toddler biting dogs??? shes a wierd kid!

gunnersmom · #1 09-05-2006, 09:46 AM

Over the last couple days i have noticed sophie my youngest skin kid biting my fur babies. Layla and Gunner are very paitent with her and usually get up and move. Has anyone else experienced this? and if so What were somethings you did to stop it. It happens out of the blue...everyone sitting in the living room and she walks by and gets them. i should mention Sophie is 14mths. Currently we tell sophie NO and get her occupied with something else. I don't want to send the dogs out of the room because i don't want them to get punished for it.

any ideas??? thanks in advance

**gmacleod** · #2 09-05-2006, 10:13 AM

Is there a way you could provide the dogs with a guaranteed safe (as in toddler-free) place where they can retire and where she cannot (or can be taught not to) follow?

What's really good about that sort of concept is that it gives your dogs an alternative. Like anyone else, dogs do have tolerance limits - and one day when somebody isn't feeling too well, and cannot get respite, well, a warning nip may end up being issued. Which would be entirely fair enough, of course. But still better that the dog has an alternative, such as a place to retire where the rule is "nobody bothers Layla/Gunner when she/he is xxxx".

I realise that still leaves you with the toddler to train

and she's not going to "get" that she's not allowed to bother the dogs when they go to their bed (or wherever their "safe place" is) instantly. But it's still a good idea. And it can give you the opportunity to stop her from approaching them there, rather than stopping her from biting (meaning one step earlier in that progression). Worth a thought, anyway.

Beau's Mommy · #3 09-05-2006, 10:25 AM

I agree with gmacleod (as usual

). My kids don't bite the dogs

but when I had my home daycare I had a couple kids that just absolutely could not get the picture when told not to pester the dogs. So all my furbabies have their own crates (safe place) where they can go and the skin kids know they are not allowed to mess with them there. It seemed a lot easier to train the kids to treat the dogs' "safe place" as an off-limits area rather than just telling them to leave the dogs alone. Good luck!

gunnersmom · #4 09-05-2006, 01:06 PM

thanks for the advice...laylas bed is my bed and i could always put gunner's crate in our room, my skin kids have no intrest in the room so i think that would be the best place. My only worry was that sending the dogs out of the room might give them the impression they had done something wrong....but i'm sure a kong and some peanut butter will ease their mind LOL. Thanks for the thought! I'm hoping sophie will grow out of the "biting" stage soon, as my DH has now become a victim also.LOL I don't think he'll give a warning nip though!! Thanks again.

gunnersmom · #5 09-05-2006, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dozersmommy

Although she is still a baby I would sit with her daily and teach her how to pet and be gentle with the dogs and at the same time, explain biting or being rough is not how we treat animals.

The funny thing is shes in no way bad with our fur babies in any other way. She is very good to them otherwise and this (biting) isn't constant. and just started. I think its probably just a phase but like you said i don't want layla to teach her about biting!! I think were going to have to teach about being gentle to all living things fur or skin!! I'm in the terrible (and i mean terrible) 2's with one and biting with the other should be a fun couple months with the skin kids!!!

gunnersmom · #6 09-05-2006, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dozersmommy

LOL! hang in there! I have 3 boys and my youngest is 4. I know all about the terrible two's!

It took us a while to teach my youngest about being gentle. For some reason kids think that dogs are teddy bears or something! Well they are sort of, more like teddy bears with teeth, that WILL get pissed off if they get poked at enough.

LOL...as much paitence as our boxer babies have everyone has a limit. I feel the most sorry for the cat the girls treat him like a teddybear...he such a good old boy though he lets them........ i guess he secretly enjoys it.

3 boys....you definetly know what i'm talking about!!!!

Indy's mom · #7 09-06-2006, 03:56 PM

So sorry, but this made me laugh. Don't you just hate it when the kids bite the dog? Yep, I raised 3 boys too, (only 3 yrs seperated oldest/youngest) and we always had a boxer around. There were a few nips, kids biting dogs, not the other way around. Just keep doing what you are doing and follow the recommendations. The best thing we ever did for our dogs was give them a 'safe place'. For them that was their crate. The boys were NEVER allowed to touch them when they were in there.

Gosh, the dogs gotta have someplace to go. LOL It will get better, I promise!

Titansdad · #8 09-07-2006, 04:48 PM

Wow, never seen that before.

Hope my kids don't do that when we get our puppy. Must be frightening for the dog. Sorry, I don't have any advice.