DS2 keeps bothering our dog

[Curiousmama]

Ds2 is 9 and should know better but isn't getting it. He keeps grabbing our dog and 'loving' him when he doesn't want it. Tonight it got bad as the dog had a bone and was growling. I don't want to wait for the dog to bite ds2 and no matter what I do ds2 won't listen. I'm at a loss.Ds2 has no fear of him.

No good at training children just do dogs

But the dog must have time out. Maybe you could involve your son in a more positive way. Do you go to training classes make your son the major trainer (well at least make him think he is the major ) Most children at that age could learn to train often easier than adults! My daughter trained one of our dogs through the KC good citizen awards when she was 10.

It is vitally important though that the dog and children know the boundaries. Maybe while your DS is learning take away high value items from your dog. Only give bones toys etc when DS is at school.

I do think you need a chat with your son maybe others can help you with that bit

thanks minimu, I think I'll try to find a training class close by. DS1 is 12 and great with the dog. Dog is a rescue and tends to listen to me more than anyone to be honest. I've got him from being the most anti-social pooch towards other dogs to now loving all the dogs he meets in the park. In fact sometimes he's over friendly but he's ok if they go for him just comes to me.

I'll try some training myself and involve ds2 more like you say.

MINIMU

my 18 month dd cant get enough of our new 'step' dog (dps labrador), he is brilliant with her and tollerates an awful lot (always supervised by us) but we cant keep control of his food begging,

he follows her around, sits under her high chair (we often lock him out the room at dinner time) paces the room when any food is being prepared, howls and throws himself at the back door if we put him in the garden, he is a canine eating machine, we make sure his diet is strict and he is NEVER given treats, he just cant help it

i am aware of his new pack status (dropped from no2 to no5 in the house) and i dont want to cause him any un needed stress but, 2 months in i am at the end of my tether,

i have a dog myself, he was hard work to train but i did it, i know the lab needs the same training but his issues are compleatly different to my old dog (his were around seperation anxiey)

the lab stands under my feet while cooking, has his head in every cupboard/dishwasher/bin given half a chance, he gets up on the worktops at any chance his has (often while im in the kitchen with him) it is impossible to leave the used dinner dishes on the side for even 30 mins without him trying his best to lick them,

we have a smallish house, i have baby gates on the stairs and living room, the kitchen diner is one big room so hard to seperate him from the food/dishes,

any ideas gratefully accepted x

Motorcycleemptiness typical lab behaviour. They look at you as if they have never ever been fed!

You have to be very consistent with this training. Does the dog have a bed or cage in the kitchen?

What you need to do is make sure the bed is the only place the dog ever gets any food except his meals.

So to start with just radomly drop small titbits in his bed. He will soon smell then out. If this happens 100s of times a day he will start sniffing around his bed a lot. When he goes in his bed give him a treat. When you are eating put him in his bed and give him a treat. Gradually leave the time you treat him up to 5 mins etc or eventually the whole meal. Basically he knows that when you are preparing food he sits in his bed and will get a treat. As he becomes more used to the behaviour you can lesson off the treats.

I only have to open the saucepan cupboard in my house and dogs run from all directions past me to get to their beds!

Obviously you will have to cut down on his food a bit if you are piling on the treats but the better quality of treat he gets the quicker he will learn, so weeny bit of cheese, or chicken etc. Good luck it will happen but it will take a bit of time if he has got away with mooching around the kitchen before.

Thanks too bedlam I'll look for that online game.