BEHAVIOR experts are constantly asked: “Which dogs are best with kids?” The

answer is any type of mild-mannered mutt – and it’s the owner’s job to

bone up on pet-iquette if your pooch may interact with children.

Even if you don’t have kids, you’re sure to cross paths with a curious tot

reaching to pat your pet, so teaching Fido to behave around kids is key.

Dog trainer Rikke Brogaard is passionate about training dog owners to prepare

for life with kids. The mother of 5-year-old Dea – and dogs Cleavon and Bella

– offers a helpful “Living With Kids and Dogs” seminar this Thursday at 7

p.m. at Biscuits & Bath, 1535 First Ave., at 80th Street. For details, call

(212) 419-2500.

“When I got pregnant, my Great Danes were not necessarily kid-friendly,” she

explains. So to prepare the dogs for the family’s new addition, Brogaard

began pinching the dogs or grabbing their tails while they dozed, so they’d

be conditioned to react without aggression when caught off-guard. Her method

worked: “My dogs adore my daughter,” Brogaard says.

The “Leave it!” command will also help Fido adjust. “Babies and dogs eat

anything they find on the floor,” Brogaard adds. “To avoid drama, teach Fido

the ‘Leave it!’ command, so dropped food and toys won’t be bones of

contention.”

While Brogaard’s seminar takes an educationally entertaining approach, her

message is serious. If an injury happens during a child-dog encounter, the

dog could pay with its life.

In Oregon, a dog named Denali has been on death row ever since a neighboring

child came to visit and Denali jumped up, accidentally nicking his arm. The

boy’s father wanted Denali killed, so the dog was removed from her home. A

local attorney is defending the dog pro bono, and while the case is pending

appeal Denali lives at a kennel. (If you want to request that the Oregon

Supreme Court hear the case, contact Gov. Ted Kulongoski at

governor.oregon.gov and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, walden.house.gov.)

“Accidents and misunderstandings are very common,” Brogaard concludes. “By

taking the time to make our dogs better behaved, we can avoid sentencing them

to death.”

js@pet-reporter.com