# HATES Kids!



## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

Lol Kmart, I do appreciate your honesty. I can understand you to a point, I have 2 children and 4 grandchildren and love them all beyond words. That said, I am not a lover of all children in general, and do not appreciate parents that allow their children to behave badly.
It's always a good thing to socialize your puppy around children but I would choose carefully, especially since she may already be sensitive to them. You definitely need to step up and advocate for your puppy, whether it be from unruly children or unknowledgable adults. She may also be picking up on your anxiety around children.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Let me fill you in on a secret about children: they're just like dogs! :lol: The ones who have good parents are usually well behaved and the ones who are unruly have parents who are not attentive. Even if they don't respect their parents, they will respect other adults who are authoritative (unless they have other issues). They are generally sweet and want to please.

So don't be afraid to speak up for your pup! You can do it in a nice way. You can say, "Oh, when you scream, that scares the puppy--she's just a baby. Would you like to say hi to her?" If they reach for her, Say, "Please don't grab her--that scares her." Most likely you won't offend the parents either. (And so what if you do--your job is to protect your pup.) 

I like to work with Maizie at the park where there are children playing. I walk her way away from them, and then we work closer and closer, as long as she is relaxed. I do let children pet her and I thank them for helping me to keep her well socialized. Whether you have kids or not, it's always in your dog's best interest to have good socialization experiences with them.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

kmart said:


> How do I find safe kids?


Look at the park for children who are quiet and mellow. Ask them if they would like to pet your puppy or feed her a treat.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Your dog MUST be socialized with children, period. Otherwise in the future serious problems might occur. It is likely your dislike and avoidance of children has colored her response to them. Take it slowly. Elicit the aid of a quiet child and mother. As stated children like dogs/puppies and dogs/ puppies usually like children. Unruly children are a menace to all they come in contact with. Children of careful trainers/parents like the dogs of careful trainers/parents are a joy to all they meet. Sadly many children and dogs are unruly and a menace, period.
Eric.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I asked all children who wanted to meet mine as pups to squat or sit on the ground, and let the puppy come to them for gentle stroking - no grapping, no lifting, and no running around flapping and squealing! It worked well for both children and dogs. I agree with Eric - unless you can gurantee that your dog is never going to meet a child at close quarters ever in her life you are setting her up for years of fear, and potentially a very nasty situation if she protects herself by biting. Try talking to the children you meet - many of them are actually thoroughly nice, sensible people!


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

fear is one of the worst (and possibly most certain) motivators of aggression. try not to let your pup grow up to fear children. on the other hand, that's not the same as letting children brutalize her. very young children especially tend to not recognize boundaries and have little impulse (and motor) control. 

when my dog was a pup, i took him to playgrounds where we would sit and just listen to the kids running and screaming. i knew they would come up and want to pet him, but i never let them just reach, grab, pull fur or tail, etc. not necessary to be harsh, just placed my body between an onrushing child and my dog. i would then ask the child to ask mommy/daddy if it was okay to pet the puppy. made the parents take some responsibility for their children. no parent - no petting. my dog never loved kids. but he learned to stand still and let himself be touched by them without displaying fear or any negative reactions. and he knew i would not let a child rush him. interactions were only allowed if children were calm. don't worry, you can do it. in the process, you will also teach your pup to trust you in these situations.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

A good place to expose your pup to children is off the property, but near a school. First during school hours, so you can walk by and she can hear and see the kids without having to interact with them. Then, when she is ready, the twenty minutes before school starts. Children will be hurrying to class and will be arriving in small numbers as they are dropped off. The other advantage is that there will likely be no parents around so you get to be the authority figure. You dictate the rules. You want to avoid after school as that is when chaos ensues, ha-ha! For your dog's sake (because your emotions do travel down the leash) you really should try to improve your interactions with children. If this is difficult for you, give yourself small goals...like, today I will say "hello" to three children at the grocery store, or tomorrow I will tell two boys that my pup is three months old and her favorite toy is a ball. It really isn't difficult. My daughter had to do this, because her poodle was suspicious of children and so was my daughter. Honestly, I don't think my daughter would have put out the effort for herself, but for her dog she would do anything.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I would would avoid parks and schools at first...there are sooo many kids and a lot of noise and chaos...might be over whelming. I'd be more inclined to see if you can find just one or two quiet, more sensible kids at first to pair with a nice time and tasty treats. See if one will walk with you just a little ways. Sometimes joining in for a walk is a great way for a pup to get to know someone new, be it a dog or human. Going together, parallel does wonders. Just low key. Then work your way up gradually over time. 

I live in a neighborhood with kids and socializing my pups to them has been a breeze. They're nice kids and adore "the Poooooodles!!" They're cute, come running out to see the "Poodles!!!" Then they slow down when they approach, sit down and let the Poodles clammor over them. My dogs love kids and tolerate pretty much anything. I ask that they don't pick them up and that's about it because they don't do anything rough. Some have dogs, others have been taught I guess. If need be, I'll ask them to pat this way, not that way but I like my dogs getting use to a wide variety of behavior from others as long as they're not over whelmed, made fearful or bothered too much. The Poodles have gotten use to just about anything...pretty bomb proof...scooters, bikes, remote control cars, swords and capes worn by the little "warriors." lol. It's been good for my dogs. But we started out with one kid, then a couple of kids and so on. 

It would help if you could develop a little more opened mind about kids. While you may not ever be all that enthralled with them, you could perhaps try to see that they're little people who are going to grow up, hopefully into nice grown up people. And right now, they're in the process just like puppies are. They don't know how to behave sometimes and with patience and some explanation, they usually like to please. I think perhaps your aversion to them is rubbing off on your pup and it's really important that she learns that kids are enjoyable or at least tolerable or you could have big trouble down the road.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Misha doesn't hate kids, but they aren't her favorite people. If I were 4 pounds I probably would be a bit leery too. She lives with my grand daughter, 55 pounds of beautiful, almost 5 year old, autistic exuberance. Misha has learned to anticipate Livs direction, and get the heck out of the way. Liv ignores the dogs and as she gets older is more aware of them. She will occasionally pet them now, very softly, and sometimes gives them a goldfish cracker. She loves to feed her Cookie Monster doll, and crushes the crackers in his mouth while saying, "num, num, num". The dogs think this is a wonderful game as they get to clean up after Cookie Monster. I don't think Misha will ever be overly fond of children. She has learned good things come from them, but also that one must be very cautious around them. 

I have taken her to preschool to pick up Liv, and the kids surround her. I let them touch, one at a time, and very softly. Again, Misha doesn't love it, but tolerates it.


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## kmart (Apr 28, 2015)

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! 

I think I was being a bit dramatic. I actually really dislike strangers coming up and talking to me out of the blue. Children purposefully seeking me out to get to my puppy really freak me out because I already feel awkward around strangers, even more so around small, barely intelligible strangers who do not respect personal boundaries. It's traumatizing for me, and I'm sure traumatizing for Kallie.

That being said, I am really making an effort to socialize her to children. I take her over to visit family and friends' kids pretty often. All of her experiences have been just fine when visiting. She's shy, but she warms up after a little while. She even ventured to greet an obviously dog-savvy toddler at petsmart. My main problem is that I am pathetic and terrible at asserting myself. Just like her, I wish I had someone to hide behind. 

Another issue I have is that no dogs are allowed in any parks in my city. But I will try slowly getting closer to commotions that children cause, like near a school. And I will try to have my husband with me, since he is so much better at talking to kids than I am!


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

I'm not a kid friendly person. There, I said it. They are loud, sticky, move too quickly, and make my skin crawl more often than I want to admit. Socializing my dog around kids is tough for me, too. I don't have kids. My only child is an adult. Noelle, my poodle, hasn't been around lots of kids. I'm working on socializing her to ignore children and pay attention to me around them.

Two things I've found on the web that helped me were this site called Dogs and Babies, and this post in particular How Can I Socialize My Puppy With Kids? | Dogs and Babies 

And there is this video about training your dog to go behind you when you put your hand in front of you like a stop sign. This prevents kids from rushing your dog in the first place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMR18kAGhug

I hope this helps.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

kmart said:


> Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ugh, what city do you live in that doesn't allow dogs in parks - I want to be sure never to move there!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

I agree with others, and would like to stress it too... It's important that puppies are socialized around children. Kids will always be around, and your puppy needs to not be afraid. You can however be very selective in who the puppy comes in contact with. You just need the confidence in doing that. 

Sorry, I know I'm repeating what others are saying, but I really think it's important to let puppies and kids socialize with each other.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I also do not like to be around children and have none. My dogs do not want to be with children and I do not allow children to touch my girls unless they are f the age of 10 or so that I can talk to them and they understand. If the dog looks uncomfortable I retrieve it immediately. and just say, she is scared and we cannot have that. My friends know I am not comfortable around children and do not bring them to my house.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

I'm not fond of children either but I do let my Tpoos be around them. Of course I'm sitting their watching how they are interacting and tell them what is the best way to do things. Little kids seem to adore holding and cuddling my tiny poodles. Winter was the best because her loved to snuggled. Didn't care to much being held but he tolerated it. He loved to sit in their laps the most. If I didn't feel like babysitting or the kid didn't ask permission I would just tell them no or say he doesn't like being picked up. Occasionally I would have to say it multiple times with the younger kids. But I agree with everyone else your puppy should be socialized with kids even if you don't plan on having her around them purposely. You never know when one will pop up unexpectedly and you don't want her to be fearful of them. One thing I would like to add is that she might also be feeding off your energy around them. If you are nervous around the kids with her she can sense that and probably feels some of the same thing. Try to relax around the kids when she is with you and show her there is nothing to worry about. Lots of treats and praise won't hurt either.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I like kids. And I think they're very interesting to watch, like dogs...their behavior. I have always thought puppies and kids, puppies and kids, puppies and kids. They go together. Sometimes they're very annoying, granted. LOL. But when I walk my Poodles through my kid infested neighborhood, they all just love seeing the Poodles and the Poodles are ecstatic to visit with them. They are so naughty and strain on the leash, their little docked tails going 50 mph and they're just pulling on the leash to go see the kids. I have yet to work on a little self control in this way. But anyhow, I started out by always giving treats in kids' presence and asking them to give treats too. That is called pro-active socialization. That's when you go out of your way to do more than just let the exposure happen however it's going to happen. You pair something the puppy loves with the thing you are exposing him to. You're careful to not get so close if the dog is afraid. You are careful not to over whelm the puppy. But work toward making very positive, happy pairings with the person or thing you want your puppy to be comfortable with. 

Sometimes kids need a little help in learning how a dog likes to be touched or how he doesn't like it. They can learn and are very willing and eager when they're young. You can't treat your dogs like porcelain dolls completely though. They can learn to be okay with certain handling as long as it's not going to harm them or freak them out. My dogs don't mind much of anything kids do and are not sensitive when it comes to kids. They're better with kids than they are with adults. Well, Matisse is. Maurice is completely unfazed by anything and anyone. Matisse is somewhat cautious at first with _some_ adults and then comes right around but he is watchful just the first few seconds. But never with kids. It's a straight bee line for them. lol.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

I love kids, have a bunch, and my standard poodles love kids. However they still need to know what is expected because they are too enthusiastic. So if you find a gentle, quiet kid or two to practice, it's in everyone's best interests


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## chrisdog (Apr 6, 2016)

hahahaha I also prefer pets than children :afraid:


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

I know this is an older topic, but one thing I wanted to throw out there is that kids generally respond really well to specific instruction. It also helps if you use words to describe things that help the kid to empathize or relate to the dog - for example, "My dog is scared of strangers" or "She's a little afraid of children." Most kids will totally get that and keep their distance, because they know that feeling. But if you say, "My dog doesn't _like_ kids" you can sometimes get little kids who act out because they're offended that the dog dislikes them. 

Archie LOVES children, but Cleo is more nervous in general and can find them a bit overwhelming. So when kids meet Cleo, I usually say something like, "Cleo gets nervous around new people, so you need to be nice and quiet and gentle with her so she knows you're safe." That strategy worked wonderfully well with a littler kid we hung out with the other day - he was probably only 5 or 6, but as soon as I explained the "rules" of the two dogs he was perfectly fine being rowdy with Archie and then slowing down and carefully interacting with Cleo.

Just something I thought I'd throw out there in case anyone is trying to socialize their dogs with children. I don't have any kids but the dogs are around them often enough that I really work on socializing them with kids.


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## kmart (Apr 28, 2015)

So, I work in a grooming salon. A lot of Kallie's not-so-good experiences with kids happen at work when I take her out to go potty. For some reason, there are shrieking children in the store side of the business and I usually try to navigate her clear of the chaos. 

But today, there was a kid that I kind of know (he is usually the one to pick up their yorkie. His dad pays, but he gets the dog. It's kind of adorable.) was out in the store, so I let Kallie check him out. At first, she was freaked because every other time she's been approached by a child in the store, it's been not great. But this kid (he's probably about 10 or 11. Not too young.) knelt down on the ground and waited for her to go to him, and gave her some treats when she was brave enough to sniff him. She let him give her a pat and then went to sniff some other stuff. 

This is probably the first time she's met a dog-savvy child at work, which is kind of sad considering every kid who comes into the store has a dog at home. I just appreciated that boy and his dad so much. I wish all kids were like that; then I wouldn't have to worry about it all so much.


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