Are dog runs and muzzles cruel or a necessity when you have children in the garden?

Sid_Wolf

Shes 4 months old, a 4 month old pup is NOT agressive, unless it has been abused. I assuming you've had her since she left mum?? At what age did she leave?? 8-10 weeks is best as then they get time to learn manners from mum and littermates like bite inhabition.

Never Ever riprimant a growl, the dog is only learning that it is bad to growl, not that it is bad to feel how it does (which is why it growls), those feelings dont go away, but dog knows it will be told off if it growls, so one day it will just bite. Its the only warning system (other than body language, which most owners are too oblivious to notice) that dogs have.

How old are the children. Of course you never leave a child alone, though it depends on the dog AND the child, I happily leave Kira alone with my 12 year old brother, and I did when he was 11 aswell, he can move her, shove her off the sofa, let her out for a wee etc etc. But he has to call me if he needs to move Grey or get him off the sofa, as I dont trust Grey anywhere near as much. When he stays over he sleeps on the sofa, and kira spends the night laying on his feet, he loves it, and so does she. Grey has to sleep in our room like usual. My brother is mature enough to know the rules regarding food (he's not to go near them) and messing with them when they're sleeping (to wake them up via noise rather than startling them) etc etc, are your children mature enough to learn this??

I would get the children involved with the training and walking, help them to teach the dog some basic commands, like paw, or beg, something which is easy to do. If they're too young for this then tell them to give the dog a command it already knows, such as sit, and supervise while they give a treat after (teach the dog to take gently 1st)

Rather than restrict the dogs access, you should wherever possible, teach your children how to properly interact with a dog, no screaming, no playing rough house or tug (fine for adults, staffies love it, but can be dangerous with children if the dog grabs the rope wrong), not to go near them if eating and sleeping etc etc.

As I said, this is a PUPPY, not an agressive dog, its just excitable and as yet doesnt know any better.

Dogs can be great with children, just look at Kira and my brother:









And with my Nephew

rising_from_the_ashes

blue_monkey wrote: »

We have a dog trainer and his rules is that no child, under 10, is ever to be left with a dog.

MaximumImpact wrote: »

I have 2 Giant Breed dogs. They love my children and have never, ever shown them any aggression. Would I ever leave my children alone or out of my sight with them....Not in a million years.

I have to say I totally agree with both - I've had dogs all my life, most have been labs who were soppy with kids but I would NEVER have left any of them alone with a child.

A run would probably be the best thing - if you keep an eye on your local freecycle site you may well find people giving away bits & pieces that you could use to construct the run: it's still a few months away from being needed.

viktory

blue_monkey wrote: »

So we have been talking tonight about a run that is 10'x10' and 1.5m high or one that is 12'x12' and 1.5 high, but that has shelter too if it is hot. It has a door that locks so the kids cannot get in there to touch the dogs also. DH has said maybe it is too small but it would only be used when the kids are out there playing and they want to be out and I cannot be out there.

Personally I think that run is way too small - my rabbits' run is not much smaller! You have already said that the kids will be in and out of the garden all day so potentially the dog could be in there all day.

If the dog is in the run, with a locking door then a muzzle is not necessary.

suki1964

I think that you are looking too far ahead right now

Your pup is a pup - it has a hell of a lot of growing and training to do yet

My lad is a cocker - and Im telling you I have sat and balled my eyes out in despair when he was a pup cos of his nipping growling and general (what I perceived ) as aggression. I really did think at time that he was a rogue and would need to be put down, Because like you my previous dog from the same breed, was an angel.

My lad is now six, my grandson is four and they are the best of friends and play happily together in the garden. They share toys and DGS even has tried to ride the poor dog. No matter what my GS throws at the dog he takes it in his stride.

Do I leave them to play unsupervised? NEVER
Are they left alone in a room together unsupervised? NEVER

But then anyone who leaves young children alone with a dog - no matter how gentle - is really asking for trouble.

SarahLou

Agree with the general concensus on here in that not to worry overly much at this stage as pups are pups.

So long as you teach your pup each time that that sort of behaviour is not acceptable, the pup will eventually learn and grow out of it. If its allowed to continue then it won't ever learn.

I think a dog run is the best option for in the garden - they're not cruel at all, buy the biggest you can afford. So long as there is shelter from rain (and direct sunlight for the summer) and you have a bowl of water in there at all times and some toys, it'll be great.

I think its fairer than a muzzle as a muzzle will prevent any playing with toys - it'll drive the dogs nuts. Whereas in a run (when introduced to them gradually and shown to be a good place - give treats in there, put kongs with tasty treats in, etc, etc), they can be great.

Tropez

Even my whippets, a breed known for their loving nature, were terrors when they were little - growling, biting, the occasional nip - it is all part of puppies growing up and it is up to the owner to teach them that this behaviour is unacceptable.

The thing people need to remember is that all dogs, no matter how cute and cuddly, are descended from wolves and as a result they have certain instincts and ideas from birth. Those instincts are part of the wolf's survival mechanism but as part of a domesticated animal they're a nuisance, hence we as owners need to work on proving to them that they don't need to follow instincts. Dogs can learn and a dog does want to please you because being ousted from the pack is akin to a disgrace for the animal. Therefore, it wants to adjust and live by your rules but as a puppy it also wants to test its boundaries and find its place in the pack.

You also need to remember that dogs start teething fairly early in their lives which can be extremely uncomfortable for them. During this time, they're more likely to want to bite and chew because it relieves their pain and they're also likely to engage in behaviour that might be considered misbehaving.

I'm not a fan of muzzling a puppy. For starters, as pointed out above, the dog can't play with toys and teaching a dog "good" chewing is very important. If you don't teach a dog what it can and can't chew, you're going to have a dog that can never be trusted without a muzzle.

Dog runs aren't cruel, unless they don't give the dog adequate space to exercise. Remember, puppies have phenomenal amounts of energy (but luckily very little stamina) and the larger the run, the more space the dog has to burn all its energy - a dog with pent up energy is more likely to engage in destructive behaviour and is also more likely to do something that could be potentially dangerous for the dog in the run - such as trying to gnaw out, getting splinters in the mouth (if a wooden one) or teeth caught in bars or cage wire. In a worst case scenario, a dog might try and find a way to climb out, potentially breaking its leg in the process.