Quick question about children

[karenz]

My niece, 9, and my nephew, 7, are here visiting for a week. I can't seem to get it into their little children brains that running jumping squealing and flapping arms tells Xander it's play time. Xander has done well around them and other children but it is always short periods of time and he is usually on a leash. Obviously I can't keep him leashed for a whole week. I can separate them but I really want to work with them and Xander so the trip can be fun and safe for everyone. Since this is Xander's first extended experience around children what are some things I can work on with him to teach him how to behave around loud crazy obnoxious kids? Ive read a little info online about how to have the kids stand still and no eye contact if the dog comes up to try to play with them. Which I can't get my nephew to comprehend, he jumps squeals and runs to get away from Xander. And I've read about teaching the dog that the kids are off limits but nothing that actually explains how to do that. I'm assuming when Xander goes to them to redirect him to something else. And I thought about a leash correction if Xander goes to them and gets to rowdy. But if he is on leash he doesn't do that anyway. Perhaps go back to puppy days with a drag line? Any ideas are appreciated. Since I don't have kids this is new to me and I want to start off the correct way. Thanks

[dogbyte]

E-collars for the kids.lol...

[karenz]

E-collars for the kids.lol...

Lol. I'm sure I will have better luck teaching Xander to behave around the kids than I will teaching the kids to behave around Xander.

[Dutchringgirl]

E-collars for the kids.lol...

Lol. I'm sure I will have better luck teaching Xander to behave around the kids than I will teaching the kids to behave around Xander.

I agree with both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You cannot expect much of the kids, I never do LOL. Xander should be on the leach the whole week and if cant be on the leash then he should be away where he cant get to them, crate or another room etc. On the leash, work on him staying, sitting whatever and ignoring the kids and focusing on you. You can do "look" or something of that sort.

When I was training my doggies, we would put them in a down in the middle of the room and have a hamster in a ball roll all over, and the dog could not look at the hamster ball, even if it rolled right in between his legs. We did the same with food refusal. do the same with the kids, "Kid refusal" HAHA I kill myself

[Mobil]

Xander should be on the leach the whole week and if cant be on the leash then he should be away where he cant get to them, crate or another room etc.

I agree with this. I don't have an other suggestions, because our house is always full of kid related chaos, so the dogs are used to running/jumping/squealing little balls of energy.

[karenz]

Well my niece is doing fine with this. Of course she is at least 5 feet tall so she doesn't look like something that needs herding. The boy just don't get it. The more Xander jumps and runs the more he jumps and runs. So for now Xander is on leash until they both learn how to behave. Lol. I think I'd have a better outcome if Xander ran free and I put the boy on a leash. Maybe they will get it worked out by the end of the week.

[karenz]

We had some success this afternoon. The boy took Xander out to play ball. Xander gladly brought him the ball and the boy threw it. Then the boy told him to sit before he threw it and Xander immediately sat for him. They did very well together. But Xander is still on leash otherwise. But I think things are going to be ok.

[Dutchringgirl]

that is great !!! Is there anything in the house that he can do with Xander? Make him sit? Stay or something simple? How about, everytime he comes in the room, he makes Xander sit until he comes up to xander and gives lovin.

[johninny]

''gives lovin'' - a lot of our DS don't much go for that, especially from children they are not used to. could be very unpredictable. ---- ?????

[karenz]

I'm not sure about him giving Xander "lovin" but I did use dutchringgirlbs idea and he makes Xander sit and stay and then gives him a treat. I think that is as far as we will take it right now. Xander loves when I give him "lovin" but I'm super paranoid about kids getting their faces to close to a dog's face. About 11 years ago I ended up with almost 200 stitches to put my face back together from exposing my face to a friends dog. I don't think I will ever be comfortable with the kids getting close and lovey on any dog. But the idea worked great with the treat. They are beginning to get use to each other and Xander is learning his limitations around the kids.

[Dutchringgirl]

wasnt sure about the treats, my kids dont like giving treats as Sadie will take it so fast they are afraid of having less digits after treating. Lovin dosnt have to be face to face, as I would not do that for saftey, but scratches and praise is good too. My kids tell sadie what to do and they give lovin instead of treats and it works, plus, I tell Sadie that it will work.

[karenz]

Xander takes treats very gently and we always tell him "easy" when we give them so that works pretty good. I think Xander would be ok with a gentle scratch but if you start rubbing him a lot he gets wiggly and squirmy so I don't know if that would freak the boy out. We may be able to get to that point eventually. I just want to go slow and let them get comfortable with each other. The boy is also very timid of dogs in general any way. The only dogs he has ever been comfortable and confident around is my last ds and my dad's ds. Any other dog NO WAY.

[karenz]

We have success. The boy is enjoying fetch with Xander again. I'm so glad, he loved playing fetch with him when he was a puppy. Xander is listening very well to both kids and they are able to give him the sit stay command. Xander has been off leash alot the past 2 days. Xander leaves the kids alone unless they call him. And they can tell him enough, go lay down when they want him to go away.