Child Safety

Always have supervised, controlled playtime with your dog and small children! We find that most children under nine years of age need guidance when interacting with dogs.

Keep in mind that dogs are not people (children), they are animals with a hierarchical system of leadership and order. When a dog comes into your home, he (or she) considers your family to be members of his pack and wants to know where (in the hierarchical order) he fits in his new pack – either as a leader or a follower.

Every person in your home will have a defined position in that order. It is up to the heads of the family to clearly define and establish their leadership and that of other family members so the dog knows where he stands. He should always be at the bottom of the "pack" hierarchy and for people that are not able to demonstrate their leadership, it will be up to the adult family members to make sure the dog treats everyone as being in leadership over him. Your dog will be perfectly happy at the bottom of the pack once he knows his place and is reminded periodically, if necessary.

The excerpt "Safety Tips for Kids," taken from the American Kennel Club (AKC) publication The Complete Dog Book for Kids, offers good advice to help prevent children from being bitten by dogs. For more information go to the AKC Website http://www.akc.org/pdfs/PBSAF2.pdf

Great Dog Training’s “Dog Behavior Solutions” ™ video addresses fourteen of the most common dog and puppy behavior problems and guides you through your dog’s training with “how to” step by step instructions and demonstrations using real dogs. Each behavior is covered in a self contained chapter allowing for easy review. At the end of the chapter, each of the  main points are highlighted and summarized.

The video is presented by veteran dog behaviorists Walt and Beth Kelly, who have more than 55 years of combined training and behavioral experience, and is a comprehensive guide to understanding the most common dog behaviors and correcting the unwanted dog behaviors. It provides humane ways to discourage unwanted behaviors and promote those that are desired. The techniques employed are proven by experience gained through training thousands of dogs and dog owners over the past 25 to 30 years. Learn more about the Kellys.