when i was living alone, the only one i really needed to care about was my dog Poncho. that was 4 years ago. my little girl Alex is a very small and shy girl. now Poncho has never been hostile to others, but hes a chow chow and i always hear that thats their thing, true? thing is that the two of those play with each other a lot (at least i hope they're playing) they like to play tug o war a lot with the dog toys, like she's a dog or something, but anyways, when Alex is minding her own business and poncho comes and sniffs her, she bops him in the nose which is really cute if you could see it (tiny girl bopping a dog in the nose almost a head bigger then her) but i think that she could really get hurt one day if he decides not to take it any longer or something.
honestly im just really bad at reading both Dogs AND little girls.
2007-11-08 01:49:37 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
btw, poncho is around 6 years old and Alex is 3 and can barley talk, is that a problem?
2007-11-08 01:50:13 · update #1
that's not "cute" that is potentially dangerous.
NEVER allow a child (or anyone for that matter) to hit your dog.
we must teach our dogs to behave...but we must also teach our children how to respect a dog's space! this is the very reason most dog bites to small children happen.
i have 4 dogs, and 4 children my children range in ages from 11 yrs to 1 1/2 months old.
all of my kids are taught from day 1 what "go easy" and "be gentle" means.
my 21 month old never hits my dogs...she knows better. she is slow, and gentle.
my dogs are also taught how to be respectful of my child's size. i don't want my large dogs knocking over my child.
training in a house w/children and dogs need to involve ALL concerned.
your dog shouldn't *have* to "take it" at all!
2007-11-08 04:56:42 · answer #1 · answered by ☆MWφM☆ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a trainer, a behaviourist or a Chow owner. But I would recommend you supervise your daughter around your dog at all times. Little kids aren't great at handling dogs (can you blame them?) and although I know Alex is not being abusive, most dogs are really just like big cuddly stuffed toys to them. This is the reason for most dog attacks on children - a lot of dogs won't tolerate their ears pulled, tails grabbed, being squeezed too hard in a hug, etc.
Depending on your individual dog, this could be a danger to your child, or Poncho might be completely fine with Alex. However, I wouldn't take the risk if I were you. No dog will turn from a calm, loving dog to an aggressive one that snaps a child's hand off overnight. If Poncho is getting unhappy with the bopping, he will start showing it.
Supervise Alex and Poncho at all times, and try to start teaching Alex how to approach Poncho right. She is very lucky to enjoy the lovely experience of growing up with a dog.
2007-11-08 10:58:44 · answer #2 · answered by ninjaaa! 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tony has got the best answer. But I am going to add my two cents worth.
I had a chow mix many years ago and a 2 year old daughter at the same time. They played together, just like your dog and daughter do. One day, my daughter came up to the dog when he wasn't expecting it, or he wasn't feeling well, and he nipped her in the face. He knew he had done wrong, but I had to choice but rehome him. I obviously wasn't able to "read" the dog, and I wasn't willing to risk another issue.
That being said, you really need to teach your daughter not to bop the dog. Dogs always bite for a reason. Many times those reasons aren't known to us. The dog is sick, the person is carrying an unfamiliar or unliked scent, or even the dog is just spooked. I would make sure to monitor the dog and the child together.
2007-11-08 11:06:32 · answer #3 · answered by Katslookup - a Fostering Fool! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Shame on Tony. While his answer was technically "correct"; he really didn't answer your question. He left you with the impression that leaving the situation as it is; could also be a good option.
Has anyone considered the fact that it is almost always the dog who pays the price for biting a child. And it usually doesn't matter if the bite was "provoked", "unprovoked" and/or if it can even be determined.
You CAN NOT teach a child to love; it's something they must learn on their own. YOU CAN, AND SHOULD TEACH YOUR CHILD TO RESPECT ALL LIVING CREATURES. This includes your dog. Bopping, hitting, kicking, pinching, whatever you want to call the behavior; is NOT showing respect for your dog.
Teach your child to respect the family dog. You will be doing a favor to the dog, your child, yourself; and the world in general. Good luck.
2007-11-12 00:48:44 · answer #4 · answered by bully4me 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is unwise to let your child do this. If she does it with your dog, she may do it with another dog. Eventually a bite will follow. It is important for kids to learn to interact safely with animals. This is a child-parent training issue not a dog issue at all. Would you allow the child to walk up and hit a snake in the nose? Both are animals. Dogs aren't human, and don't think like humans. You have to teach your little girl to be safe at all times.
I'm not a dog trainer, but I am a Mom. I would be much more concerned about the kid's behavior and learning manners than I would with the dog in this situation.
2007-11-08 11:21:12 · answer #5 · answered by mama woof 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Chows are not always kid aggressive. It sounds to me like you've got a couple a buddies. You may want to curb the bopping behavior however as long as you are supervising everything should be fine. Study up on dog body language, it's fascinating once you get into it.
2007-11-09 11:07:04 · answer #6 · answered by Scelestus Unus 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to teach your little girl not to hit dogs... I do not think its cute and I have put my nieces in time out for being mean to animals... Dogs want love and affection and that is how they should be treated... Chow Chows have been known to turn on people after 5 years(its a long story) and it goes with any dog if you mistreat it... he will say enough and bite you... then what? your mad and put him down...
2007-11-08 10:44:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
if the dog didn't like her i'm sure you would know it by now. poncho seems to have accepted alex as part of his family,my dogs always did.we would make sure they smelt all the babies and as the child grew teach them to be gentle with the dog. keep her away when he is eating,you never know what could happen with food.dogs grow with children and learn to love and protect them so i think he will be ok.any dog can bite but yours seems to be well behaved and accepting of his playmate and he will guard her it is in his nature.if he shows any aggression put a stop to it and make sure he realizes you will not accept this behavior.
2007-11-08 10:27:37 · answer #8 · answered by john n 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is a tough one.
The amateur and/or unqualified professionals answering this are going to tell you that you should not trust your little girl with your chow-chow.
The vocational dog trainers/handlers/owners are going to tell you that you are going to have to be hyper vigilant whenever the two of them are together. And that you should get the training you need to better "read" both species in your custody.
Folks like me are going to tell you that we have allowed our own dogs and children liberties that we would not necessarily advise anyone else to permit with the same level of confidence.
Now the tough part ... all three answers are both correct and debateable.
Tony Ancheta
2007-11-08 10:04:59 · answer #9 · answered by koehlerdogtraining © 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋