Dogster Answers › Behavior & Training

BELLA

My son hits my 6 month old puppy

I am very concerned about the relationship between my 4 1/2 year old son and my 6 month old puppy. My son is very mean to our puppy and hits her frequently. Now being a puppy she likes to play and bite alot and won't leave my son alone sometimes but he gets out right violent with her. Help!


Asked by BELLA on Jul 20th 2009 Tagged puppies, kids in Behavior & Training
 Report this question Get this question's RSS feed Send this question to a friend


Status

  • This question is closed.

Best Answer

Sergeant

You really need to teach both your son and your puppy how to be around one another.

Yes, it’s annoying when the puppy bites and jumps on your son, but your son needs to know that hitting is NOT the answer. This can ultimately lead to aggression in your puppy, which she can in turn take out on you and your family.

If the puppy gets to nippy, or begins to invade yours or your son’s space, touch the puppy in the neck and tell her ‘no’. The touch simulates another dog’s bite, and this is what the mother would do to her to let her know that her behavior is unwanted. She may try a few more times, but keep repeating it. This will also teach her what the word ‘no’ means. She needs to respect your son’s space. In turn, your son needs to also be taught how to get the puppy out of his space properly, instead of hitting her. Make sure you are setting the example of how he needs to treat the puppy, or he’ll never learn. It’s more instinctual for him to just swat at the puppy, but it’s not right. Please message me if you have more questions. Best of luck.


Sergeant answered on Jul 20th.

Other Answers

Answers

Lexie

You should teach him to be nice that hiting her is not alowed looks like the puppy is a small breed she could be hurt get a broke bone are if this keeps on when the dog gets grown she might turn and bit your son to keep him from hurting her.


Lexie answered on 7/20/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Patchs

Your son is to young to understand anything other than that it is wrong if you say its wrong.

You need to be in the room ALL OF THE TIME that they are together to keep the two of them from biting and hitting each other.

If you cant do that, REHOME the puppy and try again in a few years ...


Patchs answered on 7/20/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Katie

Wow, it's like you have two kids (or puppies!) that are developmentally close in age, which can challenging - even dangerous.

You need to establish rules for your son, while teaching your pup the rules at the same time, and this is not something easy to answer in 1,000 characters or less!

Start by reading The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., so you can reliably "read" your dog's communication to you and respond appropriately.

Go to www.k9techsupport.com for information on how to train the puppy.

You don't mention if your son is hitting the puppy in retaliation for her playful (nippy) behavior, or if he is seeking her out to be mean to her, but either way, he needs to learn that physical violence is wrong. Teach him that if she nips, he must get up and walk away. No yelling or hitting back! Puppies initiate play by pawing at each other, so when he hits, she thinks he wants to play rough.

Supervise closely at all times!


Katie answered on 7/20/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 1 Report this answer


Guest

If your son keeps that up, you're going to have one nasty dog on your hands. You should make that dog off limits to your son until he understands, which he can at 4 1/2, that hitting is not allowed. Don't even waver from that. Don't coddle it, don't condone it, just keep your son far away from the dog until the he gets it.
The more the dog is subject to that, the meaner the dog will get, the more he'll bite, the more he'll growl and the more he'll get defensive with everyone, especially children, and that's when people get bit. And that's when you will have a lovely lawsuit on your hands.
To strike a dog is awful, but to strike a puppy is beyond me and the fact that you've allowed it to go on is sad. Your son seriously needs to be taught how not to hit and if you can't do that and your son can't get past it, then please give the dog up to someone who will love and cherish the dog.
The stage is being set for the dog to enter into her adolescence as a mean, defensive dog. Stop it now.


Guest 404377 answered on 7/20/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 1 Report this answer


Dieta

You may have to also gate and crate in between the times you can not be right there.It is natural for the dog to play nip and for the child to be in pain and hit the dog.
I would seperate the two and when you can as much as you can work on the handling and nipping issues, good luck.


Dieta answered on 7/20/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 1 Report this answer


Kayak

Four years old for a kid is a very acting out stage. I think some therapy for the kid and obedience for the dog would help a lot. KIds are real brats sometimes.
You've got to be in charge and over see every moment when they are together. Better to teach him now that that behavior is unacceptable than to wait and have him do it to his wife when he is grown up.


Kayak answered on 7/22/09. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Related Questions

More Questions in This Category