Who really needs the training?

In keeping within the kids/dogs theme. It's also important to make parents aware of how to train both dogs and kids, yes you need to train your children as well as the dog. Cesar Milan on his show, Dog Whisperer, always says, I rehabilitate dogs but I train people. We hear all the time about parents looking for dogs that will tolerate children like the dogs they have had before – lying across the dog, pulling their tails and ears, and even trying to ride the dog. However, this just seems like an accident waiting to happen. Dr. Illana Reisner of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and veterinary behaviorist analyzed the results from 804 surveys regarding dog aggression toward children that were given to dog owners coming to a university-based veterinary referral hospital. What the survey brought to light was that parents needed the training more than the dog. 

In the first scenario, surprisingly, if the family dog moved away when a young child wanted to pet it, almost half the respondents said they would hold their dog still and tell the child it was all right to pet the dog. However, avoidance is the clearest, non-threatening way dogs can communicate they do NOT want to interact. This kind of communication from the dog should be acknowledged and respected emphasized Dr. Reisner. As if this behavior were not enough coming from a family member, many adults expect their dog to have close contact with unfamiliar children when avoidance is not an option. This expectation is not realistic for all dogs. Steps should be taken to help the dog become more comfortable with close contact from unfamiliar children. Situations should be monitored and the children should also be trained in the proper way to meet and greet a strange dog (see BF Kids). 

Secondly, most parents see nothing wrong with children hugging and kissing their dogs. While these are perfectly natural displays of affection for people, they are not for dogs. A child should never put their face next to the face of a dog they do not know. In fact, invasion of personal space, eye contact mimic offensive threats to dogs and can lead to unexpected reactions from some dogs. In a perfect word, we would teach all the children to not hug and kiss their dogs. However, this is probably unrealistic, so it is important for dog owners to condition their dogs with this type of interaction, if need be, in small increments.

Then there are the dogs that have already bitten children. While most of us would like to believe this behavior can be "cured" with training and behavior modification it is unlikely the risk can ever be reduced to zero. To have dogs and children safely co-exist together requires a lifetime of preparation, management, and supervision emphasizes Dr. Reisner. Many organizations offer classes for kids with pets and BF is producing a series of videos that would open a discussion between you and your child.