Training Puppy To Be Calm With Kids

[Mayonegg]

Our 7 month old Frenchie pup has grown up in a household without kids. He seems to love children and infants, and becomes VERY excited when meeting them (e.g. if they are sitting on the floor he will try to climb onto them/lick their faces). We would like to train him to be a bit calmer around kids, especially infants and toddlers as we are worried he could knock one over. He has responded well to obedience training at home, but once a kid is on the scene this seems to go out the window as he is just too excited. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any suggestions of where we can start?

[persephone]

Hi - your pup is a teen - and is loving having these new toys!!

I would suggest at first , not allowing any mistakes ! This can be done keeping pup away, by using baby gates or , if he's crate trained ..use that way :)..or have him outside ?

Also - have him lying on his bed, on lead ...

In your daily training , practice lots of lying down/calm behaviour with him , too :)

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[kelpiecuddles]

I have raised a number of dogs in a household with young children. My advice is to use the lead and do calming training activities around the kids and have a place that the dog can be asked to go if he gets silly. My dogs are taught that they onlyget to say hello to a child if they are sitting, having their bottom planted on the ground helps a lot. :)

[Mayonegg]

Thanks to both of you for your advice! We'll definitely have him on the lead with a quiet time out available from now on when kids are around...and no interaction with kids until his bottom is on the ground!

[kelpiecuddles]

I'll also add that in our house the kids are trained as much as the dogs! Any child that visits who's dog savviness I'm not familiar with already gets a quick lesson on how we want them to behave around the dogs. The main thing is not grabbing at them or yelling, etc at them and to be calm around the dog, explain to the child that the dog is still a baby and he's still learning how to be a good boy and that they can help by not giving him a pat until you say he's ready(when he's sitting)

[alpha bet]

Thanks to both of you for your advice! We'll definitely have him on the lead with a quiet time out available from now on when kids are around...and no interaction with kids until his bottom is on the ground!

If you wait till the dog's bottom is on the ground.... he will never get to interact with kids.

The reality is that he is going to be excited around kids because kids are excited and he is also still a kid..... until he has matured he will be highly influenced by the energy levels around him. The objective is to give him plenty of opportunity to relax in different environments - sometimes low energy but also places that are high energy. Taking him on lead to things like sporting games - hang around watching the game, make him wait, stay there until he is accepting that life is not all about him. He needs to understand that he must be patient.

Practice this behaviour as often as you can, go to any new or different environment and he has to wait - ignore any fuss he wants to make and wait. Any visitors must ignore him until he has calmed down only then can he be greeted - quietly - which means if kids can't be quiet for a greeting then those kids don't have the right energy to meet a pup.

As he gains experience he will take less and less time to settle down - once his body slows down his brain is able to take in more information.

It is also important that he has the chance to get out and run and frolic with other dogs. His body needs to burn off excess energy, so find friends with good sensible dogs who can help him learn and develop.....

Good luck

[Mayonegg]

Thanks to both of you for your advice! We'll definitely have him on the lead with a quiet time out available from now on when kids are around...and no interaction with kids until his bottom is on the ground!

If you wait till the dog's bottom is on the ground.... he will never get to interact with kids.

The reality is that he is going to be excited around kids because kids are excited and he is also still a kid..... until he has matured he will be highly influenced by the energy levels around him. The objective is to give him plenty of opportunity to relax in different environments - sometimes low energy but also places that are high energy. Taking him on lead to things like sporting games - hang around watching the game, make him wait, stay there until he is accepting that life is not all about him. He needs to understand that he must be patient.

Practice this behaviour as often as you can, go to any new or different environment and he has to wait - ignore any fuss he wants to make and wait. Any visitors must ignore him until he has calmed down only then can he be greeted - quietly - which means if kids can't be quiet for a greeting then those kids don't have the right energy to meet a pup.

As he gains experience he will take less and less time to settle down - once his body slows down his brain is able to take in more information.

It is also important that he has the chance to get out and run and frolic with other dogs. His body needs to burn off excess energy, so find friends with good sensible dogs who can help him learn and develop.....

Good luck

Thanks for your advice alpha bet! We have been making sure to expose him to a variety of environments ever since he was fully vaccinated- he is a frequent visitor to cafes, farmers markets etc. and he normally behaves really well in crowded and exciting places. He also gets to play with other dogs every day at either the dog beach or dog park, and he goes doggy day care a few times a week. He has gone to puppy school and some further group obedience classes and has responded well in those environments. He gets walks every day and generally seems well exercised and socialised – he doesn’t get too aroused in crowded situations or around other dogs. So far it is a pretty specific problem being over-excited around kids, rather than over-excited in general...so it definitely rings true what you said about him being influenced by the energy levels of those around him, and he is probably just reacting to the kid’s energy.

We don’t have very many children visiting (don’t know many people with young kids), so by and large his interactions with kids have been with unfamiliar children in parks, cafes, at the beach etc. So we haven’t been able to predict the kids dog-savviness, or train them how to interact with him. But I guess a few quick words like “our dog is still learning his manners – can you help him by not paying attention to him until he calms down a bit?” would work even with unfamiliar kids, so will try that now!

And I am understanding your advice correctly that perhaps we should be lowering our expectations a bit as he is still a puppy? So maybe rather than waiting until he sits, just wait until he has all 4 paws on the ground and isn’t jumping? This is our first dog so I definitely appreciate the advice about what is realistic to expect! Thanks again for your help! :)

[Poodle wrangler]

A small crate is a great place!

It's easiest to just separate dog and kids, so everyone can relax.

Puppy is too young to trust not to play with what he sees as toys on the ground.

Babies/ kids can stress the calmest dogs, also.

IN a crate, pup is safe FROM kids, as well as to keep babies/ kids safe from French kisses :)

Choose a few older, dog-trained kids to help your puppy, too.

Fun to get him to sit, give paw etc. for them.

[alpha bet]

Melbie, correct....he is just a kid himself..... he doesnt need to have his bottom on the ground, just standing and waiting is fine....

Remember if you keep trying to get him to sit..... you are using energy that keeps him excited.... plus you are expecting him to do two things at once..... SIT AND RELAX

Just work on Relax.....

Good luck.