Snapping at kids

[Dazzlingdoodles]

I need some advice... I got Sukie from a wonderful breeder but she didn't have children around the pups. IN fact she was hesitant to give me Sukie because my son is about to 7 but normally she wont adopt to a family if a child is under 8.

So anyways after getting to know my family and meet my Roscoe she let us adopt her! So Roscoe is amazing with my kids in fact he waits everyday by the front door when he hears the bus coming and can't wait to get his kisses and hugs from them(and his treat that I let them give him while they have their snack). Sukie is so different and i don't know how to break her of this...

She is 4 months old and likes to play with my kids BUT if she is anywhere around me she growls and snaps at them. She doesn't try to actually bite them she just tries to scare them I think...

The the thing is she can't do this! It's not a good habit especially if we were to have company. I do admit she is a total mommy's girl, but how can I break her of snapping and growling at them? (I have two kids) For now I have told my kids not to try to pick her up or mess with her...

It's not like they are mean towards her though they are actually VERY gentle and treat them like babies... Roscoe in fact(who is the biggest mommy's boy in the world) goes upstairs on his own and cuddles with my son until he falls asleep every night then comes and finds me...I think he knows my son is afraid of the dark.

So what do I do? There is no way I am saying I might rehome her or something she is my baby and no matter what this is her home forever!! I just need to curb this...

[lovespandp]

Hm If you don’t get any good advice maybe try and post this in the training section. Peanut is ok with kids, he doesn’t really like them but he will deal with them.. He is really gentle with my neice other than that he trys to be around me or go hide when there are kids around.

I would think with training you will be able to fix this problem!!

[MorkieMomma]

Hi,

Well...there are people here who know more than I do, but I think the first thing to do would be to break her of her 'mommy's girl' issue.

Yorkies by nature are very protective and loyal to their owners. If she sees you as her person, and only you, this could create issues.

I would try to get everyone in your family to spend as much time alone with her as you do, and if that means you spend less time with her, so be it.

Gradually she should come to the understanding that everyone in the home is her 'person' and love everyone equally (but perhaps different ways). This might cause her to be less aggressive and snappy with your kids and others in the home, because she'll know you're all her people, and not just you.

Another thing is emotional feeding that you may (or may not) be aware of. Pay special attention to what you are feeling when your kids come close to Sukie. I think you'll notice that you watch more pointedly at the interaction, and however slight it may be, your heartrate will increase as you wonder if she'll snap at them again. Or...waiting for her to snap, etc. Sukie will sense this and feel this increased heartrate from your norm. This is a red flag to her that something isn't right with you when the kids are near her. She then reacts instinctively to protect you because in her mind, you're fearful of your own kids. lol You clearly AREN'T. But Sukie doesn't know that...she only knows that when the kids come to play, mom's heartrate increases and she acts differently...mom must need protecting.

Make sure you're calm, serene, and try your best to speak normally when the kids come around to play with Sukie when you're near to her. Any fluctuation of voice, or pitch (even the slightest little bit that isn't detectable to another human)....dogs can sense. If you keep your calm and don't react to whatever situation may...or may not arise, Sukie will be more likely to believe everything is okay, and not lurch to protective stance.

Without a doubt, someone(s) much more knowledgeable than I am will be here to add things too.

I hope Sukie soon learns that mommy doesn't need protecting! Keep in mind that it is a Yorkie trait though, it's natural for them to want to protect their loved ones when their loved ones seem 'off'.

[chachi]

Your breeder was right to be hesitant to sell to you. Not all yorkies are good with kids. The quick movements and loud noises of kids is something they dont like or make them nervous. Both of mine are that way to a degree and My Chachi had snapped at my daughter a few times when she was younger. My Jewels would never snap but is nervous acting around kids. You can try training but if that doesnt work you may have to grin and bear it and supervise untill your children are older. I would give the yorkie alone time away from the kids. My daughter is now 11 and Chachi never snaps at her now. What we did when he did was turn him over on his back and hold him there and tell him no bite. You can try encouraging a better bond with him and the kids by them giving him treats and rewards. Best of luck this is a reason many yorkies are rehomed so that is why some breeders wont sell to people with children

[gracielove]

Sounds like she is protecting you in her own little way. There are people here that are better at correcting things like this than me . Teresa Ford has a lot of knowledge about these things. I would trust her judgement.

[celstu1]

My Fletcher does this to kids when he is near me. If my 2 year nephew comes to pet him and he is on my lap he tolerates it for a minute and then will growl, bark and snap. I tell him No repeatedly and if he does it again, I put him in another room for a 'time out' and to calm down. He is possessive of me, but this behavior is not tolerated. My nephew is also a bundle of energy and has the habit of getting in his face so I work with my nephew to not get too close to 'the puppies face' and to not scream around the puppy. (my Fletcher is 6 years old, but my nephew calls him a puppy because he's little). Slowly Fletcher is becoming more tolerant, but it's been almost a year. My Dexter avoids the kids, but if they pick him up, he has endless patience and NEVER growls or snaps. My boys came home with me at 9 weeks old, they are from the same liter, grew up in the same environment, but they have such different personalities. Fletcher is so high strung and Dexter is so mellow.
Allow your girl short periods of time to interact with you and your child and then when she's overwhelmed and snapping, put her in another room for a short time. You have to do it immediately though, while saying something consistent, like I tell Fletcher to Be Nice. Its going slow, but it's getting better.

[beecee]

I've heard this a lot about yorkies and I was surprised when I found that Jimmy absolutely loves children! He loves my nephews and I can't get him away from them.

I brought him to the open air market the other day...he got away from my GF to run after a little kid. His tail wagging the whole time!

I do hope you find a solution! You're getting good advice already

Good luck!

[celstu1]

Originally Posted by MorkieMomma

Hi,

Well...there are people here who know more than I do, but I think the first thing to do would be to break her of her 'mommy's girl' issue.

Yorkies by nature are very protective and loyal to their owners. If she sees you as her person, and only you, this could create issues.

I would try to get everyone in your family to spend as much time alone with her as you do, and if that means you spend less time with her, so be it.

Gradually she should come to the understanding that everyone in the home is her 'person' and love everyone equally (but perhaps different ways). This might cause her to be less aggressive and snappy with your kids and others in the home, because she'll know you're all her people, and not just you.

Another thing is emotional feeding that you may (or may not) be aware of. Pay special attention to what you are feeling when your kids come close to Sukie. I think you'll notice that you watch more pointedly at the interaction, and however slight it may be, your heartrate will increase as you wonder if she'll snap at them again. Or...waiting for her to snap, etc. Sukie will sense this and feel this increased heartrate from your norm. This is a red flag to her that something isn't right with you when the kids are near her. She then reacts instinctively to protect you because in her mind, you're fearful of your own kids. lol You clearly AREN'T. But Sukie doesn't know that...she only knows that when the kids come to play, mom's heartrate increases and she acts differently...mom must need protecting.

Make sure you're calm, serene, and try your best to speak normally when the kids come around to play with Sukie when you're near to her. Any fluctuation of voice, or pitch (even the slightest little bit that isn't detectable to another human)....dogs can sense. If you keep your calm and don't react to whatever situation may...or may not arise, Sukie will be more likely to believe everything is okay, and not lurch to protective stance.

Without a doubt, someone(s) much more knowledgeable than I am will be here to add things too.

I hope Sukie soon learns that mommy doesn't need protecting! Keep in mind that it is a Yorkie trait though, it's natural for them to want to protect their loved ones when their loved ones seem 'off'.

This works with my Fletcher too. If I 'ignore' him when my nephew goes near him, he doesn't snap or growl, but when hes on my lap and my nephew comes over, I get nervous, so he gets nervous and then he snaps. I did realize that I was partially at fault for his behavior.