A quiz to test your knowledge of dog-kind interactions, and of hidden red flags.
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True
False
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Absolutely. He is a really good dog.
Every dog has his/her breaking point and I won't test my dog's. I prefer that he / she enjoys my kids' company, rather than tolerate it.
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True: a child is sacred, and dogs know that.
False: every dog can bite a child, if pushed hard enough
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Absolutely. The dog should be under my child's control. It's a question of respect and safety.
No. Sound child-dog interactions are based on collaboration, not authority. Until a certain age, the children are not the authority figure, the parents are.
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Call you
Look the dog in the eyes then firmly take the toy away
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Curl up into a ball, burying his / her face between his arms, using his folded arms to protect his ears
Gesticulate and shout to scare the dogs away.
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Fold up his/her arms against his chest and look up and away until the dog calms down. The child looking up avoids the dog jumping up against his/her chin.
Say "no" loud and firmly enough that the dog knows your child is confident, and that the dog needs to obey.
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True
False
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Not: the dog needs to learn to get used to my child's occasional clumsiness
When the dog or child is showing even subtle signs of discomfort
When the dog is growling.
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True
False
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It's fun for them both to have a bit of innocent rough-and-tumble.
This could get the dog so excited that he/she start plays too rough and hurt your kid. The dog could also make a habit of chasing running kids Sensible dog-child interactions are calm.
It's more than OK: it's really sweet: The more the merrier. bring on the family cuddle.
The dog is effectively cornered, so it's best to give him a choice to come to your kid when he has more freedom of movement. A cornered dog can't choose to leave if he is uncomfortable. That only increases the chance of aggression.
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Calmly separate them, check if your kid was bitten, work out what happened and take preventive measures for next time. Talk to a qualified canine behaviourist for that.
Shout at the dog and punish him/her.
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Good idea: It gets them both to burn some energy and is excellent for their bond.
Bad idea: Taunting the dog only encourages him/her to snatch things out of your child's hand, Sensible games between dog and child are calm. An over-excited dog could also accidentally hurt or scare your child.
Quickly get a picture and put it on the social media. Precious memory and super cute!
You intervene and break off this interaction. Rare are the dogs who would enjoy this type of interaction, it could actually cause a back injury to the dog, and the dog is effectively forced to stay.
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False
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It's perfectly safe for my kid to join him, because the dog is very friendly, and he is relaxed.
I would first call the dog off the couch (nicely!), then have my kid climb on the couch and call the dog back on. That way, the dog has a choice.
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True
False
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Yes: That is when dogs are feeling the most relaxed. My dog always welcomes cuddle time from the little ones.
No: The dog could be startled awake. And he might be wanting some peace. Let sleeping dogs lie!
I see a lot of love. Look at all that licking! Licking means kissing for dogs.
I see a puppy being restrained close to a child's face. Licking can be an appeasement signal, so the dog might not be that comfortable.
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How cute: the dog is smiling!
This is a stress grin, indicating the dog is very tense.
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Great idea! That's why I got the dog: as a companion for my kids.
Most dogs dislike being hugged because they can't walk away, and close face-to-face contact can be intimidating to them. Some like it though.
Terrible idea! Dogs should never be hugged. They all hate it.
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So cute! That is why I got the dog: as a companion for my kids. If they can't kiss the dog, what is the use?
Many dogs find close face-to-face contact intimidating. There are plenty of other ways to show a dog affection that the dog does love.
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They're having a great time and it's super cute. I am going to quickly take a snapshot and share it on the social media.
The dog is showing a stress signal (lip-licking), so it might be that he is feeling under pressure. I intervene and coach my kid to train more collaboratively.
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It's fine. The dog is used to it.
A dog is not a toy and should have a choice about where he goes. It can also lead to dogs who tense up when approached.
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Most dogs find sustained eye contact (staring) intimidating. Best to switch to something less intense.
It is totally OK. They are looking at each other lovingly.
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How cute! The dog is so relaxed he is yawning!
Yawning can be a stress signal in dogs. He might not be very comfortable with this interaction.
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