young children

[sylvan]

Well done yorkipower!

[rford2222]

thank you

we wont be getting rid of her, i am way too attatched to her. we are going to work on all techniques that been offered, we so greatly appreciate all the info

[rford2222]

she has broken skin before, mine, she seems that once she gets to skin she releases, she doesnt hold on. This weekend there was many people around, she cowered on her back and let him pat her, as soon as she went behind our chairs the kid put his hand down there, and she snapped at him. when i picked her up she snarled and growled. With two kids on the way, which we didnt plan on when we got her, we want harmony in the house with her, since i consider one of our children

[yorkipower]

It DOES sound like she is reacting to fear and to be perfectly honest, whether your dog held on or not, the fact that she broke skin is NOT good. Seeking out the help of a professional is going to have to be a priority here. It means when she bites, she will bite hard. What could be a saving grace here, is if she gave you any warnings, which perhaps, you didn’t notice beforehand, before that bite. Did she snap at the air? Wince? Scream, snarl? You said that when a child tried to pet her she cowered on her back? Exposing her belly was the ultimate sign of defeat: “help! I give up! See? I’m defenseless against you! Please don’t touch me!” A dog who feels “cornered” will do the only thing that is left to her as an option – bite. When the kid approached her, even though she was on her back, showing him that she had given up, he continued to approach. She had no other option (in her mind) than to snap and “defend” herself. I am RELIEVED when I hear that a dog snarls and growls rather than bites (which you said your dog did to you). That’s a dog’s way of give a warning AND blowing some steam. Just like people, dogs get angry. I’ve posted this many times before on YT: expecting a dog to never growl would be the same thing as expecting a person never to yell. No one could say they have never raised their voice, but I’d rather live with someone who screams at me once in awhile than someone who randomly throws punches!

If it is fear that is causing your dog’s behavior, the good news is that it is within your control to make the things she fears less scary. Steady work, building up positive associations with the things she fears, letting her know that these things that scare her are not going to hurt her, will work, but it’s going to take time, patience and keeping two eyes at the back of your head at all times. Let’s face it. Very young children love to pull, tug and grab at things. Even if the child has no intention, let alone comprehension, that she is hurting your dog, the very act could trigger a highly negative response from your dog. You can’t let that happen.

Also, please note – behavioral problems can be managed, never cured. We are who we are. Some people are braver than others, some dogs are braver than others. If she had been socialized around children, men and strangers as a puppy, some of her problems would be less acute now, but she still would probably be a dog who is a bit more timid than average, perhaps, a bit more likely to react to fear. Two kids from the same household can have very different personalities – one may be outgoing and the other a wallflower – even if the parents have treated them the same and given them the same opportunities. You need to understand that because you can never allow your dog to be in a situation where something one of your two legged children will do will scare her. Even if you think she is “cured,” you must still be aware that something, at some point, could trigger a fear reaction. Knowing that when she bites, she breaks skin, means you have t to accept that there’s always a potential that she could hurt someone. You must be able to always be proactive – not reactive. You want to work up to the point where whenever your dog sees a child, she associates that child with something extra special, extra good – a special treat she wouldn’t get any other time for example. If you recall the story of Pavlov’s dog – that’s what I’m getting at here. Conversely, you never want your dog to have any association that counters that association (that’s one of the reasons it is so important that your dog have a quite area where she can retreat from the children and feel “Safe”). This problem is never going to “gone.” But it will be managed and of course, your children will grow up and then the baby and dog issue will be moot.


Here’s the good news (as best as I can assess from here):

1) You can build a positive association “bank” for your dog so she is less timid around children and therefore less fearful and likely to snap
2) You can manage both your dogs and children’s environments so that the two only interact when you have control over the situation and keep each from harming the other
3) Your children will grow up and begin to understand your dog’s needs. As the children become old enough to understand, they can actually help you manage your dogs fears rather than be the cause of them
4) There is professional help out there as well as many books and magazines to get you on your way

Here is some reading recommendations:

Turrid Rugas (sp?): Calming Signals (so you lean how to calm your dog before she reacts)
Jean Donaldson: The Culture Clash (so you understand how dogs learn)
Fight! (so that you can learn how to desensitize your dog to things that trigger aggressive tendencies)
Stanly Cohen: Dog Speak (so you can understand the body language your dog is giving you)

[rford2222]

she does bark in the air and makes this strange noise, she also puts her airs down, like to the side. I got a good idea of when she is not happy and she wants to be alone.

[yorkipower]

That's good. That will give you the tools you need to assess what scares her and when she's at her breaking point. You need to back off when she shows you those signs to the point in which she seems calm and slowly build from there. Gradually increasing what she is exposed to. if she is frightened of children, take her to a park and sit far away from the kids, where she can hear them but not see them. Give her cookies and treats and tell her what a good girl she is. If she starts showing you those signs, move further away, if she seems calm, get a little closer. Gradually, decrease your distance based on what she is "telling you."

[rford2222]

you dont understand how much i appreciate this advice, anyone who has any info is so nice to take the time from their lives to give info to help

[yorkipower]

You are very welcome. It is so nice to hear that you care for your dog and recognize her as a part of your family (and not some THING to be disposed of once she is no longer convienant). Wish there were more people like you.I know I speak for YT when I say, if we can help you keep your Yorkie and make the new family arrangments work out, we will do our very best to help you.

[rford2222]

i consider her family

[cowboy_0215]

Hi I have a 4mo. old male yorkie and he does not liked to be picked up by my older children when he is on the couch beside me. I have also been working on getting him to drop things when he gets stuff he is not supposed to have. But, he growls and snaps if you try to get things from him. Any suggestions?I feel that he has been well socialized. I take him to petsmart and I have young neice and nephews and other family that he has been around. They are all aware of how to handle him. They know he is very small and fragile and children must be sitting down to hold him.

[kittendes]

When we adopted our daughter 18mo ago, we tried to get our dog Willy(3yrs old at the time) used to children ahead of time. I took him to the park, had our nieces & nephews come around. Mandi was 11 mo old when we brought her home from China, so due to where she was we couldn't get Willy used to anything with her scent. But after we were gone for 17 days, Willy was so glad to see us he didn't care who we brought home with us. He couldn't give us & the new baby enough kisses. He was very curious about her & went wherever she did. We keep telling him this is his little girl too and he needs to protect her. Whenever we go to the park he doesnt want anything to go near her stroller & is very protective of her. Mandi & Willy still fight over who is going to sit on my lap, usually they are both on my lap. We have been very fortunate as our Willy has taken very quickly to our daughter & loves her to pieces.
Desiree
mom to one beautiful China Doll, Mandi &
mom to one very loveable Yorkie, Willy

[StewiesMom]

What a heart warming story, Desiree. I'm happy it all worked out for you.

Now I am going to private message you about China. I am hawking everyone for some info about it