What if my dog doesn't get along with my kids?

What if your dog loves being around you and other dogs, but when it comes to children, the two just don’t get along? When your furry friend is aggressive toward children, it can be stressful for both you and your child. We offer obedience training in Chicago to help your dog become less aggressive, but here are some tips to follow to have your dog and child become friendly together.

MANAGE THE SITUATION

When you know you have an aggressive dog, get ahead of the trouble before any arises. When you have good management, you are able to control a situation to reduce the potential risk. For example, don’t bring your dog to visit extended family if you know they won’t do well in that environment. Other tips include:

• Teach the dog to wear a muzzle
• Put the dog behind a baby gate or inside a crate when he or she is around small children
• Only allow the dog and child to be together if an adult is able to give their full attention to the interaction.

TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO INTERACT

Once you have a good management protocol intact, figure out how your child behaves around your dog. Make sure the interaction between your dog and your child is always supervised. This is a good basic rule to follow and you’ll be able to see how your child acts around your fluffy friend. Remember that teaching your child safe interactions with dogs helps avoid trouble between the two. Additionally, think about these rules when your child begins playing with dogs:

• Have your child ask for permission to pet a dog (yours or anyone else’s)
• Teach your child to pet a dog under the chin instead of over the head and avoid playing with ears, tails, and paws.
• Tell your child to pet in 5-second increments in order to figure out the dog’s behavior toward the child.

ENROLL IN OBEDIENCE SCHOOL

Trainers can help you teach your dog how to interact with children. If you think your dog could benefit from obedience training in Chicago, contact us today and we will help you work with your dog’s aggression.

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