Children and dogs

[Sarah]

I live in an area full of families with young children. When I walk my dog, all the kids come up and want to pet him. Then Archie hair on the back of his neck stands up and he starts barking and lungeing (although he barks at strangers, it is only with young children that he exhibits this agressive behavior). . I am worried that if a child got too close, he might bite. How do I make walking my dog safe for my dog and the neighborhood children?

[Trish McMillan]

Hi Sarah,

Aggression toward children is a very serious problem and really outside the scope of an online chat forum.

I highly recommend getting a good trainer or behaviorist in to work with you and your dog. Do not let children pet him in the meantime. Walk in child-free areas and at child-free times.

You may also consider fitting him with a Gentle Leader head collar so that you can keep control of his mouth.

Here are some resources for finding a certified trainer or behaviorist in your area:

http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/caab-directory

http://ccpdt.org/rstr/index.html

Trish