Parents and responsibility

YOUR two-year-old child has decided that a great hiding spot for hide'n seek would be underneath your dog. As your two-year-old son attempts to crawl into his new found hiding spot your dog hops around trying to avoid involvement in this game. Your child persists and your dog makes a run for it, you have a good dog. But your toddler decides that this is the only spot that will do today. From the other room you hear a scream and run in to find your child with a scratch on his face, and your dog standing over your child ... an all too common situation.

The children have begged for what feels like forever and you finally gave in to their constant pleas for a dog. With a couple of toddlers at home the addition of a dog may seem to have put things into the hectic zone. Adding a puppy or dog to a family with small children can definitely be trying for anyone and there may situations arise which you had not considered before adding this canine to your family.

The kids wanted the dog, right? Yes, but most parents soon learn that it is up to the adults of the house for everything concerning the dog. Your most important job as a parent and new canine guardian is supervisor. Supervision between your dog and your children should be a major concern. Without adequate supervision, things can go very wrong.

I am often called into a home to help smooth relations between the dog and the children. Commonly the base of the problem is an insufficient amount of supervision taking place to allow for anyone's safety or education. As the leader of the household, it is your chosen job and obligation to teach both your children and your dog to live harmoniously. This can be a difficult task but well worth the initial output of time for a happy future.

When a dog joins a family it is their job as a canine to establish where in the hierarchy of the family they fit in. Your entire family from Dad, Mom, two toddlers to the baby are your dogs pack. You want your dog to be at the very bottom of the pack, which is where you as parents come in. Young children cannot obtain or maintain status on their own. They need the leader of the pack to help them obtain and support them in their position.

By nipping and consequently frightening the children, your dog can quickly weed out the lower pack members. If you do not step in and assist your children in obtaining status over your new dog, you may have problems. Before long you can have a dog ruling the children and dishing out discipline. Status can be achieved in many ways, physical height is one. When the kids are on the couch with Mom and Dad, the dog should not be. The dog should not jump on the children and the children should not crawl on the floor with the dog.

Even very small children can use obedience to help convince the dog that they are someone to listen to. Take your child's small hand cupped in yours, physically help your child to signal your dog into a sit for a reward. Having your children feed the dog with your hovering assistance is a great way for your children to say "hey, I control the food around here". As a mother of three I am nuts about children and dog safety, hovering means exactly that. You must always be there to witness dog, child interactions.

Children do not always do the smartest things and if your dog dislikes what is being done to them, they may retaliate. Dogs give fair warning before anyone gets bitten. The problem lies with the children, they don't see any of the pre-warning signals that your dog is giving. Adults should never stand by and allow a dog to discipline the children. Far too often I am told "I told her the dog was going to bite her".

Just as we need to teach the dog that the children come first, we need to teach the children to be kind and respect our dogs. This is why you must always be present when there are any interactions to take place. Education is everything. If you fail to discipline your child you fail to be your dog's leader, leaving them to do the leading. By stopping your children from pestering the dog, you establish a clear hierarchy - you are the boss. - Sherri Regalbuto