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Toddlers: 24 Months+
Puppy/Toddler advice..
I'm looking to see if maybe we have unrealistic expectations of DD. She got a puppy for her 2nd bday. We had to get a small dog because we live in an apt and its max 20lbs. Well the puppy is a chihuahua/terrier mix and he is TINY. Like not even 3lbs tiny. We've had him for about a month. The issue is she insists on carrying him ALL DAY and no matter what we say she doesnt always put him down gently. But the worst is that she will randomly try and kick him or sit on him. We tell her no, remove her from the area and of course she screams and cries for the puppy. He is not smart enough to hide or dodge her too much yet. When we try and put him in another room to give him a break he cries non-stop and the neighbors complain.
Idk what to do. I mean will she eventually get the hang of it and be gentler? Is it a jealousy thing and thats why she hits him? At this point I am considering giving him up but I really dont want to because he was a rescue and he is a good dog but I am afraid she can really hurt him. I dont expect him to get much bigger. Maybe max 6lbs.
TIA
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Re: Puppy/Toddler advice..
Honestly, you've got a lot going on - a dog that needs to be trained out of separation anxiety, a toddler who needs to learn how to handle a living animal, and the building of a relationship with you and the dog as well. I HIGHLY recommend - beg you, even - to find a respected dog training facility or individual in your area and at the least take a few months of training classes with the puppy. Your daughter can come with you (mine's been coming since she was born - we do competition obedience training), but you (or your partner) would need to be the primary right now.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tarnalberry/8420476079/ (video)
Sorry... chrome won't let me make it an active link....
She is 2 she doesn't understand hurting the puppy.
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
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He was a gift for her bday from family. They rescued him from a shelter. If it were me I wouldve waited or gotten a bigger dog. At least 10lbs.
@Tiffany do you think the training classes will help her learn to be ok with him?I think that because she has been around nothing but big dogs that she doesnt get that hes little.
Wait, it wasn't you that got him for her but other family members?? Did they consult you on this? Buying a pet as a gift is a BIG red flag for shelters. I'm honestly surprised they were okay with it.
That said, you don't say how old the dog is but sounds like both your pup and your child need some training. Your 2 year old isn't going to understand the rules so it is up to you to always monitor their interactions. Correct and redirect, correct and redirect, correct and redirect. If you want to separate them you could tether the pup to a piece of furniture near you (we did this both with potty training one of our dogs and when he had TPLO surgery). That way he is "with" you but is also restrained and can't romp freely with your daughter.
Then get your pup into obedience training once he has had all of his shots. I'm not sure I'd bring your LO with you unless both you and your SO can go to the obedience classes. I just can't imagine having to wrangle a 2-year old while trying to focus on the pup (with multiple other dogs around). Although I would definitely get her involved in obedience training at home (because obedience isn't a one time thing - it is something you should practice daily).
I would say return the "gift" to the givers. Don't feel bad about returning the dog, you'll be doing every one a big favor - particularly yourself! It sounds like the situation is just creating far too much conflict between you and your daughter and is potentially dangerous for the puppy. Also, your daughter will not develop a healthy respect for dogs which may result in her getting hurt in the future. Not to mention, at some point the puppy will mature and start defending itself, which will likely be in the form of biting, and then you'll have a "biter" on your hands which will make it very difficult to find him a home. We just got a dog and have a two-year old. But the dog we got is an adult spaniel-mix, about 25 pounds, and has been great about moving away from our toddler when she gets uncomfortable. At that size, our daughter can't try to pick the dog up and we've made it so only the dog can access the crate, which gives the dog a place to escape to. Hope I don't sound preachy, just concerned for you, your daughter and the puppy.
He's almost 3mo old. Im pretty sure the family member didnt say it was a gift at the shelter. They are older and saw how much my DD loves dogs so they meant well. We honestly didnt think it would be so bad. We do monitor all their contact all day long. Its exhausting and I hate that she is being scolded all day long. I keep telling DH that maybe we should take him back to the shelter. He is tiny and adorable so I am sure he would get adopted. He doesnt want to do that though. He thinks if we take him away she will never learn to be around animals. Plus he really loves the dog. I do too but I think i have kept myself a bit separated from him so my DD doesnt get jealous even more.
I will look into training. Thanks.