[Om Girl]

We have a small yorkie poo, Zero (dog) (yorkshire terrier/toy poodle cross). I bought him as a single girl and he was my baby. When DH came into the picture he'd get aggressive towards him once in awhile. Now that we have DD he's started "snapping" at her/us/other dogs.
For example last night I was sitting on the floor holding DD in front of me and Zero (dog) was about a foot in front of us facing away. DD was flapping her arms around and all of a sudden Zero (dog) turned around and snapped right at her face, teeth bared, ears back and growling. Then when my dad tried to catch him he snapped at my dad and myself. (This is the second incident like this)
I don't know what to do...he went through "puppy training" and never had a problem with other dogs or people. This is relatively recent that he started this behavior. (mainly since DD was born)
I know that I don't give him the attention that he used to get before we had DD,so I'm not quite sure if this is a jealousy issue or territory issue or what. He'll also snap at my parents dog for no reason whatsoever. He's not provoked, sometimes their dog will even be like five feet away and he'll just go "crazy".
I'm scared to leave DD on a level where Zero could reach her. (He is about 5 pounds and 5" tall, but can jump onto all the furniture except the bed)
I'm prepared to find him a new home if that's what we need to do, but I'm wondering if there's any training that could be done to remedy this.
I want to be cautious and safe, I don't want DD to get bit, or anyone else. He's never bit anyone or anything.
Please help me...

 

[Sailor]

I'll preface this by saying I have never owned small dogs. I've grown up with large breeds, and now, myself, have a shepherd. But, I assume that whether a dog is 5lb or 90lb ... the alpha/pack mentality still applies.

Sounds like he needs to learn his place in the pack. Your alpha, everyone else falls into place, and the dog has to come last. I'd go with a training program such as NILF - nothing in life is free.

When you give him food, make him sit and stay until you put it down and give him the OK to get it. When you walk through doors and the dog is with you, make him sit and stay, walk through first and have him follow. Make him work for your affection, i.e. before you pet him have him sit or lie down. Before you give him a treat, make him lie down. If he doesn't do it within 2 seconds ... walk away and don't let him have the treat. Same with food. Same with anything. If you take walks with him, make sure he knows good leash manners. If not, teach him, and don't walk with him until he learns them. Stop letting him on the furniture. That's for humans ... not dogs who don't know their status in the pack. Don't place you DD on the floor with him, at least not until he understands that he ranks below her. Make sure your husband employs all these methods as well. And make sure you do this in a consistent way. No exceptions. Basically, make him "work" for everything.

 

[ediesmom]

Its hard to say knowing such a small amount, but I would agree with the PP. It sounds as if your dog is asserting its position OVER your baby in the pack order. Gotta nip that very quickly.

I have a 12 pound pekingese. It SEEMS strange to HAVE to exert power over a 12lb dog ( how bad could he ever possibly be?) but it has been necessary. He was food aggressive, and REALLY grumpy if dd got on MY bed. He has learned very well that he and the cat are at the bottom of the pack.

I spoil my animals. They get attention from the sitter (pet) in the middle of the day, they get fresh fish or meat for dinner most nights (wysong canned other nights), along with other luxuries lots of other pets don't have. BUT, the dog is expected to keep his place in the pack. Any infraction is dealt with immediately and firmly.

Regardless of the dogs size its still a dog in need of pack structure. Pack structure can be accomplished without being mean to the dog.......even if it FEELS mean to you.

All that said, I would give your dog a chance at your home. There is probably not a need to rehome.

ediesmom

 

[Peepsqueak]

I think this is a matter of supervision and proper separation of child and dog and not setting either up for failure. The dog and child cannot be together unsupervised and even when you are around, the baby cannot really be controlled not to frighten the dog with spastic movements or trying to grab at the dog, etc. If the dog bites the kid around the face, I would get rid of him/her. If the dog just nips to play or growl to warn because he is afraid, I would just really keep very strong division between the child and the dog.

Also have a crate available for him so he can focus on you and achieving good manners in the home. If he cannot be controlled you can give him time out in a crate or just crate him to prepare him to focus for a certain duty or activity when he is out. This way he feels safe in his own den space. (Crates are not punishment tools....you can give him his own toys to enjoy too - a small kong size appropriate for your dog will help too).

High anxiety in small dogs for obvious reasons.....they are quite threatened with all the big being around them.

 

[Om Girl]

Thank you all so much for your advice...
Last night DH and I were watching the National Geographic channel and it was Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer.
The three episodes that we watched were all about dog aggression and bringing a baby home and establishing pack mentality! So DH and I learned a lot and are starting to establish more dominant boundaries with Zero and using the crate a lot more. Also, we're making him "work" for his food/attention etc. It seems to help, but only time will tell!
Thanks again

 

[Peepsqueak]

Great news! What a relief! I hate to hear that people have to give up their pets due to them being a possible danger to their children. There are ways to cure this if caught right away....so good thinking and kudos

 

[MamaAllNatural]

I agree. It's always better to give the dog the chance it deserves to improve. I did want to mention too that probably you unknowningly along the way gave him signals that led him to believe you wanted him to be aggressive. It's not your fault! I did this regarding fear w/my older dog when she was a pup until I learned better. If you think back maybe when he growled at your dh you pet him or held him and said, "It's okay. He's okay." in a soothing voice. That tells him that he's doing a good job by behaving that way and that he was right to act like that. Any signs of aggression need to be taken *very* seriously and dealt w/firmly and quickly (like the very second they happen. The dog needs to know that it is absolutely unacceptable to ever act that way.

I think with all of the great advice you've been given here you're going to see a huge improvement. Give it time and be patient but stick to it. It is so worth it. Good for you for working w/your dog's issues instead of giving him up.

 

[~PurityLake~]

I agree with the replies here... it's all about teaching the dog who is the boss. The dog whisperer is awesome and it seems it was great timing for you to see his show.
I have an 11 year old shepherd mix. She is a dominant female, has always been aggressive with other female dogs. She's been through obedience classes and always did well, even off leash, around other dogs and balls flying around. Of course, the classes were structured and I was attentive.
I had my daughter when Brittni was 10 years old. Brittni was definitely jealous. I just reinforced discipline with her, didn't let her on the couch anymore, or on the bed as she was used to.
Well, I did make one mistake. Out of habit, I put a dirty pan on the floor for the dog to lick out and left the room. Abigail had wanted to share with the dog, the dog didn't want to share. I didn't see what happened, but I think Brittni either scratched Abigail, or more likely snapped at her because Abigail was balling and there was a tiny scratch on her cheek. Boy did that dog get yelled at and kicked out of the house, after I found her skulking under the bed. My husband was ready to shoot her. But I feel I was mostly to blame since I'm the one who gave her the pan and walked away. Besides, she was my dog 9 years before I even met my husband, and he wasn't there when it happened, so I didn't think he had the right to say what's what about it. Anyway, a couple months have passed since then and I absolutely have not allowed Brittni to lick out a pan in the house (I put her out on the porch to do that) and I put her out on the porch whenever Abigail is walking around with food in her hands, since Abigail wants to share with the dog, and the dog is a horrible begger and food stealer when given the opportunity.
anyway, I guess I just agree, you have to not only establish, but continually reinforce that all humans are the boss over the dog, and don't leave child and dog unsupervised together.

 

[Bluegrass]

*

My situation is totally different from the op's situation, and my experience does not apply here.

 

[mamamillet]

Quote:

a tiny dog is never going to seriously injure anyone.

I do not know your dog and trust that you do know your dog but this satement is not true. A tiny 8 lb dog, a yorkie, bit my friends daughter (2yo)repeatedly within a 90 second moment and sent her to the er for bites on her face and arms. While a larger dog can obviously do more damage a small dog can definitely do damage not only physically but also emotionally...

 

[Bluegrass]

Hmm, that is interesting. How awful for that little girl.

*See my edit above*

 

[MamaAllNatural]

My nephew also had to go to the ER from a bite from a small dog that required stitches...of course right on his face. He has a scar for life. I think owners of small dogs are just as responsible for not allowing any aggression in their dogs. If the dog is so small then the children need to be taught to be respectful to him or the two need to be separated and/or constantly supervised. It's never okay to encourage/allow aggressive behavior in dogs.

ETA: OP, my comments were in response to bluegrass' posts which she edited. Just to clarify!

 

[KrystalC]

My mom and some other people I know swear by using a Gentle Leader to establish your role as the alpha in the pack to correct behavioral issues. It's completely humane and does NOT hurt the dog unlike prong or choke collars. Instead, it's designed to apply slight pressure to the back of the dog's muzzle like they do when they're asserting dominance over another dog. Basically, it uses the dog's own language to communicate who's boss. It's great for walking, but is also good for training the dog to listen to you and obey your commands. From everything I have heard, it's also great for curbing aggression. I plan to get one for my lab/shepherd puppy before we have our baby to teach her to become more calm and to listen to us when we tell her not to jump up. She's too big to do that around a baby!

We've also had to crate her when we leave or go to bed because she's got that typical lab destructive streak when she's left unattended for even a few minutes. She absolutely LOVES it, so we leave the door open and she goes in there to sleep on her own.

We've also been allowing our friend's 9 year old daughter to give commands to my dogs so they get used to listening to a child as well as adults. Granted, a baby isn't going to be able to command them, but at least it lets them know a "smaller human" can still be boss for when our son gets bigger. We also let her feed them treats and have taught them to "Wait" before they will be able to get it out of your hand. She gives them the command and they sit patiently and wait for them to be told "okay" before taking the treat. It's worked absolute miracles on getting them to chill out a bit around her and not try to dominate her as a smaller human.

I hope you're able to work with your dog and keep him in your home! I know how much we all love our pets!

 

[mom2olivia]

I have not seen anyone address this yet, but have you had a routine health exam (for the dog) lately? If not, please rule out any medical issues that may be causing this agression. As you mentioned, the pup is acting out against others (not just your child) that he previously did not act out agains. Do a full work up (blood work, teeth etc) and rule out any possible issues and continue what you are doing as far as "pack order". Good luck!

 

[Om Girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2olivia I have not seen anyone address this yet, but have you had a routine health exam (for the dog) lately? If not, please rule out any medical issues that may be causing this agression. As you mentioned, the pup is acting out against others (not just your child) that he previously did not act out agains. Do a full work up (blood work, teeth etc) and rule out any possible issues and continue what you are doing as far as "pack order". Good luck!

Thanks for bringing this up! I had him checked out last year, not that something couldn't have changed in a year, when he was exhibiting this same behavior with DH. It was always when he was sleeping on our bed and DH would come to bed after me. We thought maybe it was his hearing or vision and he was getting "surprised" but it wasn't the case. The vet determined that it was a dominance issue.
It seems like Zero is having the same issue now.
However, I'm also thinking that it could have something to do with the fact that DD was on the floor sitting facing him and waving her arms around. She may have grabbed his hair without my knowing it, but still things have slowly started to improve. He's acting very dejected though and I'm worried about his mental health.
It seems like he's depressed all the time, he just sort of mopes around and won't really be affectionate with me. He will with DH, weird. However he follows me around constantly under foot, and will whine/cry when I leave and be joyfully happy upon my return.

 

[thekimballs]

He may be doing just the right thing. If you've had a dominant personality dog and suddenly he's submissive, it can seem like moping. He should be approaching you with tail down, ears back, head middle or at the level of his back. He should be waiting for affection, not bouncing over and demanding it. The following part is good, but don't give him any reward for being sad when you're gone and happy when you're back. That feeds separation anxiety. You should go about your day, ignoring his separation moods, and if you come back in the room and he goes nuts you should absolutely ignore him. Turn your back on him. When he is calm and submissive once again, then he gets some affection.

 

[Om Girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thekimballs He may be doing just the right thing. If you've had a dominant personality dog and suddenly he's submissive, it can seem like moping. He should be approaching you with tail down, ears back, head middle or at the level of his back. He should be waiting for affection, not bouncing over and demanding it. The following part is good, but don't give him any reward for being sad when you're gone and happy when you're back. That feeds separation anxiety. You should go about your day, ignoring his separation moods, and if you come back in the room and he goes nuts you should absolutely ignore him. Turn your back on him. When he is calm and submissive once again, then he gets some affection.

This behavior is continuing and he's now acting more like a dog than a "baby"!