ErynMG

Last Chance to sign up for tonight's talks :)

Two Talks One Evening 5:30pm - 6:30-pm Be A Dog Detective for Children aged 5-11yrs Fun & interactive activities to teach children how to read dog body language & how to act safely around their own dog and strange dogs No real dogs will be at the talk, great for children who are not confident around dogs 7:00pm - 8:30pm Learn To Speak Dog for Adults Dog Owners, Dog Walkers, Dog Groomers Veterinary Staff A brief introduction to dog body language. Canine Communication and Social Behaviour, Identify Stress Signals in Dogs & Prevent Dog Bites by learning to accurately read dog body language. ?10 Per talk South London Scout Centre Grange Lane, Dulwich London, SE21 7LH To Book please email [email protected]

Sarah from Don't Forget the Goldfish is fab, I also offer puppy classes close by if you are interested too www.believeinmagic-ps.co.uk

I am a dog owner, mother and dog trainer who specialises in safety of children around dogs. One of my clients brought this thread to my attention and I just wanted to reiterate some of the positive things other posters have said. How you reacted with your son Coco22 was absolutely the best thing possible, as after all you are his dad and know what is best for him. No one else has the right to tell you otherwise, also it would not instill fear of dogs in your son at all, it would only reinforce that you have control of the situation, keeping him safe as his dad. Dog's can't calmly talk to us to say they are over excited or uncomfortable (if they are scared) or push us off with their hands and as they use their mouths to communicate clearly, when they are around children who aren't confident with dogs disasters can and do happen. Yes there are new dog laws in place which state that all dogs in both private and public places need to be kept under control but they are very ambiguous too as people's interpretation of what is 'under control' is vast. Ultimately if a dog makes you feel like you are in serious danger of being hurt then it can be classified as being 'out of control' this only means that you could try to build a case against the dog but if the owner can exhibit otherwise then there is no case. Any responsible dog owner in Peckham Rye should have a reliable recall before letting it off lead especially when they can run out into the road so easily. They are off lead around families and young children and if you and your son and decided to move away from the dog and across the road quickly the dog could have easily been hit by a car and I doubt the owner would be arguing about it being under control then. I teach children about what to do to be safe around dogs, so that accidents don't happen with the children or the dogs, giving the children confidence that they can control their surroundings and stay safe if they do get a fright. It always surprises me how many adults don't know what to do and how many dog owners let their dogs off lead without any second thought. One of my dogs is deaf, he can be off lead, is trained to check in with me however I shout out to children to stop and slow down who run up to him thinking he is cute, to try and stroke him, as I don't want him startled or frightened, they can approach calmly so that he has a chance to see them first. So it works both ways with dogs and children.