HELP! My Yorkie Has Become Agressive Towards My Crawling Baby!

Nicole
I don't have a dog, but my close friend does. She was having some behavioral issues with her dog and she used Bark Busters and couldn't be happier with what they were able to do. I don't know much about them, but you might look them up.

Dogs can be taught to behave in certain ways, but you can never take out their pack mentality. Their social system is based on a bigger than you hierarchy, which most humans ruin by spoiling their pets. I have even done this. To have a healthy relationship with a dog in a family with a baby, you have to teach the dog his place in the pack. A few examples are:

1.Don't let him/her sit on the furniture. This teaches him that he is your equal and superior to the baby on the floor.

2.Don't feed him at the same time you are eating, or give table scraps. Always feed your dog after you have eaten. This is the lion's share philosophy.

3.Teach your dog to heel on walks! I can't believe how many people don't teach this to their animals. You must never let a dog walk ahead of you or the baby on a walk, this sends him the message that he is in charge of the pack.

4.NEVER leave the dog unattended with the baby.

As much as dogs are part of the family, they are still dogs. I had a 90 lb rottweiler for many years before I had my daughter. He was spoiled rotten, and even slept with me in my bed. Before my daughter was born I made the decision to give him to a friend because I did not want the quality of his life to change. I knew it would be hard for him to understand why he couldn't sleep in the bed etc... And I knew I wouldn't be able to break up a dog fight should he encounter one.(he is very gentle, but was picked on constantly by other aggressive dogs at the park)
I loved this dog very much, and it was very hard to give him up. As much as I loved him and saw human traits in him, I know that he is a dog, not a human. I would put down/give away a 90 lb rotty for biting an infant, and a 10 lb yorkie is no different to me.
PS to D J-
Comparing a toddler to a dog? If you could only save one in a fire etc..., would it be your baby/toddler or dog? That is a more realistic comparison.

Hi Nicole
We just had a new grandbaby who because of prematurity issues stayed at our house with our daughter for a while as they recovered from the birth. This baby has one yorkie "sibling" and I have 2 yorkies. One of my yorkies showed aggression towards the baby, one yorkie ignored the baby entirely and the "sibling" yorkie was initally interested in the baby and then watchful over him. The aggressive yorkie became more comfortable when we gave him praise and treats when he was just being "interested" and we corrected him or isolated him if he showed aggression. I also spent more time with him- extra walks etc. I would recommend two things. Diane Rich is a fabulous trainer- you can find her at: http://www.spokesdog.com/
There is also a great community of yorkie owners on the Eastside and you might want to post your question on their message board. Many of them have welcomed new babies recently and would probably have some great tips.
http://yorkie.meetup.com/258/
Best wishes. Yorkies are the best!
Jeanne

I know you are getting a variety of responses, But I would like to applaud you for not forsaking the life long commitment you made to your dog because it might be the easy thing to do. Believe me, I see these poor homeless kids everyday and both your dog and your son will benefit from your commitment.

I am currently working with my heeler in breaking some overly zealous play habits before my child arrives. In regards to techniques, I have many pros recommend getting a short (4 foot) leash and a harness with a ring on the chest for the leash to attach to and have the dog wear the leash when ever guests or the baby are around (basically all the time but nap times and such). This way, when the dog is behaving unrully toward the baby and ignoring your correction, pull the leash towards you and the dog is now facing you. This startle technique has been really effective when my friends have small children visiting, and as a heeler, my dog would really like to herd small children.

Also remember that while you see your dog as part of the family, your dog does not see the baby as part of the family yet. The babbling and noises made by small children is reminecent of the noises prey animals make. Also, remember that your cute yorkie has ancestors that were bred to hunt, not to be cute. The terrier personality traits that get untrained pits in trouble are the same traits your yorkie has . . . they are all terriers and were bred for a common purpose. I am not saying this to scare you, but this is what you are trying to train not to do, so you need to understand that your dog will follow his/her instincts unless you are very persistant about other behaviors (again, I am up against the same thing but with the instinct to chase rather than hunt - either way, instincts are hard to change).

So with all of this in mind, keep your head when correcting your dog - don't correct in an angry or aggressive manner, but in a 100% consistant manner. THe other key thing is that if your dog is loosing privilages that he/she previously had (such as concentrated mommy time, bed time, furniture privelages and so forth) then your dog has more to be upset about. I'm not saying ditch the baby for the dog, but get on the floor and play or snuggle or what ever is normal pre-baby during nap time. make an effor t to not ditch the dog mentally . . . babies are very time consuming and can make us loose track of the rest of our lives, but just like our spouses and older children, pets don't handle being brushed aside for the new kiddo really well. So give your dog some concentrated loving, keep your corrections 100% consistant, get a crate for when you can't monitor the situation completely (on the phone, doing dishes, whatever) and remember that your four legged kid deserves a home just as much as your 2 legged kid, so give the nay-sayers what fore and show them what your dedication to your family can do.

You are setting a wonderful example for your son through your dedication!!

Good Luck!

PS - If you are on the kitsap penninsula, email me and I can give you a a couple of fantastic traineers that will come to your home and work with your situation hands on!

Firstly, the dog should never be alone with the baby..I know that you know that, but it should be said.

Next, each time the dog approaches the baby in a relaxed manner, praise the dog. If the dog begins to nip, take your index finger and poke the dog firmly on the body, which will break his concentration, and say "NO." Each time the dog is relaxed, praise him. Each time that he looks as if he will nip, poke him and say "NO!'. Keep this up until the dog gets that the baby is above him in the pack. If the dog is smart he will catch on fast. Doggy treats for relaxed behavior along with praise should help too. The dog will eventually learn that baby comes before him in the "family pack." If you are consistent, this will work.

Look up statistcs on babies and dog bites and then decide whether you are willing to take the chance with your child. It's always the family pet that would have never hurt anyone taking a big chunk out of a kid's face.

Until you find a trainer to fix this problem I would keep the dog away from your son. The dog needs to be kept in another room to protect your son.

My guess is that your pup is doing one of two things. Either 1) trying to help teach the baby to walk "properly" ie faster... or 2) thinks that "FINALLY I've got a playmate". Either situation would fit the behavior you're describing. It's the canine equivalent to either "C'mon! You can DO it!" or "Let's PLAY!!!"

If it's your dog trying to help teach your baby, there's no problem about dominance. Your dog already views themselves as dominant, and feels responsible about their "duties". Dogs who retain wolfish instincts are incredibly tolerant & concerned about the puppies of their "pack". Wolves spend enormous amounts of time playing with/teaching/babysitting the alphas' offspring...and are amazingly tolerant & alert around them. Many dogs have had this bred out of them...and are actually quite INtolerant. Yorkies though, by and large, were "working" dogs. Working dogs of all shapes and sizes tend to have more wolfish traits then dogs who were bred for looks (most toy breeds are good examples of "looks" dogs). For the simple reason that to be able to "work" they needed to be smart.

If your dog is viewing your son as a playmate, the dog is viewing the baby on more of an equal level...which is not as desirable. Equals wrestle, compete, and vie for dominance. Nursemaid is FAR preferable to litter mate.

Instead of looking at the behavior as aggressive (which if your yorkie's not growling, hackles raised, or baring teeth, etc. try looking to see if your yorkies trying to "help" or "play".

If either is the case you can teach them to use their nose to nudge the baby AND to do things more gently in general. "No Teeth!" & "Gentle!" is MUCH easier to train then going against all your dogs natural instincts of either being in charge or having a playmate.

Also...Lake Forest Park Animal Hospital (on Lake City Way) has a list of about 10 different trainers that they refer people to.

Good Luck!!!
Z.

I have heard that yorkie's are not good with children. I would talk to a vet and ask about it then make your decision. you may have to get rid of the dog for your child's safety.

In Vancouver there is a place called "Everything in the Ark". Megan-Kate is the owner and fantastic. She has worked will all kinds of animals and did wonders with our dog in just a couple of sessions. You can buy a 1/2 price coupon if you go to K-Love radio stations website. They have a section for 1/2 price deals. Good luck. ~Brynda

You are absolutely correct that this must stop immediately. What are do you live in?? I know some about animal training in the north end of Seattle- but it varies from place to place. My first suggestion is that EVERY SINGLE time the dog does this ''nipping'' behaviour it needs to be immediately picked up and removed from the area to a crate or a small area where it can't get at the baby- and IGNORE it while it's there for 5--10 minutes - bring it back- and if needed - do it again--- it will be a nuisance- but it must be done ( if people visit your home with infants and your dog breaks the skin on their baby- you face law suits and all kinds of misery) Sorry- it is a problem -

blessings,
J.

Dear N.;
These Yorkies and other small dogs are known for this..and perhaps the dog could be jealous of baby also..
You didnt say how old the dog is..
This is not good..for the dog to be nipping at a young baby..
This kind of dog will not only go for the heels..it will eventually go for the face and fingers also..This kind of dog is in no way a childs dog..and will bite..
My mother had two of them..and they even bite her..and every one..I dont know if a trainer can help very much at this point
Good Luck to you and let us all know, what a trainer might tell you also.Youll have to watch baby very closely all the time if you keep this doggie..

N. - I a not trying to be mean, so please don't see it that way.
If I had a dog that was nipping at my child, the dog would be gone. (and I mean that as adopted out to another family, NOT put to sleep)
L.

I have two children and we have an English Mastiff. They are a 200 plus pound dog. Of course it was a priority to immediately teach her not to jump or lightly nip ankles (she was playing) I asked around and several trainers tolds me the same thing. Playing or nipping at the shoes or pant leg requires using the same words, I use "NO BITE" in a firm tone, open the dog's mouth, and put something that they should be chewing on, like a toy or chew bone. I held the toy in the dogs mouth for several seconds then gave praise for chewing on the correct object. It took less than a week and she never did nip at his feet again. (I did have to do it every five minutes though) My dog is a puppy and teething, but old dogs learn new tricks and are very easy to train people just have to put in the effort, it's like having another part time job. Most trainers will talk to you for free and get you started with some ideas. I would never put the dog down or give it away if it's part of the family and the behavior is not vicious. It doesn't sound like vicious and malling to me, it sounds like a little jealousy. You would know that better than I. You will just have to watch every second of every minute until the behavior is stopped and new behavior is learned. There are a lot of people who gave great advice above and know what they are talking about. Listen to those people that actually know what they are talking about and do the research and then you'll know yourself what is right for you to do for your family. Good Luck to you! I hope it works out.

N., I read the first response to this and all I can say is please don't get rid of your dog (I actually know people who have put their dogs to sleep because of similar behavior which is not only crazy but immoral). Your dog can be taught to undo this behavior. When my first daughter was born, we had a Blue Heeler that had been with us for 4 years and was our first furry baby. When my daughter got old enough to crawl, she would naturally seek out our grumpy dog and try to pounce on her. Needless to say, my dog didn't like that and would growl and bark at her. We treated the situation as a mother dog or pack leader would, we scruffed our dog at the back of the neck. My husband and I would pull her over onto her back and growl at her - very firm and physical. After a bit of a wait, we would then allow our daughter to approach the dog again and teach her to gently approach the dog and watch over the situation. That dog learned to respect her new place in the pack and eventually became my daughter's fiercest friend and protector (we just had to put her to sleep last week at the age of 15). We went on to have another daughter and two more dogs (one an Akita mix twice the size of our Heeler) and we trained them all to respect our children and other children that came into our home. Just as important, my daughters have learned to respect animals and their space and limitations which is a safety issue in itself. Our dogs are members of our families and unless the situation is truly dangerous, they deserve the chance to stay in your home. Your Yorky can be trained to stop this behavior. If you don't feel comfortable with knowing how to do this yourself, then do hire a trainer or dog psychologist who may be able to explain the psychology of that particular behavior with you. Good luck and I'm glad you're looking for ways to solve the problem by keeping your family intact, furry members and all.

http://pawswithnoflaws.com/
I totally recommend the above dog trainer. Her name is Anna Bolick and she will come to your home! I have two chihuahuas and she has helped me.
K. Morris

Good job, Laura! I'm sure you don't mean to be mean suggesting that they get rid off the dog. I wonder if you had a toddler who is "mean" to the new baby in the family, what you would do? Get rid off the toddler? You obviously don't have a dog. The dogs are part of our families and they have to be treated as a family member. And believe it or not, it is easier to teach a dog a certain behavior than a toddler.
N., you just need to help your dog learn how to play with the new member of the pack. When my son was born we had a Springer spaniel and the same problem, actually even worst. Our over spoiled Spaniel was “jealous”. She didn’t wanted to teach our son, she didn’t wanted to play with him like your dog, she simply wanted him out of her space. Yes, it took some effort, but they became good friends that respect each other space. Simple dog commands like “Make your-self small” (it is used for big dogs to play with small dogs, so the small ones don’t feel threaten by the bigger sized ones) and “Easy” (another command for different sized play mates). Another thing that really helped was making a “special” space for the dog, away from the toddler playing and sleeping space, where the dog could go every time she “had enough” and teaching your son not to go there or not to touch her if she is there. This is what you can do at age 9 months. Our job was even more difficult as our dog was already deft at that time. With the time, the both, the dog and my boy, learned to play together and to respect each other, they were best buddies. We had to put the dog down last year and my son was so upset for 6 months that we have to let him chose another buddy. Well, he picked up a Jack Russell and LOL, she is a handful. With the other dog I used my own knowledge and experience but for the new one I needed some help. I found it in “Petco”. We are in West Seattle area and we used the trainer in our local “Petco”. She happened to be a very good and very helpful young mom. We had lots of problems with our Jack Russell (who doesn’t with one of these) and she was there for each one. If you can’t find a trainer with good references in your area, let me know, I will get you Lisa’s phone number. Just don’t give up and do not get rid off the dog. Please, please, please! You might need your yorky help one day, you never know. My cat saved my son’s life twice; he has been always the one to watch over my son. But this is another story – the story of my little super hero cat! Good luck with the training!

I can recommend Seattle Family Dog Training:

http://www.seattlefamilydogtraining.com/index.asp

They use methods that mimic the way dogs treat each other (there is correction involved, not just positive reinforcement), and the results were great for our troublesome dog.

One good thing is that you learn what you need to do to train your dog, and keep him disciplined. We've been able to use these techniques since his original training to deal with developing problems.