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Author Topic:   scared of children???
winnie
Member

Posts: 107
From:sherman oaks,california,USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-09-2004 07:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for winnie     Edit/Delete Message
Ok I need some ideas please. I have a 16 month old Lab. We go to the dog park pretty regulary. If there are children there sometimes she barks at them and sometimes she doesnt.(Usually at the park she barks when the kid is approaching her to pet her) Sometimes it is when they are screaming or running around, and then I cant really blame her, they might worry or scare her. Also sometimes at the dog park she will play with kids, like this weekend a 7-9 year old girl played fetch with her for two hours non stop. She liked this girl. However when we are on our walks, and she sees a child, espcially the really little ones who just learned to walk, she will bark. I dont like her doing this cause they are only children and I dont want them to be scared of her cause she really is a sweet dog. So whenever I see a child approaching I usually change dirction or go around so Winnie wont see. How can I get her use to children, all the time, not just sometimes like she seems to do now. Even at my moms house my cousins were visiting, they are around 5 and 9, and I had to put her in the tennis court cause she kept barking at them. I dont think she wants to play I also dont think she wants to hurt them. Maybe she is nervous? Scared? I dont know, I just wish she did not bark and sometimes lunge at children...agian she never goes to bite, just barks and jumps towards them. Help!

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puggleowner
Member

Posts: 228
From:Grand Rapids, MI
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 09:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for puggleowner     Edit/Delete Message
Cameron barks at anyone that appears to be approaching her when we are walking too. I wish she wouldn't do it because I know it might scare some, even though she wouldn't hurt a fly and is only 26 pounds so probably doesn't have the large presence that your lab has, but still it is a problem. Sorry I don't have solutions, but just wanted to let you know I am going through the same thing!

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MistressKela
Member

Posts: 275
From:My IQ is higher than yours, I guarantee it.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-09-2004 09:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MistressKela     Edit/Delete Message
I hate it when people bring children to the dog park. They do dumb things and the parents never ever control them. They end up not cleaning up after their dog cause they are too busy watching their kids and the kids run around picking up the dogs or screaming and running from them when they are playing because they just dont get it. Ugh..this is one of my biggest pet peeves. If you want to take your dog to the park with your kids...thats fine..just dont take them to the DOG park unless they are COMPLETELY WELL BEHAVED (which is RARE). I am SICK of asking kids to put down my dog.

Sorry that doesnt answer your question I just think the dog park is the last place kids should be.

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winnie
Member

Posts: 107
From:sherman oaks,california,USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-10-2004 06:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for winnie     Edit/Delete Message
Yeah it really is annoying when people bring their children to the dog park, the loud screaming out of control children I mean. Then the kids scream even more when the dogs bark at them...its so snnoying...sometme i just have to hold on to Winnie so she wont scare them, but we are there to play with the dogs, not the children...ugh! Anyway it only seems to be some children she barks at, like I said she played with the cutest little girl this weekend...I wish I knew what made some kids look differnt in Winnie's eyes. She use to bark at other dogs on our walks but I trained her not to anymore. Ohwell maybe I should just give up on trying to change Winnie's mind about children...thanks for your replies

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Jamiya
Member

Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-10-2004 06:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jamiya     Edit/Delete Message
Maybe you could try desensitizing her by standing outside an elementary school when the children get out in the afternoon? Use treats and praise to work on keeping Winnie calm and paying attention to YOU and not the kids. Perhaps start with across the street and work up to being closer to the kids as Winnie gets better. Teach her to sit if she wants to be petted - and teach the children to not pet her unless she is sitting down! Of course, make sure you have total control of her, for the safety of the children.

If you do this, though, stop in the school's office beforehand and let them know what you are doing so they don't call the police on the person lurking outside the school with the big dog.


Jamiya

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puggleowner
Member

Posts: 228
From:Grand Rapids, MI
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-10-2004 09:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for puggleowner     Edit/Delete Message
I just wanted to chime in that I agree about the children in dog park thing.

We bring Cameron to a play group at Petsmart every few weeks or so. It's a chance for young dogs to play with eachother in a fenced in area in the store. It's really nice for Cameron- however, it drives me nuts because owners and their children insist on sitting in the ring with their dogs- which to me is just silly, because the dogs are there to play with eachother, not their owners.

I understand if a dog is timid and wants it's owner there, but on the other hand that can make things even worse, because the dog will want to only be by its owner and become protective of him/her.

Then the kids start running around in the ring even though they are told to stay at the borders, and sure enough, almost every time some little kid gets knocked over by a group of frolicking dogs and starts bawling. Then they always want to pet your dog, and they get mad if the dog walks away or doesn't want to be held. It drives me nuts! Glad others feel the same

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MistressKela
Member

Posts: 275
From:My IQ is higher than yours, I guarantee it.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-10-2004 10:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MistressKela     Edit/Delete Message
I have a little 2 pound chihuahua so I'm constantly yelling at kids to put him down because they can kill him if they dropped him. I get the evil eye from lots of parents but I'm sorry...I dont risk my dogs health for some misbehaving kids desire to hold something small and fuzzy.

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