Send
Invitations to 5-10 Kids. Write something
like this: “We have a new dog! Bailey is a 3-month-old
beagle/Labrador mix, and she loves kids! You are invited
to her first puppy party where you can help us teach
her how to play nicely with kids. Join us on Saturday
at 2:30 pm.”
Proper
Introductions. Have Bailey on a leash
when the kids arrive. Step on it so that she cannot
jump on the children. Ask them to come over and extend
their fist (with fingers curled in) so that she can
sniff it. Explain to the kids that dogs use their
sense of smell to recognize people and that Bailey
sniffs them to learn who they are. Most puppies will
be wiggly and interested in the kids. Let the kids
pet Bailey gently under her chin or on the side of
her neck. Encourage the children to be careful of
the dog’s sensitive eyes and ears, which will
discourage them from petting the dog on top of the
head. People often pat dogs on the head, but dogs
really don’t like it, so you’ll be teaching
the children good habits for interacting with all
dogs.
Pass
the Puppy. After each child has had
a chance to meet the puppy on leash, have the kids
all sit in a circle on the floor. Each child in turn
will be allowed to call Bailey over, give her a treat,
and gently pet her for about 15 seconds. Give a few
delicious dog treats to each child in turn. The other
kids should be told to ignore Bailey if she comes
to them when it isn’t their turn. Once everyone
has had a turn, go around again and give each child
two more treats. Then you will call a child’s
name at random, and he can again call Bailey, give
her one of the treats, and pet her gently. When everyone
has had two turns in the mixed up sequence, the kids
can begin teaching Bailey to sit politely for greeting.
Be
a Tree. Put Bailey in her crate for
a few minutes and, teach all of the children to be
a tree—by planting their feet, clasping their
hands together and holding them close to their body,
and looking down at their feet. Tell the kids that
by being a tree they are using body language to teach
a dog to be calm and polite. Have a few silly, wiggly
practice sessions in which you all hop around and
then on cue suddenly freeze into the tree pose. Kids
love that. Bring Bailey back over on leash and tell
each child to be a tree when she comes close. If she
jumps on them, they should ignore her and keep being
a tree.
Let
Bailey wander around the kids for a minute or two.
She’ll be wondering why they are all suddenly
so boring. Then give the children each a treat and
ask them to stand in a circle so they can practice
teaching Bailey not to jump on people. As with Pass
the Puppy, each kid will take a turn to call Bailey
over. If she jumps up, the child should immediately
be a tree and withhold the treat. If she does not
jump, tell them to give her the treat. After going
around the room a few times, Bailey will quickly learn
that keeping all four paws on the ground equals treats
and jumping makes people become boring. What a great
lesson for a young pup to learn.
Helping
the Lessons to Stick. Put Bailey back
in her crate for a nap and take the kids to the kitchen
to wash up and get a snack. Over cookies and juice,
talk to the kids about all the ways they can help
Bailey—and the other dogs they know—by
interacting with them in gentle, calm ways. Remind
them that they can be a tree whenever they are worried
about a new dog or when they are near a dog that is
being too silly, such as when they come through the
door at a friend’s house and the dog greets
enthusiastically. Dogs communicate almost exclusively
through body language so tell the kids they are learning
to communicate with the dogs in “dog language”
and that their new skills will make dogs like them
even more than they already do.
Thank
them for helping you get Bailey off to a good start,
and ask them to continue to help you by not petting
Bailey if she jumps on them. Using these simple tips,
you will soon have a dog that loves hanging out with
kids and enjoys gentle, calm interactions with them.
Send out your invitations right away. Kids will be
clamoring to come to your puppy party!
About
the Author:
Colleen
Pelar, CPDT, CDBC, author of Living
with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind  ,
is America’s Kids and Canines Coach. Colleen
has more than 15 years’ experience as the go-to
person for parents trying to navigate kid-and-dog
issues. Because every interaction between a child
and a dog can be improved by a knowledgeable adult,
Colleen is committed to educating parents, children,
and dog owners on kid-and-dog relationships. For more
information visit www.livingwithkidsanddogs.com
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