DOGS & KIDS - GETTING TO KNOW

It is really incredible the impact the first impression between a dog and person can make, especially when it is a child.

To give you an example of how adults and children can affect an animal’s attitude and personality, I always like to have a little fun and use the example of a dog working with either and adult or child actor on the set.

When we train animals for commercials, many times the production company, client, and agency like to see the actor rehearse with the animal before they even cast him or her for the part in the commercial. The main reason for this is that you never know what a child or adult actor will be like with an animal unless you actually put them together. Once they’re together, you can tell right away if he or she is comfortable. And the last thing the production company wants is an actor that does not look comfortable with the animal.

So what we will do is bring the dog to a quiet place where the actor gets a chance to meet him. On their initial introduction, what happens quite often, right off the bat, is the adult or child actor will get all excited and want to go to the animal.

What can happen is that this can have very a negative impact on the animal very quickly, and the animal’s response is to back off. But here’s what can work. It is essential that we keep things fun for the animal at this stage. So the first thing that most experienced animal trainers will do is let the actor and dog meet for a very short period of time. But here is what we will do:

We will normally have a treat for the actor to give the dog, but we will tell the actor to stay where he is, and not reach for the dog. If he follows directions and does not reach for the dog, the dog is likely to want come to him to get the treat. Once the dog comes to him, he gives the dog the treat and begins to pets him only for about 5 seconds. Once the actor stops petting the dog, what will probably happen is that the dog will initiate the actor to pet him again by nudging him. We will have the actor pet him again and stop. We will then take the dog away and will probably not bring him back to the actor until we are ready to shoot the commercial. We take the animal away from the actor always wanting more.

The reason I used this situation as an example is that your child can have this very same impact on your dog at home very quickly. Just by not giving the dog his space and pushing himself on the dog, the dog can develop a very negative attitude to your child. This is why it is essential that you teach your child to let the dog come to them.

LET YOUR CHILD READ THIS:

As a child, you have friends, and your friends have friends too. As a matter of fact, you are a friend of your friends. How did that happen?

Let’s think about your friendship with one of your best friends. The only way you became friends is because you and your best friend learned to like each other and respect each other. Those are the main ingredients for a great friendship, aren’t they?

Now let’s take a look at your dog. Let’s see this from your dog’s point of view. When you first get him, the two of you are strangers. You don’t even know each other. If you start forcing him into doing things right away that he isn’t comfortable with, do you think he’ll look forward to being around you? Probably not. It is my belief that many kids damage their relationship with their new dog without knowing it, within the first 30 days simply because they do things that makes the dog unhappy.

Unfortunately, if the relationship continues like this, and the dog never gets trained, the result is quite often the dog being returned to animal shelter or Humane Society.

I want to help you get to know your best friend, and develop a great bond with him. And the way that is accomplished is by time spent together and you simply getting to know your dog.

Once you get to know your dog, you are ready to begin to develop the relationship.