My ten yr. old girl dog snapped at my two year old niece when they were visiting.?

Question

How can i train her not to do that? This dog is nervous around kids in general.

Thanks guys, that really helps! It was definitely a warning snap. C-Dog was working her way through a rawhide and the baby got too close with no warning. C-Dog deliberately chomped the air beside her hand. I just put them in separate rooms now.

Answer 1

A lost of older dogs are nervous around very young children, particularly if the dogs are very small and if they're not used to kids. You can try to accustom her to your niece. First of all, never leave a child that young unsupervised with your dog or any dog. Kids have to be taught how to act around animals, what not to do, how to approach them. I can't tell from this how upset your dog gets, does she seriously try to bite or is she giving your niece a warning to stay away? If it's a warning, try having your niece sit quietly beside you and call your dog. Have your niece gently and calmly pet her if the dog seems amenable to that. You should be able to have them co-exist in the room, perhaps even play together with the dog's toys.

Depends on the degree of your dog's nervousness, but at any rate, don't ever leave them alone.

Answer 2

NEVER leave a dog alone with a child. The kids need training on how to approach the dogs but at two years old it may take a while. Crate the dog and try to teach the kid to approach slowly, be gentle etc. If this is an infrequent visit and you are not likely to have a lot of interaction, just put the dog away during the visits. Best to avoid any possibility of injury. I might snap too if a little person grabbed my tail unexpectedly. Best of luck.

Answer 3

You know if your dog isn't use to being around children and she is ten, she may never get use to the idea. You could try training her, but you could work on training the niece as well. Maybe the dog needs a quiet place to retreat to when the niece is over and maybe the niece needs to learn that harassing the dog is not a good idea.

The smaller the dog, the more likely she is to nip and the harder it will be to train her not to. Do you have a safe and happy place where the dog can be confined while the niece is visiting?

I know it is difficult to confine your dog when she is use to running around freely, but the dog may actually enjoy to the break from the child.

Good Luck and Take Care

Answer 4

You can't train the dog to like kids, especially at her advancing age. Keep the dog seperated from the kid when it's visiting. The dog may be jealous, or just scared of this squealing, darting little creature that she doesn't understand. I'm guessing the toddler mauled on the dog - the dog probably didn't just walk up to the kid and snap at her. Ask the kid's mother to teach her some manners, and for the sake of the dog's (and yours and the mom's) peace of mind put the dog in another room or something while the kid is visiting.

Answer 5

I learned the hard way to never allow children (or any people actually) to be ground level or at the same level with dogs. It all goes back to the "alpha" thing. I have a very loving senior greyhound - 13 years old. Once a nephew fell on her while she was laying on her bed, another time a nephew fell under her as they were running through the house,,,and lastly a 12 year old nephew who had just walked my dog, fed her, and was sitting on the floor petting her,,,,very nicely, and all of a sudden my dog decided to turn on my nephew! fortunately there were no bites, but there were scratches on my nephew's face. My vet told me to either put my dog to sleep or to put her up when company comes over. Make it a happy time for my dog though when I put her up and also. ALWAYS stay superior to the dog......
Now my dog does not get nervous or anxious when people arrive, she understands she has to go to her special place where she has a bed and some treats. everyone is happy.

Answer 6

Older dogs get less and less forgiving of younger animals antics the older they get.

Usually the once the behavior is started your can't really train it out of them. Keep the dog under control whenever young ones are around (leash or in seperate rooms or whatever). It is better to try and prevent her from snapping again then to regret later if the dog actually bit the girl.

Also try to explain to your niece that she has to talk to the dog as she walks up behind it- don't grab at the dog or play around it etc.

Hope that helps.

Answer 7

My best suggestion is to put the dog in a quiet room when kids come around and teach the kids to leave her be when she does come out to go outside or to get food and water. You have an older dog who from the sounds of it doesn't do well around kids. The phrase "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" applies here. Respect the dog and give her the time away from kids.

Answer 8

You really cannot train her not to do that. She is a senior dog for one and is obviously not tolerant of children. Which is understandable as kids can be rough and get in dogs faces, this intimidates the dog.

It would be better for your dog, as well as other's to place her in a safe quiet place in your home when kids come to visit. Either her crate in your room, or in your room with the tv on or music.

Answer 9

It would probably be better just to keep your dog away from small children. I had a golden retreiver and as he got older he became nervous around small children. The child is small enough to get right in the dogs face and the dog may not see as well. Just make sure you are with small kids if they are around your dog.

Answer 10

As has been reported (by me!) many situations on right here, adults gained't oftentimes attack a domestic dog. although, they are going to be uneasy round a domestic dog (those tooth damage) so that is truly as a lot as you to guard your older canines from the attentions of the domestic dog, who will at this aspect don't have any appreciate for the older canines. They both choose their very own position, for now. I recommend you take advantage of a crate for the domestic dog (an precious coaching device) and once you're not any further there to oversee what's happening, pop the domestic dog in there. nonetheless, in case you do not opt to apply a crate, have a touch one gate throughout the time of yet another room, and positioned the domestic dog, or the older canines and his mattress in there. That way the older canines can take a nap without stressful about being mugged by the domestic dog. If the older canines is pushed too far, he will react, and he may damage your domestic dog. do not feed them at the same time for the on the spot both. and do not go away them on my own at the same time - yet. Your older canines desires to understand that you're there to handle the precedence - even as it receives to the point he desires to growl and snap on the domestic dog - eliminate the domestic dog!! for sure, they opt to study the thanks to get alongside, yet it truly is a courting you could not rigidity. It has to advance obviously, at their %..