For many people, owning a guard dog is a choice that allows them to provide an extra level of protection for the security of their home. However, when you have small children, you need to approach the ownership of a guard dog with care. If a guard dog is not properly socialized with children, it may not be suitable to be kept as a family pet. Socializing your guard dog with children is essential, and must be done very soon after your dog becomes a member of your household.
Step # 1 – Socialize at an Early Age.
For a guard dog to learn how to properly interact with children, socialization should ideally be started before a dog is six months of age. When your dog is still a puppy, they are in a “learning stage” that allows them to absorb the rules of the world around them. During this time, it’s also important to introduce your puppy to how to behave around them. If possible, allow your puppy to interact with children on a regular basis, watching them closely for any signs of dominant behavior. Your puppy should be playful and energetic, but still respectful. Try to discourage any excessively rough play, since this can result in behavioral problems when your puppy becomes an adult dog.
Step # 2 – Use Positive Reinforcement.
Since interacting with children can be a stressful experience for your dog, it’s highly recommended that you use positive reinforcement to enhance socialization training. When your dog exhibits good behavior around a child, reward them with a small food-based treat, as well as a good deal of praise. It’s important to keep a close eye on your dog when exposing them to small children, in order to protect the safety of both your dog and the interacting child. Only reward your puppy when they exhibit positive behavioral traits. In order to make the training more effective, discourage any child from interacting with your dog in a way that could cause them to exhibit a pain-induced reaction (such as poking in the eyes or ears).
Step # 3 – Provide Constant Exposure.
It’s a proven fact that dogs who are constantly exposed to children tend to exhibit more positive interactive traits. In order to ensure that your guard dogs are still able to be kept as a family pet, try to provide interaction with children on a regular basis. Even if you don’t have children of your own, take your dogs out to the park, or to a crowded area where they will be required to interact with a large amount of people. If necessary, arrange a “play-date” with your dogs a few times per week with a friend or family member who has children. This is especially productive if your dog is still a puppy, since they are still learning how to behave around humans.
Step # 4 - Separate Your Training.
If you are training your guard dog, chances are that you will be eventually digressing into specialized training programs. These specialized training steps may be to train your dog to bark at intruders, or to act intimidating towards suspicious people who approach your house at night. Either way, you need to be sure that you separate this training from any interactive playtime during which your dogs are exposed to children. Allow from 2 – 3 hours to lapse in between child interaction and guard dog training.
Step # 5 – Establish Trust.
Probably the most important part of training a guard dog involves establishing trust. It is absolutely essential that you form a strong bond with your dog, since it will allow you to be your dog’s “alpha” pack leader. For dogs in the wild, the position of alpha is extremely important. As a general explanation, a dog will look to their “alpha” before making any type of decision. If you are able to successfully establish yourself as your dog’s “alpha”, you will be able to shape their behavior simply by suggestion. Essentially, you could guide your dog to the correct way to interact with children, by displaying this behavior yourself. There are hundreds of publications, articles and papers that provide further insight into this topic. For starters, you may want to read this study, entitled “Links Between Play and Dominance and Attachment Dimensions of Dog–Human Relationships” (pdf format).
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