Dog Behavior Question

[Becky]

I think there's two issues here. The first is the kids at the dog park, and I agree that the agency in charge of the park needs to be made aware of the issue.

The other is the mouthing and jumping. Yep, he's a puppy, and that's what they do, but these are behaviors that can be reduced and re-directed through training. My 8-year old lab still mouths other dogs while playing, but dog teeth on human skin is not allowed, and he knows that any play stops the minute that teeth touch skin. We've not had quite as much success with breaking him of jumping up to greet people, but we keep working at it

We were fortunate to find a really good positive reinforcment-style dog trainer at our local humane association, and their rates were super-reasonable.

Good luck!

[PamNY]

Yikes. Kids should not be running around at a dog park. Period. The situation you describe is dangerous, and shouldn't continue. Your responsibility is very clear: you are responsible for making sure Megatron doesn't hurt a human being, even accidentally. It would be nice if all parents controlled their kids and if all humans knew how to interact with a dogs, but that isn't going to happen.

Mouthing and jumping is okay between dogs; between dogs and people it isn't. Dogs can easily learn this distinction.

You should immediately teach Megatron that mouthing people is not acceptable; ditto for jumping on people. I use clicker training; it's easy, fun and backed by sound, up-to-date science.

To change these behaviors, you've got to address them when they occur. Scolding him after you've called him away would do no good anyway -- the dog won't know what you are talking about.

To gain a greater understanding of dog-human interaction, I'd suggesting reading books by Jean Donaldson (Culture Clash is a classic; it changed my life) and The Other End of the Leash by Dr. Patricia McConnell are good starting points.

[Biciclista]

Although I agree that kids shouldn't be running around in a dog park, your dog's behavior could end up in a nasty lawsuit. If I had a 140 pound dog and little kids were running in the dog park, I would not let my dog loose especially if I knew he liked to chase and "mouth" children. Even if he just liked to bump them, that is not appropriate behavior. What if he "bumps" an 80 year old lady and she breaks her hip?

[NbyNW]

I don't know which park you're going to, but perhaps if things don't change after raising this problem of unsupervised children running around the dog park, you might explore other off-leash areas near you.

When we lived in Seattle, we found a book called The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog

It has very useful reviews on dog parks in the area, as well as dog-friendly restaurants (usually you will have to sit outside, but sometimes that's better than leaving the puppy at home or in the car!).

Some parks are definitely busier and more popular than others. Might be helpful if you can find a place where Megatron can play without kids invading and being a hazard to themselves and others.

[tulip]

I do not have kids. I do have a dog. My dog does not do well with kids. He used to live with kids. But they taunted him and now he's fearful of and aggressive towards them. I cannot undo what kids did to him. But I can be absolutely sure to keep my dog away from kids.

Dogs should be properly trained to behave around humans, including (particularly) kids. If the dog is not trained to behave, it should not be allowed to be around people/kids/other dogs/cats...

Kids are unpredictable. Of course, your dog is perfect, but what if a kid decided to bite your dog, or poke him in the eye, or otherwise taunt him? That's what kids do. When that happens, the dog's natural reaction is to bite back. When a dog bites a kid, the dog owner get sued and the dog gets put down. Not to mention, the kid gets injured and develops a fear of dogs. But the kid is not your responsibility either way. The dog is your responsibility.

You cannot control the kids or the parents. But you can control your dog. Your dog is big, and therefore training should be even a bigger priority. Until your dog can behave appropriately around kids, you should keep him away from them.

[Pedal Wench]

I've had Mastiffs and even though I knew they were sweet and gentle, I knew that if a child was knocked down by them, it would be my fault if they were injured. I would have to ask parents, sometimes forcefully, to keep their children away if we were walking. Kids would come running up to pet, the dog would get all excited, and I would have to run away from these little kids. My dog, my responsibility.

[alimey]

Different situation in the UK - we don't have dog parks - you can let your dog off the leash in most places. But that means there are free range kids everywhere - and in London that means lots of kids scared of dogs. When my Vizsla was a puppy she would run up kids & if they ran, she chased. So I kept a good eye out for trouble of all kinds on the horizon (joggers, cyclists, horseriders, zimmer frames - you name it), and monitored her closely. I only intervened if necessary & worked a lot on voice control.

Given that you don't have much opportunity to let you dog off the leash (which I think is incredibly important), it does make sense to see if you can get the kids removed from the dog park. I would definitely work on training him not to mouth as he will keep this behaviour even when very excited & then it can get a bit painful (eg; am currently working on it during agility!!). However, the situation should get a lot better as he grows up. It seems that the larger the dog - the slower they mature. My Vizsla stopped chasing kids before she was 12 months - but it might be 24 months for a Dane. I must say, whilst some of the Danes I have met are prepared to play & rush around - the vast majority seem to prefer to be a bit more sedate. So hopefully the problem will resolve itself (as long as things aren't too manic in the dog park)