How to desensitize dogs around kids?

To desensitize dogs around kids, start with socialization, introducing your dog to children in a positive way, making sure it meets children of various ages in a variety of situations. The children should be well-behaved and gentle with the dog. If you have an adult dog, you can still work on socialization around kids, the process is similar to socializing a new puppy, it just has to happen much more slowly. During the process, make sure to offer plenty of valuable treats and praise, but remove your dog from the situation at the first sign of stress. Desensitize your dog to kid noises and habits, kids behave differently than adults, they run around, yell, and move suddenly. To desensitize your dog to these habits, you can work on training them at a nearby park or playground, during that time you can keep your distance, and slowly work your way closer to commotion as your dog grows comfortable. If your dog seems anxious or fearful at any point, move further away and restart the process. Practice handling exercises, even the most well-behaved child sometimes can’t keep themselves from throwing their arms around a dog’s neck or tugging on a dog’s tail or ears, prepare your dog for these kinds of situations before it is around a child. Give it lots of praise and maybe even a few treats while you gently play with its tail, hold its paws, hug it, and check out its ears. Introduce your dog to children’s toys without kids around first, this is when commands such as “leave it” and “stay” come in handy. Keep everything positive, the best way to build a good relationship between your dog and children is to use positive reinforcement, when your dog is behaving well around children, be sure to give it lots of praise, treats, and attention.

To desensitize dogs around kids, socialize early, as puppies go through a peak socialization period at around 8 to 12 weeks of age, during which time they should be exposed to as many different situations as possible. Keep in mind that all interactions should be supervised and kept as positive, upbeat, and calm as possible. Desensitization is the process of gradually increasing your dog's interactions with children to make it more comfortable with them. You can start by tossing your dog a few treats when it sees children from a distance and remains relaxed. Very slowly over several days, weeks, or months, you can decrease the distance between your dog and children as long as no signs of stress appear, all the while handing out treats and praise. Never punish a dog who is reacting out of fear as that only confirms to the dog that it had a good reason to be afraid. Find a veterinary behaviorist or reputable dog trainer with experience in dealing with fearful dogs, and make sure they use only positive reinforcement. Be Patient, as these things can take a long time, and your dog may never fully accept children. However, with patience and perseverance, you should be able to minimize your fluffy friend's fear and prevent dog bites. Don't force your dog to make friends with a child, as forcing your dog to stand still while a child approaches it or pets it is asking for trouble. Provide a Safe Space, where your dog can be left alone when children are around, and don't allow children anywhere near your dog's safe area. Establish Rules, such as never allowing children to interact with the dog unsupervised, and teach children how to touch your dog with gentle petting rather than poking, prodding, and pulling.

If your dog is scared of other children visiting your home, set up fail-safe management — gates, doors, physical barriers—between the children and your dog. Find a safe zone that your dog can go to where children are not allowed. Teach any kids that will be visiting your household to pay no attention to your fearful dog. This will take pressure off and give him the space he needs. You can try to create a positive association with kids, if you have the right distance and calm children to help. Start having calm kids walk past at a safe distance, and when they pass, give your dog a high-value treat. Repeat this several times. If your dog seems nervous, move further away. Over time, the kids might be able to throw your dog’s favorite treats to him. Teach kids to be calm around your dogs. Fearful dogs are often uncomfortable with sudden movements and high voices. Learn to read your dog’s body language and fear signals, so you know when your dog is becoming uncomfortable. If your dog shows any fear signals when around children, move your dog away immediately, without reprimanding your dog or the kids. Never put a child in harm’s way in order to train your dog. All techniques should be performed slowly with safety as the highest priority. Always supervise babies and young children around a dog and never leave them alone together, even for a moment.