Hi,
Just want an opinion on what I'm doing here. My pup very obviously sees the kids differently from the way she sees my husband and I (and now my 10 year old daughter). When we walk up to her she'll roll on her belly and sometimes she will be a little wild and playful but it's easy for us to get her to stop it if we want to. But when she sees kids she will instantly want to jump up on them and be all nippy and overly rough/playful. I don't allow her to ever jump on kids - I stop the behaviour and sometimes will just hold her next to me and praise her while the kids are playing and she's remaining calm next to me. I don't allow the kids to run in front of her or anything. She'll want to go up to any kid, even if they are standing still, and jump on them and chew them. So, the other day I asked my 10 yr. old daughter to untangle the pup's leg from the leash I had her on at the playground and when my daughter lifted her, she growled and flipped her head back to snap - all snarly and nasty. So I immediately went over and shook her scruff until she yelped and told her, "no." Then when I had her playing with me later on I went to pick her up and she did it to me so I did the same thing. She is only nine weeks old. I seemed to have nipped this in the bud (hasn't happened since that day of a couple of scruff shakings) but I feel weird that I had to do such a correction at so young an age.
What do you all think?
I'm not saying I'm worried she's aggressive or anything. I'm wondering if I am correct in the way I'm seeing this - as her thinking she's equal to the children and needing to learn that this is not, in fact, the case. And I guess she challenged me once too - but I think I'm all set now.
Thanks for any advice/experience on this issue.
Jen
P.S. I am in the process of watching the puppy dvd (8 wks - 8 months).

whatever you do just dont let her get her way. start getting her use to being brushed, her feet handled and all of that stuff, thats a good age to work on that. dont ever let her squirm away from you,hold her until she calms down .thats her way of telling you i dont want you to touch or pick me up, but who cares what she wants, you are the boss. in time she will realize some things she doesnt have a choice on.

Thanks Shaun,
I just realized that I should have posted this in the section regarding dogs and children...oh well.
Thanks for your advice. She seems to be learning her place in the house very well. I was just surprised that this was an issue for such a young pup. We're doing all the things you said and it's working fine.
Thanks again,
Jen

I moved the topic here. You may get more responses.
I would have the kids feed the dog and walk her too...have them get as involved as they are capable.

Pat

Thanks for moving this for me, Patrick.
She did the growl and snarl thing again when my 7 year old tried to direct her to her crate tonight. Now the problem is that when I walk over and have him do it while I'm standing there, she is an angel. He did not pick her up or anything...just touched her side and tried to direct her.

But I will start having the kids put her food dish in the crate for her at mealtimes and take her outside with me. Of course, I have always been the one feeding her and she did this for me twice (and not since then) and for my husband twice. My kids NEVER bother her or mess with her in the crate. I'm in charge of the dog and they've been very good about obeying my rules.
I'm just so curious if this is normal for 9-10 weeks of age. It does seem like she is throwing a 'temper tantrum' of some sort and now just does it with the kids when she thinks they are interfering with what she wants. She is definitely a nippy little thing and loves to chase and grab and tug on anything that moves past her.

I know I need to get into these articles and this forum and search on this and I need to watch the section on puppies and kids on the DVD. So I will do that and if anyone has any more advice that will be great...this being my first puppy. I'm wondering - are they all like this??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm fine with dealing with it and will feel especially fine if I am told it's normal!

Thanks - Jen

Just wanted to add that I think I am on the lookout for any temperament problem. My pup is just a product of an unspayed mutt with the father supposedly being a husky. The mother had a wonderful temperament and they SAY the father did too but since I didn't get to meet him I can't be too sure.

And I taught her to sit this morning like Ed does in the DVD and she was so responsive. It was really fun and she learned so quickly that it made me realize there is so much I can do to change this behaviour. So I will watch the kids section of the dvd this morning.
I guess the only thing I would be wondering about at this point is how normal this behaviour is for her age.
Thanks so much!
Jen

Hi Jen,

Since I have had some problems with my last puppy and my son, I didn't take any chances this time around.

• I made sure that my pup eats after everybody in the house especially my son.
  
• I went to the extent of making every family member spit in the food before giving it.
  
• The pup always has a leash on (in the house and out).
  
• I or my wife are always present when my son interracts with the dog.
  
• My son will sometimes hand feed the dog.
  
• Like it was said before, my son will hold the leash for walks or just to go in the backyard.
  
• After a couple of sessions working the SIT command, I gave my son a treat and asked him to give that command to the dog (and reward when executed).
  
• I never put the dog in the crate. I use the CRATE command with a reward. Just take a treat, make the dog sniff it and take the treat in the crate while giving the command. Once all four legs are in the crate, give the reward. Once the command is learned, you can ask your kids to do it.
  
• Ask your kids to give a treat to the dog while it's in the crate.
  

As you can see, I implemented some extreme measures so that the dog knows it's place in the pack and I have had no problems up to know.

Hope this helps <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Marc Denis

 Quote:

.....her thinking she's equal to the children and needing to learn that this is not, in fact, the case.....

Besides the good advice you have received:

http://www.leerburg.com/dogskidsdirectory.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/kidbites.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/dogs-babies.htm

what we did was we started to let our 6 yr old daighter take more control, if our dogs snaps at her SHE corrects the dogs, when our dogs eat, our daughter holds the bowl and puts her hand in it and sometimes take it away or make them stop eating by telling them or pushing them away and if they shows signs of agression they get punished. This way the dogs see her as teh "Alpha" and they know she is more dominant. oh and shes the one that feeds them too, they know if they are bad she wont feed them lol.

When they get to be too rough with your kids and they wont stop or listen to them your kids should grab them by the skin on their neck and make/force them lay down on their side. If you notice the way dogs play or fight they always go for the necks and put the other dog on his back. This is how they make the other dog give up, this is to show them that they are stronger and they are more dominant.

Don't put restrictions on your kids on what they can or cannot do, it should be the other way around, don't let your dogs act that way around your kids. It's going to be hard and you also ahve to explain to your kids what they have to do. It took our daughter a few weeks but today, she has full control of a 110 lbs. large breed boar killing puppy.

Good luck.


THIS POST IS BEING EDITED BY ED FRAWLEY - I am adding my comments to it.

I gave some though to just delte this post because the information in it is SO BAD. Its crazy to do what this poster is saying. I suggest people read the article I wrote on Preventing Dog Bites in Children. Its in my article section.

I will preface this post: Perhaps I am mis-understanding what you had to say...

I disagree with this advice, and feel that it could put the child in danger. You are basically describing an alpha roll, to be performed by a 6 year old child? And you are also creating food issues also to be "controlled" by a 6 year old? I have a 6 year old boy that is almost 4 feet tall already and HE can't even control my 9 month old GSD.

No child, and most adults for that matter, don't have complete control over a 100lb animal. And believing differently could lead to a hurt child.

While I do agree that dogs should learn that children are above them in the pack order, you can do this by having the child do simple obedience with the dog (after it has learned it) while you control the lead and enforce the obedience lesson.