb on, ride, or poke at the dog.

Teach children to not act like a prey animal around a dog (i.e. running, squealing, flailing arms, or jumping about).

Watch out for the following signals that the dog is fearful or uncomfortable:

Whites of eye showing or averting the gaze

Stiff body with low head, versus soft and wiggly

Mouth clamped shut or showing teeth, versus a slightly open mouth or appearance of smiling

Licking lips, yawning, pacing, cowering or trying to escape

View the photos and see how many cues you can identify that the dog is fearful or uncomfortable. Happy training!