Kids Korner

Children Training Puppies

Don't you love those movies where the children and their dogs have an incredible bond? Do you imagine this could be your child and dog? Have your child and their puppy practice the following tips each day and this can be accomplished.

• Spend quiet time with their puppy
• Play games with their puppy
• Walk their puppy
• Feed their puppy
• Train their puppy
• Take their puppy out to do his or her business
• Don't play rough or tug games
• Groom their puppy

It is always advisable to have the child accompanied by a responsible adult anytime there is interaction between a child and puppy or an adult dog.

To learn more about children and dog safety click here.

A common complaint is the puppy is chasing the child and pulling and tearing their clothes. The child runs and cries, which encourages the puppy to become even more playful by chasing faster and biting harder. This is how puppies interact with their litter mates, but humans mistake it for aggressive behavior.

Puppies need to play and run. They bite when they are excited and because they are teething. When they are young pups their teeth are very sharp and can puncture skin, and when they mature the teeth are not as sharp but the jaws are much stronger and therefore the biting needs to be eliminated early.

To teach your puppy to have a soft mouth and to play without biting try these behaviors.

• Teach your child not to run from their puppy
• Teach your child not to scream or flail arms and legs at their puppy
• Redirect the chasing by using two or three fetch toys, throw one, when the puppy returns it, throw the other and so on
• This will also teach your pup to drop the toy to receive another toy, eliminating tugging
• Teach your child and puppy ‘Touch’. You begin by showing your puppy an item he or she likes and when they bite it, they get nothing.
• When he or she nudges it with their nose say ‘Touch’ and give them a treat. This will teach your puppy to contact you by nudging or licking, not biting. To achieve this, repeat the Touch behavior throughout the day.
• When puppies bite each other and one bites too hard, the puppy in pain will squeal and the biting pup will stop biting.
• When your puppy bites you, either squeal or say one loud OUCH. When he or she stops biting and is calm give them a treat. Don't say ouch for anything except the biting so the OUCH will be effective

These are a few behaviors that will help curb the biting. To learn more about training your puppy, click Services for contact and pricing information.