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Originally Posted by harley  Hello - I have two sweet Yorkies - Rylee Jo and Lexie Lou. I need help with Rylee. Last year she was outside and the neighbors little boy came running over and tried to catch Rylee. I was telling the little terror to stop but he continued to chase her up the patio stairs. She was terrified and now is afraid of children and cowers in fear. Of course her natural instinct is to snap at them and that concerns me. Her little sister Lexie follows her lead and has started to cower when approached. I never leave the girls unattended but last night when we were out for a walk - another neighbor and her children were outside. The girls cowered in fear and as I bent down to calm them down the neighbor girl approached and Rylee snapped at her. What can I do to help her because I do not want her to bite someone. It makes me sad that she was so scared in the first place and that it literally changed her personality and is having a negative impact on the way Lexie is around people, mainly children. Please advise me on how to help my little princess. I would appreciate it.
Thanks!!! |
There are already a lot of suggestions and steps that was given but the most important thing is DO NOT BEND DOWN TO PET OR CALM YOUR DOG when they cower and snap. I know as a loving dog owner, you want to love and soothe your dog and calm your dog when it happens but in a dog's mind, it just doesn't work that way. Owner bending down to pet or calm them when they cower means they think that their behaviour is correct. They think that it is what you want them to do, that is okay to behave that way. Unfortunately with the bad experience that they have had, it is best you keep your dog out of noisy and fast moving children and get one or two children who are well behaved and gentle to help you in the desensitization training and start the training at a quiet place. It will be a slow process and requires patience and time but the result will be well worth it.