^(playful music)
^- Handy work.
Here's a great relationship builder
for you and your dog.
Hand feed your dog part of his meals.
This is a fantastic way to bond with your puppy
and it really sets the tone for who's in charge.
Taking just a few minutes to hand feed your dog
will also provide you with a daily training session
where you can teach your dog to take things gently
from your hands.
^Hands off.
Younger kids are curious.
Make sure they understand that a dog's crate
or a dog's safe area is part of his own personal space
and is off limits.
Consider using a gate to section off the area
in order to keep younger children away from the crate
while still allowing your dog to have full access.
This will help give your dog his own private place
when he needs a break.
^Treasure hunt.
Playing games can help teach your dog good behaviors.
Here's a fun game that kids and dogs will love.
Have your child hide your dog's food
in small amounts around the house
so your dog can hunt for them.
Make it easy for your dog at first.
Then increase the difficulty
as the sniffing skills improve.
^Little Ones.
It's important to always keep an extra close eye
on infants and dogs.
A playful dog may accidentally hurt a small child
in an attempt to investigate or play with him.
As infants begin to crawl and walk you need to
ensure that they don't hurt the dog
by grabbing a sensitive area such as his ears or tail.
Finally, babies are unsteady on their feet
and can easily be knocked over by your dog.
So keep an extra close eye on them when your dogs around.
^A soft touch.
Teach your kids not to startle your dog
or handle him too roughly.
Show them how to gently pet the dog.
Pet him on his shoulders, back, or gently
under his chin and neck.
If your dog offers you his tummy
you can pet that too.
Always avoid reaching over your dog
to pet his head or face.
Also, avoid patting the top of his head,
his nose, or his tail.
Dogs usually don't like that.