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Toddlers and Dogs – Can you Help Me With This?
Hey guys! I have a thing. I need options and opinions please
I have a client with an out of control toddler; 2 yr old and a new 8 month old GSD. The dog is amazing, she lets toddler climb all over her, steal her toys and food etc. the parents know the toddler is out of control and would like me to help establish boundaries. After our first session, I totally re did my training plan. I have a huge stuffed animal that will be “the dog”. We will practice ouch and red light/ green light on the stuffy. I will teach both beheviors to the toddler. Then I will put big red and green dot stickers on appropriate items. Then we will practice red light/ green light movements. Finally, I think a simon says game. The parents are totally on board with this, but have you guys had any other good/ bad experiences?
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5 Replies
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Wow, @Spisces – it looks like you have your work cut out for you; thank you for being there to help this family!
I think the idea of the red and green stickers and the Simon Says game is an interesting one. When you interacted with the child, did you feel they would be able to follow these interactions? For someone that little, I do simple games like Guided Touch (child’s hand and adult’s hand palm to palm, with the back of the adult’s hand stroking/petting the dog) and Find It (with the child in an adult’s lap or in a highchair for safety).
My favorite book for that age is, “Tails are not for Pulling” (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/880487.Tails_Are_Not_for_Pulling). Do you use it too?
What did you mean by “We will practice ouch” and might I ask what your training plan was originally?
Please keep us in the loop; I’m very interested!
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@Spisces Rene brought this case to the HoundTable group yesterday and DD members @Jeri and @Jenz had some great ideas for her! Watch the video clip and then add your comments – what else do you think will help her as she works with this family to promote safe interactions between the toddler and this 8mo old German Shepherd Dog?
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I completely agree wholeheartedly with the suggestions: all interactions need to have active adult supervision (proactive, not just reactive or passive), the parents could likely use help learning realistic expectations of their child and their dog, and creating a safe space for the dog to retreat to is a must! I would also explore what the parents are modeling in their interactions with the dog.
I am thinking that some TAG Teach with the kiddo might be helpful so that they can learn (in a simple and fun way) a few specific behaviors that the parents can cue them to do.
And as always in these situations, as mentioned, Family Paws is a strong and trustworthy source: http://www.familypaws.com.
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@Spisces -I love what you plan to do with this family. I think the huge stuffed animal is a wonderful and safe start. Not only will it be fun, but a teaching tool! Such a special idea!!! I also like the red and green stickers. Learning WHERE to touch an animal safely is important, not just for the toddler, but for adults, as well.
@jenwalker had an awesome suggestion in reading that book! That would be similar to my own suggestion…actually to create a simple “social story” (I had a young child who was suspected to be “on the spectrum”/ Asperger’s at age 3) and I learned how to write a very simple social story, using the child’s and dog’s name and reading through a script of positives (how you WANT/EXPECT the child to be with the pet, giving realistic outcomes of how the pet will react and respond to the child). It really did help my son and he looked forward to reading his stories.
We all know that age 2 can be worrisome for the parents. But, it’s excellent to intervene and teach children how to interact, because we know they are just as fascinated as we are by animals and how cuddly they are.
I applaud you for helping this family!!! Let us know how things are going!
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I am intrigued by the idea of using personalized story-telling to help families! Could you tell us more @Bernerlabreclectus?
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