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Kids and Dobermanns con't
This poor dog met her untimely demise at no fault of her own. She was subjected
to abuse from the very first day she came home as a puppy. She was nervous,
living in an unstable and explosive environment, and learned to be on guard
at all times. When this boy woke her he did not do so in a gentle manner.
Rather he repeatedly hit her on the top of the head. I take no pleasure in
bringing this matter up. However, I feel that many dogs unjustly receive a
bad name through human error or neglect.
The puppy's boundaries
Puppies are very playful and love kids. As previously mentioned they are usually
quite gentle under most circumstances. However, if the pup gets too excited
(s)he might become rough, or nippy. Nipping seems to be the first bad habit
to break. The pups are used to playing this way with their littermates and
do not understand that our skin is not so tough. We have to teach them that
this is not an acceptable behaviour. Your children can curb the puppy themselves
if the pup is nipping. Kids will only need your assistance if the pup will
not heed their request to stop. The child can gently place their hand over
the pups muzzle and gently squeeze, telling the pup in an authoritive voice
to "leave it" or "no bite". If the pup does not listen
you will be required to step in. You can grab the pup by the scruff and give
it a bit of a shake like the mom would, or with your index-finger, tap the
pup firmly on the nose as you give it the "no bite"command.
Pups are not allowed to mount your kids as this is dominance and not just
a "male" dog thing. If a pup growls at your child, even if the child
was wrong, you must scold the pup and put him/her in their crate. If the puppy
is getting too excited it may start to bark, this is normal and is not usually
a sign of aggression. Just calm the play down and the puppy will settle down
as well. Pups should never be allowed to show any aggression or dominance
over your children. We will discuss what to do if this should happen in the
next section.Your role as a parent. Getting along, discipline, and training
Dogs automatically accept us as having higher rank then they do. We feed them,
provide care for them, and lead them. It is only when a pup never gets disciplined
that they start to wonder where their boundaries are. They need leadership,
and that comes from the parents. The parents role is to teach the puppy that
the children are also above them in pecking order. If the position is properly
communicated to the puppy, the pup will never challenge your children for
rank.
Kids and Dobermanns con't
Kids can have a part in raising and caring for the puppy. It is very beneficial
to children to have pets in their lives. It teaches them respect, responsibility,
how to nurture and care for another creature. But a child cannot be expected
to do everything for that pet. If they are not independent and able to take
care of themselves, they are not going to be able to be 100% responsible for
the family dog. If you are getting the kids a puppy, be 100% prepared to care
for that puppy yourself. The puppy's care can be divided between all members
of the family. This will give the puppy a chance to bond with everyone, while
offering your kids a fair level of responsibility.
As an obedience instructor I have had many children participate in my classes.
I make every effort to accommodate the child's special needs. However, if
their dog acts-up I would never expect a child to deal with it. Either I will
request that the parent assist the child, or I will offer to help them. Honestly
I will refuse anyone who approaches me and says that they want their 7 year
old child to train their family dog. Sadly, I have had too many parents actually
feel that their child should do this all on their own. The age of your child
is an important factor when determining how much, or little discipline, you
can allow them to exercise with the pup. Kids over 9 or 10 can be pretty efficient.
All they will need is your guidance and they can usually deal with the pup
effectively. Children between 3-8 should not be put in a position to discipline
a puppy. This will be done by the parents.
To teach the pup to listen to your youngster, tell the child to give the command
to the pup. If the pup does not listen, you are to physically assist the child.
Here is an example;The sit command;
Have your child stand directly in front of the pup and give the "SIT"
command in a firm voice. You should be standing behind the puppy. Should the
pup refuse, you will step-in and physically place the pup into a sit. You
will do this without making a sound, and without eye contact. Once the pup
is sitting, your child will praise the puppy verbally and may offer a treat
reward to him or her. By you giving the physical reinforcement it teaches
your pup that they have to heed what the child says without confrontation
between them. It is safe and effective. Food and water can be a childís
responsibility but only if you are willing to supervise that it actually has
been done. I know a family that waited until the children were teens before
they got their first dog. The husband's reason for waiting was that he wanted
to be sure that the kids could handle the responsibility. The wife was game
for a family dog.
