Should My Kids Train Wolfie

We got a dog and I want to make sure that my kids are involved in his training!  First, I dont want him to be my sole responsibility, but I also want to teach my kids responsibility...

We get this question (request) a lot and the answer really depends on the dynamics of the family and the current issues with the dog.  Lets just walk through some scenarios that we have experienced and we will explain what needs to be done.

The kids dont want anything to do with Wolfie:
The first thing that we would do would be to get your kids involved with Wolfie around the house.  

• Ask them to take Wolfies bowl to him at feeding time.  
• Have Wolfie and your kids together with you as you are giving him s treat.  Show your kids how to do that and then ask them to try it too.  
• You can also ask them to "babysit" Woolfie while you are making dinner or on the computer.  You are still in sight of them, but you have given them a chore that involves passive interaction with him.

After they are OK with him, start involving them with come simple commands like COME and SIT.  You do the exercises first and then you invite them to join in.  You are always there to encourage them and guide them when they arent getting the exercise done correctly.  Never let them become angry or hit Wolfie.

As your kids see that Wolfie "will do what they want", it will give them a feeling of accomplishment.  Now, start to move on to other commands like STAY and WALK.  Again, this is all taken slowly and always in an atmosphere of having fun.

Wolfie seems to be a little aggressive and nips at the kids:
Usually we see a dog nipping and automatically label them as "aggressive".  Although we always suggest contacting a professional dog trainer for specific advise, this situation is normally caused by Wolfie demanding attention.

The first thing you have to do is to establish your dominance over Wolfie so that he gives you the respect and focus you require.  Have Wolfie on a leash around your kids.  As soon as he approaches them and begins to nip, correct him and direct him back to you.  You will very quickly notice the proactive signs of Wolfie wanting to nip (get attention) your kids.  Correct him ahead of time.  Wolfie will quickly learn that he cant perform that behavior.

Now, ask your kids to call Wolfie over to them in a calm manner.  Have them pet him and give him treats.  As you see that Wolfie is no longer the one demanding attention and your kids are no longer threatened by Wolfies nipping, you can start with some simple COME and SIT obedience commands.

My kids are small and Wolfie is twice their size:
I dont want the kids training Wolfie in this instance.  They can play with him under controlled visits with you always present.  Under no circumstance do you leave them alone.

The reason that I am so adamant in this situation is that I dont want Wolfie knocking them over.  It isnt that I think that Wolfie is mean or would want to hurt your kids, but they are kids and dogs.  Bumping and falling happens.  When they are small, this could scare them and make them afraid of dogs the rest of their lives.

The bottom line whenever you want your kids involved with your dog is to have them properly socialized first.  Any of the cases that we have discussed above first involves proper socialization so that a level of respect is built between your kids and Wolfie.

As I mentioned above, if you have any concern regarding your kids interaction with your dog, call a professional dog trainer.  You can reach us at http://www.BarkBustersSouthFlorida.com.

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The Mad Dash at the Start of the Walkies

I know that I am probably doing something wrong, but when I take Wolfie out for a walk, he is already crazy because all my other dogs are barking and jumping.  It takes all I can to hold him to get the front door open.  Then he bolts out and the rest of the walk is nuts!

I was out at a client a few weeks ago that I hadnt seen for over a year.  She told me that the reason she hadnt called me for so long was that everything with the training had been great, but that her dog recently started to go nuts anytime he would go for a walk.  This started to happen when they added a new dog to the pack (they now have 5 dogs!).  The new dog had a tendency to get the other dogs crazy and it always happened when a "walkies" was involved.

The problem was really quite simple.  Her dog was at full adrenaline as soon as the door was open and she couldnt regain focus of her dog to maintain the control needed for the walk.  We had to set up a new "exit strategy" that allowed for a calm and focused start of the walk.  What we did was quite simple.

We placed the leash on the dog and everyone went nuts.  That was OK because we then took the dog into the garage (with the garage door closed) by way of the laundry room.  The rest of the "crazy dogs" were left in the house with a family member keeping them busy.  We had the dog sit and stay for the client.  We walked the dog in a circle once or twice and then had him sit again.  He was calm and still and the client had complete control and focus.

Next, while the client firmly held the leash, we opened the garage door.  The dog began to loose focus on the client in favor of "everything outside".  We redirected the dogs focus back to the client with some simple obedience exercises until we again observed that the client had complete control and focus.

Now, we slowly walked the dog to the driveway.  We had him sit and observed his focus.  It was still on the client.  We now began the walk slowly and calmly.  The dog was perfect.

The client exclaimed "Wow!  This is a different dog!".  I explained that he wasnt a different dog, we simply provided the appropriate environment to allow him to give us focus and respect.  We became the leader and he became the follower.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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