We adopted a dog recently. Edzo is a 2-year-old Norwegian elkhound. He’s sweet, social and gentle, and I have not seen one worrisome behavior in the time we’ve had him. My kids are really excited to have him in the family.

My three sons have been raised with dogs and have attended more bite-prevention events than they care to remember. They know how to be respectful and kind to dogs, so they’ve been a little puzzled by some of the rules I’ve set in place to help Edzo adjust to living in our home.

Supervision. We were told that Edzo was housetrained and did not chew household objects. As a dog trainer, I spend a lot of time talking to people about housetraining and about cleaning carpets. I really hate cleaning carpets. If I can help it, there will be no housetraining accidents, so we have to treat Edzo as if he were an untrained puppy and set him up for success. The first few days, I kept him very close by and would use his leash to tether him near me. Once I felt confident that he was reliably eliminating in the yard and not prone to chewing up random objects, I began giving him a little more freedom, which meant that instead of keeping him in my sight, I was leaping up and following him each time he moved. Read the rest »

You’ve read all the books about introducing your new baby to the family dog. You’ve played a CD of noises to help Scooter become accustomed to the sounds Isabella would make. You brought home a blanket from the hospital for him to smell before the baby came home. You’ve covered all of your bases . . . so why, seven months later, is Scooter acting so strangely?

Your baby has started to crawl. Scooter didn’t expect that. Isabella’s newfound mobility can upset and confuse Scooter. Now Isabella is investigating areas he once thought were his. And she’s approaching him on her own terms rather than waiting for him to come to her.

If your dog is going to have problems with your baby, the crawling stage is typically where you see the first significant signs. A few questions to consider . . . Does Scooter happily approach you when you are sitting on the couch and holding Isabella? Does he stay just out of arms’ reach or snuggle in close? Does he seem interested in her activity or a bit nervous about it? Read the rest »

Kevin came over to play today. For the past two hours, he and my 6-year-old son Brandon have been running through the house playing hide and seek. They’ve gone in every room at least twice, have repeatedly hollered up and down the stairs, and have even attempted to sneak up behind me a few times, but their giggling always gives them away. The boys are having a wonderful visit.

This whole time, my dog, Gordo, has been in his crate.

Gordo is a great dog with kids. In fact, just this morning, he and I visited three preschool classes to present dog-safety workshops where he gracefully allowed 36 3- and4-year-olds to pet him. Because I am a dog trainer, we visit schools regularly as a community service. Read the rest »

Rainy days with stir-crazy kids and dogs can try your sanity. When your kids wail that there’s nothing fun to do, have them try some of these simple games with the family dog.

Hansel & Gretel Trails. This is a really basic activity, but kids love it! Give your children a small bowl of treats and tell them to create a trail for the dog to follow. Keep the dog near you while the kids put a treat every 2 to 4 feet. When they have laid out the entire path, have them come back and tell the dog to sit before releasing the dog to follow the trail. They’ll follow along behind the dog cheering for each successful find.

Commando Crawl (for mid-sized dogs). Have the kids lay a trail of treats running under your coffee table from one end to the other. Teach the dog to belly-crawl across the floor to get the treats. Read the rest »

Whenever Laura sees a dog, she shrieks and clings to her mother’s leg. Thomas runs the other way. And Samuel just freezes, wide eyed in terror.

Each of these children is afraid of dogs. As parents, we strive to teach our kids how to cope with life and its challenges. Yet some parents mistakenly believe that it is good for a child to be afraid of dogs because then the child will be more cautious around them. Read the rest »

Let’s face it, coming up with craft projects can be a hassle. Watch this episode of Clever Parents TV for pre-packaged craft kits for kids ages 18 months to 11, tips for hosting a puppy party and learning to live with things that bite (and no, we’re not talking about that pesky two year old next door).

See the vidcast. Read the rest »

“If my dog ever bites my child, he’s out of here!” I hear that all the time. It just makes me want to scream, “But that will be too late!”

Each year nearly 2.8 million children are bitten by a dog. Most of these bites are not coming from some scary dog that got loose. Sensational stories make headlines, but most dog bites are more commonplace. Half come from the family’s own dog, and another 40 percent come from a friend or neighbor’s dog. Read the rest »