My 2 yr old poodle bit my son's arm...?

Question

My boyfriend got a 2yr old miniature poodle from a family member, supposedly this dog was good with kids. It didn't seem like she was taken care of very well when we got her. Her hair was matted and tangled and she was in desperate need of a haircut. I guess they kept her in a cage 90% of the time because they lived in an apt. So, she's sweet to everyone, but she just started growling at my 3yr old son. He hasn't done anything to her except running around. The other night there were fireworks going off multiple times and the dog was going nuts, the next thing I know, it bit my son's arm twice (luckily no puncture wounds) and nestled into a corner afterwards. Now all she does is growl and show her teeth at him...what can I do to get her to stop this behavior with my son? Is it hopeless should I just get rid of her?

Answer 1

Hi, I honestly would say find an adult family for your new dog. It is not fair to your son to get bitten by him, and if the dog is showing this much aggression towards him, i honestly would really be worried..
I know usually older people have poodles, i wonder if that is a reason? they are not good with kids? any poodle owners can correct me if i am wrong.. but, I honestly would think about what this dog can do one time when your not looking, and.. you sound like you were upset the dog was locked up 90% of the time, but the thing is, your gonna end up doing the same thing..

Good luck

Answer 2

The dog being a small poodle and only 2 years old will be easy to find a good new home. I worked with a rescue for 2 and half years and small dogs are always an easy placement because there are several older childless homes looking for a sweet companion. The dog has associated the scary loud noise with your son. This could be over come with a lot of work. However, in the mean time the dog could go from sellable/adoptable to unsellable/unadoptable if it bites again and breaks the skin. The best bet with this is to contact a rescue, petfinder.com supplies a local list, explain that the dog needs a home without small children and offer to foster while they review their records or ask if they can take the dog and foster because of the child being in danger. They should not require you to pay them. They usually will have people waiting for a small dog. The dog will be happier in a childless home and you should look for a dog that is kid friendly first, if you want one. It is not fair to your son or to the dog to be forced to live in such a stressful situation. I have seen too many children seriously and permanently injured and an otherwise good dog put down over a preventable situation. The longer the stress and tension builds the sooner it will turn ugly. I say will because there is no might about it. Good luck

Answer 3

I'm sorry, but in my experience once a dog is behaving like this it cannot safely be around children. Clearly you were in the room when the dog bit your child - so making sure the child isn't alone with the dog won't necessarily help. The dog could do fine in a home without children - if surrendered to the county shelter it likely will be put down due to aggression. Do your best to find another home for the dog - including talking to your vet who may know of someone looking for a pet - full disclosure though is important so another family with children won't have the same issue. If you just can't find another home - look to a breed rescuer to take the dog. They do not put animals down and will work to correct the poodles behavior and find an appropriate home for the dog. Even small dogs can do tremendous damage to a child - simply out of fear. Best of luck.

Answer 4

The dog was scared out of its mind. Your son running around, probably talking/shouting, coupled with the fireworks (which many dogs are scared by) was too much for the little guy. Since he cowered in a corner afterwards, I suspect he was trying to get away from your son, but your son was running around and wouldn't stay away. A similar thing happened with my poodle at my wedding. We told all the children not to go into his room because he would be too scared. A whole group didn't listen. There were about five kids running around him, yelling, and barking at him. I came in and he was cowering in fear trying to find a way out. He was probably just a few seconds away from biting someone and it wouldn't have been his fault. People need to take responsibility for their actions too. It sounds like your dog needs some loving and training to get over her previous experiences. If you don't think your son is old enough to handle his part, then you should find a new home for the dog. I think three is old enough to learn how to be gentle, but you know your son best. Evaluate your situation and do what will be best, but please try to prevent the poodle from being put down. He was put into a bad situation by you, he shouldn't suffer the ultimate consequence for that.

Answer 5

This is a prime example of why I recommend that people wait until their children are at least of school age before getting a dog.

That said, the poodle was scared and stressed out from her bath/combing - and she saw your toddler as a threat - since dogs don't have hands with which to push things away, all she could do is snap at him. Snapping - even in fear - is still biting. and unacceptable.

Toddlers behave like prey - they run around and move suddenly and jump and make noise. They're being children. However, dogs recognize this as prey - rather large and intimidating prey. That's known as a threat -because if this huge thing (relative to a dog) is acting wildly the dog thinks that it's going to be harmed - or eaten. And with the booming sounds of the fireworks added in - the poor dog went bonkers - and bit the thing that symbolizes the loud noises and odd, frightening behavior.

That said, I'd look at re-homing her - even if it means that she has to go to the shelter as a "nipper." I know you mean well - but your first priority is to your son. You need to take care of him until he's at least of school age before you should get a dog.

Answer 6

Sounds to me like your son accidentilly hurt her somehow and not knowing. Were you able to keep an eye 100% of the time on both of them together? I'm sure you asked him if he hurt the dog and he probably said no, but did you ask him if he touched her at all or if he threw something at her, etc? But with that being said, if you really like the dog, and since she didn't actually hurt your son, give her a few more days to get used to her new environment. You need to spend some time with her and play with her and give her treats. Treat her like a newly adopted child. Really do. Poodles are pretty smart dogs and she's scared. She's in a new place with new people and then the fireworks, etc....try to be as loving as you can in these days. If she doesn't start to show some change within a week of you doing this, you need to get rid of her.

Answer 7

There's no question that this dog was neglected to the point of abuse. However, growling at and biting any one is totally unacceptable. You don't know what kind of a temperament this dog had in the first place. She might have always been a fear biter - which is what she sounds like.

I would not keep any dog that even attempted to bite a child one more day. And you can't take her to a shelter and pass this problem off to some unsuspecting family either. There's thousands of dogs with good temperaments being put to sleep every day because they can't find a home. There's no reason to keep an untrustworthy dog around - she should be put to sleep. (Even thinking about the dog - do you think she's having a good life?)

Answer 8

This is serious. You're wise to be looking for help.

First, children are often unnerving for small dogs. They dart around and move quickly and sometimes grab. This is scary for little dogs, and often their only recourse is to bite. When a dog has not lived with little children it's a big deal to move in with one full time.

Second, in this case it seems that the dog has associated the noise of the fireworks with your little boy.

I would continue to use the crate with the dog during scary times like when there are fireworks. Crates are not a bad thing if used wisely. They provide a safe private place for a stressed out animal to calm down. Especially since this dog is used to a crate being out during scary times may be overwhelming. Make sure she always has access to her crate and that your son understands that if she is in her crate he must never interact with her. This gives her a way to escape when she is getting overwhelmed.

Your best bet would be to get a qualified behaviorist who does not use punishment to treat these problems. Punishment will make them worse or teach your dog to be sneaky about attacks. You'll need some professional assistance.

The alternative would be to contact a Poodle Rescue in your area and explain your problem and see if they'll help you find an adult home to place the dog in. You can find one on Petfinder.com by entering your zip code.

Answer 9

I wouldn't get rid of her. Something may have happened to the poodle involving another child once and now it is cautious. Sit down with your child on the couch and call the dog. Reintroducing the dog to the child may make him feel more at ease with you right next to him. Have your child give it treats to start off with. Take it slow and do this everyday. Gradually work your way up with other little things like letting the dog smell the child's hand and letting him pet the dog. It takes patience and time, but eventually it will all work out.

Answer 10

A lot of Poodles are nippers. Especially toward small children. A three year old can really hurt your dog & the dog knows it & doesn't want any part of the kid.

I would train the kid on how to handle a small dog. But at 3 years of age he won't understand. So the best is to keep them away from each other. Get the kid a bigger puppy that he can't hurt.