How to Train Your Dog to Be Calm with Children

**Collaborative post**

Congratulations! You’ve brought a new companion home. But there is a problem; your furry friend can’t get along with children. And to make matters even worse, children are also getting uncomfortable around him because of the aggressiveness.

Your dog needs to get along with all the family members for you to have a peaceful cohabitation. But you don’t worry about this; dogs and children can be great friends if given time to adjust and properly trained. You need to learn how to socialize your dog around kids. Here are simple tips that will help you do that.

Take it Slow

The secret to training your dog to be calm around kids is to start slow. It’s natural to get impatient and want things to fall in place once and for all. However, if you get too impatient to the point of forcing things out, you will end up messing up.

If your dog doesn’t want children to pet them, don’t hold them and force them to it. Remember, not all dogs love kids, and some will not get along, no matter how much you try. Forcing them can even result in an opposite effect where your dog starts being aggressive instead of friendly. 

Understand Your Dog

You must have heard that your furry friend is a little human in fur skin. However, this doesn’t mean that dogs view things the same way humans do. They have different kinds of thinking, and they will do things according to what their instincts tell them.

You can’t predict this behaviour, but you can change it through socialization and proper training. For a dog, the love for kids doesn’t come naturally as that of humans. They can even get irritated by the screams of children. Understanding how your dog feels and trying to get the children to adjust as well can help with the situation.

Train Basic Commands

If you’re going to let your dog spend time around children, you must work out some obedience training lessons. If you’re not a dog training expert, then it’s recommended to take a few online dog training classes. Just like children, you need to train your dog to obey certain commands so that they don’t act on instincts. The commands to start with are as simple as, come, sit, go.

Once they learn these simple commands, you can proceed to more complex ones. If you have a fixed schedule or things don’t work out easily, you can consider taking them to professional trainers. Professional training will help your dog to learn faster.

Introduce your Dog to Children

Being that your dog is comfortable and friendly around adults doesn’t mean they will behave the same way around kids. Some dogs may get irritated by children running around, making strange noises, and sometimes screaming. If they’re not used to seeing such creatures, it may become difficult for them to adjust.

You have to start by introducing your dog to the children. And no! This is not a meet and greet situation where you hold your furry friend and let the children pet and play with it. You need to start by taking them to places where they will see many children.

Parks or children’s playgrounds can be a good place to start with. They might get agitated on the first day due to all the noise but get used to being around the commotion with time. If you see any improvement in good behaviour, reward them.

Don’t Leave the Dog and the Kids Unsupervised

Even after all the training and your dog finally gets comfortable around kids, you should never leave them alone. Your dog might be fully childproof, but you can’t predict their behaviour. What if they suddenly get aggressive?

Besides, accidents are uncalled for, and anything can happen in your absence. If you must go somewhere, ensure you leave your dog in a crate that children cannot open. Crate train your dog first so that they don’t see it as a punishment. Also, make the kids understand that the crate is a no go zone.

Let them Know the Toys

Your kids will be playing with toys most of the time, and if a dog is going to come, they also need to learn how to play with them. Some toys produce funny sounds or move around, and this can scare the dog. Sometimes, the dog may get attracted to the toy and end up stealing or destroying it.

When this happens, the two will not be friends but enemies. Start by training the dog to play with the toys when the kid is not around. Do this with commands such as take, leave, bring. If they do this right, don’t forget to reward them. Next, train them with the child around and let them play together. You can also do this with dog toys so that everyone enjoys the game.

Lay Down Some Rules

Both the child and the dog need to follow some rules. Now is not the time to be too lenient and pamper your furry friend to the extent that they forget proper behaviour. For instance, if you say no more play, it should be that way. If it’s time to eat, neither the dog nor the child should continue playing.

Rules are especially important when you’re dealing with toddlers. Create a perfect schedule and let the dog stick to it. They should not be around the child if it’s not time to play. 

Also, they should not take things that belong to the baby. Get everything under control so that the dog does not become too friendly as to interfere with the baby’s activities such as nap time.

Summary

Dogs and children can be best friends, but only if you socialize them the right way. Get a trainer to help you out if you feel helpless or too busy to continue training. Finally, don’t forget that not all dogs can get along with kids. Make sure you get the right breed.