Chihuahua and toddler

lukesmom

Our bichon died last April and I said I'd get another when we felt up to it as we miss her a lot we had her 9 years. Anyway a neighbour of a friend was breeding chihuahuas and they were born last May. So I bought the last pup off her last week a male chihuahua. Problem is our toddler (2) is too rough with him and I'm worried he will do some serious damage. I caught him pulling the pup by one of his back legs today and the dog yelping. I don't know what to do. We have a 4 and a 12 year old who are very gentle with him. I'm wondering should I continue trying to teach our son to be gentle or would I be better off rehoming the pup? He's a beautiful black and white chihuahua but was agressive when I brought him home even before our toddler met him.

SingItOut

You need to teach your toddler how to behave around the puppy and never leave them alone unsupervised. You've only had the puppy a week so don't forget he's only a baby himself adjusting to life without his mum or siblings. When you say the pup was aggressive what do you mean? What was he doing ?

lukesmom

SingItOut wrote: »

You need to teach your toddler how to behave around the puppy and never leave them alone unsupervised. You've only had the puppy a week so don't forget he's only a baby himself adjusting to life without his mum or siblings. When you say the pup was aggressive what do you mean? What was he doing ?

Snarling at us and trying to bite us.

PucaMama

lukesmom wrote: »

Snarling at us and trying to bite us.

did you view the pups with both parents??

lukesmom

PucaMama wrote: »

did you view the pups with both parents??

No

borderlinemeath

Chihuahuas can be bad tempered little dogs, and don't particularly get on well in a family environment with small children. They also tend to be one person dogs, so could bond to you, rather than the children and this could lead to resource guarding trouble down the line. They might be small but they can do some damage with their needle sharp teeth. Did your neighbour have children in the house while the pups were whelping? Or was it just herself? If the pups haven't been exposed to children then it doesn't bode well for bonding with them in the future, particularly a 2yr old toddler who can't really understand right or wrong when it comes to behaviour around a puppy, or even a 4yr old who will have trouble reading the pups body language when it's warning that it's uncomfortable.

PucaMama

lukesmom wrote: »

No

a puppy shouldnt behave like that. id guess it was from a puppy farm.

lukesmom

There were small kids at the house I bought the puppy from. They owned both the parents of the pup. He's grand and calm now and asleep but he hates my toddler. He only has to look at the pup and he snarls at him.

VonVix

Well, considering the chihuahua doesn't feel safe around the toddler it's no wonder he's snarling to be honest, if anything that's a reaction to be expected. A young chihuahua is bound to be tiny, a toddler would be absolutely huge to him.

It's a matter of keeping your 2 year old away from him really. 2 is too young to be expecting him to be consistent, toddlers are impulsive, doing inappropriate things is to be expected at that age. It's down to you to protect both your child and your puppy. If your chihuahua is doing well with your other two children then great, but I would tread very carefully with him as his breeding may be suspect when it comes to temperament if it's not someone who is passionate about bettering the breed.

PucaMama

lukesmom wrote: »

There were small kids at the house I bought the puppy from. They owned both the parents of the pup. He's grand and calm now and asleep but he hates my toddler. He only has to look at the pup and he snarls at him.

i thought you said you didnt see the parents

ShaShaBear

Im really sorry but why on earth would you purchase a dog you had witnessed being aggressive when you were bringing it home to kids???

kylith

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Im really sorry but why on earth would you purchase a dog you had witnessed being aggressive when you were bringing it home to kids???

Gotta agree there, why you would bring have decided to keep him when he showed sign of aggression I have no idea.

I honestly think that yours is the wrong home for a Chihuahua, they are tiny dogs and very fragile, and a toddler could do an awful lot of harm to him. I think that if anything his behaviour is likely to get worse over time. I think that you should return him to where you got him, and don't even think about getting a dog until your youngest is 5 or 6.

lukesmom

PucaMama wrote: »

i thought you said you didnt see the parents

I didn't correct.

lukesmom

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Im really sorry but why on earth would you purchase a dog you had witnessed being aggressive when you were bringing it home to kids???

I don't know and your probably right. He's a lovely dog and not aggressive around the rest of us just my youngest.

Whispered

lukesmom wrote: »

I don't know and your probably right. He's a lovely dog and not aggressive around the rest of us just my youngest.

I don't know how doable it is having no experience of kids but is there any way you can keep the smallest one away from the dog altogether.

People always talk about supervising dogs and kids together. I'd go so far as to say normal supervision is sometimes not enough. In your case I think active supervision, where you are there, right beside dog and baby (not tidying up, cooking or whatever in the same room) at all times when they have access to each other. When you can't give 100% of your attention you seperate.

The dog might calm down when he understands that you're not going to allow the baby hurt him. Again not sure, but can you encourage hands off interaction like have your baby throw treats for the dog and let them enjoy each other that way?

Magenta

Chihuahuas are not suitable for small children because of their size... a bit of research would have prevented this. They are far too fragile not to mention many of their skulls never fully seal over. It sounds like an impulse purchase from a puppy farm.

lukesmom

Magenta wrote: »

Chihuahuas are not suitable for small children because of their size... a bit of research would have prevented this. They are far too fragile not to mention many of their skulls never fully seal over. It sounds like an impulse purchase from a puppy farm.

Yeah I should have researched it before that is true. Agreed he is very fragile. I'm constantly watching him and trying to keep my son from going near him. When he even sits next to my chihuahua the dog snarls and snaps at him.

muddypaws

lukesmom wrote: »

Yeah I should have researched it before that is true. Agreed he is very fragile. I'm constantly watching him and trying to keep my son from going near him. When he even sits next to my chihuahua the dog snarls and snaps at him.

I'm really sorry op, but it sounds like an accident waiting to happen. If your son was older, I'd say you could work with him and the dog, giving treats etc, so that the dog doesn't seem him as a threat, but as he is so young, I think you really need to consider contacting the breeder and giving the pup back.

Can I ask why you didn't see the pup with the parents, even though the parents were on site?

Raminahobbin

lukesmom wrote: »

When he even sits next to my chihuahua the dog snarls and snaps at him.

That's because your son has been a source of unpredictable alarm and discomfort, possibly even pain, in the past for him. The dog is trying to create a bit of space for it's own safety. It's not fair on the dog, who has probably developed a fear of young kids now.

Really, your options here are 1) complete separation and 100% supervised interactions when not separated, or 2) you will need to return the dog to the breeder.

lukesmom

muddypaws wrote: »

I'm really sorry op, but it sounds like an accident waiting to happen. If your son was older, I'd say you could work with him and the dog, giving treats etc, so that the dog doesn't seem him as a threat, but as he is so young, I think you really need to consider contacting the breeder and giving the pup back.

Can I ask why you didn't see the pup with the parents, even though the parents were on site?

I never asked to see them.

lukesmom

Raminahobbin wrote: »

That's because your son has been a source of unpredictable alarm and discomfort, possibly even pain, in the past for him. The dog is trying to create a bit of space for it's own safety. It's not fair on the dog, who has probably developed a fear of young kids now.

Really, your options here are 1) complete separation and 100% supervised interactions when not separated, or 2) you will need to return the dog to the breeder.

I doubt they would want him back after me paying for him. It was the last to be sold out of 8 pups. I'll just have to be careful. My daughter has been looking after the pup most of the day . My son didn't try to hurt the pup at all today but the dog still growls at him, hopefully it gets better.

Ms2011

I have a Chihuahua & a 2 year old boy, the Chi is a placid little thing but will bare her teeth if my son gets too rough so I don't allow him to. He gets a warning & then a time out if he harrasses the dog, we are always consistent with this.
We also have a crate for the dog in the kitchen with a light blanket over it & a blanket inside it. This is the dog's 'safe space', when in there my son is absolutely not allowed disturb her. There is a blanket rather than a bed in the crate as Chi's prefer to sleep under a blanket than in a bed, it seems to be a breed trait & makes them feels safe.
It is definately possible to have a toddler & a Chihuahua in the same house but only if the parents are willing to put in the effort & ensure the dog has a safe getaway when it feels sressed & the toddler is taught the dogs is not a toy & to treat it with respect.

kylith

lukesmom wrote: »

I doubt they would want him back after me paying for him. It was the last to be sold out of 8 pups. I'll just have to be careful. My daughter has been looking after the pup most of the day . My son didn't try to hurt the pup at all today but the dog still growls at him, hopefully it gets better.

All you can do is ask, otherwise I fear that you will be back here in a few weeks with either an injured dog or a bitten toddler

PucaMama

lukesmom wrote: »

I never asked to see them.

why not

lukesmom

PucaMama wrote: »

why not

Because I didn't think of it.

Raminahobbin

lukesmom wrote: »

I doubt they would want him back after me paying for him. It was the last to be sold out of 8 pups. I'll just have to be careful. My daughter has been looking after the pup most of the day . My son didn't try to hurt the pup at all today but the dog still growls at him, hopefully it gets better.

Well then, in that case, you need to take responsibility for the situation that has been created here and start taking steps to undo or manage some of the damage. Step one would probably be a consultation with a reputable dog trainer (I'm sure someone can recommend one if you post up what area you live in). The trainer will help you put in place some ways to make sure your son and the dog live as harmonious as possible.

Ms2011 is a great example of someone managing a situation like yours and not letting it get out of hand

Bear in mind that your dog is actually being a GOOD dog (best of a bad situation) by growling at the toddler- he is trying to stop the interaction before it gets to the point where he feels he has no choice but to bite. Rather than punish the dog for growling and snapping (I'm not saying you are, I'm just saying try not to be tempted to), the emphasis here should be on making sure the dog does not feel so intimidated by the toddler that he has no choice but to take it further.

lukesmom

Yeah I'll continue to monitor the situation and keep telling my son not to play rough. Hard when he's only 2 but he will learn. Don't want to give up the pup as the kids love him.

DBB

Ms2011 wrote: »

I have a Chihuahua & a 2 year old boy, the Chi is a placid little thing but will bare her teeth if my son gets too rough so I don't allow him to. He gets a warning & then a time out if he harrasses the dog, we are always consistent with this.
We also have a crate for the dog in the kitchen with a light blanket over it & a blanket inside it. This is the dog's 'safe space', when in there my son is absolutely not allowed disturb her. There is a blanket rather than a bed in the crate as Chi's prefer to sleep under a blanket than in a bed, it seems to be a breed trait & makes them feels safe.
It is definately possible to have a toddler & a Chihuahua in the same house but only if the parents are willing to put in the effort & ensure the dog has a safe getaway when it feels sressed & the toddler is taught the dogs is not a toy & to treat it with respect.

I've been meaning to post here since you posted it OP, just didn't get a chance. I'm not going to comment much on the mistakes you have made, because they're made now, but I will say you might have been better served had you asked an expert about what sort of pup or adult, or breed/type would have best suited your circumstances, before you made the decision to buy. This could have saved you a world of trouble. However, you're here now, I can only hope it's with the intention of taking some advice on board, because you can't undo the past, but you can improve the future.
Ms2011's post sums up what I would have said, and saved me having to post for too long (thanks Ms2011:o).
You really are very well advised to set up a child-free zone where your pup spends his time at ALL times that you can't give 100% supervision to toddler around your pup. I personally prefer playpens to crates for this sort of set-up, because you can cordon off a bigger area for the pup and create a little playground for him in there. Indeed, you can put a crate within the playpen, offering the pup even greater protection from the toddler (I would fear that the toddler would still approach the crate and frighten the pup inside, but the pup now has absolutely nowhere to escape to).
Great suggestion to use a blanket or something really snuggly that pup can hide in, I would also provide pup with plenty of interactive toys whilst he's in his playpen, and make a huge effort that all other family members spend time with pup.
I would consider it extremely unlikely that your pup will suddenly improve with your toddler just because you give pup space from the child. You'll need to be a lot more active in attempting to resolve the issues between them, without forcing the toddler on the pup.
If you can't do this, then you need to take a long look at what's best for the pup, and for the toddler, in the longer term. If you're not prepared to even ask the breeder to take pup back (and if pup was aggressive upon leaving them in the first instance, they're making a balls of breeding pet pups), then look for an adult-only home for pup to relax and develop normally in, without having to look over his shoulder all the time.

Whispered

To be honest you've made every mistake in the book in how you chose and then bought your dog. But at least you're trying to rectify it now. Just please please take the advice and ensure that the baby is not physically able to hurt the dog.

You need to make sure he can't play rough, not just tell him not to. Otherwise your child will end up a bite statistic and your dog another "snappy chi" which isn't fair on the child or the dog. I'm sure it is hard to make sure your baby doesn't hurt the dog but that's a responsibility all owners have - to not let harm come to our dogs.

Actually a responsibility to not let harm come to our kids too and by allowing your baby interact with the dog this way you're putting him in harms way. I'm sorry if that seems harsh. I'm trying to get the potential seriousness of the situation across and probably not coming across very well in doing so.

All the warning signs are there and you know what you need to do so hopefully it doesn't come to a bite because at that stage the dog will likely be beyond help and unable to settle with kids and your son could develop a fear of dogs.

Dubl07

Tuppence worth: I bought a crate for my pup and then realised a playpen was also essential for her wellbeing.

We have toddlers visit perhaps three times a week and I wouldn't be without it. A moment's inattention on your part could lead to disaster where a small child and a small canine are concerned. You need a playpen for at least one of your babies; either for the human or the puppy.

Ms2011

lukesmom wrote: »

Yeah I'll continue to monitor the situation and keep telling my son not to play rough. Hard when he's only 2 but he will learn. Don't want to give up the pup as the kids love him.

I'm sorry if this comes across harsh but just telling your son not to be rough is not good enough, I could tell my son not to do something nine times a day & he'll try do it a tenth time, I need to follow through. Your son needs a warning & then he needs a consequence for ignoring that warning, it's as serious as that.
Think of him trying to touch something hot, would you just keep telling him to stop or would you remove him & make him stop, it's a similar situation.