Puppy Has Bitten My Son Today 😔

[Jane57]

Im sorry and don't want to offend but I wouldn't allow such young children to pick up a young pup to be honest.
Good point made by another poster about how they are lifted. I would imagine a child would put pressure on the tummy rather than support the bottom, back hips of the dog which I still do to a 15kg big boy!

Its great that pup and the children can grow up and enjoy life together but it can be quite overwhelming to a young pup having so many excited kids wanting to all play with her at once.

Riley at this age nearly 4 still doesnt like a lot of kids approaching him at once, i.e. the school yard. Kids are loud, excitable, unpredictable and HUGE to a tiny lilt 13 week old puppy. I would keep her out of the yard to be honest.

I think you are right as in telling the kids if Betty is sleeping then they must not approach her, nor if she is eating , give her space , peace etc.
She is just a baby and learning as are your kids, I hope you manage to find solutions and have a lovely family life with you all together.

[Redked]

At that age, Bonnie was such a bitey cockerdile we wouldn't let our granddaughter, Evie, and her be in the same room together so I think your pup is actually doing well being in the thick of things. I knew Bonnie would bite without hesitation if Evie had picked her up so until Bonnie was older they were kept seperate most of the time.

Pups bite anyway and are much older before they learn bite inhibition so I'd say it's quite normal for a pup to bite when someone picks them up when it's not wanted (well, it is normal for cocker pups as we discovered  ). Bonnie drew blood on many occasions and there was no reason for it most of the time. I'd take the advice of others on here and suggest that pup is just warning you she is uncomfortable with certain situations and definitely stay away from the school yard as it sounds like it is too much for her. At 13 weeks they're learning so much but do not understand any of it yet.. ...it will all come together.

Bonnie and Evie are best buddies now and they adore each other. Bonnie is the sweetest most loving dog now but boy was she a biter at that age!

[Helen]

If by nipping it in the bud you mean to stop the growling then that is entirely the wrong thing to do - this is how they warn that they're not comfortable. Take away the warning and you could go straight from nothing to a bite.

As for pecking order - the dominance theory has been debunked. Yes you should teach and guide your dog but they do not see humans as their own species so why on earth would they see an human as an alpha or dominant to them?

To be honest I think your pup is overwhelmed by children, is just being a pup, and should have a safe place where she is not harrassed - this is where good crate training can be hugely beneficial 

[bizzylizzy]

Just to clarify again, (sorry, but I really hate being misunderstood, its frustrating) all I meant was that the "situation" needs to be nipped in the bud. I neither suggested the puppy be prevented from or punished for growling,, it'd be like punishing a baby for crying. I was simply making the comment, as tactfully as possible, that the situation cannot be allowed to escalate and that quite obviously if a puppy growls and bites a young child, then there's problem that needs to be sorted. I do however admit, that the comment was probably stating the obvious, so probably not very helpful anyway but as lots of other very helpful advice has been given here now, I'm sure the OP will be happy that she can resolve the situation fairly easily. 

[minimoo]

Thanks Bizzylizzy. My children are 3, 7 and 9 years. It was my 7 year old that picked her up and was bitten. He's pretty good at handling Betty, as is my 9 year old. At times my 3 year old can be a bit over zealous and her hugs can be a bit too much. We've told them all that when Betty is sleeping she must be left alone. Sometimes I carry Betty onto the school playground when I'm picking up the children. Most of the time she's fine but sometimes growls when children approach her. It certainly needs nipping in the bud - fiery red head!

You have just pointed out the main problem yourself a 3 year old will look at a puppy as something of a play thing and the pup is learning that children can sometimes be  bit rough. it is a lot for a small pup to come to a new home have to learn to cope with all of the changes and cope with 3 young children. they nedd to all learn to respect each others space.

[ETavernor]

We have taken a firm but fair approach with Betty over the past few weeks. We've tried to re-iterate that the children are her superiors and not her equals. Also we have constantly reminded the  children that Betty needs her space and sleep and that they need to respect this.  Betty does have a crate which she goes in when we leave the house and at night time but she will never choose to go in it during the day. She prefers to nap in her bed in the lounge. We've asked the children to avoid picking Betty up but this is not always possible. In my opinion my two older children are sensible and careful enough to do so if necessary. They know how to handle and carry her carefully and correctly. I've also stopped taking Betty into the playground as the children approaching her could have been too much and made her feel uncomfortable. Despite all this unfortunately Betty continues to growl on occasions when the children go to stroke or pick her up. Last night my youngest tripped and landed on the edge of Betty's bed while she was in it sleeping. Betty turned, growled and bit my daughter on her face.  I'm now feeling on edge whenever the children are around her and fear that one day she will really hurt or scar them. She never growls at me or my husband it's just the children. As another member said children and a dog that bites are not a good mix. I've contacted a dog behaviouralist to see if he can help. Just really don't know where to go from here.

[Pearly]

I'm really sorry to read that Betty's behaviour is the same - as you know the old adage "let sleeping dogs lie" is said for a reason and whilst we all know it was an accident, to Betty, having your daughter suddenly land in her space and wake her - well enough said....

You obviously care very much about Betty and want to do the right thing by her, it's obvious from your post, which is why I'm a bit confused  why let her sleep in an environment that isn't safe for your children when she has a crate? If it was me, I'd be popping her in the crate for set times/durations throughout the day...I do still with Coral who is now 12 months old!

I'd also be careful about letting Betty choose where and when she sleeps......it sounds as though she has you well trained  Pearl did this with me and I'm still facing the ongoing battle of wills almost 5 years on..........

Great idea to get a behaviourist in - please only let them use postive methods.....if Betty is an anxious dog using any form of rough handling or aversion may exacerbate her anxieties.

You may just be very unlucky and have a cocker spaniel who doesn't like being handled or petted.

Hope your daughter is ok?

Jayne
X

[bizzylizzy]

I'm so sorry and can imagine how you must be feeling. I don't feel qualified to offer concrete advice as to how to deal with it, but Betty is still young so I'm sure, with the right advice and proper help, you stand a good chance of correcting her behaviour before it becomes a big problem. I think the best advice can only come from someone who can come in and see how Betty and your children are interacting, it'll be hard for anyone here to make a judgement.
Best of luck, -I'm sure she'll be ok but you do need to tacke it as soon as possible! 

[lescef]

Sorry to hear you are still having problems,  but I think alot of dogs would react the same way if they were disturbed suddenly. My son when a young teenager went to say hello to our sleeping cocker and she nipped him on the nose. He learnt his lesson but accidents happen.
I agree about sleeping places, all dogs should have time out on their own. I was wondering what bedding you have in the crate. I used to have fleece, but in a fit of madness I bought large cushions. They both find them so comfy they won't always come out!
I'm glad you've called in a behaviourist who hopefully will give you help living in harmony.

[Markr64]

I understand that it will be a massive concern for you as we all want to do right by our dog but the safety of the children does come first. Betty is still young and her behaviour can still be corrected. I would make the crate a place where she feels very safe and also very comfortable. This is easy to do by putting comfy bedding in it and for a while partly cover the crate to offer a secluded area.

Does she resource guard? Can you go near her when she is feeding with her getting upset?

I think she is ok but is finding her life a bit of a confusing time and once she knows her position she will not be a problem.   

[assumpta]

Hi, firstly I hope your wee one is ok? I can sympathise it can be very stressful having a young pup and small children but I've come out the other side with all my hair and sanity intact I think you're doing right by getting expert advice and help, it sounds like you're doing a really good job and believe me it does get better. My boy is coming 2 and is very gentle  and loves the kids but he was a bit of a terror as a pup. As someone else has said use the crate if Betty is sleeping and I always let my pup eat in a childfree place whether it was dinner or a treat. 

[MaggieR]

If the crate isn't an option for her during the day please consider a puppy pen - I used one around the crate.  I left the crate door open during the day so he could go in if he wanted to - but for the most part he slept in his bed in the puppy pen - would give pup an area where the kids couldn't accidentally fall on her. Would also provide a space where she could go safely until you are available to directly supervise interaction between her and the children, because to be honest - thats what is needed.  Even at 7 and 9 although the children are old enough to handle the pup properly - they are still young enough to not understand her body language and when she is indicating she's not happy with a situation. 

[Patp]

As MaggieR has suggested, would a whelping pen be easier?  Something like this?

Jinley had one as a puppy with her canvas crate inside.  You can get ones with a base as well, but here is one I found.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/281276427044?adgroupid=13585920426&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=pla-144471703986&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&googleloc=1007192&device=c&chn=ps&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80

[rubybella]

Some puppies, and adult dogs too, just don't like children! Children are unpredictable and noisy, you can't blame them really. Some puppies also don't like to be picked up or handled very much, even though we want to give them puppy cuddles. The growling is your puppy warning the human that they don't like something.

At 13 weeks old I don't believe your puppy has a behavioural problem. It's responses aren't abnormal for the situations you have described and certainly its 'biting' won't be being done with the intention of an aggressive attack. Your puppy is obviously not feeling comfortable in certain situations and therefore you need to reduce the chance of these situations occurring. My spaniel hated being picked up as a puppy and still hates it now, she growls and makes it pretty clear she doesn't want to be lifted up.

[PennyB]

Some puppies, and adult dogs too, just don't like children! Children are unpredictable and noisy, you can't blame them really. Some puppies also don't like to be picked up or handled very much, even though we want to give them puppy cuddles. The growling is your puppy warning the human that they don't like something.

At 13 weeks old I don't believe your puppy has a behavioural problem. It's responses aren't abnormal for the situations you have described and certainly its 'biting' won't be being done with the intention of an aggressive attack. Your puppy is obviously not feeling comfortable in certain situations and therefore you need to reduce the chance of these situations occurring. My spaniel hated being picked up as a puppy and still hates it now, she growls and makes it pretty clear she doesn't want to be lifted up.

I agree - Ruby hated being picked up and carried around by anyone when she was younger (only when she became blind did she accept it - it was as if she knew) - in her case it was because she was so independent (he half brother Wilf who I got a year later absolutely loved being picked up and cuddled). Also let's face it they have 4 legs so love to use them

There are times when you can't keep forcing a situation as it will set up problems later. Each pup/dog is different and sometimes its down to genetics as much as it is socialising but its best to respect your pup's needs here as he needs nurturing in his own way