My dog and an eight month old?

Question

Hi,

I have a yorkie hes about 3 years old, great temperament so great with the baby (always supervised of course) He recently growled and bit my husband when he was scolding him for having one of the babies toys in his mouth. What should I do? Is that signs of jealousy towards the baby? Hes been needing more attention lately because of the new baby the vet has recommended that I get another dog to help him with this situation... any suggestions?

Answer 1

It is not a good ideal to leave your child UN-attended around this dog. As a matter of fact I would suggest getting rid of the dog. Some dogs will have this behavior and attack who ever is causing it no matter what the age.  

Answer 2

do not get another dog.it won't help, your dog may be feeling a bit left out but that is no excuse for him to be aggressive towards people, you should be able to take anything away from your dog, you need to make sure your dog knows its place with in your pack and you and your husband are the alpha male and female and should be able to take things from your dog, you need to make sure your dog knows it is wrong if he does it again behaviour like this needs to be stopped just think if your baby does this and your dog bites the baby, the pecking order needs to be you and your husband then the baby then the dog, next time it happens don't back down from the dog an don't show fear, if he bites or growls a quick tap with two fingers on the shoulder should put him in his place, followed by a sharpe no, if he won't back down then put the dog on his back and make him submit to you, (but this is the last resort thing), try doing more with your dog put some time aside for your dog to have some fuss and attention maybe when you go for a walk with the baby you could take your dog as well, but getting another dog will not make the dog feel better it could create more problems as your dog may feel jealous over the second dog, you need to sort your dog out first before you introduce another dog into your family pack

Answer 3

Yes that is signs of jelously. I think that you should just leave the child away from the dog so he dont get bit or anything.

Answer 4

1)  Get another vet!  immediately...

suggesting that U get a second-dog when U are not coping well with dog #1 is irresponsible in the extreme.

2)  Go to Dogs and Storks website...

listen to the audio of the founder (mother of 3) explaining how to cope with various circs.

3)  teach hubby a new way to deal with the dog!

put the baby-s toys  out of reach of the dog;

use baby-gates, etc, to keep the dog out of toy-strewn rooms,

or put the toys and baby in a playpen.

Answer 5

Never get a second dog "for the dog."  If you want a second dog, that's great but you need to get a second dog because YOU actually want a second dog, not because you think it might "help" some behavior problem that your current dog has or because you think your dog might be lonely.  A second dog *might* help a little bit with some behavior issues.  But the more likely scenario is that your first dog will teach the second dog bad habits and then you have two dogs with the same behavior problem and not enough time to properly work with either one of them.

I doubt that your dog's behavior is triggered by "jealousy" towards the baby.  It really sounds more like resource guarding or a fear response to aggressive behavior from your husband (the scolding...not saying that your husband was abusive in his scolding, but dogs often perceive yelling or deep voices the way they would growling).  If these are the reasons behind your dog's behavior, they can easily escalate and become a danger to your child (particularly once the baby starts crawling and toddling).  Since you do have a young child in the house, I can not recommend seeking the help of a professional trainer/behaviorist strongly enough.  Most vets know about normal dog behavior and a little bit about problem behaviors (unless they own a dog with these problem behaviors, then they know a lot through personal experience).  But what they don't know about dog behavior is the reason that most good vets refer to behaviorist when they see clients with real behavior problems.  Their heads are full of tons of information about health and diseases (usually for several species).  It is impossible for them to know everything and since their profession focuses on the physical health there isn't much room left for behavioral health.

Answer 6

great vet..get another dog..thats two dogs that could possibly bite your kid.

always watch your dog, make sure hes not excluded, and never leave bubs unattended around him. When he takes a toy, scold him and put him outside (a form of time out so to speak lol)

Answer 7

The dog probably thinks he (your huband) wants to play. Having another dog might not help. The dog will get used to the baby.

Answer 8

Get another vet!

Get some behavioral training for the dog.

Remember that dogs are "pack" creatures and until the baby came into the picture his place in the pack was secure.  He's not likely to take being demoted because a new member joined the group with a jolly wag of his tail.

And by all means keep up the supervision.

Answer 9

Get an expert opinion - not something you should leave to chance

Answer 10

First off, get a new vet.  Second, try to show the dog he is still important too and give him play time.  Good luck to you :)

Answer 11

Any vet that suggests getting another pet as a solution to a behavioural problem, especially when there is a child involved, is either ignorant or irresponsible. Possibly hoping to double the money he/she gets from you as a dog owner.

Take it slowly. How did your husband scold the dog? Could he have frightened the dog? When you say "bit" do you mean he latched on and tried to do damage or was it a nip, or a snap?

I'm sure you're not doing this but I'll say it anyway: don't underestimate what a massive upheaval bringing a baby into the household is for your dog, even if he's great with baby. It's great he's supervised and that'll need to continue, especially as baby gets older: grabbing and poking are never fun for a dog!

I'd say try keeping the toys somewhere he can't get them, if possible. Reward him with praise and maybe food when he lets go of a toy. Positive reinforcement is extremely effective. Always praise when your dog does something you like, even if it seems small.

If in doubt, speak to a behaviourist who uses non-physical methods of training. And maybe change vets?! Brining another dog into the house could exacerbate any problems, especially if they're caused by jealousy.

Hope some of this helps and good luck!

NB: I've owned and trained dogs for 14 years. One of my current dogs is a rescue who suffered abuse at the hands of previous owners.

Answer 12

Your dog is being protective against the baby. This behaviour with your husband though is not acceptable. I take it the dog has never had any obedience training. Now is the time to start although it should have been done when he was a pup. This is a great way to spend one on one time with the dog. Your husband should be the one to take him, but ultimately you will both need to work with him.

I would not be getting another dog. Your vet is either an idiot, does not have kids or both. You have enough on your hands with a new baby. You don't need to be dealing with a new dog.

Congrats on the new baby and thanks for not feeling like the masses that a dog has to go just because you have a child. I brought up all of my children with animals. They grew up to love and respect them as much as my husband and I do.

Answer 13

Another dog won't help - you need to hire a trainer to see if they can determine what is going on. Otherwise dog number two may end up the same way.

It could be a jealousy issue but it could also be something else - like resource guarding (not a good thing.) So find a trainer and get their advice. Vets may be good at health related stuff but they generally know c**p about behavior...

Answer 14

get your dog more toys, and a friend

Answer 15

I do not believe it has anything to do with the baby per se..He had a toy and just wanted to keep it and became possessive of it.I hope your husband disciplined the dog for his actions.You need to train him to be submissive to you and your husband and with  the baby when the baby starts getting around.Toy / food aggression can be worked with.I expect the dog figured he can keep the toy if he wants to.Having to miss some attention may have triggered him to be more possessive.