In this episode of the Pooch Parenting Podcast with Laura Gendron from Miss Behavior Training. We talk about fun and safe games kids can play with dogs. Not only does this improve family bonding, but it reinforces good behavior from both the children and the dogs in your household…which is just what parents need!
About Laura
Laura Gendron is a mom of two human kids, 6 and 8 years old, and one fur-kid, lovingly referred to as Wild Willow. She is also the owner and founder of Miss Behavior, serving as a behavior consultant, coach, and certified professional dog trainer for family dogs and the people who love them. With degrees in both Animal Science and Psychology, she has found creative ways to bring both worlds together.
After running her business through one-on-one training since 2008, Laura pivoted to the online space and found ways to scale her business through courses, challenges, and her monthly membership. She aims for creating small steps and systems to help others gain momentum and personally strives to push aside her own perfectionism every day.
Resources
- Miss Behavior Training website
- Find Laura on Facebook and Instagram: @MissBehaviorTraining
Fun Games to Play with Kids and Dogs
Before you can play games with your kids and dogs, it helps to start with understanding dog body language. Otherwise you and your kids won’t know when your dog is feeling stressed, worried, overwhelmed or afraid. These resources on body language are useful:
- Doggie Language, by Lili Chin
- Dog Decoder phone app
Game ideas include:
- Ping Pong for recall
- Hide and Seek
- Simon Says: single instructions are appropriate for toddlers. This game is safest to play if toddler and dog are on opposite sides of a barrier, such as a baby gate or pen. Dog is rewarded for every task the child does so that there are positive associations built between the child and dog.
- Obstacle course with household items
- Spin the Bottle – can point to sticky notes that have different behaviors, such as sit, down, touch etc.
Hide and Seek
Consent Test for Petting
Ask a Question
If you’ve got a question about your kids and dogs, go to www.speakpipe.com/PoochParenting and record it there just like a voicemail. And I will include it in a future episode.
If you’re looking for ongoing support for your family with dogs, be sure to get on the waiting list for my Thriving Parents of Kids and Dogs Membership.
If you enjoy these episodes or feel like they have made your family safer and less chaotic, feel free to buy me a coffee as a way of saying “Thanks!”
