Jumping on kids

[Linda]

My doodle, Webster, is 2 1/2 yrs old. This past November we started going to a school with Web as a 'reading' therapy dog. He has the CGC certification, not the TDI as yet. Because Web needs a little more activity than just listening to kids read, we've also been going outside and doing some retrieving. I would also like to incorporate a little more interaction with the kids. When Web is not retrieving, he gets over-excited which leads to him jumping up on the kids. Any suggestions on how to stop this habit? Or should I just continue letting them walk around the track with us with Web on a leash and throwing the ball for him until he grows out of this stage?

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin gets really excited around kids as well. I think it has to do with their high pitched excited voices all talking to him at once. :-) Webster is already ahead of Darwin if he has his CGC. That is our future goal with Darwin, so congratulations! but one thing that has really worked well for us is as follows.

I tell the kids to immediately turn their back to him if he jumps. Then keep turning away until he has calmed down and is sitting. He has pretty much learned he only gets pet if he isn't jumping.

The other thing I do is keep reminding the kids that they need to speak calmly to him, and one at a time. Multiple kid voices really get him excited!

[Julie B.]

I take Luah in to an elementary school once a week for reading and she also interacts and plays with the special needs classroom. I have incorporated "dog training" with the kids and it not only gives them some focused activity, but it also focus' Luah. We do simple tricks like "other foot" when shaking, crawling and spin. Luah doesn't get wound up too often because she is 4 and has her TDI certification, but she does bark occasionally which scares some of the kids. I am going to include "No bark" in some of her kid training. I think its great that you are doing this but realize if your dog is not a certified therapy dog you do not have any insurance against any accidental injury that your dog may cause. I would highly recommend that you find a place to test and certify you and your dog so you are protected against any type of lawsuit.

[Linda]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I can get the TDI certification at the same place we did the CGC. Just a matter of signing up for it.
Julie, in your dog training with the kids, are you using any visuals? I found a 'dog commands dictionary' idea on a play dog therapy site. Plan to make a personal one for Webster ASAP.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

you can check your homeowners policy .... I've spoken to our insurance company and we are covered up to the amount of liability that we carry!

[Linda]

My husband suggested the same thing this morning - our insurance policy. I want to wait until school is out before doing a CGC refresher and taking the TDI test. The CGC training is on only on Thursday at 7:30 PM. Right now Web & I are going to the school Thurs. AM, then I work PM till 6:30 or 7:30 sometimes. The day is just too long (for me) to try to do the training AND go to the school on the same day. I want to wait till school is out. Thursday is the best day for us to go to the school - school counselor is there on that day and it fits the 4th graders schedule best. The school happens to be where I taught for 29 years.

[Linda]

Webster is the same way with toddlers.... senses that he must be very careful around them. He's doing reasonably well at lying beside the kids when they read. When I can tell he's getting restless, we take a break outside. The kids, from a kindergartner to 4th graders, are doing great at throwing the ball so he can retrieve it. When we're walking with the leash, there's no problem either. Too bad I can't run like the little ones, so I can teach him how NOT to get overly-excited. He only has my husband and myself, both in our 60s, to do the training.