Re: Dogs & Kids - The Perfect Mismatch

I agree with keeping a whole lot of toys handy; we (human beings) are not chew toys, after all, although a teething pup will try to chew on almost anything it can reach! When I was raising Tas from an early age, I always encouraged him to play with, bite and chew the many toys which were always strewn around the living room, and I never allowed him to engage in unsupervised play. I also made it a point to spend a lot of time outside in front of the house, where he could meet and interact with lots of people; even before he was big enough to take on real walks, we would spend a couple of hours every late afternoon/early evening sitting on the front porch jso he could socialise with as many people as possible. This is a key stage in a dog's development into a healthy, happy and well-behaved adult, and socialising them is one of the most important steps in their training.

Now that he's a healthy, well-adjusted and very well-behaved adult, I know that I can trust Tas to behave when he meets other people, whether he's on his leash or not; his reaction to people is almost always one of excited happiness at the prospect of making a new friend, and being lavished with praise and attention for being such a friendly and well-mannered dog. When we meet other people on a walk, a simple "manners" is all it takes to remind him to sit pretty by their feet, instead of getting all excited and jumping up. When he's off-leash down at the dog park, the same rule applies; whenever he meets people, he gets a single gentle reminder, "manners," and he instantly "parks his butt" by their feet and starts soaking up all the praise and attention dog-people always lavish on well-behaved and well-mannered dogs.

All it takes is patience, patience and more patience, with lots of practice and repetition, and gentle but firm guidance, and any dog can and will grow up to be just like Tas; sweet and friendly and always eager to make new friends.

Re: Dogs & Kids - The Perfect Mismatch

This is so true! I wish there were more laws and enforcement on the subject. I get so upset when I see people get the cute little puppy or kittren just because their child wants one. My heart drops and I know the awlful outcome of the situations. I've experienced too muich of this around other people when I was growing up. I'm haunted by the sadness of it all and over-whelmed by it because I couldn't do anything about any of it since I was only a child. Yet, in my family, the pup, dog, kitten or cat was respected. My brothers and I were taught to respect animals and understand their need for chewing and playing in their way. Education is the key, yet for some people it still doesn't help.

I've ended many of my friendships over the issue. People like that should not be allowed to have animals!!!

Re: Dogs & Kids - The Perfect Mismatch

Hey Frank. I have a few thoughts on your post. First off I feel that your advice is sound. You might consider a few things befor you lay it out that way. I mean you absolutely no disrespect, but one that is wise and experienced in life would offer a wider view of some things. I would say that few parents raise their children, Period!!! Most parents are so wrapped up in themselvesthat they have no time left for the children. When it comes to pets such as dogs here again most parents are not around. I liked the pup, brought it home for everybody else to take care of. Children that are not taught responsibility and the meaning of perception dont realy have parents. Almost all the time when people are threatened, bitten, or have any type of close call with a dog, its their stupidity, which is a result of lacking parents and low levels of natural common sense. Yelling at a dog or dogs is good sometimes, if confronted. Yelling at a dog if its endangering itself is only natural to an animal lover. If possible one must go to his or her dog and be civil with correction. Children should be taught that animals dont like to be tormented, cornered, or struct with force. There is exceptions to everything. A starving, mistreated, or abandoned dog is in a struggle to survive. Of course there is the more aggressive in nature and one with common sense will try to use their head to avoid a serious injury. Once again , in most cases the injured party made mistakes in judgement. How often does one walk into an area that they know nothing about. People with dogs prone to attack or aggressiveness should be responseable and considerate of others. Accidents happen and people are hurt or even sometimes killed. The injured usually wants all the attention they can get and are prone to settle out of court. Destroy the killer dogs. Why not destroy every dog on the planet? People that (generally) get hurt away from their homes by dogs are inconsiderate of dog owners and dont exercise observation. I have been with dogs since befor school days and its sixty years of dogs. Never breeding or dropping off somewhere a dog to fend for life. Most people that dont have a dog sometimes never had a dog generally dont like them to begin with. Walking your dog on a line is fine if you know your place. Ones place is to share walking space with what-ever. Only a blind person would allow their dog to end up in a fight with some other dog while both are on lines. If one can not hold their dog then duh!! they got the wrong dog. Putting ones face close to a dogs face is friendly in gesture. I aggree with you about a grouling animal but if its the family dog inside or outside theres a natural reason for the warning. Generally the dog has suffered abuse. Yelling and hitting is abuse with exceptions, such as life, limb or property. A loosely rolled newspaper is perfect for the more serious home trainer. I use water pistols mostly. One big mistake in familys is everybody yells and strikes the dog. Why? Like father like son. A dog should answer to one master and this master can teach the dog to respect others when they speak. No family member should strike a dog other than the #1 master. If you work, do you excell when ten boses tell you what to do. Confusion and suffering abuse is two big reasons for family members feeling a bite. In life I have seen far too many children abuse their animals, and this I believe to be the result of no morality being taught by parents who have none themselves. Many a child has been saved by dogs as have people in all walks of life. Dogs are trustworthy and I will not believe otherwise. Small children that are hurt or worse by dogs is usually the result of poor parenting, not the dog. One doesn't like to be abused. Dogs dont like it either. People that think they need a professional trainer for home problems shouldn't have the dog to begin with, or a more suitable one. The problem starts when one gets a dog that they know nothing about. Dogs are different in general nature. Some small dogs will attack and bite quicker than a pit ,rottie or shepherd. Dogs want out of their confinements. Rightly, they should be from time to time. Have any of you readers ever spent a few days in jail , alone , no friends, and shut away from lifes experiences? Thats bad for even a smart dogs brain patterns. Anything (in agreement with you or not ) that I mentioned is the responseability of parenting. LIke dogs, if you have no time for your children you got no business having them. I will not ever accept the excuse ,Well I was mistreated as a child. When you grow up, you make your own choices about right and wrong. Learning from life is what the intelligent do. Animals do this and they pass it on to their young. What?? Most all dog bites can be avoided. Discipline and instruct your children and anyone else that enters your yard or home. Do not lock your dog away in the back room . If you are unable to settle the dog down or instruct someone to momentarily act in accordance with the situation in order to achieve stability then something is wrong and its not the dog. If I could ever offer a single thing to a dog owner who never abuses his or her dog and lets nobody else abuse the dog, it would be this. If your dog is keenly adamant , about one entering your yard or home, learn from the dog. I have gotten into the head s of many dogs in my experiences. A good master can learn a lot from some of them, and something from all of them. Try to heed my words. If the dog is family and honest-to-God love is shared between family members in most cases the dog knows something more than you know or are willing to admit. The dog is protecting its family and sometimes will give its life in doing so. Listen to your dog. Learn its sounds and respect its nature. When you play with your dog , expect it to learn from you. A dog that fears its master is better off with another master. Obedience comes with understanding your animal, with respect from you to its nature. I have been punctured pretty good and had some tears in my arms or hands, but I played rough and it learned from me. One cant blame the animal for its true nature. Thats not the call of man, but of a Creator. However man can and often does, force change in an animals nature. Responseability for good or bad is on the person not the animal. There is but a few exceptions in animal breeds that are mean by nature. Dogs are not mean by nature. In my home I raised a grey wolf from six weeks to over six years when seizures set in and became more and more often no mater what the vets tried. Besides a good mother the next two best friends ever in my whole life were a retriever collie mix and that wolf. No man or woman has ever deserved my trust and willingness to die for more than them. I have come to know and understand lots of dogs. It would be hard for me to trust any human befor a dog that I raised. One thought I wish to express is this. Has anyone ever came to your rescue, saved you in any way, and defended or took up for you? A dog as do other animals sometimes, know when you stand up for them and they can remember. Dogs seldom hesitate to return the action if needed, but men , draw your own conclusions. Dogs and Kids can be A Perfect Match.

Re: Dogs & Kids - The Perfect Mismatch

Westhmpsn1 has a very valid point, dogs act on INSTINCT! If the animal feel threatened it going to react in the only way it knows how. As humans(?)we often times EXPECT the animal(especially dogs)to "bend" to our will, the idea is to have the dog respect NOT fear you. When an animal respects you and you in turn respect it you can have a very rewarding lifetime together. Yes, children play rough sometimes and have tendency to get "carried away" in their play but if they are taught that there are limits as to how far you can get "carried away" then you have taken the first step toward building and earning the respect and devotion of the dog. I agree that most people who abuse animals of any type in most instances were probably abused in some manner when they were a child, do not misunderstand me, I am not condoning their behavior nor am I attempting to excuse it either, but if we understand then maybe we can prevent any further abuses from occurring. As Westhmpnsn1 states, if you are not responsible then do both yourself and the dog a HUGE favor do not have an animal regardless of whether it is a dog, a cat or even a guinea pig because you will only be doing the animal the biggest disservice of its life and you will both end up miserable and the animal(particularly a dog)is likely to end up either very seriously injured or worse...
Take a lesson from those who have the experience, listen to what they have to say and learn from them.
These animals were put here for us to enjoy not to "rule" or even "control" they are comnpanions and friends, let's treat them as such.

Re: Dogs & Kids - The Perfect Mismatch

My daughter is 11 months old. We have four dogs and three cats, all of whom are rescues. My daughter has been taught from the moment she had the desire to touch the animals to be GENTLE and to respect the animals' space. I would not leave her unsupervised with any of them, not for fear of them, for fear that my child might be too rough, unpredictable etc. She already knows to respect the animals and to be gentle and mellow around them.
My uncle allowed his daughter to do whatever she wanted to their cairn terriers, and one night she got her face bitten, badly (she was two and a half). Needed surgery to repair. Had she been 1. taught to respect the aniamls and their space. and 2. been supervised, this could have been prevented. Too many people do not train their children properly, and do not train their dogs and then wonder "what happened?" when things go wrong.
Further more, it drives me crazy when people get a dog and then leave it in the back yard alone, with no companionship, and don't bother to train or socialize the animal, and then say it cannot be indoor because it is crazy, or doesn't listen, or mind. Please, if you are not willing to invest the time and energy into socializing and training, do not get a dog, Dogs are PACK ANIMALS!!!!! They suffer tremendously when neglected in a yard by themselves.