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Safety Around Dogs
20.12.24 Dog Behaviour. Dog Safety. Children and Dogs. With more children interacting with dogs over the holiday period, many children I come across in my school visits say a friendly dog has a wagging tail but a tail wag does not always mean a friendly dog …
The dog may have their tail tucked down low and wagging, they are a bit scared. Or when a dog’s tail is wagging up ’stiff like a board’ (almost ‘ping ping ping’) instead of ‘flowing like a wave,’ this is not a good, friendly sign! Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant, Trainer & Author, Dogs Best Friend. Dogs Best Friend. For more dog behavioural and training tips, advice and suggestions, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins ‘Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood’ thank you 🐾 31.08.24 Dog Behaviour. Dog Safety. Children and Dogs. Here is some useful advice in regards to children and dogs interacting
- Children are more likely to be attacked by a dog they know. Supervision is key, do not be complacent, dogs are not fluffy babysitters.
- It is not acceptable for a dog to snatch food from a child.
- Children under twelve should not correct or reprimand any dog. Timing of correction or reprimand is paramount and the ability to judge this and knowledge about this, can be lacking with children under this age (and yes, with some older individuals). There can also be issues with a dog’s ‘respect’ for a younger child and potential risks involved here. *It's better to be safe than sorry!
- Do not let children take a dog’s toys away and play with them. Although your dog should not show elements of aggression or resource guarding (as well with this, don't make ‘scarcity of resources’ a reason for aggression) teach respect for your dog and make sure your dog has his or her own bed to go to and toys to engage with.
- Allow children to assist with feeding but not be solely responsible for the act. This can be a highly energized time and is best done with the aid of an adult.
- Children need to be ‘trained’ by adults to maintain social distance -
It's not a good idea to go up and put your face up in your dog’s face. This can be threatening and irritating to your dog.
- Do not let children disturb your dog when he or she has gone off to rest.
- Dogs have more sensitive hearing than us. Loud screaming around your dogs should be avoided and frankly is not pleasant for anyone.
- As a general rule, dogs dislike being hugged.
- Children should be taught to be respectful and not handle dogs roughly. Teach your dog to respond to verbal commands rather than having to be touched.
- It is totally unacceptable to allow a child to climb on or step on your dog. They are not a piece of play equipment!
At the end of the day, it’s most important that we encourage our children to be polite and caring to the animals they're interacting with, Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant & Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog training and behavioural tips, advice and suggestions, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins, ‘Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood’ as well, check out https://selinamcintyre.podia.com/ for some online dog behaviour training, thank you 🐾
10.09.2020
Do you want dogs to like you?
You know those people, the ones that don’t seem to give a bar about dogs but dogs fawn all over them.There’s definitely something to it. [Read More…]
You know those people, the ones that don’t seem to give a bar about dogs but dogs fawn all over them.There’s definitely something to it. [Read More…]
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Selina McIntyre of Dogs Best Friend, a qualified Dog Behaviourist & Dog Trainer in the Hamilton, Waikato, Tauranga and Rotorua areas of NZ since 2004.