He is 2.5 and had almost a month. The first few weeks, he was fine w/my 2.5 yo and 3.5yo as was raised around lil kids. He let them carry him everywhere, and hold him in the mini van on short trips, etc. Recently, he is settled 'in' and is barking at my husband, and stepdaughter and boyfriend when they are in house. That isn't so much an issue as his recent snapping at my youngest. My 3.5yo knows not to 'mess' w/dogs, but she doesn't and we are used to having BIG dogs, which are more gentle. I'm trying to teach my youngest not to taunt, but sometimes she isn't and just wants to rest her cheek on his fur and he'll growl/snarl at her?? wtf??
How do i teach him that she is gonna take presidence over my lap, if need be?
she just wants to cuddle w/him like she did w/our late chi/rat terrier mix...that also slept under covers.
2007-05-27 17:54:41 · 14 answers · asked by 4kkz 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
You need to correct this immediately. The longer you let this kind of behavior go, the bigger problem you will have. In your home YOU are the Alpha, and the dog is below everyone. What your dog is showing to your child is a form of rank. Now... your child obviously dosen't know any of this kind of stuff, she just sees a cute small dog. Do your best not to let your daughter do this to your dog. The next time this happens (growling/snarling) you need to "alpha roll" your dog, immediately! If you do it later, this correction will have no meaning. You are simulating what is done in the wild when the pack leader holds the subordinate on his back untill he submits. So what you do is grab your dog, roll him onto his back and straddle him. Hold him there untill he goes completly limp, this could take several minutes. Be prepared that he might try to fight and bite you, but you are the alpha and he needs to be knocked down on the ladder a rung or two. His tail will probably be tucked, but as long as he is tense stay on top of him. Now remember, he's a chihuahua so be careful not to hurt him; you're only showing him that this behavior is unacceptable. And lastly don't growl back, use forceful voice tones along with a verbal correction. I hope you'll only have to do this once. As your daughter gets older and understands this more, it will be less of a problem.
2007-05-27 18:34:44 · answer #1 · answered by ihop 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At some point, you failed to train your little dog properly. Just because she's small, it doesn't mean she still won't try to be in charge.
Your dog failed to recognize anyone in the family as the "alpha". Or, he barely accepts you as the alpha, but he thinks he's the beta and everyone should bow to him other than you. His barking at others, his growling at children, these are all signs that he thinks he's the alpha and he is trying to get the other people in the house to do what he wants.
I recommend obedience training. You have to establish yourself as the alpha. You need a well-adjusted, social dog who knows he's at the BOTTOM of the ladder in the household, not the top. He has to be submissive to everyone.
So while he may have been tolerant of your children's behavior before, clearly he is not now. I would get to training fast before he does bite them.
Also, I would work with your children more. It's difficult for a 3.5 year old to understand not to touch the dog. But you may need a more careful eye, including keep the dog in a separate room from the child until the training is complete. Remember, you are responsible for both the child and the dog. Your actions are key here. Get proper training for your dog and ensure that the child and dog are safe from each other.
Good luck!
2007-05-28 01:03:18 · answer #2 · answered by doctoru2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Despite the advice of all the above people who obviously view pets as disposable, this does not have to be a permanent problem. It can be corrected with lots of training and consistency.
Whenever he snaps, tell him NO firmly and immediately put him off your lap and show him no attention (not even. On the other hand when he is tolerant of your child praise him graciously. Chihuahua's are very attention greedy and if he can learn that he will not get attention (even negative attention) when he growls or snaps, he may learn to share the attention. If you have a kennel you can use it as a "time-out" spot for when he misbehaves, but only do this if you do not already use the kennel as a resting spot for him. You don't want him to associate it with punishment if it is his bedding area.
2007-05-28 01:02:14 · answer #3 · answered by Mikila 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Please visit yahoogroups.com, enter dog behavior training into the search. You will find some of the BEST professional and experienced trainers there who will be happy to give you suggestions... at no charge to you! Campnaughtydog is one of the best there. Although their focus is generally on English Mastiffs, all breeds are welcome. One point though, a growl is a warning. Don't take that away. If the dog has no way to warn before they bite, they just bite. Until you have someone experienced working with you on this I would suggest you only allow the dog and children together under adult supervision. Best of luck, visit the other yahoo forums, I promise you won't be disappointed!
2007-05-28 01:12:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For a start I'd stop the child taunting the dog. How is the dog meant to know the child wants a cuddle when last time she came near the kid taunted her.
Some animals just don't like kids this dog may be one of those.
2007-05-28 01:00:44 · answer #5 · answered by madamspud 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe its not the dog or the child; maybe its just bad timing, My dog gets very mean when hes eating and you take away food. Shes food agressive. Just today I was trying to play with her and take away her bone, she snaped and growled at me. If this isn't the case take the dog for classes over at PetSmart, theres got to be a class for "behavior"...My dog took puppy classes and she learned to sit, stay and lay down!
2007-05-28 01:00:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
chichis are VERY territorial. your dog is claiming you as being 'his.' start watcing The Dog Whisperer on National Geographic Channel. that guy knows what he's doing. I've seen him fix the same problem in other families. He tells them to just totally reject the barking by giving the dog a sharp poke in the chest when they bark and tell them 'NO!!' Put him off of your lap and ignore him.
2007-05-28 00:59:12 · answer #7 · answered by PrincessJesci 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Recently observed toddler relative with small dogs...what you call "love" might feel more like torture to the dog. Sounds like your pet is a nervous wreck from being wooled by hands too young to be gentle and voices too shrill for his delicate ears. The dog has no one on his side... maybe find a gentler home for him.
2007-05-28 01:08:02 · answer #8 · answered by bluemesh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why did you not research the breed and find out that they are not good around children of any age . I have two but they are okay with kids outside of the house but not in my house .They dont live well with kids .I think maybe it would be best if you rehome the chihuahua. Ask a re-homing fee and I would not re-home to someone who has children. good luck
2007-05-28 07:59:56 · answer #9 · answered by Kate T. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I were you I would get rid of the dog. Because you dont want him to hurt your child in anyway.
2007-05-28 00:59:01 · answer #10 · answered by johnell_jones 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋