Whats a dog gotta do!

This is a classic example of miscommunication between a toddler and dog.
The little girl is hugging the dog which is clearly a sign of love to HER. The dog is trying to rest. Hugging is NOT a form of love to dogs. In fact it is a confining and for some very threatening.
This dog is 11 years old which means that he could also have arthritis and having a toddler lay on him and over him may not be pleasurable at all. How many times do you think he will tolerate this before he complains? How is he to complain and what will his people do once he does? Will they understand that he was asking them for help by licking his lips, yawning and turning away from the child? He is TRYING to let them know he needs help and wants this to stop. Most likely they will not appreciate his efforts but will rather be angry at him once he growls worse yet nipping this child. Is he wrong?
Dogs let us know their discomfort with body language. Most people know they are testing the dog's tolerance level but they allow it over and over again. This family could call me and say "he always loved her...he let her lay on him and he just licked her or just lay there." Well actually he is giving clear signals that indicate discomfort.
This dog makes a great choice and gets up and leaves. But what will he remember about this child? How does she make him feel? Is she to be trusted or does she crowd his space? Over time he may become less tolerant as the unpredictability of her intentions will put him on edge. This is a common situation that looks cute but over time taps a dog of its tolerance for small children. Set your dog and toddler up for success with some of these tips:
1. Have the child stand with an adult and call the dog to them vs. toddler approaching the dog.
2. Put the child on a step to elevate them and call the dog
3. Include your toddler in structured supervised feeding time with the dog. Dumpster dump is a great one. Let your child fill a toy dump truck up and make piles around the room. Then allow your dog to eat one pile at a time.
4. Reward your dog for appropriate behavior following good interaction.
5. Play hide and seek using your child's name and scent as a bonding game that is fun for both. Once found the dog gets a treat or toy.
6. Include your dog in daily activities with child such as "wake up" time. This is where the dog goes to the room with you to wake up the kids.
7. Supervise and use "guided touch" (parent hand over toddlers) to ensure a gentle touch
For more tips contact a Dogs & Storks presenter!

Toy or baby?

This boxer is so gentle with his mouth but what is he learning? The baby is a toy? I should mouth the baby? The parents in this video talk to the boxer and the baby as if they are able to understand...."easy with the paws" "don't pull his ears." Reality is that the dog is interacting as a DOG and that in and of itself is unsafe for a baby to be playing freely with. This is the type of interaction that ends up with a great deal of confusion for the dog. Parents misread normal dog play and exploratory behavior as love and affection when really that may not be at all what is going on. It is NOT a good idea to allow a baby to roll around and freely explore your dog. I encourage including your dog in activities with your baby where there is "guided touch" meaning parent holding baby's hand to touch the dog. "Guided touch" allows the dog to interact with the unpredictable baby in a way that is more comfortable as it is guided by the trusted adult. This sets up a successful encounter and creates a safer situation for both. This dog is very gentle but is learning that the baby is to be mouthed. Once the baby is moving this behavior may escalate and that will not be appreciated by the parents. This is a confusing situation for a dog.