When dogs and Kids collide

Dogs and kids are like peas in a pod, right? Well.... not if the kids are afraid of dogs and not if the dog isn’t comfortable around children, then we have some rules to set and some work to do!

The way I like to handle situations involving kids and dogs is through mutual respect, coexistence and firm boundaries for both the dog and the kids about staying out of each other’s space. 

Dogs and kids can share space together without conflict by having dogs hold place or down/stay command calmly while kids stay out of the dogs personal space as dogs in command are always off limits to everyone including kids and other pets.

Kids shouldn’t have to tolerate rowdy and rude (and dangerous!) behaviour from a dog, and likewise dogs shouldn’t have to tolerate pestering or unwanted attention from kids. It’s up to us adults and handlers to advocate for our kids and our dogs by making sure that both dogs and kids are behaving respectfully at all times. That way, everyone can have a great experience together through coexistence and both kids and dogs can learn how to be comfortable and gain confidence in one another’s presence.

In this video, you’ll see an afternoon and evening with my nieces who are both usually nervous around strange dogs but they are much more at ease when they share space with a calm and polite dog like Abbie who holds her down/stay command like a champ! Likewise, my brilliant and amazing nieces know exactly how to behave respectfully towards dogs by staying out of the dog’s personal space while we adults/dog handlers are supervising every moment and ready to advocate for both kids and dogs at all times.