Today my sister came to visit with her three children, her youngest is almost 3 years old and the second Charlie saw him he retreated to his bed and looked really worried. Everytime Charlie ventured out of his bed and saw the toddler he went off again or hid behind me or another grown up :. He had no problem meeting and being fussed by the 8 and 13 year olds as always. Is this strange? Admittedly Charlie doesn not meet tiny children as mine are grown up or teenagers. What can or should I do about this? Dogs are strange : Thank you
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler I would find a compliant toddler who is used to large dogs and do some desensitisation with Charlie. Do it somewhere that is not your home at first, use good treats and your clicker and start by giving Charlie plenty of distance from the toddler (who is being wrangled by the parent). Gradually move the toddler closer. Have them visit your house at some later point and work on it there too. Same concept as the fireworks desensitisation, but with a toddler. Charlie probably just doesn't know what on earth it is. Or he may have had a bad time from a small child at some point. Either way, the solution is the same, but take it really slow.
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler Thanks Rachael, hhmm I don't really know any other toddlers and my nephew is frankly a bit of a 'nightmare' dare I say I agree Charlie didn't seem to know what he was and had that worried look, ears back and got the hell out, but he did keep coming back into the kitchen as he wants so much to be with everyone, but nephew appeared Charlie was off. I am not sure how I am going to deal with this :-\
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler Toddlers must be strange things - waving, shouty, things, that are always poking. ;D Poor Charlie. Very sensible to avoid. Rachael sounds right (as always ). The first puppy minder I had brought her babies and toddlers with her - Charlie used to "help" changing nappies and things. I think he got used to them really early. She'd have a chaotic bundle of babies, toddlers and puppy on the lawn, and just muddle through. It was lovely, I think. The chap who helps with the garden brings his to visit and Charlie is quite used to them now. But even after all that early exposure, sometimes Charlie lets me know he has had enough by going to sit under the table. : I think toddlers can be a bit trying for any dog.
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler Do you have a child care centre or kindergarten anywhere near? You could take Charlie there and sit over the road at the start or end of their day when there are lots of kiddies about Toddlers certainly are trying.. One day outside the supermarket one of their kind stuck its finger right up my old dog Nicolae's left nostril. I won't forget the shocked look on his face before I leapt in to extract the toddler ;D Or the time when another toddler pulled itself up off the ground using one of his ears.... I was usually careful, honest, but those toddlers move fast...
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler Hattie had so much early exposure as a puppy at the school gates, scouts, my sisters toddlers, children were always all over her due to her curly soft coat and her amazing nature and she absolutely laps it up, but Charlie hasn't and this wasn't helped by my nephews constant screaming and tantrums for almost 3 hours I almost joined Charlie in his bed ;D Maybe I need to go walking past the village primary school for a little distance explosure, not toddlers I know but that's all I've got ???
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler Sorry you posted whilst I was typing No unfortunately our local pre-school closed down this year and as we are in a village there is nothing local only the primary school for me to walk to and sit outside but would people/teachers think that weird as I am out of touch with the school now Your poor boy, honestly some children ;D
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler I don't think that a woman with a dog outside the school would look weird, especially as you'd obviously be actively training Charlie
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler [quote author=Oberon link=topic=3770.msg42856#msg42856 date=1387858699] I don't think that a woman with a dog outside the school would look weird, especially as you'd obviously be actively training Charlie [/quote] This is exactly what I did with Brew... my three are all now teenagers and again I don't know many small people these days! If you can find yourself a spot near the school there will be plenty of toddlers and pushchairs being dragged by too... if you have a friend in the village with a garden / driveway you can sit in so that Charlie is not too close to start off with? No one will think it's strange, as Rachael says you'll be obviously training him. I'm lucky that my mother's house is right on a walk-to-school route, so I did lots of this when at hers! Brew is still wary of my neighbour's three, but I reckon that's smart and down to self-preservation!! ;D ;D Clare
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler My old Murphy grew up with my cousins children. One was 3 when I got Murphy so he wasnvery used to children. However when the next one down became a toddler as soon as he walked in the back door Murphy would go up stairs out of the way. He wasn't allowed up stairs in my mums but she let him so he could take himself out of the way. He only ever went in my bedroom. Outdoors he loved all the children as they usually ment play and food. He would follow them about dropping his ball at every opportunity. He was nose to nose with the little ones it was very cute. ;D I agree with Rachael it's a case of slow exposure but I would also just let him do what he wants when a toddler is about. If he wants to hide let him I'd be hiding too.
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler I sat outside the school with Charlie, no-one thought it odd (or at least, I didn't notice any odd looks). A good place was outside the church on Sundays - got a better small child per minute hit rate there, I think there was a Sunday school and a mums and toddler group going on. And outside the church after choir practice on a Tuesday (just before puppy class started), lots of families picking up kids, and happy to stop and play with the puppies.
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler There was a chap, governor I think of the school, who asked the headmistress if it was OK if he sat outside the school on a bench to socialise his puppy with the children. To his horror the police came and arrested him as a suspected paedophile! A parent had complained about him to the headmistress and she had phoned the police despite knowing who he was and giving her permissioni My Lab is still scared of my granddaughter and she is now 11!
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler oh i am so lucky, jasper as been in the company of all size of children,....he loves children, never jumps up or barges into them as for logan with him what can i say apart from they are best mates sorry i cant be of any help on this one
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler You are lucky Lynne, but Jasper was socialised with children as soon as you got him as most puppies are, Hattie included being a school gate pup , it's just not the same for Charlie as he came to us at 9 months and we don't have toddlers here my children are adults and teenagers and I don't have the opportunity to see very little children as all my friends children are all grown up too. I will put my thinking cap on to see what I can do to help him overcome his worry. I wonder if it was my nephews very ginger hair that spooked him ;D
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler I agree Helen, having had Sam as a nine week old pup and intruducing him to just about everything before he was six months old made life so much easier . Millie is, well , we arent sure but we think about seven years old with no previous history and it is so much harder as we havent a clue what scares them and why : : When people compliment me on Sams behaviour , I always think how much easier it has been , a doddle really , whereas our rescue dogs come as an unknown entity , you have my symapthy Helen and I hope you can improve things for your lovely lad
Re: Charlie frightened of a toddler Thank you Kate, I am sure I will find a way to improve his worry about little people just as we have tried to sort all his other little worries too, well almost Rescue dogs are worth it though and I know you have rescued a few Kate, just to see them become confident with every day and all the hard work starts to pay off. xxx
