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Help with my Chihuahua please

5 replies

largeginandtonic · 03/09/2010 22:01

I have a six month old long haired chihuahua. We got him 2 weeks ago.

No one wanted him as he was too old and they all want a teeny tiny 'fit in a mug' one, he is quite tall for a chihuahua.

He is lovely. So sweet and follows me around all day like a shadow. He never runs off and is (mostly) toilet trained apart from the occasional accident and nervous weeing.

However. He has started to growl and go for the 2 youngest children Sad

Frequently when he is on me or in my bed. Ds5 sleeps in my bed most nights and the dog has bitten him twice.

He cringes from my dd who is 18 mths. She won't leave him alone.

I can't leave them alone for a second. It is a real growl and then he goes for them.

I have shouted and removed him from the situation.

It is not working. I went in the shower this morning and had to get out soaped up to see the baby as the dog had done it again.

I am REALLY hoping there is something i can do. He is such a lovely dog. He doesn't yap, he plays with us all. We love him.

I went to the beach with a mate today and was scared every 10 seconds because her 18mth dd kept reaching out to touch him under the table and i was afraid he would go for her!

Help please. Thank you.

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Vallhala · 03/09/2010 22:37

Chi's can be nervy little buggers and I think you've identified a large part of the issue yourself - "He cringes from my dd who is 18 mths. She won't leave him alone."

If you want a haooy outcome you are going to HAVE to stop this from happening, for a start.

Use stairgates, a playpen for DD when you're in the bathroom, a safe, quiet and out of the way place for the dog to go to when he's had enough and instruct ALL the family to leave him alone when he's there, no exceptions. Maybe a crate for him to retreat to or to be popped in FOR SHORT TIMES ONLY when you are going to have to go about your business and can't suoervise. Never make a crate a place of punishment though and start by leaving the door open and feeding him in it to make him want to be in it. When you put him in there, give him some toys and a chew (and rotate toys so he doesn't tire of them).

I'm afraid that you are going to have to be strict with your DC and consistently lay out what they can and can't do wrt your dog. Likewise don't feel rude pulling people like your mate up VERY firmly - she should be preventing her child from acting as the child did. You'd rather lay down the law to your pal than see her child bitten, wouldn't you?

WRT bedtimes, please don't think I'm being critical - my 3 dogs (2 GSDs and a Lab x) all compete to sleep on my bed with me, but that's ok because they don't snap! Start a routine of last wee/walk, a treat and put pup into his crate (I've decided, half way through that this is not a perhaps buy, this is a definitely buy one!), just before you go to bed. He has hos safe place and you and DS have yours. Pup may cry/object at first, hence make lots of effort in the daytime to convince him that a crate is a good place. You may have to ignore him showing off for a night or two, though a jumper which smells of you as well as his blanket and a radio on low might be his comfort and limit or eliminate this. He will, if it's done properly, soon get used to the routine, especially if he's fed in the crate and gets treats in there.

WRT shouting at him - I'm not altogether against the idea as it CAN provide shock value but clearly it isn't working for you. It may well be making pup feel all the more insecure and thus think that there is reason to behave as he does.

You don't say how many children you have in total (brave woman, 2 are 2 too many here atm!), or what they are like towards pup and vice versa. Do you think that pup is feeling threatened or overwhelmed by a busy household/noisy children (no offence, mine are worse than anyone elses for noise!), frequent visitors, esp other DC or any such thing?

It really does sound like pup needs some space, some boundaries as to where he sleeps and who is entitled to be there and tbh some firm supervision and peristant "training" wrt your 18mo. Again, sorry that "training" sounds rude, I've had a crap day, am shattered and can't think of the right way to put it!

Dogs and young children can be done - there's 19 months between my two and both came home from the maternity hospital to meet our resident dogs. Those dogs are now passed away but I've had dogs all their lives - they are now teenagers and still live peaceably with 3 big dogs (although not necessarily peacably with me and if they don't shut the hell up and go to bed I shall feed them to the dogs!).

Finally, it may also be worth having pup checked over by a vet and ensuring that he's not in any pain and thus reacting to that, and consulting a behaviouralist too, which I'd seriously recommend. Speak to your breeder or local rescue and ask them to recommend a qualified, registered one.

HTH

Scuttlebutter · 03/09/2010 23:06

Endorse completely what Val has said. Also have you thought about doing some classes with him? Help provide some training for both, and some structure. Can also be very bonding.

largeginandtonic · 03/09/2010 23:09

Thank you!! It was just you i wanted to reply.

Have been skimming threads you have been on today.

I have always had dogs. Whippets, lurchers, standard poodles and a lab. My parents were dog people.

We never had a crate and they all slept with us. rotating beds as the night went on. Occasionally we would find a pig's ear under our pillow (nice)

That is why i didn't get a crate. I will now though. I contacted the people i got the dog from when he started doing it (they breed Bulldogs and have a Chi pet)She said to lock him in the kitchen overnight. He wailed the first night like a baby and the second night he jumped or got through the gate! I have stairgates all through the house.

I have 7 children. The rest are no problem as they know to leave him when he has retreated. He still snap's when they go to stroke him on my lap. He is so jealous i think.

I am stuck on the puppy classes too. My dh just deployed for 8 months and we have no family here to babysit while i go once a week. My Mum has done that with a run away whippet/lurcher we had once. She never stopped though. We just used to hang around for HOURS till she came back tired and hungry!

He has lot's of toys < loooks at chewed kid's toys all over floor >

So a crate then < quake > He will cry and miss me.

Poor love.

Sorry you have had a shit day. Hope tomorrow is better.

OP posts:
Vallhala · 03/09/2010 23:29

OMG! SEVEN children???

And your husband has been deployed for 8 months??? (Idiot here, but I presume you're a Forces wife, whuch makes you braver still).

I kneel at your feet in admiration!

More to the point, there are those who will coma along and disagree with me, and who view the pack/heirarchy thing as an old wives tale but imo I would immediately show Chi his place the minute he raised a lip at a child whilst he was on your lap... that place being the floor. I'd then replace Chi with the child on my lap, to indicate that growling/snapping when he is with Mum gets him the very opposite of what he wants.

My logic is that dogs do things for reward very often. Chi growls because he is jealous and is rewarded by the child backing off fast and so he remains on your lap. If the reward is consistantly not forthcoming he learns that well, sod this, it isn'r working, I won't try that again.

It was an approach I tried when my foster GSD raised a lip at DD2 (don't blame him tbh!) whilst he was sitting on the sofa beside me and she came close. I immediately told him to get off and DD to sit there instead - haven't had a problem since. I've also done this with foster dogs I've had in the past, it's taken longer and the key is as I said, consistancy, but it has worked every time so far.

Thanks for the good wishes... I don't suppose that you want an arsey 13 yo to add to your DC do you? Free to a good home? :o

largeginandtonic · 04/09/2010 07:44

Oh arsey 13 yr old would blend in fine. I can lock him/her up with stroppy 10 year old.

I have been doing the dog off baby up thing. It's a lot like a bitting child isn't it?

Perhaps the dog is pissed off because we called him Fernando. If i had called him Frou Frou or Tinkerbell he might have been happier.

I am indeed a forces wife < sigh > The other children are 12 (boy twins) dd10, ds8, ds5, ds3, dd 18mths.

At least i have company Grin

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