Does Your Eskie Like Kids?

[DojiDog]

Does your Eskie like kids?  Mine does not.  At all.  I think I can go so far as to say he hates them.  When reading about the breed I saw that they are hunters and also great with kids.  My family had a laugh at that since Doji is only brave enough to hunt flies and, like I said, hates kids.

[Paula N.]

Angel absolutely loves kids.  And they love her - always run to hug and kiss her when they see her coming.  She is also good with babies.  I really can't think she is a lone exception.  It probably depends on the dog.

[Pinebrook]

all four of ours were at a UKC show yesterday and lathering kisses on a little 5 year old girl that came by to pet them.  They love little ones and love to give kisses!

[BanaerEskies]

my eskies ADORE kids...I even have to warn strangers that they are about to get lavishly kissed by a dog.  Tanzy is the worse about it and I even have to ask parents, "do you mind if my dog "pets" your kid?"  The kids get a kick out of that!

Emily hated kids (and people) for years, but with lots of obedience and agility, she overcame her fear and is not a pest stalking people to check their pockets for cookies.  She has even been known to climb on the lap of a children and sit for hours enjoying their company.

As for being hunters ...oh, yeah, they hunt.  Charm caught a bird in the air...Edge stole it and swallowed it alive (at 4 months of age!).  Tanzy digs up moles and brings them to me.  Edge digs up moles and hides them from me!  Charm is a frog hunter.  Tanzy goes for snakes too, so I really have to watch her.  

[snowballsmom]

snowball will tolerate kids for a period. snoopy would prefer i not bring them in his house and will tolerate them as long as they hand out threats, then leave him alone. neither have ever really been around kids as so therefore their tolerance is very very low and experience very limited.

[moose]

Brimley loves our kids and sometimes he likes kids that we meet out.   He doesn't like it if they rush him.  I just have to remind children to pet under his chin and to not run at him. 

As for hunting he has been good at finding snakes and mice and oh yeah my cats. 

[blessed woman]

Kodi and Kia LOVED kids when they, and my boys, were younger. I worked at a preschool when I got them and brought them in to visit with the kids occasionally and walked them to school to get my boys most days, had Scout meetings here twice a week, etc. Now that my boys are grown and they are rarely around young ones, they aren't thrilled. They tolerate petting and often walk away. If left alone, they'll walk up to kids just like they do everyone else. But little kid love isn't real high on their list anymore!

[nevada.the.eskie]

Nevada detests kids. Will just sit there and bark at them.

Tahoe likes kids that are approximately 8+. He's not real sure about the little ones, but like the older ones. He is obsessed with my 14yr old step-daughter.

Nukaq tolerates all kids but prefers for them not to be around. She will sit nicely for them to pet her, but will escape if she can.

I think all of my pups would be better with kids if they were around them more. I don't have children and my step-daughter is rarely around. The only kid interaction they get is occasionally the 3 yr old triplets next door will be out the same time as them. When the kids get a bit older, they will probably be Tahoe's best friend. Tahoe would love to adopt a boy around 8 yrs old as his pet

[Saint Mom]

snowball will tolerate kids for a period. snoopy would prefer i not bring them in his house and will tolerate them as long as they hand out threats, then leave him alone. neither have ever really been around kids as so therefore their tolerance is very very low and experience very limited.

Just about the same here. Except mine came where kids lived (Nuuk was with a 5YO girl), but I don't think they were socialized enough with an only-child household or seeing nephews or nieces for picture purposes! 

[Eskies4Us]

Snowball loves kids. I've  taken him to the boys' school several times and he loved it. Princess has to check everyone out before she warms up. Bandit is more skittish, but once he sees Snowie getting attention, he's there seeking some attention for himself.

They are all fierce squirrel hunters, although they never catch any! Bandit catches mice and leaves them on the back porch. Princess is a ninja at catching flies! They all went ballistic when a CAT came in THEIR yard the other day! 

[BamaEskies]

Dakota used to LOVE kids until the neighborhood Dennis the Menace changed all that with his screaming and running and roughness. I knew Dakota was "sensitive," but I had no idea one kid could do that much damage. Now Dakota is okay around kids he knows, and the interaction has to be on his terms. Now if the kids at our house are screaming and running at him, he's not too fond of that and might give a little growl (and who wouldn't??). We really watch him when kids are around. Outside of our house, we just keep him out of situations where kids are involved. (Or when we meet kids on our walk, Dakota gladly sits behind me.)

Cheyenne LOVES kids!!! In fact, she gets so excited (when they first come over) that she has been known to knock over quite a few kids while trying to lick their faces. Thank goodness these kids love Cheyenne back!! It's also so cute to see our nieces go running out in the yard with Cheyenne smiling and right behind them the entire time!

Tecumseh is really laid back, so he's fine with kids. He's the extremely gentle one who doesn't try to lick their faces but will definitely get around the kids for some loving. He'll then just lie down on the back porch and watch the kids (and Cheyenne) play and play.

It really depends on the dog and its temperament and the experiences it's had.

[DojiDog]

Doji is very afraid of kids.  I sometimes wonder whether some kids were mean to him once.  Being near them stresses him out a lot and he starts panting very hard.

[BanaerEskies]

They do not have to have had a bad experience to be afraid of kids, just lack of socializing can do that.   If it is a problem, you can work on the issue.  start at a large distance from a play ground and treat for Doji looking at you and ignoring the kids be far enough away, that it is EASY and no stress to ignore the kids.  Creep forward in very small increments maybe only a few inches to a foot.  Reward reward reward with each movement where kids are ignored.  Only make a few movements forward each day.  Start the next day where you left off.  If you get to a point where it is too difficult, back up and move forward slower.  Eventually you should be able to sit on the playground and ignore the kids. 

Now this doesn't get you to letting the kids pet Doji, but it is a great start.

[casper_d_dog]

Casper loves kids. He is always curious and wants to sniff them and get pats.

[Yukon]

Yukon LOVES children, and he is very good about being quiet and still so they can pet him. his breeder had three young children, so he came to me already very comfortable and calm around them. Kiska also loves kids, but she is more exuberant around them - she is getting better but she will bark and jump and want to give kisses, which can scare some small kids. So we are working on teaching her to sit quietly to be petted. She is much better now than a few months ago- I also think it is maturity. Both my guys like to lick baby feet.

With Kiska, we have made a special effort to introduce her to well-behaved kids who are comfortable around dogs so that she would learn that they are fun! And even with Yukon, we want to keep him socialized to kids.

[sreskies]

My eskies do not care for kids.  But that is because I don't have any around.  If an eskie is around kids (especially as a puppy), they are normally OK with them.  But this applies to alot of things - eskies need to experience as much as possible to be comfortable with situations, things, and people.

[Yukon]

They do not have to have had a bad experience to be afraid of kids, just lack of socializing can do that.   If it is a problem, you can work on the issue.  start at a large distance from a play ground and treat for Doji looking at you and ignoring the kids be far enough away, that it is EASY and no stress to ignore the kids.  Creep forward in very small increments maybe only a few inches to a foot.  Reward reward reward with each movement where kids are ignored.  Only make a few movements forward each day.  Start the next day where you left off.  If you get to a point where it is too difficult, back up and move forward slower.  Eventually you should be able to sit on the playground and ignore the kids. 

Now this doesn't get you to letting the kids pet Doji, but it is a great start.

Yup, if you think about it from a dog's perspective, kids can be really scary.  They are usually bigger than or the same size as you (the dog).  They make very fast, erratic movements, running, jumping, waving their arms. They squeal and make loud noises that you don't usually hear.  They run at you and want to grab at your fur.  They don't look like the other people that you see and are used to.  If you didn't know what a kid was or why it was doing that, man, it could be quite a frightening little alien.   

[DojiDog]

He can sit near kids playing in a playground with no problem.  It's being close to them that bothers him.  He will walk on the other side of me if he sees a kid coming too close on the street.  And petting is not an option.  He has never been pet by a kid.  I don't have any kids of my own to introduce him to and there aren't any little kids in my family.  I just worry someday a kid will grab him when I'm not looking.

[Geno]

Chester loves anyone who will show him attention. And if they don't show him attention, he "insists". My granddaughter (4 yrs old) will play with Chester for hours. The neighbor kids will sit in the yard petting and playing with him. The other day at the Vets, he had to get hugs and pets from everyone in the waiting room. He actually went from person to person. I was trying to make sure they all didn't mind, cause he was WAY to excited about it all.

His previous owners had 2 little kids, so that probably helped socialize him.

If Doji is afraid of kids like it sounds, then you need to work with him on that. It's not easy to find volunteer kids, but I would start with older kids that will listen to you. Have them be calm, and not look at him or give eye contact at first. Maybe just sit a couple feet out of leash range until he calms down, then have them offer him a treat. You can then work your way to younger kids. Then have them walk past him, if he's calm he gets a treat from them. Most importantly, you can not pet him or show affection towards him when he's afraid... that only re-enforces the behavior.

Good luck!


Geno

[DojiDog]

Hm I don't think anyone wants to volunteer their kids for that.  And to be honest I am worried about it.  It would have to be a kid I actually trusted and know, and I don't know any kids.  He liked my sister when we adopted him, my sister was only 11 at the time.  He also got along with her friends.  I think it is the little kids that bother him.

The lady that had him before me kept him in a crate for almost the whole day, every day, for about a year.  He was not housebroken (which is probably why she kept him crated instead of taking the time to train him) and he refused to go into anything that looked like a crate.  I sometimes wonder if the lady that had him before had some nephews or nieces that would tease him through the crate.  He dislikes little boys and little girls equally.

[BanaerEskies]

I just worry someday a kid will grab him when I'm not looking.

it is your job to make sure that NEVER happens. 

I just can't picture it though, my dogs are never in a position to allow someone access to them without my permission, unless they have broken into my house. 

Where is Doji that you do not have control of access?  Is he offleash in a park?  If so, you probably need to rethink that as that is not safe for Doji or kids in the park.

The socialization steps I mentioned earlier still work you would just work at a closer proximity than where I started.  so in a heel position.  Teach him to sit and watch you.  then have someone circle from a distance.  (these steps are about a week apart with work daily on each step) each time, have the circle closer.  eventually have the person stand next to Doji.  Next week have them touch (one second, one touch).  Eventually make it a longer touch.  Then an more stroking touch.  Do all this with an adult so he knows the game.  Then a teenager, then a preteen.  By the time he is down to younger kids, he knows the game and KNOWS he is safe.  Each new person will take less time than the previous to move through all the steps. 

Throughout the game, the watch me is never moving his eyes away from you.  Lots of cookies and talking (good dog) while he is watching.  If he looks away, all treats and talk stop.  When he resumes the look, the cookies and talking resume.  after the first week, you can add leash correction if he looks away, but timing is everything to get it right.  There are some other steps and if you are really interested, I can find you the instructions and email them to you.  They give week by week details.  It is a commitment to go through this, but it will pay off.

[snowballsmom]

Hm I don't think anyone wants to volunteer their kids for that. 

you never know. i have a friend with 3 kids under 3 1/2 (a 3 1/2, and 21 mos old twins) and she brought them over, they were the dogs first kid experience. those three live with the World's Most Tolerant Dog. i said to her, these dogs are a grey zone. she said, leave it. so we watched, and watched and watched. long story short, everyone did good, until, in the surprise headline of the year, snowball lost her temper first when one of the twins stepped on her tail one too many times in a  5 minute period and i put the dogs inside. but, i didnt reprimand the dog for sneering, that's her only defense. glad i had been watching her, and caught her sneer, and took her inside in time. on the third or 4th tail stomping she had turned and given the twin a warning bark, which i was mortified about, but my friend said "nope. he needs it. thats how he learns" aye aye aye. had it been snoopy, different story. he'd bite. snowball i am confident wouldnt. he didnt listen to the bark and continued following her around the yard, hence the sneer, hence the dogs going inside for some quiet time.