2 Year Olds And Dogs…..

Dlilly

Honored Member
I get very nervous when I see a kid under 5 years old around a dog….

Well, there is a family interested in adopting Chance, and they have a 2 year old. I'm a bit worried. He has a bone guarding issue, so they would have to not give him bones, and watch him if he has a toy. (He is fine with toys except for around my brother. I'm pretty sure he thinks my brother is a dog.) I know for sure he would steal food from a young kid. (Delilah steals food from my brother!! Again, I swear the dogs think he is a dog!)

What do you guys think about young kids and dogs? Honestly, I think there are few dogs that are okay with young kids…..
 

rouen

Experienced Member
With his guarding issues, I'd say no. Especially if you don't know first hand is he will try to guard things from the kid. That could end badly for him.(n)
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
i agree with Rouen. One can work to desensitize a dog with bone-guarding issues, btw, to increase his safety. (if a dog bites anyone, well, the DOG is the one at risk of being euthanized, is my point there)

and one can definitely teach a dog to never take food from any human unless he is offered it.

Teaching that won't even take too too long, i dont' think. You'd need some volunteers, to help Chance polish his new self control, but as smart as Chance is, he'd probably quickly understand "If a human, even a small human, is holding the food, i can not grab it."
(my dog does, however, lick food off of messy kids faces..:rolleyes: i bet i could train that out of him, but, we don't have regular access to toddlers right now. well, i guess i could use my face, but, he isn't around messy kid faces that often to bother really..)


Also help Chance learn he also can't grab food off tables, even if unattended. Can be done.

How is Chance around kids?? running shrieking kids? Kids roughhousing around him?
KIds petting him and hugging him, etc etc.
any history at all of fear of ppl, or biting, or anything??

is it *just* the bone guarding, or is there anything else at all, even a hint of problem?? HOW ABOUT TOYS?? Does Chance guard his toys, too?? How about if the toddler were to stick her hand into his dog food while he's eating??? does Chance guard his food, too?



Kids Over age 8 or so, where a child can be given instructions, is one thing,
but toddlers, are yet another thing....

but yeah, unless a dog either grew up with toddlers, or is generally super super tolerant of putting up with ANYTHING and EVERYTHING,----------- there could be a risk that Chance could get tired of small ppl shrieking in his face, climbing on his back, throwing toys at his face, pulling his ears, trapping him in corners, dressing him up, poking his eyes, and so on.

not all dogs can tolerate that........i'd be leery too, i see your concern, Dilly...i'd hate for Chance to end up being euthanized for biting someone.
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
good luck, but i bet whether or not you approve this family---------i bet with all the tricks you are teaching Chance, his chances of finding a home are pretty good!!:D
I SO SO ADMIRE WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH CHANCE, SO MUCH!!


If you want any help figuring out about teaching him "leave it" for food in human's hands, or on tables,
or, since Chance might end up in a home with kids, (whether this family, or another family) maybe working to desensitize him to bone guarding, someone around here will know how...

some ppl say "just leave the dog alone" if dog has a bone,
and that works fine, if you own the dog,
but, to make a dog who will be adopted out be safer, it's something you might want to work on. Even if the adoptive family teaches all THEIR kids to leave dog alone if he has a bone,
homes with kids ALWAYS have a steady stream of "visitor kids"...
 

sara

Moderator
Staff member
Personally, I would not let a dog with resource guarding issues go to a home with kids under 12. There are too many risks. When adopting out a dog, we need to do our very best to make sure they get placed in a home with the best chance for success, and a dog with RG is not likely to be successful in a home with young kids.
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
I say no the dog could end up biting the 2 year old resulting in the kid being traumatized and the dog being put to sleep or being labeled as a dangerous dog. I know this from personal experience my dog was put to sleep because of a similar situation some dogs should not be around young kids, while other dogs are wonderful with young kids. For the safety of the kid and Chance don't let them adopt him. He should be placed in a home with older kids such as twelve year old who could understand not to take items from Chance. Make sure you if you decide to not let them adopt him explain to the people why you aren't comfortable with Chance living with a young child.
 

Dlilly

Honored Member
Chance LOVES little kids! He does need more training around them though... When a little kid approaches him, he jumps up on them and gives them a big kiss. I've only had him around 3 kids in controlled environments, so I'm not sure about everything he would do. I bet if he saw a kid running, he would probably either run with the kid, or run up to the kid and jump on him. He doesn't have any history of fear biting, and he is quite friendly, but like with most dogs, if he is in a scary position, he is likely to bite. And I do not want him to have a bite history. It is hard enough getting him adopted with his training issues!! (He must be adopted by someone who will keep on training him)

Chance doesn't guard his toys from me, but he will guard them from my brother. That really worries me…. My brother is 12, but he acts like a 3 year old. :p

I'm going to talk to the adoption coordinator, and the family, about this. The more I think about this, the more I worry!! From the looks of the application, I don't think this will work. They plan on walking him around the block once a day. For Chance, and most dogs, that is not enough exercise!
 

running_dog

Honored Member
Another thing... it is possible that with a child around they are not going to have a lot of time to commit to training Chance, you've found him very intelligent so what do you think is going to happen when that brain isn't being usefully employed?
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Rdog is so right,
and when Rdog says there are some kids okay with dogs,
that is true, no toddler can be trusted to act right,

and even with age 5 to 10 year olds, thing is, like i said above------ if you are raising children------all children have friends.

so even if YOUR children are okay on how to treat a dog,
the nonstop parade of OTHER kids coming into the home might not be.

btw, post#10-----------best post ever!!!!:ROFLMAO:
 

Dogster

Honored Member
Completely agree with all of you.:) (yeah, best post ever #10!!!!) My dog is the ONLY friend coming into my house, LOL!!!!:ROFLMAO: And obviously Dogcrazy.:p
 

dogcrazy

Experienced Member
Haha Dogster!!!! I love post 10!!!!!!:ROFLMAO: Tiggerlily, I am 13 and my 3 freinds are all dog/animal/nature obsessed people!!
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
oh dogcrazy YES YES YES, by age 13, kids either know, or can be reliably trained how to be around dogs!!!!!!!

8 years olds, not so much. the 8 year old visitor might listen to the intructions, agree, understand it all,
but once they are playing around, end up falling on top of the dog, forgetting the instruction, etc etc.

even a few years makes a DRAMATIC difference, in how well a child can reliably follow instructions, (no matter what else is going on in the room.) also, many dogs strongly strongly disaprove of wrestling games,
or of kids hitting each other.

13 year olders can and will remember this,
but get an 8 year older honked off, who has poor self control, bam, she might hit the other kid. a lot of dogs might feel at that point, they should "intervene".

even my dog would intervene, at the sight of anyone wrestling, or hitting each other.
 

dogcrazy

Experienced Member
It also depends on the child. I hate when I hear parents say about their 5 year old child "I am getting my children a dog because I want to teach then responsibility`` But really the kid knows nothing but to pull the dog on a leash!!!:(
 

Dogster

Honored Member
This annoying kid at the dog park found out my dog's name (oh joy:rolleyes:) and started to yell out her name " Shivon, Shi-VON, SHI-VON, SHI-VO-ON!!!!"
Any suggestions for a new name for my dog???:rolleyes: :sigh:
LOL:ROFLMAO:
 

Dogster

Honored Member
Dogcrazy, we posted at the same time, LOL!!:LOL:
To add to that, usually, the PARENTS end up taking care of the dog, even though it's SUPPOSEDLY the kid's dog. :rolleyes: That is why my parents were cautious about getting me a dog. Now they know how obsessed I am, LOL!!!!:ROFLMAO:
 

dogcrazy

Experienced Member
There is also an annoying kid at our park!!!! He goes CARMEL,CARMEL,CARMEL and then makes barking noises or pokes her with a stick!! So when ever I see that kid I literally run the other way!!:)
 
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