Teaching Dogs To Wear Foreign Objects - Dog Training Techniques Work on Kids Too!

I don't know about helmets on dogs, but kids wear helmets, right?

I took my bike in to the bike store the other day and a young mother was trying a helmet on her child - a little boy, I'm guessing maybe 2 years old. (I never had kids so I'm not good at knowing their ages. LOL)

The kid was crying and fighting! Boo!

I wanted to help, but I knew it wouldn't go over well if I said, "I don't have children, but I am a dog trainer and kids and dogs are a lot alike and I can help you teach your child to LIKE wearing that helmet."

So I said, "I'm a teacher. Would you like me to give you some tips on how to get your son to LIKE wearing his helmet?"

She said she would. Yeah!

"Well, first of all," I said, "I wouldn't force it on him. I'd get one that looks like it will probably fit, and take it home. Keep it in new condition in case you need to exchange it, or get a cheap, used one to use for 'training,' then buy a new one when he's willing to try them on."

I suggested that at home, she find ways to reward him for bringing it to her when she asks, maybe develop a little game with the helmet where he gets rewarded for carrying it around and interacting with it, maybe wear her OWN helmet around the house, hopefully inspiring him to want to wear his, too. I suggested that if she and her husband sat down to dinner with their helmets on, he might want his on too.

I told her to get creative and to not put it on him until he asks. Do everything in baby steps and keep it positive and fun. Why cause trauma and stress? Be patient and do it with his cooperation. Much better!

I didn't tell her this, but this method will help her child TRUST her more, so this type of thing can go quicker in the future. What she was doing was damaging her child's trust in her.

Teach dogs and kids to LIKE wearing foreign objects.

When training dogs, NEVER force them. It also damages THEIR trust and when you force, you get resistance. There's always a kinder, more positive way to get the dog to WANT to do it. See Jetta wearing her muzzle? She LOVED it! I taught her with positive-reinforcement. If I had forced her, she'd hate it (or at best, tolerate it), and possibly try to remove it when she got a chance. (All she'd have to do was flick the back of it with her paw and it would pop right off.) Jetta NEVER ONCE tried to take it off.

Jetta LOVED wearing her muzzle.

Want to know how to train a dog to wear a muzzle, or for that matter, a helmet? Message me! Happy to send you my instructions.