Hellobee Boards

3 is plenty old enough to understand appropriate vs inappropriate behavior. I would model what kind of interaction with the dog is okay, and be extremely firm about interactions that are not. Its a safety issue, just like with running into the street or touching a hot stove. I would also give clear consequences for breaking the rules....for example, "if you touch the dog like that you will have to go play in another room and not see the dog". But once you set the limit you really have to enforce it every single time. Otherwise it will be confusing for her.At 3 she should be able to understand and will catch on pretty quickly. It sounds like she is just excited and doesn't know how to play appropriately with the dog yet, not that she is being intentionally disobedient.

@808love: I would just keep teaching your LO how to act with the dog, one week probably isn't enough time for it to sink in. It may help if you separate the two each time your LO doesn't play nice. That will also help teach her that owning an animal is a privilege not a right.

Even if your new dog is the calmest dog ever it is still a new environment for your dog and your dog is still getting settled.

Give her some responsibility for the dog. My son has been feeding the dogs since he was 16 months old. It gives them some respect for him.

Have supervised times for them to interact but do it after getting the energy out of both of them (walks). Then if she gets rough, separate them immediately. You say this works. Tell her the dog needs a time out until she can treat him nicely . Then model and show.

Give the dog a safe space he can go that she cannot. Both of our dogs are crate trained and he isn't allowed in the crates. That way they can escape if he gets to be too much.

My 16m gets over zealous with our dog and smacks our fog, I pull him back and model " nice hands" and if he continues, I redirect him/help the dog escape.

Our dog is super laid back too but I don't want LO to think it's okay to hit him/pull his tail, etc.

@AnneBird: totally agree with all you said.

@808love: my 1 year old loves the dog, and he tolerates her. I get so sick and tired of "be gentle", stop pulling the dog, gentle! GENTLE!!! all day long. And the dog gets annoyed but stays right in the middle of the rug she is playing on even though he has a bed that she is not allowed in. It's a work in progress.

@ShootingStar: I feel like my dog is trying to prove a point by not moving. Like he is saying, "looks, kid. I've been here for 11 years, you just got here a year ago. This is MY rug." And her response is, "Haha, look, I can pull your fur out with my fist and eat it!"

your daughter is so cute! My LO is 20 months and absolutely uses our dog as her #1 play toy... Our dog lets her pull her ears, poke her, step on her... obviously I am not thrilled and I keep telling her "gentle" and put her in the corner if she does it, but she just doesn't seem to get it yet. It really makes me nervous for her to be around other dogs as they may not be as understanding, so I'm really trying to eliminate this behavior!

@808love: i think in this situation if you want the behavior to end quicker you need to tie it to a very stern no and removal from the situation every time. Simply saying gentle touches with a 3 year old is probably not going to work. She is old enough to understand consequences, and i really do think if you set some very clear boundaries about what is ok and what is not (petting gently is ok, poking or pulling are not, for example) she will learn very quickly. But you have to be firm, just like you would be if she was about to run into the street. Being rough with a dog is potentially just as dangerous.