In a lot of the posts I have been reading here and even in the videos, it mentions children not being left alone with a dog or being part of the training. Here is my issue.

My daughter is 6yo and loves our 8 mo lab mix to death. They are like brother and sister. He obviously does not respect her unles she is holding food in her hand. She is very anxious to be a part of everything I do with him, from walking him to training him. The first and last time she walked him, was the night we got him 2 months ago and he pulled and ran away from her immediately. I have since gotten a prong collar which I use whenever we go out. But I also read that you should never leave a child alone with a dog and there are times when I will run out to the garage or to another room and leave them alone. Also, I will sometimes let her do some Ob training with him. I usually go to the dining room where I can watch and only interfere if I feel she is doing something wrong. She has watched the Leerburg puppy and OB videos and remembers the rules better than I. Am I asking for trouble by letting her participate? The dog is a lab mix, but I don't know what the mix is. He is starting to exhibit definite signs of a strong willed personality and I find myself constantly trying to curb certain behaviors.

Your 6 year old cannot control an 8 month old strong willed las mix. While its very good that she wants to be involved, you must be the leader of both her and the dog.
If you have a crate, use it for when you cannot directly supervise the 2 of them.Just put the dog in and go and do your errand...If you don't have one, get one.
I would also be sure to work on OB with the dog with out your childs' participation. Observation is ok....When you have the dog to the point where it is understanding and following instuctions, then you can bring in the child and work together with her to direct the dog through OB excersises.
As for in the home and/or during non training times, direct supervision at all times or in the crate goes the dog.

Good luck <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have a five mo old GSD and a seven year old daughter who also loves to interact with the dog. Despite the fact that he is the mellowest squishy bear nice guy, he already out weighs my daughter by about ten pounds. She would not be able to control him.

My husband and I are doing the obedience with him. There are some that we feel he's pretty good at so we let our daughter work those commands with him now. What I have found is helpful is to put a second leash and collar on him. My daughter will "heel" him with one and I'll hold the other and just walk with them. This allows me to do minor corrections and to have control at all times in case he gets out of control. So far so good. I think it's teaching him he has to listen to her too. Again, she only works him on the commands we know he understands so there's no confusion for the dog.

I think this would help your daughter with walking your dog. He can try to pull away from her, but you'll also be there to control him. Perhaps she can be giving the verbal commands and you'll be there to be the muscle?

Rho I think its good that your daughter become a part of the dog Ob training. But a structured forum must be set, with you supervising and have the child only use the command as mentioned that the dog knows. Therefore if the command is not followed a fair correction can be given to enhance his training forcing him to follow your daughters command and setting a rank structure that the dog will adhere to. Since you & husband are the Alpha, make sure he knows he comes after the daughter. How do you do this?

Start by, letting the daughter feed him have her place the food in his bowl and release him to eat. If he won't wait for the command to eat, you hold the leash or collar with the dog in a sit, have the child give the command and then release the dog to eat. She should say good boy and step away, don't try to pet him while he eating just yet.

When the dog is being strong willed you measure if its appropiate, if not (like jump up on a person or nipping) then train him away from it.
If he just circling you jumping up and twirling happy to see you the motion are storng and showing a powerful will. I like that and I appreaciate his responce to my presence. You can still call that to a halt with a sit command, then praise him petting him.

Having the daughter be part of the training session sets a command and pack structure that the dog will adhere to. Just make sure the commands are the same "word". Pretty soon the whole family will have off leash control, because there is no place that he would wants to be but at you guys side. Thats my spill on it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

What is being said here is very much true. There are appropriate ways to allow your children to be part of the dogs life but for a small child to assist in trainingg is not one of them. My son is much younger he will be 3. The interactions that I allow are helping with grooming and helping with feeding. When we go for walks obviously I am not going to allow him to hold the leash or when we are working on OB I am the one giving the commands. My son will tell our pup to sit, down, stay, and thats fine but only because the dog understands these commands already. When I allow him to give him treats, he always says" Sit " and the dog responds but that is because he already is proofed in that area. My son is not teaching him I am. All interacions are supervised and when I can't supervise he is crated ( The Dog That Is <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ) Common sense goes along way with getting dogs to act appropriate with children. Our pup is always eger to be around our young son because of the treat theroy and he knows what behavior he must exhibit in order to get one.I forsee a long friendship between the two of them but still under our supervision.

Ann I see why you don't let a 3yr. old interact with your dog he is still a toddler, but a 6 yr. old is competent and speaks well enough to join in the Ob session. Like mention only given the commands that the dog knows and are proofed. I would not have the child or toddler feeding the dog hand to hand, but the 6yr old placing his food out while the adult has the puppy restrained is ok. The child gives the release command to eat. And the dog/puppy gets to eat. This type interact sets a mind set in the dog/puppy and leave little room for a mistake such as accidently biting the childs hands.

Strokes for folks, if you just want to let the dog know the kid is there. Thats Ok too, but if you want the dog to know his place in the pack it has to set by the Alpha, and thats you (the adult guardian). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yes. We need to use our common sense. As a parent we need to assess the level our child is at and how that would work with the personality of the dog.

For instance, my daughter grew up with large dogs. She's very decisive and commanding, unlike a child who has not been around dogs all their lives. She can command our dogs into their kennels. She also lets them out of their kennels. None of them bolt out when she opens the doors. She always gives a "sit, stay" and they wait until she releases them. She does not need a treat to entice them. But that's her, and again she grew up with dogs.

It's as much teaching the child as it is teaching the dog. It's hard for a child to get an "air" about them that the dog respects.

I do feel it's important for children to interact with the family dog. I feel that takes any questions out of the dog's head as to where the child falls in the "pack".

Roz I think that is a final example of what you can expect, if a child is part of the training process. The Child understands how to treat and a respect the dog, she commands respect and the dog follows because thats the order of the pack.

This child could go get or command the dog to return home or back to its leash. There is no need to chase the dog down, because it understands and feel at her side is were it wants to be. A prime example of why and how to teach a child how to train a dog.

None of this begging the doggy to come or to stop playing rough, or pulling it tail or blowing in its ear thinking this is appropiate play...

Its impressive to watch these child protogey work their dog, some look like they could ride it rather then heel of leash. A great example of imprinting from a young age, pack structures.

Kinda reminds me of the guard the child routine, where a 6-7 yrs old child was commanding a off and continued guard in a KnpV trail. IMPressive to say the least. That wasn't your child was it Roz?? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Typo "Out" instead of "Off".

Kinda reminds me of the guard the child routine, where a 6-7 yrs old child was commanding a "Out" on a helper and "To continued guarding" in a KnpV trail. IMPressive to say the least. That wasn't your child was it Roz??

Ewe! I wish! That would be so kool. When we took the GSD through group OB about a month ago, my daughter had more control of him than most of the adults with their dogs.

We're building a cart for Mr. Pup now. My daughter's really getting excited about teaching him a new task. She's already taught him to crawl to her on his belly.

I just think kids and dogs can be harmony if done right!