The Science Surrounding Children Dogs Part 1 The Good

(source)

Hi Julie,

Oh my, but KAWAII is cute! I guess that’s kind of the point? I love that cute is good for us.

All this talk of cute, a website and some observations at home got me thinking this week.  

I recently saw this image posted on Facebook and I don’t mind admitting that it tugged at my emotions. 

Around the same day, I was watching my two year old toddler (an unpublished and independent kawaii survey reports the toddler is somewhat cute) interacting with my dogs (they are cute, no survey required).

(source)

The toddler is currently learning (slowly) that the world is not 100% about the toddler. This involves me frequently coaching the toddler’s interactions with other people and children (“yes it’s very sweet that you love your friend and that you’re giving them a big hug, but now you’ve actually crash-tackled them to the floor and they’re crying, it might be time to give them space”) and more recently in a similar way with the dogs.

These home observations and website images got me thinking about how important my pets, and in particular, my dogs, were to me while growing up. 

(source)

It got me wondering - why do so many of us have enduring psychological attachment to our childhood dogs? 
And do our childhood experiences stay with us as firmly held attitudes into adulthood? 

I plan to spend my next posts looking at some of the science surrounding children and dogs: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Why are dogs good for children?

The biophilia hypothesis suggests that people are instinctively attracted to animals and nature. It proposes that our relationship with them may contribute on an intimate biological level to our sense of fulfilment and identity. In our current busy lifestyles, often lived in industrialised city environments removed from ‘nature’ in its purest form, dogs and other companion animals offer opportunities for these ‘biophilic’ relationships. 

These nurturing relationships with animals are considered particularly important during early and middle childhood. Some research suggests that humans have a higher degree of attachment to dogs than we do to other companion animals; however, this may be a flaw in the way such studies have assessed attachment.

Dogs may promote respect and compassion for animals and nature by offering a child valuable opportunity to experience and learn about animals and the ‘facts of life’. Dogs can assist children to learn about responsibility. They can encourage trust, self-belief as well as caring attitudes and behaviour. They may promote exercise and healthy development, offer social support and provide companionship, security, comfort. Dogs can be an important source of fun and have demonstrated they can act as an outlet for childhood affection.

(source)

Research has shown that regular contact with two or more dogs in the first year of life is correlated with a reduced incidence of childhood allergies and asthma. The presence of a dog in a learning environment (such as a classroom) has been shown to contribute to children’s motivation and can speed task completion without compromising accuracy. Dogs in this context also aid emotional stability, improve children’s attitudes towards school and aid in the learning of respect, empathy and responsibility.

So it seems like there’s a lot to like about fostering a positive relationship between children and dogs. But what happens to children when such an important relationship ends? And do our childhood experiences stay with us into adulthood? 

Dont worry - I’ll be sure tell you more about that next time!

Mia

p.s. Dont forget to head over to our facebook page to keep track of the childhood dog photo challenge!

Further reading:

Serpell J. (1999). Animals in Childrens Lives, Society & Animals, 7 (2) 87-94. DOI: 10.1163/156853099X00013

OHaire M. (2010). Companion animals and human health: Benefits, challenges, and the road ahead, Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 5 (5) 226-234. DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2010.02.002

Melson G.F. Child Development and the Human-Companion Animal Bond, American Behavioral Scientist, 47 (1) 31-39. DOI: 10.1177/0002764203255210

Blue G.F. (1986). The Value of Pets in Childrens Lives, Childhood Education, 63 (2) 85-90. DOI: 10.1080/00094056.1986.10521747

Zasloff R.L. (1996). Measuring attachment to companion animals: a dog is not a cat is not a bird, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 47 (1-2) 43-48. DOI: 10.1016/0168-1591(95)01009-2

Holscher B., Frye C., Wichmann H.E. & Heinrich J. (2002). Exposure to pets and allergies in children, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 13 (5) 334-341. DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2002.02063.x

Anderson K.L. & Olson M.R. (2006). The value of a dog in a classroom of children with severe emotional disorders, Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 19 (1) 35-49. DOI: 10.2752/089279306785593919

Gee N.R., Harris S.L. & Johnson K.L. (2007). The Role of Therapy Dogs in Speed and Accuracy to Complete Motor Skills Tasks for Preschool Children, Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 20 (4) 375-386. DOI: 10.2752/089279307X245509

© Mia Cobb 2012

Read more

Mixing kids dogs a how to resource list

Hi Mia, 

Friends for life is a wonderful way to describe growing from childhood to adulthood with a dog. For me, Arf was always around till a living, breathing dog came into my life, and you clearly thought dogs were the bomb from an early age! 

And speaking of childhood dogs, how awesome is the Childhood Dog Photo Challenge that you started over on Facebook? Were you expecting people to post photos of so many dogs and kids from all over the world!?

Mia and Star; Julie and Arf

Nowadays, I imagine you and I are in the same position: People contact us with questions when a new baby is on the way and Fido’s already in the house or someone’s adding a dog to a family that already includes a child.

When this happens, I get uber excited. You and I clearly have a similar passion -- sharing information and resources -- so when an inquiry like this comes in, I can imagine we both go into OVERDRIVE!

While dogs and kids seem to have "effortless" relationships with "unconditional love," I find myself reminding parents-to-be that there are a lot of nuances that can make or break the relationship (clearly, my relationship with Arf was highly successful and bidirectional). 

Theres so much to talk about when it comes to dogs and kids, and I tend to emphasize providing a dog with (1) a comfortable resting area and (2) space where a dog can choose to retreat from interactions. This is one of the main ideas I took away from my Masters program: there is a higher probability of good welfare and good interactions when animals have options and control. 

And I also pass out oodles of resources! Here are some resources pertaining to dogs and kids, including resources you shared with me from down under. Australia has great resources!

A Guide to Nurturing the Child and Pet Relationship from Pregnancy to Pre-school
The Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia, put out this information, and it covers a lot, such as Preparation, The First Six Months and Baby on the Move. The strength of this guide is it reminds parents that new challenges arise at different stages of a child’s development. A dog’s perception of a newborn can change radically once that bugger starts moving around and grabbing onto anything and everything.

This website even has a Pet Planner Checklist that helps new parents prepare their dog, their house and themselves for a new baby. The checklist asks questions like: 

• Do you need to change their current feeding routine? 
• Which areas are going to be pet free zones?
• Can your pet be comfortable and relaxed spending short periods of time in a crate or confined space? 
• When the baby comes, have you organized someone to exercise the dog?

(Source)

APSCA Guide To Kids and Pets
I particularly like the age-appropriate Activities for Kids and Pets as well as the section, How Kids Respond to Pets. As you point out, a toddler might think they are hugging another child when in fact, theyve smashed the child to the ground, and toddlers can make the same mistake with dogs. Sometimes I think adults also have difficulty seeing their behavior for what it is and how it affects companion animals.

Family Paws
Family Paws is the parent organization of two international programs: Dogs & Storks and the Dog and Baby Connection. They offer programs for new and expecting families to support happy interactions among babies, toddlers and family dogs.
 
Their goal: “increase the safety of children and the success of dogs in homes with children. Decrease the number of dogs surrendered to shelters due to easily preventable behavioral problems and common conflicts.”
 
They offer trainer-run programs, DVDs and of course, a newsletter!

Animal Behavior Associates: Dog, Baby and Kid Resources
Dr. Suzanne Hetts and Dr. Dan Estep run Animal Behavior Associates. Both are Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists. They offer videos and DVDs for smooth interactions between dogs, babies and kids.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Are there other resources that anyones particularly fond of when it comes to dog, kids and babies?

Bye for now!

Julie

© Julie Hecht 2012

Read more

Dogs Pulling on Leash

Book of the Day:



This book is a great read for anyone who owns a dog. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it myself and have read it more than once.

-Review from the Publisher-
The Culture Clash is special. Jean Donaldsons first book is quite simply the very best dog book I have ever read. It is utterly unique, fascinating to the extreme, and literally overflowing with information that is so new it virtually redefines the state of the art in dog behavior and training. Written in Jeans inimitably informal yet precise lecture style, the book races along on par with a good thriller. In fact, I read the manuscript three times in a row before it was even published. The Culture Clash depicts dogs as they really are - stripped of their Hollywood fluff, with their loveable can I eat it, chew it, urinate on it, whats in it for me philosophy. Jeans tremendous affection for dogs shines through at all times, as does her keen insight into the dogs mind. Relentlessly, she champions the dogs point of view, always showing concern for their education and well being. The Culture Clash joins a very distinctive group of books and it runs at the head o! f the pack. Like Karen Pryors Dont Shoot the Dog, The Culture Clash has a refreshingly original perspective. Like Gwen Bohnenkamps books, The Culture Clash cuts to the chase - no ifs and no buts - heres the story - now educate your dog! Without a doubt, Jeans book is the hottest doggy item on the market - the quintessential book for dog owners and dog trainers alike - a very definite two paws up! Do yourself and your dogs a big favor: Give it a read! And lets look forward to many more books by Jean Donaldson.Dr. Ian Dunbar -- the publisher

Straight from the page on Amazon and I couldnt agree more. Reading this book gives you a better understanding of why dogs do what they do, which in turn will help you teach your dog. I recommend this book to everyone, especially to people thinking about getting a dog. This book should be on everyones shelf in my opinion.

Question of the Day: How do I get my dog to stop pulling on the leash?
Answer: There are several ways to go about this, including; Clicker, balanced, or praise & discipline.

The Clicker Way

There are a few different ways to go about it with the clicker, heres a couple.

To start off, go to a non-distracting area outside or inside. If your outside, be sure you are in a safe, fenced in area where your dog cant run off. If you dont have a place like that, use a 6 ft leash. You can tie this leash to your belt if youd like so you dont have to worry about not having enough rooms in your hands. The leash is just there to keep your dog with you, you wont be using it for anything else. You can also use the leash if your dog is too distracted and keeps wondering off for something better to do.

Now, simply start walking around. Every time your dog is right by your side, click and treat. Continue walking, keep clicking and treating for dog being by your side. If your using a leash for this and your dog starts pulling, turn and walk the other way. More than likely your dog will turn and go to walk by you to start pulling in the other direction. Click and treat the instant they are at your side (even if they are passing by). Your dog will soon learn the best place to be is by your side.

If your doing this with out the leash and are inside you can also start walking in a circle. Youll click each time your dog is by your side, but this time youll toss the treat in the middle of the circle. This gives your dog a chance to repeat the behavior. Your dog will go get the treat, then hopefully return to your side.

Keep practicing this for a few lessons till your do is repeatedly going to your side! Now that you have your dogs attention, when your dog comes up to your side, take 1 step, click and treat your dog for staying by your side for that one step. Repeat a few times then take 2 steps. Repeat until you are walking 5 steps before rewarding your dog. Now your going to add a little variety in as you work up to longer periods of your dog walking beside you. Start adding more steps, but every few times click at a previous step. Such as:

• 5 steps, Click & Treat
  
• 3 steps, Click & Treat
  
• 7 steps, Click & Treat
  
• 2 steps, Click & Treat
  
• 9 steps, Click & Treat
  
• 1 step, Click & Treat
  
• 11 steps, Click & Treat
  
• 5 steps, Click & Treat
  

You get the point, keep bouncing back and forth with how many steps you take and your dog wont realize they are walking with you for longer periods of time. Keep practicing this, keeping sessions short and doing a few lessons a day if you can. Before long youll have a dog who loves walking at your side. Be sure to practice in different rooms in your house, and gradually adding more and more distractions.

Some dogs once they get outside, could care less about the treats. Then you have to get clever and find things that they find rewarding such as Sniffing the trees, or doing what they are wanting to do. Be sure you get them to do what you want them to do first, such as walking by your side for 5 steps, Click and release them to go do what they want. This will be more rewarding to them than a treat.

There are several ways to go about this! This is just a couple. If you have a dog who pulls on a leash and youd like to put an end to it, how about setting up some lessons with a local Dog Trainer? If your in my area (Magic Valley & Sun Valley Idaho) you can give me a call at 308-5627 to set up some lessons. Id be more than happy to help!

Trick of the Week:

Rollover

This weeks trick is Rollover! Best way to teach tricks, is to use a clicker and some treats. Get those handy along with your dog, find a non-distracting room with carpet so your dog can rollover easily.

To start, Kneel down and have your dog do a down in front of you. Hold a treat close to your dogs nose and have your dog follow it as you bring your hand towards his shoulder. Your arm should be over the dogs head as you bring the dogs nose into its shoulder. Youll know your doing this right if your dog moves onto its hip in a relaxed position. Click and treat as soon as your dog moves onto its hip! Do this a few more times.

Now, move your hand further over his shoulder so your dog has to lay on its side in order to follow your hand. Some dogs have trouble at this point, but keep trying. As soon as your dog lays on its side, click and treat! Repeat a few more times.

Next, move your hand further so now your dog has to turn his body over to follow the treat. Click and treat the second he does this! Repeat this a few more times.

Now, repeat and this time put the cue onto it such as Rollover! When your dog rolls over, click and toss the treat so its a complete rollover. Congrats! Keep practicing and youll have a dog rolling over on cue and something to impress your friends with!

Remember each time you click & treat, you start from the beginning.

Currently Available at Talented K9

Private Lessons

Group Classes

If you live in the Magic Valley or Sun Valley Areas, sign up today by calling Amy at 1 (208) 308-5627 You can visit our website at www.talentedk9.com

Read more