Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I am new to this forum and to the world of cavaliers. We just brought home an 8 month old male, who is the sweetest dog. He was living in the breeder’s house with 12 other caves and he has not been socialized with kids yet. My daughters are 3 and 6. The dog seems a bit afraid of them. What is the best way to get him used to them? My wife and I are very diligent, and we have taught the girls to be very gentle with him, but I don’t want to make any mistakes. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

>>Hi,
>>
>>I am new to this forum and to the world of cavaliers. We just brought home an 8 month old male, who is the sweetest dog. He was living in the breeder’s house with 12 other caves and he has not been socialized with kids yet. My daughters are 3 and 6. The dog seems a bit afraid of them. What is the best way to get him used to them? My wife and I are very diligent, and we have taught the girls to be very gentle with him, but I don’t want to make any mistakes. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>>

>>>>>>>>>>

Never leave a child under school age alone with any dog for even one second--adult supervision, not the older child. This is really important for both the safety of the child and the future temperament of the puppy. I have some articles on children and dogs that can help. They are at the link below my signature, an educational site with no advertising.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

There's a book called "Child proofing Your Dog" that I would highly recommend.

A few years ago I brought in an adult dog into a house with a 2 year old. With very diligent supervision and training for the dog as well as the child on house manners, both learned to get along quite well.

My vet always told me to have my dogs believe the shild is a hot dog dispenser. Great treats are wonderful for intros. Over time, the hot dogs become much less and we make our kids give the dogs commands like "sit" and "down" prior to getting the treats.

Also, our dogs have "safe" places in our home where the kids are not allowed and they are allowed to retreat to if they feel the need. Under the master bed is my older dog's place and a crate In the basement is my otehr dogs spot. Kids are never allowed to go into those areas- even if the dogs aren't using them. I am, but kids are not.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

Hi.
Probably by now, all is well and the dog loves the kids.

To start off with - for the sake of other people getting pups when they have small children - a toy dog is not the best choice.

The best breed to obtain when one has kids is a hotly debated issue - but at the very least it should be a breed that isn't fussy about physical bumps and pinches.

How about trying something extremely simple?
Have the kid sit on your lap and toss/drop the dog's favorite food down onto the ground right in front of it. Every time the dog eats it, have the kid say something like "hope you like what I gave you."

You get the picture.

Best of Luck