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Should children and dogs live together?
Of course they should.
As Dr Ian Dunbar says in his lectures, there is no more kiddy-socialised dog than a dog that lives with children. If a dog does not live with children, he does not experience all of the natural behaviours that children exhibit.
Many breeders will simply not allow their puppies to go to homes with children. Whilst I understand why they take this view (often family homes are too busy and the dog isn’t given the time and attention he needs) however, if dogs and children never lived together, that would mean that the entire dog population is under-socialised with children. That would make our parks unsafe for children to play - a very dangerous scenario.
So, education is key. Children need to be educated in how to behave around dogs. Owners with children need to be educated in how to train the dog successfully in the family environment. Owners (and breeders) without children need to be educated in how to adequately socialise dogs with children. Dogs need to be educated in how to behave around children.
Educating children. Of course, educating toddlers is an ongoing process and, in the meantime, they cannot be trusted with dogs. Toddlers and dogs should NEVER be left unattended! Even older children can be unpredictable and should be supervised with dogs.
Children in a family with dogs need to learn some golden rules. Never attempt to pick up the dog/puppy. Never pull or push the dog/puppy. Never corner the dog/puppy. Never approach the dog when he is sleeping. Never approach the dog whilst he is eating (except under supervision). Never take a toy/chew/bone from a dog/puppy.
The Kennel Club is currently promoting its "safe and sound" scheme which is designed to educate children in how to behave around dogs. It’s advice is similar to that advocated by Dr Dunbar's and the scheme demonstrates (interactively) how to behave in everyday scenarios. Advice such as "NEVER approach a strange dog under any circumstances" is drummed in. Even friendly dogs should only be approached with the owners permission. There is also advice on what to do if you are approached by a boisterous/aggressive dog. "Be a tree" (i.e. stand still, don't run); "wrap your branches around you" (i.e. don't wave your arms around); "look at the ground" (i.e. don't stare at the dog); "say one word - help" (i.e. don't scream). It is all good advice and The Kennel Club delivers it in a fun, interactive way.
Educating owners. Most owners with children want a dog that will be well-behaved with children - they just don't always know how to achieve this. Sadly, many owners who do not have children simply do not see the need to socialise and train their dog in how to behave around children. I know of hundreds of owners (good owners, people who love their dogs) who simply take the view that people should keep their children away from their dogs. In my opinion, this is ill-advised, if not positively dangerous. It is all well and good if the dog is under control at all times - but what about the time when the dog gets out - roams around and bites a child because it is not adequately socialised. What if a child approaches the dog in a park?
It is the owners responsibility to socialise the dog. Society demands it and so does the law.
You could be forced to destroy a much loved and 99.9% reliable dog because of the one ugly incident with a child. It is not worth the risk. Socialising the dog with children is vital and it needs to be done thoroughly. Simply introducing it to one or two well-behaved children whilst it is a young puppy will not do the job!
Educating dogs. Introducing young puppies to children is the first stage. Responsible breeders will invite children to visit the puppies whilst they are still in the litter. Of course, these experiences need to be controlled and the pups reactions monitored.
A puppy that is brought into a household with children will learn to love children (provided the children learn the golden rules!). The problems in this instance are that they can often become "over the top" and get wound up by the children rolling on the floor, screaming, running. Often behaviours such as chasing, herding, nipping, barking etc can creep in as the dog learns to respond to the natural way that children behave. The puppy needs to be supervised during play so that unacceptable behaviour can be "nipped in the bud". Chasing, nipping, tugging on clothes etc can be stopped by encouraging the pup to turn his attention to a more acceptable activity.
When our pup started tugging on the children's clothes I would gently remove her from the clothing and offer a game with a toy instead. The key is consistency. Being there every time and responding positively by offering an alternative will eventually reap its rewards. When the pup starts to chase,herd or nip, I start to do some training exercises using treats. That usually gets the pup's attention and focusses away from the unacceptable activity. Because my pup was exposed to this training and socialising every day she is "bomb-proof" with children. She never tugs on their clothes, or nips etc. It will be an ongoing processes and needs to be reinforced every day - but that is part of the trials and rewards of having a family!
A puppy that is brought into a household with no children will soon forget the children that he met as a young puppy. In any case, the interaction would have been controlled and limited. So, puppy owners without children need to find some to interact with the pup. Children (of all ages) should be invited into the home and garden. They should be allowed to do what children do, including running, screaming, rolling around on the floor. The pup's interaction should be monitored and controlled. The children should be able to deliver treats to the puppy in all sorts of different scenarios and should be able to play (under supervision) with any boisterous behaviour positively managed.
The pup then needs to be exposed to children in other situations. A visit to the school gates will be invaluable as dozens of children come charging out at home time. Most of them will approach the pup and, if you control it properly so that it becomes a positive experience, the pup will learn to seek out children's company. I take pocket-fulls of treats and situate myself far enough away so that the pup is not crowded or cornered. Then we invite interested-looking children to come and feed the pup. If we get a crowd of children (which could be too much for the pup) I simply walk the pup away (as if to go home), the crowd disperses and we go back, to be approached by a new set of interested children.
A particularly nervous pup may not be able to cope with this and may need a more sensitive approach. It is vital not to over-face the pup and you must watch its reactions constantly so that you can respond appropriately if he is becoming overfaced.
Socialising with children is never "finished". It is not something that can be "ticked off" a list of experiences when socialising. It is an ongoing process. If you would like convincing further, you should watch Dr Dunbar's video called "Dog Aggression - biting dogs".
If we are to live in a society where dogs and children can live side by side, without having dogs banned from parks and children banned from dog shows, we must take responsibility for the behaviour of our children and our dogs.
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