Not sure if this is in the right area...but...
I had a question about danes and kids. I've had several danes over the years, but due to where I was living, didn't have much interaction with kids. I had maybe one that was good with them when they did come, but the others were skittish and not fond of them at all! (a couple I raised, a few I acquired/rescued as adults at about 2-3 years old). My sister had a dane she got as a puppy, and I want to say they had their first son a year or two later. Though she was not mean in anyway, she wanted nothing to do with the baby or little toddler running around wanting to play with her.
Now, I have my new guy! He will be 8 months old in a few days. Very fortunately, he was raised with kids before he came to me, and I've been trying to socialize him as much as possible, though he still doesn't get "regular" interaction as I am a ways away in the country. My question is, he still LOVES kids, but as you all know, he is right at face level. My nieces and nephews certainly weren't like I was as a kid, I would have died to have this dog want to play with me. But being a puppy and vastly unaware of his size, he is always in their face wanting to play, and they aren't too interested. My question is, how can I teach him not to be "in your face?" It is different with adults I guess, unless they are sitting down, he can come right up to you and though would *almost* be able to touch a face reaching up, he is not "right there." I'm just not really sure how to go about this. I don't want him to not want to be around the kids, so don't want to scold him for going up to them. This is one thing I both admire and dislike about the dane is their need to be close to your face. While I don't mind it most of the time, I don't want them walking right up to my face if I'm sitting down, and can imagine how the kids must feel! Plus, most people do not like when a big dog walks right up and puts their nose in their face. So, how can I teach him that this is unaccaptable without discouraging him from wanting to be around them? Because, if you try to pull him back away from them, I don't think he would understand that he just shouldn't be by their face, he might interpret that is not wanting to be by them at all. Any suggestions?
PS- we went to our first fun match a couple weekends ago and he did FANTASTIC! He got first in his class and BOB (though, there were only two other danes there, we don't have to mention that part!) I was incredibly proud of him. He wanted to drag me all over the place, but in the ring during his classes, he did wonderfully for his first time and it was an experience for both of us. Here's my boy, "Deacon" looking handsome on his own on the back porch!
I had a question about danes and kids. I've had several danes over the years, but due to where I was living, didn't have much interaction with kids. I had maybe one that was good with them when they did come, but the others were skittish and not fond of them at all! (a couple I raised, a few I acquired/rescued as adults at about 2-3 years old). My sister had a dane she got as a puppy, and I want to say they had their first son a year or two later. Though she was not mean in anyway, she wanted nothing to do with the baby or little toddler running around wanting to play with her.
Now, I have my new guy! He will be 8 months old in a few days. Very fortunately, he was raised with kids before he came to me, and I've been trying to socialize him as much as possible, though he still doesn't get "regular" interaction as I am a ways away in the country. My question is, he still LOVES kids, but as you all know, he is right at face level. My nieces and nephews certainly weren't like I was as a kid, I would have died to have this dog want to play with me. But being a puppy and vastly unaware of his size, he is always in their face wanting to play, and they aren't too interested. My question is, how can I teach him not to be "in your face?" It is different with adults I guess, unless they are sitting down, he can come right up to you and though would *almost* be able to touch a face reaching up, he is not "right there." I'm just not really sure how to go about this. I don't want him to not want to be around the kids, so don't want to scold him for going up to them. This is one thing I both admire and dislike about the dane is their need to be close to your face. While I don't mind it most of the time, I don't want them walking right up to my face if I'm sitting down, and can imagine how the kids must feel! Plus, most people do not like when a big dog walks right up and puts their nose in their face. So, how can I teach him that this is unaccaptable without discouraging him from wanting to be around them? Because, if you try to pull him back away from them, I don't think he would understand that he just shouldn't be by their face, he might interpret that is not wanting to be by them at all. Any suggestions?
PS- we went to our first fun match a couple weekends ago and he did FANTASTIC! He got first in his class and BOB (though, there were only two other danes there, we don't have to mention that part!) I was incredibly proud of him. He wanted to drag me all over the place, but in the ring during his classes, he did wonderfully for his first time and it was an experience for both of us. Here's my boy, "Deacon" looking handsome on his own on the back porch!
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