Dogs and Children in Lockdown Together | Staying Safe

Safety between children and dogs during the Coronavirus lockdown is a subject that I have wanted to address from the outset. Children and dogs together are usually a lovely combination that brings mutual joy and companionship to both parties. At the time of uploading this video, we're in week four of the Coronavirus Lockdown here in the UK and I have concerns regarding family dogs, children and parents all sharing the same space that would under normal circumstances be a more open and relaxed space as children of school age are out of the home in the day, one or more parents are out of the home at work and the dog may be with a family member or at doggy daycare for part or all of the day.

In my work as a Dog Expert Witness, I often see an increase of cases of aggression to children in the home and I would like to offer my 'RISE' approach to help prevent any nips, bites or attacks upon children during the Coronavirus lockdown phase.

A full blog post on this subject can be seen here: https://www.alphadogbehaviour.co.uk/p...

In this video, I take some time to present a simple idea of R.I.S.E.

3:00 Respect
3:45 Involve
4:34 Supervision
5:05 Education

Respect.
Teach all the children in the household to respect your dog and its space. Dogs that are eating, resting, sleeping or chewing a bone should be left well alone. Your dog should have at least one space that a child cannot encroach upon. Examples of this would be a lockable crate or cage to place your dog in for appropriate lengths of time or another room that can be securely closed off whilst they eat, rest or chew a bone. Children should not be sitting or lying on dogs. They should not be kissing them anywhere on the dog’s body, not hugging them around the neck.

Involve.
Include your child during dog-based activities such as walking, feeding, play and general care to increase mutual respect for each other. Dogs are generally willing to take direction and wish to please us, humans, in the process. Placing your child alongside you during the activities I describe above is a sensible first step to demonstrate first hand how to carry out these basic, daily functions with your dog. Over time, your dog will see the parent and child as a combined authority figure and see the child as a bringer of positive experiences as you teach your child how to responsibly carry out these activities under your direct guidance.

Supervision.
This point is actually the most important. Always know where your dog and child are and what they are doing. Ask yourself where is your dog, where is your child? What are they doing together? Are your child and dog relating to each other in a safe, appropriate manner? The amount of supervision is likely to sit alongside the age brackets I describe above.

Education.
Provide on-going input to your child appropriate to the child’s age to help ensure appropriate interactions and a deeper understanding of your family dog and the behaviour it exhibits. Take time to discuss your dog’s behaviour and avoid humanising certain actions as this obfuscates the true meaning behind the dog’s actions. Correctly reading a dog’s body can make the difference between a bite and not.

In conclusion.
When supervised and educated correctly, dogs and children can bring a great deal of joy to each other as well as the wider family, but once areas of safety and mutual respect are neglected, the risk factor starts to creep in and accidents can and do happen. Please take care during this time and of course at all times when bringing dogs and children together.

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Dog Behaviourist | Dog Expert Witness | Dog Trainer | Nick Jones MA

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