Tierce’s Problems With Kids

Despite regular exposure to children, Tierce is still nervous around the smaller ones.  He’s okay around kids that are 10 or so and the children he was regularly exposed to over the years, but he is nervous around smaller, running, screaming children.

It’s not that Tierce tries to snap or bite, but he does shy away and bark, which always makes me want to say defensively, “I did socialize him with children!  I did!  I did!”  I usually settle for a sharp, “No!” and a leash correction, but this doesn’t seem to solve much.

I get the kids around Tierce to feed him treats as often as possible and interact with him, but this only serves to make him feel more kindly towards *them*, not kids in general.

Shassi, as I mentioned before, was fine with kids of all ages and she didn’t have a huge amount of exposure to toddlers.

While Tierce’s attitude is not a danger to himself or other people, as he’s never offered to snap at or bite children, I don’t like it very much.  Suggestions?

14 Comments

  1. if someone your size was running around and screaming an so on – wouldn't you be a bit put

  2. Tikka is afraid of children, including infants who can't even walk! If I put her in a sit, she will tolerate petting (but she refuses treats). If at all possible, she runs away, dodges, and generally avoids all contact. I've found it easier to explain her behavior to the children and suggest that if they ignore her, she may approach them. However, they don't have the patience for that.

  3. Tikka is afraid of children, including infants who can't even walk! If I put her in a sit, she will tolerate petting (but she refuses treats). If at all possible, she runs away, dodges, and generally avoids all contact. I've found it easier to explain her behavior to the children and suggest that if they ignore her, she may approach them. However, they don't have the patience for

  4. Maybe you could get some of the doll of a small person and work with Tierce that way, Im guessing some dags are comfortable and some aren’t, this way you can work with him with no Children around.

    I found this link is to a company in Japan and kind of what i was thinking, they dont ship because cost to much but maybe you can making on your own…..

    http://kids.nunodoll.com/lifesize/

  5. Zuko has the same problem. Something about the energy level of smaller children makes him shy away. Sometimes he’ll crouch down and do his “let’s play” mode and bark… which actually doesn’t help if the kid is nervous around dogs. I can’t find a pattern to which ones he decides are big puppies and he’s going to play with them and which ones he decides he needs to run from. Kids who will be around him for a bit, I have them “train” him: sit, down, leave it, etc and treat him for each good command. It works, but like you and Tierce, does me no good when strange kids come up to him.

  6. Socialize the kids instead. They’re the ones being obnoxious. I don’t let kids come near my dog unless they’re behaving themselves.

  7. well, you’re doing what you can – maybe he just doesn’t like kids! its ok not to like kids…. lots of times i don’t like kids either and i’m a TEACHER! lol!

  8. Me and my one year old shiba have been working on clicker training. When he first came home i went to my local pet store and got a clicker and a large bag of small treats. As of now when i hit the clicker he comes running from anywhere in the house and dont be in his way =) our next step is to try it outside and see how he takes to that because for some reason he is not a fan of the outdoors and people he dosent know, not that he barks or snaps or anything he just wants to run back inside. my hope is to start handing the clicker and some treats to my neighbors as we are out there and see how he takes to it. You could try the same with Tierce and the kids and hope to one day stop using the clicker with them as is my hope as well. Best of luck

  9. we struggle keeping Sadie out of the baby's carseat. as soon as we come though the door she is jumping and wiggling in to kiss the baby, over and over

  10. we struggle keeping Sadie out of the baby's carseat. as soon as we come though the door she is jumping and wiggling in to kiss the baby, over an

  11. I have problems with my own dog snapping at any one who comes into my home without warning or manners according to her, if they are to hyper or don’t greet her properly when entering she becomes very upset. To aid in correcting this problem I train the visitors and if they are unwilling to follow the dogs rules but must enter her territory anyway I remove her to a safe location. she was a rescue and I think that if she were socialized properly from the start she wouldn’t snap but I believe that her protectiveness and nervousness would have presented as part of her personality that no amount of socializing could have ‘cured’. Mostly she runs from strange people but if some one dose not leave her alone she will snap. I would consider myself lucky if she never snapped again.

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