Puppy scratching daughters face...

[stacy347]

Excuse me, robinb but that was posted without the least bit of snarkiness. You can read whatever you'd like into it but don't put a "tone" on my post that wasn't there. The "smilie" that I used was a sad face for the treatment of the puppy and nothing more. I realize that some people post on this board purely to draw out drama, but I am certainly not one of them and any quick search of my past posts (which we all know is quite a hobby on this board) will show that.

Now maybe the dangling incident was some time ago (who knows for sure) ~ but in any case, the OP has made it clear that she didn't want any advice that didn't put her exactly where she wanted to be. That was the point of my post ~ sorry you missed that in your interpretation.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've had kids, I've had puppies..and sometimes at the same time. I haven't read all the responses...I can well imagine what they have been.
Here's the deal. Puppies are tough, but they are babies. You can't expect a puppy/baby to understand rules. For instance...when my dd was about 5-6 we had a new golden retriever puppy. He loved to chase after her and 'catch' her..usually by her nightgown. All her nightgowns had little tooth marks around the hem. We instructed my dd to not run around...the puppy thought she was playing a game with him. She stopped running, he stopped 'catching' her.
Puppy teeth and nails are very sharp. They don't intend to hurt anyone but they will react out of fear. And I think that's what is happening. The puppy has a history with your young dd...he gets afraid based on what has gone on before.
My best advice to you is this...limit the time your dd has with the puppy. Never, and I mean never, leave a young child alone with a puppy or a dog. You should never forget that a dog is an animal and it can react in a way that is normal for it to act but not appropriate in a human household!!! I don't care how well behaved that dog has been in the past..you put a young child in a room, alone, with a dog, and you are asking for trouble. That child can touch the dog in the wrong way, in a way the dog isn't used to, and that dog will react. It doesn't make the dog bad..it just makes it a dog.
So.....be with your dd when she is with the puppy. If you can't be there with her, then crate the puppy. Your dd will learn what is appropriate behaviour with the dog if you or your dh is there with her, helping her to learn.
The puppy isn't doing anything wrong here..nor is your dd. They are both behaving in ways appropriate for who and what they are. Your dd hasn't learned how to behave with a puppy. And the puppy is behaving like a baby dog around someone who is unintentionally mistreating him
Work with them together...teach your dd how to act around the puppy. Please...don't remove the puppy. A childs experience with an animal in the family is too wonderful to miss. A child learns so much from having a pet. But, there needs to be instruction for both child and animal!!!
Hope it goes well!

 

[Banshee]

Please limit you're DDs contact with the puppy until they are both more mature. My sister bought a Chow Chow puppy many years ago and let her daughter (and I don't think intentionally) torture this poor guy. Similar situation she would pick him up and hold him too tightly till his little body would be flailing in her arms, she would smack him and say bad baby when "she" thought he was being bad. Finally he started snapping at her and my mom and I begged her to not let Jenny be alone with the puppy and to not let her be rough with it. My sister didn't listen and the puppy when he was a year old bit her in the face! Square in the face she had teeth marks in her forehead and under her chin! Her skin was ripped and she had to have plastic surgery to repair damage to her orbital socket. My DN is 27 now and still has scars on her face. The dog wound up going to the pound but he was never the same after that and was euthanized. It wasn't his fault his life shouldn't have ended that way. It wasn't really my DNs fault she was 5 and knew better but she was still just a little kid. Please take everyone's advice and make sure an adult is present when you're daughter interacts with the puppy start now that way the puppy doesn't learn to constantly fear her.

 

[ginna74]

I concur with what most people are saying although I wouldn't be so harsh about it.

 

[manning]

I heard my dad make a comment once.

Someone asked him for an opinion. The person didn't like it and said so whereas my dad shrugged his shoulders and asked "then why did you bother to ask?

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I hope that if you are coming back to post, you truly are reading.

Kids and puppies are a tough mix. I don't blame you for being upset that your daughter was scratched in the face, but Sara's behavior needs to change. You said you are going to start supervising her when she is with the puppy. That is a great start!

Perhaps you can consider making it a project of sorts. Get Sara involved in all the care: have her go with you when you take him outside for potty breaks, scoop the yard, do his food and water, wash toys and blankets, go to the vet, etc. As she takes more ownership of the dog, some of the more inappropriate behaviors on her part may become less. She will see what goes into caring for Shamrock and will realize that Shamrock is a living and breathing animal.

Explicity demonstrate for her exactly how Shamrock should be handled. Demonstrate for her the proper way to pet him, to pick him up if he needs it, etc. Maybe bring one of her stuffed animals and ask her to point out the differences to you between a stuffed animal and Shamrock.

Another thing you can do is ask your local vet or animal store for a good kid friendly book about puppy care and appropriate behavior around a puppy. Make sure that if she does get too rough with Shamrock there are swift and firm consequences. Maybe turn it back on her with language like, "Would you like it somebody pulled on your leg?" (or whatever the behavior is.) Make sure she knows there are consequences for her action and help her to empathize with Shamrock. We call this theory of mind. Little kids don't mean to be cruel, but many just don't understand that what they think and feel is not the same as what others think and feel. If you can get her to see things from Shamrock's perspective, perhaps her behaviors will decrease.

As Sara's behaviors decrease, so will Shamrock's. He will have no need to scratch her because this is a defensive behavior. He needs to learn quickly that she is not somebody to be afraid of or you will have problems for a long time to come.

As for the behavior with the other dogs, that is normal dog behavior. My Matthias loves to pounce on Erie. I will look over and find Erie's tail or ear in Matthias's mouth and he doesn't seem to mind it at all. The only worrisome thing in your other post is the food aggression as this can translate to people and that is something to stop immediately. Talk to your vet or a trainer about safe ways to train it out of him (it can be done.) Good luck!

 

[Floridagal23]

Your puppy is an animal. It reacts to being treated badly by defending itself. It is a puppy, and it takes years to train them and settle them down, even with consistent training (crate training, firm behavior commands, etc.). That being said, I love bichons and was so crushed when ours died at age 13 last fall. Bichons are known for being extremely good natured balls of fluff. They are the happiest dogs possible and really just want to snuggle and play. With puppies, accidental scratching or light nipping is common, particularly if you take away its food, a toy, etc - but - it sounds like your daughter doesn't understand the proper way to treat a puppy - dangling it over a railing? That poor dog. I think you need to supervise when your daughter plays with her and do not leave her alone with the puppy, or strongly consider rehoming. From that behavior alone, it sounds like the puppy has come to associate your daughter with scary things happening to it - no wonder it scratched back.