My B bit my kid

[dash]

Last night I was on the forum actually when I heard my B yelp and my son started crying. My dog has never bit anyone in an aggresive manner. Anyway, He had bitten my son on the shoulder. It didn't really break the skin and he was fine this morning. When I asked him what happened he said he hugged him to tight. Has anyone has success in getting their child to understand little dogs are more delicate and can not be squished? I know Greggy loves Dash but he always wants to pick him up and hug him. Greggy is 6 and knows better but I feel like a tape recorder trying to convince him to be gentle.

[Quercus]

Dash was giving him a warning. The fact that it didn't break the skin indicates that he has good bite inhibition…and just wanted to tell your son to stop.

At 6, your son should be able to understand if the dog gives you a warning, you need to stop what you are doing...not only with your own dog, but with other dogs as well. We are still working on this with my son, he is three. Maybe Dash's lesson will stick better than Mom's I never get carried away reprimanding the dog, if she growls at a child behaving badly (in this case also behaving normally). I do say "No"...in a low, firm voice, and give them a time out in the crate for awhile. If you blow up at the dog, you will just confirm in his head that there is reason to be uncomfortable when the child approaches.

Meanwhile you can work on strengthening their relationship by having your son do some basic training exercises involving lots of yummy treats. Have him practice calling the dog off of sleeping (or couch, or whatever) and reward him with something yummy. The dog will start to look forward to your son approaching.

[jys1011]

Oh Dash…I'm so sorry about that. I hope your son is ok.

It sounds like Dash got scared...IMO (after reading a bit) generally dogs don't like to be hugged. Humans LOVE to hug and dogs well they can become more tolerant of the hugging. But if you see pics of people hugging dogs check out the dogs eyes & face. It usually doesn't look too happy (dog tilting his head away, mouth ends forward & wide eyes).

It may just help to work with Greggy by explaining that this scares the dog...Dash may think that he might get hurt.

[dash]

Great suggestions thanks. I actually didn't reprimand Dash at all. He never left Greggy's side after he bit him and I just ignored it. I don't feel the dog did anything wrong. He yelped so he was obviously hurt or scared. Hopefully Greggy learned a lesson. Neither seems to have bad feelings. I think both feel bad.

[nomrbddgs]

I'm so sorry both were hurt! Oh, my yes! By all means integrate your son into basic training with your B. This will give both of them some time together.

And BMOM don't tell Shadow he doesn't like to be hugged and kissed-he begs me to pick him up and cuddle. He is unusual though, most B's hate to be cuddled.

[spitfirekrl1]

We've never had that problem..well, yet anyway. My son is 7 and he will get her very riled up to the point where she is play growing and nipping. We tell him that we don't like him to get her that excited and if he continues more than likely she will end up hurting him unintentionaly but trying to calm her down or make him stop running around seems to be pretty useless at times.

As for the hugging, Alani is very unusual in that manner as well. She seems to really like hugs. She will press her cheek up to yours and sometimes give a quick little lick (the most we ever get from her) on our ear.

[JazzysMom]

He is unusual though, most B's hate to be cuddled.

Jazzy LIVES to be cuddled. And fortunately for her, in a family of 8, there's always someone ready to snuggle with her.
When the kids or I hold her with her face close to ours, she'll lean in and close her eyes, like she's saying "ahhhhh". And if you kiss right between her eyes… yeah, she's a cuddle-bug.

[nomrbddgs]

Ohhhh, and here I thought Shadow was the only one who liked to be a baby-even held like one!! Everytime someone sees me holding Shadow in a cradle form they say, "Oh, I wish my B was like that!"

Somehow I'm glad I'm not the only one who has 4-legged babies!!

[JazzysMom]

Oh no. If you pick Jazz up, esp when she's tired, you can walk all over the place with her on her back, cradled like a baby in your arms. She'll often hang her head way over backwards..looks so uncomfortable, but she'll sleep like that.

Sometimes she'll be facing me, kind of squished up against me, and put her head over my shoulder to sleep – kind of like a baby with its head on Mommy's shoulder.

She's 2 yrs old, but very, very much a baby.

[Quercus]

It seems to be an individual thing with Bs, just like with people…some love to be cuddled, some tolerate it, some hate it. Of our six, we have some of each Blondie loves to be cuddled....Ivy hates it....everybody else is somewhere in between.

[luzmery928]

Our B loves cuddling. If he sees anyone else in the house cuddling he will first look at us make his ump noise and bops his head, if we don't go to him he immediatly comes inbetween the cuddling due to his need of always being the center of the love.

[Duke]

Training both dog & child to respect each others spaces is so important. My son got his wish when Duke came to live with us. Duke 12 weeks, son 8 yrs. Wasn't about a week before we discovered we had taken responsibility for a devil dog - piranha - crazy, mean puppy. Son hated Duke because he'd been nipped (broken skin) and didn't get the cuddle bunny pup he'd expected. I did however advise son to feed and be the treat giver. Not too long after that, they became fast friends. But it took multiple reminders by me to son of what and what-not to do for safety. Also explained to son the cute little puppy needs to learn and be trained properly by us. When the time came, I enrolled Duke in Beginner's Obedience at Pet Smart. Brought son to every class and had him learn to train too.

As far a cuddling - Duke doesn't like it. He stretches all fours straight out pushing away from hugger. Unless we're lying down, there is no holding Duke. He will however jump up on lap and hang over shoulder to look out window while I'm on the computer. Our new puppy, Daisy is a snuggle bunny. Yay!!

[RockysWoman]

Dog "biting" kids… 9 times out of 10, the kids started it and the dog gave ample warning. Our Rocky grabbed our daughter's hand once when she starting playing with him too rough while he was trying to nap. He low rumbled (we told her to stop, Rocky not like that), then he low growled (stop, Rocky getting mad), then he just grabed her hand. Didn't break the skin but it was quick and for her, just the reprimand she needed. She was startled, not hurt, and she has never done it again.

I'm not advocating teaching your dog to be agreesive with children or anyone else who walks in your door. The dogs view your kids like pups and discipline them as such.

And for those out there who think I'm a horrible mom now, my husband or I are always around when the kids and dogs are together and we keep a very close eye on their interactions. If any of them start to step out of line or beyond the boundaries of politeness, the offender gets a time out to decompress and calm down. Both kids and dogs need to learn their boundaries. I often say I don't have two kids, I actually have four or five (but only two ahve two legs, the rest all walk on four!)

[Quercus]

<>
Ha, ha...another horrible mom here....the other day I heard Querk squaw..and Ethan shriek. I was in the next room for a SECOND! I said 'what happened?' Ethan says "Querk yelled at me!"...me: "what did you do to him?" Ethan: "I jumped on him on the couch" Nice....he's three...Querk's eight....can't really blame either one. But we talked about why Querk is allowed to tell him to stop doing something dangerous (not to mention irritating!).
Luckily all of my dogs have WONDERFUL bite inhibition, and we have had very few snarking issues. But for the most part I agree with Rockyswoman...kids have to learn where the boundaries are...and *sometimes, *some dogs can teach that lesson when the parents' message is lost on the kid.
Of course, we basenji people are a little wierd....most "normal" people would flip right out if their dog tried to reprimand their child

[dash]

I think it was a wake up call for Greggy. They both fogave each other. My ex husband however was not so forgiving. He demanded we get rid of the dog. I told him that was not an option. Dash is by no means an "aggressive" dog. Dash loves Greggy but Greggy hurt him and much like any other animal would he reacted. My ex has dropped it luckily. Not that it was an option. Dash is a second child to us.

[nomrbddgs]

Sounds lik the ex should be bitten-hard. Oh, did I say that in my outside voice? Ooooops!

[Duke]

Yeah - Duke used to scream when being pestered (to death) by son. I remember running into room where they were together asking, "What happened?" numerous times. Though, Duke was a very unfriendly puppy when we got him - I'd never known a puppy so mouthy with all those sharp puppy daggers! Ahhh - hands hurt all over just thinking about it. Couldn't touch him anywhere without being snapped on a limb. He has so outgrown it now at 1 yr 3 mos. Glad we toughed it out. I sometimes wonder where he came from. I'd bet he had very little human socialization. (poor baby)

[Mantis]

It is funny that my basenjis, all of them, know when i am sad or they have done something wrong….like play a bit too hard....

They always come up and try to cuddle with me as if they are asking for forgiveness....

it sounds like you instinctually responded the right way.

[dash]

I think the thought process Dash has is what makes me so amazed by this breed. I have never had a dog that thought as much as he does. He actually seems to think that something was wrong and try and make it right. Maybe I am puting human emotions on him. But there is something there.

[spitfirekrl1]

Alani too knows when she has done something and tries to get forgiveness. When we play around and she bites to hard there's always an 'OWE' then I'll stop playing. She knows she's hurt me and will get in my face and lick me until I pet her and tell her it's ok. But she's very persistant with it, I've tried pushing her away (sorry, I was upset..felt bad later) but she'll jump right back up and get in my face until I forgive her. It's really hard to stay mad when she does this.