I have a miniature schnauzer that I adopted last year at the age three, his former owner had younge children but the dog never got along with them but now when ever my grandchildren come over he trys to attack their feet. The kids keep their distance form the dog but even if their just walking the dog will attack their feet and of course the children scream. They aren't doing anything to really cause the dog to attack so now the children are terrified of the dog. The dog gets along perfectly with my 15 year old. There ages are 10, 7 and 5. Is their any advice you could give me to calm the dog down or stop this from happening.
2007-12-24 14:08:15 · 15 answers · asked by K-9Kara 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Kennel him when the grandkids are there. Also take him to obedience classes to help with this behavior.
2007-12-24 14:11:05 · answer #1 · answered by sweetie p 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Find a trainer or behaviorist to help. Unfortunately when dogs with problem it can take a long while to correct and sometimes it doesn't work. If children have teased this dog in a previous life it's gonna be hard for him to readjust, not that it can't be done, but a long road. Dogs relate to size of people and other animals, not necessarily that person. If a dog has had bad experiences with small people, other small people are perceived as a threat. As these small people get bigger the problem, at times, becomes less of a problem for the dog.
The best advice I can give you is speak with you veterinarian, trainer or behaviorist. These individuals are best equipped for dealing with this situation.
A small suggestion is to address the reaction of you grandkids. See if you can try and not let them scream so much when your dog shows this activity. Place your dog on a leash when your grandchildren come to visit and correct the behavior by showing your dog he is not going to be assaulted by your grandchildren. By allowing the screaming and letting the dog attack their feet you are only escalating the behavior.
You can give him a toy to redirect the attention from the feet. Maybe placing him in a crate in the same room as the grandchildren will help. Allowing the kids to feed him may make an impact. All of this, of course, under supervision by you.
Good luck
2007-12-24 22:19:53 · answer #2 · answered by Delilah 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Okay, it is not an attack, I breed/show/handle Miniature Schnauzers for 14 yrs now.....trust me it is not an attack..
I have 2 that does the same thing, some Schnauzers love to grab your feet when you walk, and walk only......if you are sitting, they will not mess with the feet......Demon, my 3 yr old, every time we get ready to leave the house, he will run to the door and gets our feet, he does not bite down, but he will hold on........he is getting better about it, and Bear, well he does the same thing, they are not trying to hurt anyone, they dont want you leave them, and they are wanting attention.
I have seen this over the years, and other Schnauzer owners I know some have the same problem...Schnauzers are not a ficious dog.......what we do with Demon, we have a rolled up newspaper, never hit them, but take the paper when your dog starts after feet, anyone/'s feet, and pop the paper on the arm of a chair or whatever is close, we take it to the door with us now, and he sits down, and will bark at us for leaving now, it is just a trait in some of them, if it was only yours then you could be worried......you can even pop the paper on your leg or hand when you see the baby some after you or the children, he means no harm......try the paper and let me know how he did....it will take some time, but be patient, these are wonderful companion dogs and I have seen one yet that does not love kids......good luck
Merry Christmas
2007-12-24 22:22:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Hey there. You certainly do not need to get rid of your dog - that is unreasonable - but you do need to supervise at all times when the dog is with the kids. There must be immediate consequences for the nipping - the dog must be quickly and neutrally removed from the situation. No scolding, no punishment except for removing the dog. Instruct the children to not move and not scream when this happens. If that's not possible, then the dog doesn't get to hang out with the kids for a while.
Signing up for a class will help you immensely. Please be sure you sign up for a positive "clicker" class. Good luck!
2007-12-24 22:27:23 · answer #4 · answered by Misa M 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
When the grandchildren come over, if the dog starts attacking their feet... put it behind a baby gate. Pick a room that you can separate The dog from the rest of the family. When you feel he/she has been kept away from the family long enough, you can try again...just be sure that the minute he/she goes after one of their feet... you put him back in separation.
many dogs don't like to be away from the "Pack". So this might teach him/her that it is wrong to go after peoples feet.
2007-12-24 22:13:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I suggest putting your dog in a cage or putting your dog in a room with the door shut. I'm not a great expert since I only have a Pom but your Schnauzer is probably thinking that they are dangerous to you in his opinion or he can sense that your grandchildren are scared of him so he takes advantage of that. Again I have a Pomeranian but since she's an ankle biter there are some similarities.
2007-12-24 22:13:55 · answer #6 · answered by Bri 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What is more important the 7 and 5 year old or the dog? Just lock the dog up when the grandchildren visit.
2007-12-24 22:12:08 · answer #7 · answered by darkdiva 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Keep the dog in a room that the younger kids wouldn't go into while they are around. My parents have a rule with their dogs, that as much as they love them, the dogs would go if they did anything to the grandkids. Lucky they have a big dumb dog that lets the kids do anything that want to him and he doesn't care. Good luck with your dog.
2007-12-24 22:26:50 · answer #8 · answered by Crystal 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My Schnauzer was the same with children, I never did anything to overcome this, but since watching Cesar Milan's The Dog Whisperer on TV, I think I would try some things. You might try to read some of his books.
2007-12-24 22:13:30 · answer #9 · answered by minimeme 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's possible the previous children harmed the dog installing a fear of small children in him. Also many small dogs are scared of children because they are noisy and run around a lot.
Try introducing the dog to the children when they are sitting quietly and not playing. ALWAYS make sure both children and dog are supervised at all times. Chances are if the dog can get to know them when they are quiet things may go better. Also obedience training should be a must for the dog.
Hope all works out.
2007-12-24 22:13:21 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. P's Person 6 · 3⤊ 3⤋
Put the grandchildren in the garage.....(just kidding). My one dog doesn't like anyone. I have to keep him in the bedroom or the yard when we have company.
Seriously, your vet may be able to give you a mild sedative for the dog for these occasions. I used them to take pets on a plane.
2007-12-24 22:13:32 · answer #11 · answered by shermynewstart 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋