tl;dr: Movies like Coco offer great moments to talk with kids about how to help your dog feel safe and joyful.
Hey friends,
I’ve seen a few animated movies, between my amazing partner working in animation and our having a 5-year-old.
Coco was our kid’s favorite movie around age 2. I was happy when our kid asked for Coco last weekend. Here are 3 moments in Coco that I really appreciate as a dad and dog trainer.
1. Dog did something you like? Give them treats!
I LOVE when Miguel pays Dante big for doing a sequence of sweet tricks. Giving a mega treat like Miguel does makes it worth it for Dante to do those tricks next time. Pay big for expensive behavior like rolling over and playing dead.
2. We use gentle words so our dog feels safe
Oof, the scene where Miguel yells at Dante to go away is hard to watch because both are scared right then.
AND the animators did a great job on this scene. Dante’s body language says scared. I’m seeing:
Lowered body and head
Ears drooping out to the side
Tail down
Big rounded eyes
Moving away
Do you see any more signs I’m missing?
Check out the bonus tip for my resources on dog body language.
Our kid does so great at using a gentle voice with our dog Trixie to help her feel safe. We model for our kid using gentle words with our dog.
Dante runs away right after this shot. But a scared dog can also bite. So if you see a dog looking like this, give the dog space right away!
3. Fireworks are scary for dogs even in the Land of the Dead
I feel for Ernesto de la Cruz’s chihuahua alebrijes. A dog barking when fireworks go off is a scared dog. Fireworks are the worst!
The spooky season has lots of potentially scary things for dogs — fireworks, costumes, monsters on lawns, doorbells, visitors.
It’s always okay to protect your dog from those scary things.
Do you have a favorite spooky kids movie? I’d love to hear!
I’m Ilya — dad to both a kid and a dog. I started Compassionate Dude Dog Training because I’ve lived the challenges of spooky season (and every other season) with kid plus dog. If you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to meet everyone’s needs at once, you’re not alone. I’d love to help.
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