Tibbs Bit the baby :(
 

So Tibbs has been becoming more and more agressive it seems :( My mom was down here 2 days ago and said he was trying to bite her hand. I thought he was probally just trying to play. But yesterday he bit the baby :eek: The baby had fallen asleep on the couch and Bella was sleeping at the baby's feet. Tibbs was playing with his ball in the kitchen then all of a sudden he came running into the living room he started barking I shhhhhh at him so he hushed then I seen him jump on the couch I thought he was going to sleep to (They both usually sleep with Adam) Then I heard him growl and I looked over and about that time he bit the baby on his chin. I'm beside my self I do not know what to do I got Tibbs and scolded him 3 times and crated him. My husband is fighting me to give him away he said we can't keep a dog that's gonna bite our kid. :( I love Tibbs he is my baby!!! My first Yorkie my love. But I agree he can not bite my 3 year old in the face especially for no reason. Please help any advice??

How old is Tibbers?
I would get a trainer / behaviorist over to help you.
Dogs rarely bite due to aggressive behavior. They are responding to something a human did. Basically, what I am saying is, it is never the dog's fault, it is the human's fault. I think you need a professional to assess the situation and help YOU to train your dog to have appropriate canine manners or Tibbers will likely end up another throwaway.

I would try a trainer. Everything you can do should be attempted before you give him away.

Excuse me!!! I love my dog and I do not want to "Throw him away" I love him. My baby was asleep he didn't do anything to him...I posted this thread for help not to get accused of treating my dog poorly. I DO NOT want to give him away I love him he is my baby. But he can not bite my sleeping 3 year old. We have never mistreated him a day in his life by the way he has been treated like a little prince and is a happy dog. He has the run of the house and has never went hungry or thirsty a day in his life. We have had him since he was 6 weeks old he is now 8 months old and we also added Bella if I wanted to "Throw Him Away" I would have done it before now.... before I spent over 2000 dollars on vet bills when he broke his leg. or before I take him to his vet visits every single month. I want help!!! I do not want to have to give him away!!!But he can not bite my skin child.

That's why I posted this thread to see what all I needed to do and could do because he is my dog and my responsibility. My husband is bitter he says YOUR dog bit OUR child point of view. I will do everything in my power to keep him. But I'm clueless to what to do.

You need to talk to a trainer.

No he did nothing to him they do have interaction all the time but they are always supervised by me and Adam has very strict rules with the dogs that he follows. He is NEVER alone with the dogs. Like I said Tibbers has never acted like this until recently he usually plays with my son all the time and him and Bella both adore him they weight every morning at his door until he wakes up! IDK what could have triggered it.

IS there a website where I can find a good trainer and have them come in?? We have no dog trainers here in Harlan KY.

I was just responding to your post. You said: "My husband is fighting me to give him away"

I never said you were mistreating the dog, but I can tell you without ever stepping foot in your house that you aren't training it right and that is the problem. If you were, there would not be an 8 month old dog biting the baby!

I gave my advice. Hire a trainer, or you will end up getting rid of the dog. I resent the fact that you are twisting my post.

I'm not trying to twist anything I'm just responding to what I read. I've never had to train my do....he has always been good never attempted to bite anyone until recently.Sorry to me it felt like you were saying that I was just going to throw Tibbs out like the trash.And Im not.

Awww Tibbers why did you do that?
Seems odd that he would bite your skinkid while he was sleeping. i wonder if its jealousy or if your child might of accidentley did something that tibbers didnt like when he was awake? I hope it all works out........I would also say a trainer is needed, sorry i dont have any other advice except i wouldnt leave tibbs and skinkid alone till you get a grip on it. Good Luck!;)

Ive been keeping Adam away for him Ive got him gated in the kitchen and area and I took him for a walk this morning. He seems ok today even wined for Adam to come pet him so I held him and let Adam pet the top of his head and he just licked him. I thought it may have been jealousy too because Adam has been getting sick and requiring more "Mommy time" that he usually does.

That's fine.

Dogs need training. Any dog. My dogs are trained DAILY to reinforce good behaviors. You can't have a free for all in your home. If you honestly can't locate a trainer in your area, then perhaps you can talk to Britster who can give you some tips for training at home. She has trained Jackson herself and I think she may be able to give you some guidance.

I would make the dog work for everything. Sit before meals, sit before going out, etc. Use food rewards and if you can use a clicker to train, it will go faster. You can change his mental state fast with this kind of obedience training. Also, movement is safety for dogs. If you sense something is about to happen, you need to redirect the dog. Keep him on a leash at your hip and work with him all day. Prevent the behaviors from happening. If you're a stay at home mom, you are at a great advantage as dogs learn best in short bursts. You can train and reinforce several times a day.

Good luck.

might try Googling in your area for someone to call and talk to about it of there isnt a trainer close by. might be able to give you some pointers.

Thanks so much I will and can do that I'm a stay at home mommy I got plenty of time! We live in the little town of Harlan and their is not anything here we only have 1 wal-mart and a goodies and a few supermarkets. I have to drive at least 2 -3 hrs to even get to a pet smart.

I would for sure try and talk to a trainer and maybe even let them observe you and your family in your home. When 107barney said that it isn't the dog's fault and it is something the humans were doing, I don't think she was trying to be harsh or say that he did something right then, but sometimes we humans can be doing something we don't even realize that can trigger it.You said he was playing and then ran across the room? Maybe he was just all hyped up from playing? I would get a trainer, it may seem drastic, but hopfully they could qickly identify the problem and put an end to it.

I want to get a trainer anyone know how or where to find one??

i would probably just start with a google search! Good Luck! <3

Thanks so much !

It should like he was guarding your son. HUGE issue is I am correct about this. I would not allow Tibbs on the couch and your son needs to be put to sleep in his bed. As for training I totally agree with this suggestion to address the guarding issues which will only increase if not addressed immediately and properly.

I feel so bad that Tibbs bit the baby. Is Tibbs feeling OK? Maybe he doesn't feel well. I'm just guessing here. Hope you can sort this situation out. Good Luck!

Valenie i was wondering Tibbs may have got tired playing and wanted to jump upon the couch and lay by Bella to rest...and Adam was in his place..I have seen Micah be a little snippy & growl at the other dogs if he wanted to lay down where they were....I hope you can get it all taken care of

I too think ALL dogs need training. He is still a puppy and needs to be taught the right way to do things. Your son is a toddler, and could very possibly have done something to aggravate Tibbers at another time. You may not believe that or want to hear it, but I'm a mom of three kids and I speak from lots of experience.

When my daughter was about three or four I saw her tap (lightly hit) Sophia on the nose. :eek: I couldn't believe my eyes. I asked her why she did it and she said because she wanted to see what Sophia would do. (My daughter is now 10 and LOVES animals sooooo much...she has a very tender heart for them - she isn't some sociopath or anything. ;) )

I am a stay at home mom, am VERY attentive to my kids and dogs, and yet this happened. So, my point is, anything could happen. You can't watch your pets or kids every single second of the day.

It's not fair to Tibbers to punish him if he hasn't been given any training. I hope your husband is not being mean to him. :( I know you didn't say he was, but from what you said he is saying it concerns me.

I would not freak out about this. Tibbers needs direction and training. And it's very possible that your three year old needs teaching in how to treat dogs.

I think it might be a jealousy issue. Since you know have to keep him in the gate a lot, once he got out he was upset at you and got it out on the baby. Good job for scolding him. I know when Bailey gets in trouble, she knows by the look on my face and she DARTS to her kennel. I'm sure your a great mom to both your furbutts and your skin kids. Google for a trainer in your area or even petsmart for your last option. Consider all possibilities befor rehoming your dog. I know this is a sensitive time for you and your dogs but I wish you the best and keep us updated!

I am a new Yorkie owner and I have never had to train any of my previous dogs. (Min Pin and Chi) They were both well behaved although now after reading this forum and other sites I have researched I have realized maybe they weren't as well behaved as I thought.

When we got Gizmo a week ago I looked up the breed and everything I read said they needed to be trained or they would get small dog syndrome. We are retired so what we thought was good behavior from our previous dogs is not good enough for our Great Grand Baby.

Gizmo is 11 months old and I am making sure I train him so that he doesn't become aggressive. I agree with everyone you need to find a trainer or if you can't find one there is tons of training hints online. I would start training him "yesterday" starting with becoming "the pack leader" in your house. You said he has the run of the house which gave me the impression that he thinks he is "Alpha Dog". Why he bit your baby I do not know unless it was to assert his position as Alpha.

We have always allowed our dogs on our couch but with Gizmo we make him ask permission first. This has been hard for us because we love when he cuddles. Sounds like he is in a great home but maybe needs additional training. Please don't let this go or it will only get worst.

Very good advice!!!!

I wish you te best in figuring it out!! Sounds like tibbs may have been a bit jealous! Almost like he knew he had to be quiet because your skin child was asleep!! Best of luck!

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Also, as a slightly different thought - did your baby have a milky smelling chin? Or something else Tibbs might love? We had a cat, many years ago, which did exactly the same thing - completely out of character.

Good luck with it all :) Sally + Harry x

I do not have any advice, but I did want to say so sorry this happened. I hope you can find someone to help with your Tibbers! Best of luck to you!