Help please doggy people! PIC UPDATE.

[MissRhead]

Have posted about my pup before in gs but posting in here regarding a different issue as maybe more people will see also..
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Hi, my pup is 10 weeks now and when we first got him he was very very nippy, he has almost stopped nipping me and OH completely now, though we are having great difficulty getting him to stop jumping on and nipping my son. He never ever jumps up on us and never has, just my LO? Even if im walking holding my LO's hand he nips at his feet and hands etc. He has never ever growled at him, his tail is always wagging, but i dont feel that i can let my son even stroke him as he just turns and bites his hands (he is 2 and 1/2)
If he comes into the lounge and my son is sitting on the sofa he jumps up and trys to bite his legs, obviously i want to stop this asap as it is not fair at all on my son that he cant even walk across a room of his own house you know? What can i do? I never let pup walk through doors before my son, i get him to put his meals down occasionaly, i get him to tell him to sit and give paw then reward him. ATM im having to split them into different rooms often during the day just so my LO can play, or walk to his toy box or toilet etc. I know this is not good as he needs to learn but i just dont know what to do ,Please help x
I just wanted to add i do exactly the same as i do when pup nips anyone eles or us, my LO lets out a yelp and i move him into a different room for a few minutes. This has worked for us, just not LO.
Im just editing to add, just been walking holding my LO's hand as he needed the toilet, the dog has been in the same room for 1 minute, just jumped all over him and cut his arm open, dont know wether this was by his teeth or claws, looks like a big scratch thats bleeding. Please someone help because this is getting unmanagable now and ive no idea what to do, or how we can ever have them together.

I just wanted to add a couple of pictures from this morning. My LO isnt very well and so is sat watching mr.bean, smokey has not stopped crying to get upto him, so i put him up and look what he did..



These last few days he has been like a different puppy

 

[lhancock90]

Have you considered dog training classes?

xx

 

[MissRhead]

Yes, he will be starting them in 3 weeks once all jabs are complete and stuff xx

 

[lhancock90]

Hmm, until then, keeping them apart does seem to be your only option.

xx

 

[Ellberry]

Hello!
It certainly doesnt sound like he is being aggressive so try not to panic too much! It sounds as though he it trying to play and doesnt yet understand the rules! 10 weeks is still very very young so there is time!

It's hard to say without seeing the behaviour, but it sounds like you are doing the right things, maybe keep the puppy still and away from lo until he calmss down, then allow lo to say hello, if pup gets excited again then its back to square one!
Puppy training classes will help with his general obedience and also if he allowed to socialise with other puppies/dogs that will help him to learn some boundaries so after he has had his jabs ensure he gets plenty of socialisation!
You can always call a behaviourist/trainer for some advice and maybe get one to do a home visit, they should be able to give you some advice!!

If you really are struggling to keep him from nipping/scratching lo then it may be best to seperate them for a bit.

You are doing well in persevering though, dogs and children can be amazing together if done properly, there is a lot of bad press surrounding it so well done

Good luck, it will work out in the end

 

[amjon]

Honestly I would get rid of the puppy. A puppy that nips is NOT suitable for a child. Your child could be seriously injured because your puppy doesn't know how to play. He could possibly be trained not to do it, but likely not with your child (and why would you want to take the risk of your child being harmed in the meantime).

 

[EmmaRea]

What kind of dog is he? Sounds to me like a herding breed. Herding breeds, like border collies, Australian shepherds, German shepherds, Australian cattle dogs (Queensland heelers), etc., are high-energy breeds that need near-constant mental stimulation to be good dogs. I'd get the dog and the boy involved in a game that can be played until BOTH are worn out. Two birds with one stone, so to speak. Have your son play fetch with the dog. Train the puppy that your son won't throw the ball until the puppy is seated politely next to your son. That way, you're teaching the puppy that your son will reward him for good behavior by throwing the ball, motivating the puppy to behave himself around your son. Herding dogs have to have something to do, or they get nippy, as you've experienced.

 

[PixieM]

It's a control / jealous thing, the puppy knows that you and your other half are the his owners, whilst the child has no way of letting the puppy know he ( the puppy i mean)is not top dog. My son is 7 so its a bit different with my dog but if she ever goes for his toys or the hoover it is a stern NO TESS, OUT! to which she then leaves the room as she knows she has done wrong, you always need to supervise your son and puppy and never leave them in the room alone.

You need to praise the dog when it is doing positive things with treats and get your son to do this aswell as the dog will respond to positive although you need to be really stern with the dog if it nips.

Is there any reason why he does this? also though it is only 10 weeks old and is still learning its boundaries it is only a puppy. What type is it though? you can always start the training at home aswell.

 

[baby_mama87]

My 2 year old jack Russell did this as a pup but we didn't have LO then, I think it's just normal puppy behaviour, they want to constantly play but don't know how to control themselves yet. My dog grew out of it at about 6 months old but I think the training classes will really help too

ETA: also it's very easy to smack when they do something wrong but the best way to deal with it is keep watching for signs when he is going to nip and quickly stand up infront of him blocking his way, don't use any eye contact and back him into a corner to show that you are in charge.

Xxx

 

[embo216]

I wouldn't get rid of him just yet! You have to think that it's not long since your puppy left his littermates and he most probably see's your son as one of them as hes closer to his size.

 

[MissRhead]

I would never get rid of him, hes my baby! lol
Today has been fantastic, i cannot even describe how proud i am of him, he just seems to have changed all of a sudden. He is fast asleep in his bed near my feet while my son is playing on the floor. I spent a good 20 minutes this afternoon sat on the wall at the front of the house and watched the school kids walking by with him, he was amazing!
Hes a bullmastiff x btw.
Thanks for all the advice, im hoping tomorrow will be just as good!
x

 

[Mummy Bean]

i wouldnt try to sepeart them too much as it may cause the dog to get overexcited when he is allowed near your son.

just constantly praise any good behaviour (this is what the pretty much teach you in puppy lessons) have some real small treats on hand for when the dog is good, and gentle.

use one syllable commands like 'sit', 'down' ect along with a hand action and if he complies shower him with praise...it wont take long for him to learn the good behaviour.

but on the flip side you also need to teach your LO how to handle to dog as well, allow LO to stroke the puppy gently and again praise LO for good behaviour...

it honestly wont take long for them to learn how to play with each other.

maybe gets of pull toys to keep both happy! Good luck

 

[RachA]

It can be really hard. As a PP said, your puppy knows you and OH are the bosses but your lo is unknown so more of a threat.

I honestly don't think Smokey is being vicious as my springer did a lot of nipping when she was a puppy. I'm not sure if you realise but Smokey could actually be teething and the nipping could all be to do with that. We found that once Holly had lost several of her teeth she stopped nipping totally - unfortunately i can't remember what age she was but i know she was fairly little still.

I would say you just need to keep on eye on them when they are in the same room and to intervene when you can see Smokey trying to be nippy. I know that your lo has already received a little scratch from Smokey but i don't think it should be a major problem. I suffer from dog trust issues but i found that Holly's nipping didn't frighten me at all.

I'm glad Smokey has been better the last couple of days - it's amazing having children growing up with a dog. My Lo doesn't talk properly yet but one thing she does do it tell Holly to Sit and Stay - and quite often Holly does, it's so amazingly sweet!

 

[mara16jade]

He's still such a baby and until he's at least 3 months old, they have a really difficult time understanding commands.

Try to have your son be involved with feedings and giving treats. Its possible your puppy doesn't see your son as someone above or even equal to him and is exerting dominance. But its also just as likely that he's simply trying to play and is over zealous.

The best way to quickly discourage a behavior that a puppy does that you want them to stop, is halt play time immediately and give a command: No!

So, you're playing with puppy and he begins to get excited and jumps and nips your hand. Playtime stops instantly, you say No! and you can even go as far as to turn your back to show him that wasn't acceptable. I also teach all my dogs "gentle". So when they take treats from my hand (or even my mouth - don't ask!) I tell them "gentle" and they take the treats ever so slowly and softly.

PM me if you have any questions about dogs - I've been around them my whole life and self train mine.

 

[LittleAurora]

I just scan read your post, and have not read any replies. But I think that the pup sees your son as a litter mate. Socialise the dog with other dogs as much as possible. Ask your vet for puppy party/classes. With the dog being so young he doesn't have much social eitiquette yet.
How long have you had him? If he is 10 weeks old you wont have had him very long unless he came away from his mum too early. This can cause problems with his behaviour and could explain him adopting your kids as a brother to play with. If you got him at the right age, it could be settling in 'teething' problems. The dog wont know the rules.

Pm me any questions if you like.