How Can I Help My Baby Not Be Afraid of Dogs? (Photo credit Rebecca Trynes) Hello! I’ve been reading all your tips about babies and dogs (so good and important!) But, I’ve got a slightly different situation and I feel we may not be approaching it correctly. My baby just turned one this week. We do not have a dog at home. For many months he has been very scared of most dogs he comes into contact with. From a distance he is interested, but if they are close (especially if they are moving) he would cry and climb up me. I figured that was preferable to the opposite, but it had gotten to... read more

Got a “Get Out of Bite Free” Card? It’s Dog Bite Prevention Week again! Resources abound for how to look for body language warning signs and what to avoid doing that might prompt a bite, but what can you do right now with your dog to make it less likely he or she will bite if everything else falls through? What happens when the unthinkable happens? Your child falls off her chair and lands right on your dog? A visiting kid grabs your dog’s ears and screams in his face? There are tons of these stories — stuff happens despite our best efforts. I can... read more

Can Dog Like Baby TOO Much? Thanks to the sharing by some other people with greater reach than I, my older posts on Babies Magnetized to Dogs received a flurry of new activity and questions about what if it is the DOG that seems “magnetized” to the baby? For example: Abigail asks, “Can I ask a question please? What about dogs who are magnetized to the baby? My youngest dog is a terrier mix who I rehomed when he was 10 months old. His old owners had two young children who definitely “luvved” him and he’s the right temperament that he now... read more

Barking? Let’s Restore the Peace! (Less) Barking Class in San Diego This Saturday! I am repeating a workshop designed to address all kinds of barking and help pet owners get a handle on their options to restore the peace. This class has been very well received and everyone leaves hopeful with at least a few new ideas! It is being hosted by Nan Arthur’s Whole Dog Training: Saturday, May 24, 2014 1-5 PM Cost is $40 per barking dog family (Class is, obviously, people-only so I don’t have to shout over the din of barking dogs.) Seating is limited and... read more

Maybe It’s Not the Dog What’s Harder? The Dog or the Baby? Several weeks ago, I read a pretty raw piece by a mom of three young children who focused all of her angst on how the dog was just another brick on the load. You know…for doing things like just standing there or maybe shedding. Her message: If you are going to have children, don’t have a dog. But, here’s the thing — she really loved that dog. Both she and her husband doted on the dog and enjoyed their pre-babies time together and the dog didn’t seem to have any... read more

What Do You Want More Of? The other day I made some fettuccine alfredo for lunch (I microwaved it – does that count?) and as I was scraping the bowl, Teddy comes running into the kitchen all expectantly. Because, well, yes, we have been known to let him “pre-wash” the dishes before they go in the dishwasher. This is the thing with dog training, though. It’s like a time machine. The thing the dog likes serves to “buy” whatever he was doing right before and now you get to see more of that behavior in the future. Neat,... read more

How to Be a Kid Dogs Feel Safe With A Friend a Dog Would Want to Have Here is my nine-year-old son and a visiting Chihuahua who generally does not enjoy children. Andrew was bent on making friends with her. Given his past experience and his stage of development, he was able to put into practice what he “knows” about how to be a kid dogs feel safe with. And, sure enough, Carmen chose to go be with him. Andrew responded by quietly stroking her side and it was a beautiful illustration of being companionable with each other. The funny thing about his picture is... read more

A Good Dog Is Not Enough – Free Class! “What Parents Need to Know About Safety and Friendship Before Baby Starts Crawling” As part of the San Diego Humane Society’s events for 2013 Dog Bite Prevention Week, I will be teaching this FREE class on Saturday, May 25th from 12:00 – 1:30 PM at the central campus: 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego, 92110. Class will be an excerpt from my 3 hour Dogs and Babies – Play It Safe! class and will include question and answer time. Of course, if your baby is already crawling or even into the toddler stages, you are... read more

Whose “Fault” Is It That My Dog (or Child) Behaved Badly? Just when I thought we were in for a drama-free baseball season this year, I hear this story about a recent game I missed… Eight year old boy gets mad and throws a bat in a tantrum over losing a baseball game. His dad then has words with the coach over the coach’s decision to rotate the players around instead of leaving the more experienced players in the key positions. It’s easy to say this is just another example of crazy sports parents. Believe me, that’s the first place I went to. So quick and easy to point... read more