Are Airedales good with Children?
Reprinted with permission from Kathy Dowd and Lori Valentine
As is the case with all dogs, both the children and the dog must be taught to respect each other. Children must be taught that taking toys or bothering the dog while he/she is eating are not good habits. Also, the dog should be taught that jumping on people or "mouthing" are not acceptable traits. Every household will have a different set of rules (which should be carefully considered before getting any dog) which must be clearly and consistently conveyed to everyone (adults, children, and the dog). With proper training and patience, Airedales are wonderful with older children. I, personally, would never leave a young child and any dog together unattended.
It is very advisable to seek the advice of an expert in training when introducing your dog to children. It is very important for the dog to maintain the position of "dog" within the hierarchy without discounting the importance and needs of the dog.
Thanks to the following people who directly contributed their time and efforts toward this FAQ.
Kathy, Lori and the kids
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Copyright 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 by Kathy Dowd. All rights reserved. You may download and print a copy of this file for your personal use. Further distribution must be with the explicit permission of the author. NOTE: Airedale Terrier Rescue organizations may freely distribute copies of this document.
Kathy Dowd and Lori Valentine (MoonDance) are members of the Airedale Terrier Club of America, and work together to breed, train, and show (conformation and obedience) Airedale Terriers.
Special thanks to those people sending helpful corrections/additional information:
Please visit the K9web for lots of useful dog related information.
