Someone brought up this link http://leerburg.com/kidbites.htm
and I got to thinking, I got three GSDs and one GSD mix and three kids, I got my kids involved with the training and feeding. We eat first with them platz'ed near us then I have the kids order them to the crates and feed them there, the couch and bed are by invitation only. They do display pack behavior when they don't think I see them(the dogs, not the kids) They sorta listen to the kids, but only for treats or toy, oh yea, all toys are mine, all food is mine. I really don't know what else I can do to insure saftey. Two of them are from Sch and Police lines the other too are BYB. They all have thier space. If thier is any other advice I'd like to hear it.

Dennis I have 4 kids, 2,almost 5,11,16 My gsd interact with my kids all the time , do they listen to them? NO but they all mesh well and I've never had a dog growl at my kids.My to be 5 year old daughter helps me feed the dogs, she can stand there as they eat, they are fine with it, never had an issue.But I know my dogs button and limits.I don't put my kids in danger with the dogs.My kids know each dogs do and dont's and the y are very good at respecting that.My femlae is the only one allowed on the couch and she loves to get on when my 2 year old is on it too, she loves to snuggle with her.I like all of us together, the dogs don't really follow the kids around they settle down nicely in the house ,it's usually the kids we have to tame

If only I can get my kids to listen like my dogs

Well my kids have a BH but far from a SchutzI!

The best thing, IMO, you can do to insure your kid's safety is KNOW YOUR DOGS, often times people say, "I should have seen it coming."

In addition to that, I don't know how old your kids are, but I don't leave young children around dogs that are heavily prey-driven. Kids wave stuff, shriek, scream, run, throw things...all thing that can kick in prey drive. Even a dog that's only playing can hurt a kid.

I have a 7 year old boy, and because I train dogs and take in fosters, he's had to learn how to be around them. I trained him with even MORE dedication than I train dogs.

We have a wood stove in the house that gets really, dangerously hot. Is this something that intends to hurt him? No. But will it if he doesn't have the proper respect and behavior around it? Absolutely! Weird analogy, but you get what I'm saying.

Also, I should point out that I do not train PPD dogs, so my advice may not apply if you do.

For pet dogs, I think having an older child watch and learn how to train dogs is a great idea. My son is amazing at it. Kids are sponges and you know how they can pick up other languages so quickly? Well dogs do have a language and my son is learning it. I ask him to look at someone's dog's body posture when we're out at a park, say, or at the beach. He can 9 times out of 10 guess what that dog is really saying as he interacts with other dogs by his body posture.

My son also does obedience work with our Corgi (who's already trained, so he's forgiving). He knows what to do if he's ever confronted with a stray or unfamiliar dog and he's alone (god forbid!) which is just as important as knowing how to be with your house dogs.

Last thing: I always make it clear to ANY dog that I take in, or even a friend's dog that seems interested in my son, that my son is under my protection. Dogs do understand that.

Didn't mean to write a novel...coffee's strooong today!

Dennis:
The feeding order in dog packs is a ritual. That you and your children eat first is not lost on your dogs.

That you and your children use the furniture and the dogs come by invitation only is not lost on the dogs.

The age and maturity of your kids is really going to dictate how well the dogs need to listen to the kids. By nature kids do not appreciate the consequences of their actions and frequently don't make sound and timely decisions (it's in their job description). Just being cognizant of this, and that your dogs will always (albeit subtly) seek to improve their position in the pack (heck we do it in our lives) will take you far.

The mix of kids & dogs isn't dangerous and I suspect it won't be a problem in your home because you're watching things. As long as you keep putting your dogs & kids in situations where the outcome is predictably favorable I don't think you'll have trouble. With the exception of dogs who are mentally unstable most problems seem to come down to people who don't provide sound consistent leadership to their dogs and treat them like furry little people seem to be the ones on the evening news telling everyone that their dog hasn't killed any children in the past so this was all unexpected.

I would also like to take this opportunity to compliment you on your selection of photographs to accompany your posts. You are clearly a gentleman of impeccable taste.

I stopped group feeding my dogs cos, I did not like the way my young male would get bolshy and bully the girls if my son helped out with feeding it was like he was my son's number one and he got over cocky growling and jumping on the others something he would never do if I did his feeding,he now eats alone,he also took to peeing on the spot where I had put there plates.Now he is put in our dog trailer which is very spacious it can accomodate him and his food bowl, it is just to cramped in his crate.I sometimes wonder if he wasn't left in his birth bag to long at times like this,But I suspect it could be dominate behaviour combined with adolescent hubba hubba I think he is testing his boudaries, at the moment he is travelling hormone with an attitude problem!
Hubby disputes this vehemently and tells me the problem is he so smart he was born with a brain and a half thats, why I am always amazed with the things he does.thank goodness I don't fall for this LOL's

Michelle:
You do understand the dog won that round of who's dominant with your son. You didn't cure the dominance problem, you cured the symptom.

Peeing where the other dogs eat is the male dog's way of reminding the others who's in charge, i.e. you may be eating, but you'll do so while smelling me. It's actually more powerful than him being there in person because he's linking his urine smell with the other dog's need for food.

I don't know how old/mature your son is; but a wise parent might review where the young male has positioned himself in the pack hierarchy. Unless the child is simply too young to be put in this position of controling the food you may want to find ways to set your son up to succede in repositioning himself above the male dog.

I appreciate the pack nature of dogs, and appreciate the importance of food within the pack structure. As a practical measure, we have chosen to limit the possibility of "food fights" in our pack.

All four dogs are either outdoors (assuming we are eating indoors) or in the crates when me and Gary eat. While managing a piece of food fallen to the floor might be a great training and/or proofing opportunity, we have chosen different battles. We don't have children ourselves (but do sometimes have them as guests) I'm sure this is more significant to those with young children than it is to us - In terms of ranking the battles you pick.

While the wonderful picture in my head of all four dogs laying down in their respective corners, politely waiting for us to finish dinner is really a cool notion, it's way easier for us to just crate them up.

Maybe I'll feel different about the "food fight" possibilities among 4 dogs and 2 humans when I am a much better dog trainer than I am today. For now, it's way less stressful to control the situation with crates.

On a positive note for raw feeding.... Before we started feeding raw, ANY time that ANYTHING fell to the floor with the smallest of "clinks" - multiple dogs would come running - even if it wasn't food. They actually ignore things like potato chips now. That will make Super Bowl Sunday WAY more enjoyable from a snacking perspective!

Beth

 Quote: amber morgan

In addition to that, I don't know how old your kids are, but I don't leave young children around dogs that are heavily prey-driven. Kids wave stuff, shriek, scream, run, throw things...all thing that can kick in prey drive. Even a dog that's only playing can hurt a kid.

how absolutely true! just the other day, my one dog who is sufficiently obedient under distraction that i'm confident enough to let her off-line in the backyard from time to time was outside the other day. my wife's 6 year old brother decided to race off across the back yard, shrieking like a banshee, for reasons unknown to us even now. my dog took off after him and bowled him over, pushing him in the snow, before licking his face.

disobedient? not really, i didn't react quick enough and stricly speaking i never asked her not to do that. she was playing with him prior to the incident, and had been released to do so. i didn't correct her for it, because by the time i'd thought about what exactly happen it would've been way too late anyway. it could have been worse, i understand, and so i'll do my best to avoid those situations in future.

but from that incident i can definitely see why it wouldn't be a good idea to have him "babysit" for us.