Toddler encounters of the dog kind-- meeting and greeting on the street

By way of previous blog posts, you know that teaching Teddy how to appropriately approach and greet dogs is super important to me.  This is a life skill on par with crossing the street.   It's in both Teddy and the unknowing dog's best interest that the two-foot does not run up and startle the quadruped....ever.    

What's the proper approach?

I intend for my son to come to a complete stop before he is within petting range of the dog... And further back if possible.  Advancing forward is possible only with permission and in a calm and relaxed approach.  

My first step in conditioning Teddy to this... getting the kid to stop.  When asking isn't enough... I tackle (kidding... kind of).  

What's next?  Well, we had the perfect illustration of that on Friday night... en route to a dinner with dog trainers no less!    

Teddy is naturally very curious about the dogs that he sees (he is my son, after all), and getting him to stop is one thing, but diverting his attention and with it the forward lunging is another all together.  It is imperative for me to satisfy his curiosity, and, unhinge his desire to reach out and touch...therefore conditioning him to do what my mom always told us to do in my grandmother's house... "look with no hands!"

That's a challenge-- especially when the dog shows interest.

More after the jump

Dear Granny...

Dear Granny,

"Only 3 cookies escaped..."

Earlier this evening, when we were home alone, we used our super-powers to get our cookies that you made us off the counter all by ourselves.  No help needed!  They were pretty far back on the counter, so it took a lot of effort.  It was kind of like our mom and dad DIDN'T WANT us to have them.

We kinda ate them all-- well, all except for 3.  And now we are kinda in trouble.  And we need your help to get out of trouble.

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