A Dog for the Kids?

So you're thinking about getting a dog for your kids and your kids are right on board, promising to walk him and feed him and brush him and love him, etc. every day. Maybe you feel that your child deserves the unconditional love that only a dog can give him. Maybe you're thinking that a dog will teach your child responsibility, respect for other livings things, and empathy - and all of those things are entirely possible but not a sure thing. So before you take the plunge and buy that purebreed or adopt that stray, take a few days to really think it through and discuss it not only with the children but also with the other adults in your life. Too often the gift of a puppy results in family strife, tears and another unwanted dog.

Whose Job is it Anyway?

Your child may feel that he or she is capable of caring for a pet and you may agree, but remember that even if the dog is your child's responsibility; your child is your responsibility. It is your job to teach your child exactly how to care for her dog and that means that you must follow standard teaching procedure- First you do it, then they help you do it, then you help them do it, then you supervise as they do it alone and finally, you check in periodically to make sure it's still being done.

You will also be responsible for scheduling and providing transportation for every vet visit (at least twice a year) and every trip to the groomer as well as trips to the store for supplies. There's a very good chance you're going to be responsible for all of the money incurred as well. You are also responsible for hiring a trainer or providing transportation to and from obedience classes and please please for the love of all that is holy, you are responsible for making sure your kid doesn't treat his poor trainer with eye rolling disrespect and verbal abuse. (Yes, I realize I am simply an over-educated member of the servant class, I don't appreciate your kid informing me of this every time I come to your house.) And even if your child is the only one handling the dog during his lessons, you must be present the entire time.

You, not your child, are responsible for your dog's rabies certification and licencing. If your child's dog gets loose, you will be the one responsible for retrieving it from the pound and paying any associated fines. You will be the one charged with abuse or neglect if it comes to it. You will be the one to charged if the dog bites some one.

Do it Together

I have seen families reduces to screaming matches with crying moms, raging dads, stomping kids and cowering dogs over issues of who is responsible for what and whose fault it is that the dog pooed in front of the door again. But this can be prevented if you just go into it with the right attitude. You may be getting the dog for your children, but the dog is your family's dog. Chances are, he's going to bond closest to an adult rather than a child anyway, so telling your kid that the dog is just his is setting him up for heartbreak when the dog decides he's really mom's. Get a dog for the family, share the responsibility as a family and the whole family will benefit from his company and companionship.

Learning What?

There are lots of things a child can learn from a dog but a dog is a living, feeling being - not an object lesson. If your child is already reasonably well-behaved and kind, then a dog can teach your child even more about caring for others, responsibility and loyalty. But if your child is lazy, destructive and cruel, do not believe for a minute that a dog is going to cure that. On the contrary, a dog is likely to simply become the next victim of his laziness and cruelty.

Going through obedience training with a dog is a wonderful experience for a child. Obedience training teaches you more than just how to train a dog, it teaches you how to deal with any thinking creature, including humans. I have often had clients remark to me, "I wish I'd gone through obedience training before I had kids" or "... before I got married". If your child is interested in pursuing competition obedience, agility, flyball or some other canine sport, there are junior competitions available in just about every community if you just do a quick online search for them. Canine sports can be a wonderful outlet for your child and is a much more interesting way for your child to make sure his canine companion gets plenty of exercise.

What to Do If Your Dog Bites Someone

A dogbite is a devistating and traumatic experience for everyone involved. If it's your dog doing the biting, you may feel panicked and unsure what to do. You may be overwhelmed with emotions and feel both angry and defensive toward both your dog and the victim. You may want to know how and why this happened and be preoccupied with finding those answers. While all of those questions and emotions are valid, now is not the time to entertain them. You have alot to do first, but if you follow some simple steps you can get through this.

Diffuse the Situation

Most dogbites consist of a single bite as most dogs retreat immediately after delivering a bite. However, some bites are part of viscious attacks and if this is the case with your dog, you may have to break it up. It is never a good idea to put yourself between your dog and his victim or you may end up with two victims. It's also not a good idea to grab a dog who is engaged in an attack as he could easily turn on you in the heat of the moment. Now if you're thinking my dog would never hurt me, this may be the truth, but dogs have terrible aim when they are excited and are subject to displaced aggression, that is, they may turn on their friends in a mindless fury if they are somehow blocked from their intended target.

Ideally, your dog will be on a leash and you can pull him away from the attack, but if he's not on a leash you may have to get creative. First, try to call your dog off. He may abandon his attack and come to your side if you simply call him. If that doesn't work, try to distract him. A very loud noise usually works. I have broken up fights with an airhorn. If you don't have one on hand, you could try simply yelling "HEY", blowing a whistle or a car horn, whatever is easiest to access for you, as time is of the essence. If a loud noise doesn't work, or you don't have the means to produce one, then you will need to try to redirect the aggre
ssion to another object, like a stick or a piece of cloth.  If you are wearing a hoodie, for instance, you could quickly take it off and flap it in the dog's face. He is likely to attack it and latch on and then you can pull him slowly away from his victim.

Get the dog away from his victim

Once you've aborted the attack, tell the victim in a low, calm voice, to move slowly to a safe spot, like another room or a car, while you move quickly to get a leash on your dog. Loop the leash through the handle to make a lasso and slip it over his head if he is still being difficult, hold it out at arms length till he calms down. Most dogs calm down quite quickly after an attack, and begin acting "guilty", but this isn't always the case. As soon as he starts responding to commands again, reemember to use them. Let his victim know that you will be right back and move the dog to a secure location such as another room, a crate or your car. If you happen to have a friend with you, have them stay with the victim while you remove the dog.

Get Help for the Victim

Once your dog is secure, it very important to get medical attention for the victim immediately. Call 911 or drive him or her to the nearest emergency room or urgent care center. Even bites that do not look severe can become a big problem, so don't let the victim convince you that it doesn't need to be looked at. You should be aware that a police report will probably be taken in the emergency room, even if the victim does not want to press charges. You should be prepared to provide your dog's liscencing medical and shot records to the physician that is treating the victim and the police officer taking the report.

Call Your Insurance Provider

As soon as you're sure the victim is being taken care of, make a phonecall to your homeowner's or renter's insurance provider. They may be able to pick any medical expenses that the victim's health insurance will not pay for. Their goal is to make sure that you don't get sued and cost them money, so they will spend money up front to make the victim feel there is no reason to sue and they may have other helpful suggestions to make everyone feel better about the situation. Don't be afraid to call them. This is what you pay insurance for, after all, you may as well get a return on your investment. If you don't have this insurance, get it now.


Call Your Veterinarian

Your veterinarian needs to be apprised of what is going on with your dog and may have some helpful information for you. Once things calm down and you have time to ask the "Why" And "What do I do with the dog now" questions, the veterinarian is going to be the person to help you with those. Make an appointment in the next few days to have your dog examined to make sure there isn't a physical problem that led to the aggression. Your vet can also refer you to a veterinary behaviorist for more help.

Call Your Lawyer

The victim has every right to sue you and the police may charge you under leash laws for not having your dog under control - even if he was on a leash at the time of the attack. Your lawyer should be notified immediately that these possibilities have arisin so he or she can advise you as to what action you can take to protect yourself and your dog even before you are charged or served. If you don't have a lawyer, consider signing up with a prepaid legal program like Legalshield before something happens. If it's already happened, look up legal aid in your area. You can usually get advice for free.

What Not to Do

Do NOT "get rid" of your dog. The decision may be made to euthanize him, ultimately, but law enforcement may require he be quarantined first. Re-homing him may be an option depending on the situation, providing the new owners are aware of his history and capable of managing his behavior, but you still need to comply with whatever law enforcement requires first. Talk to your veterinarian and your trainer about your options.