Introducing to Kids

[gaia_bear]

I've been trying to think of new things that Gaia needs to be introduced to and it hit me that she hasn't really been around kids very much. This realization came when we were at Petsmart and a little boy no bigger than her ran up to her for a puppy hug. I did my best not to react and she sat there looking at me wondering what this thing was that was petting her. Besides hanging out at a park and creeping parents out, where's the best place to socialize around children?

[Kaiser2012]

Kaiser met his first baby through a couple I know. The next few kids were at dog parks. And even more when we went to Bass Pro Shops. I would take her anywhere you can....even if its just to a shopping center to hang out on a bench outside.

ETA: You will very quickly be able to separate the "dog families" from the non dog families. More often than not the kids will want to say hello AND (hopefully) they will have already been taught how to greet an unfamiliar dog.

[Nigel]

Do you have family or friends with kids? Maybe you can go with them to pick their kids up after school. I use to walk Tuke & Zoey to get our kids.

[gaia_bear]

My best friend has a 3 year old, shes the only kid that Gaia's had any sort of interaction with. But she owns a day care so maybe she'll let me come for show and tell. I can't believe I never thought of that before it'd be a great learning experience all around.

My boyfriends nieces and nephews have been taught that dogs are big scary animals that will bite you and their "parents" tease them about it when I have Gaia around so the energy is soo bad I try to avoid that scene.

She comes with me anywhere possible, it just seems like all kids are in hiding when we're out

[Odin24]

We don't have kids and my pup was unsure around them. My trainer also recommended playing DVD's with real, not animated, children in them. We have The Sandlot and Bad News Bears for him. This helps get him used to the noise and movements that young children make.