This is the saddest post I've ever written and I am praying that someone will give me some answers because I'm fresh out.  I have a three year old Rat Terrier named MinnieMouse. She has been my sidekick since day one. I joke about me being her littermate because when I nap, she's under the cover right next to my leg. She's always been skittish and shy around children, but has always seemed used to my grandchildren. Until today.

I'm sitting here crying like a baby, wondering if I am going to have to get rid of her. My ten month old grandson adores her and crawls around playing with her. She's always been tolerant but today she bit him. TWICE! Not hard, but enough to make him cry. The first time he was reaching for her bedding. I scolded her and put her outside for a bit. Then I brought her in and  she came over to me and got between me and the baby. He giggled and reached for her and she bit him again. Harder. If a choice has to be made, it will be my grandkids hands down. But this is killing me. I don't know how to stop it. If anyone knows what I can do. Or a good home for my Minnie (I live in Plano Texas) please, please email me at texjeansnpearls@sbcglobal.net.  I can't take her to the pound. And I can't afford training. I dont know what to do.

Minnies Mommy

Does your grandson live with you? Is there some reason you can't put Minnie in another room or crate her when he is there?

Don't get rid of Minnie  I am by no means a dog trainer but it sounds like Minnie is getting territorial of you and her belongings.  Babies that crawl are right at their eye level so dogs see them as another dog and a threat ( I read that somewhere).  Do you have a crate? Could you possibly crate her when the baby is around?  It might be a safe haven for her.  Small children can be rough without meaning to be (I know I have two kids under the age of three).  Another suggestion that worked for me is putting Minnie on a leash and if she growls or snaps at the baby, doing a quick jerk and a firm "NO!" followed by praise when she stops the negative behavior.  I have an 8 month old and I don't let her anywhere near my dog Eddie's toys or bed.  I also have a two year old who plays with Eddie and his toys but who I still do not allow near his bed when he is sleeping.  My 2 year old is very closely monitored and if he gets too rough he's not allowed to play anymore, same goes for Eddie.  They both get time outs .  I had some snapping issues when I first got Eddie but with some advice from the people on this site and diligence I haven't had an episode since the first week I had Eddie.  I hope this helps.  The person you really want to talk to is Nora.  She's the resident dog trainer.

Why would you get rid of her??  It's your job to protect both baby and dog....personally I wouldn't allow a baby to crawl around near her or her things.  He can't understand at that age and dog really will see him as a littermate...and act accordingly.  It's not her fault. 

Please follow the advice you've gotten.  Babies and ratties can live in harmony, it's your job to see to that.   (Even if that means separating them at all times.) 

At one time, our culture was far more tolerant of dog bites than it is today. When I was a kid, if a dog bit a child, Mom's response was, "So, what did you do to "so-and-so" to make him bite you?" Children were expected to learn how to respect a dog's space, and if Johnnie acquired a few nicks from a dog's teeth in the process, so be it. Today, one bite, even a minor nip, can be a death sentence for a dog. Of course, in the "old" days, Mom and Dad didn't risk losing their homeowner's insurance over a minor dog bite or two, either.

If you do the research, you'll find that children and babies are the most frequent victims of dog bites in this country.  From a dog's perspective, babies and children are weird, unpredictable, noisy, move erratically, make long, hard, direct eye contact, often cause pain, and don't respond appropriately to a dog's appeasement, deference, or self-defense signals.

 I would not allow them on the floor together AT ALL.  Put Minnie in her crate... thereby protecting your grandchild AND your dog.  I certainly do not believe you should find another home for Minnie... but I do believe you need to take some extra precautions to eliminate this situation occurring again.

Your goal should be to teach Minnie that the baby is YOUR BABY (at least while you have her) and has NOTHING to do with the dog. The baby should not  be smelled or touched by Minnie.  She needs to learn (and you need to teach her) that the baby is a higher ranking member of the family pack and that you (as the pack leader) enforce the baby's rank. This is no different than a mother wolf who does not allow other pack members near her newborn pups.

The way to set this training up is to take items that have the baby's smell on them (baby cloths, baby sheets, dirty diapers etc.) and lay them in your living area where Minnie is allowed to be.

Minnie should NEVER be allowed to go near these items. She can't play with them, or even go over and smell them...she's not to go near them at all.  Minnie needs to learn that there is a "bubble"  (so to speak)  around the smell of this baby that she is not allowed to enter.  If Minnie starts to smell any of these items, correct her.  Don't kid yourself that she can't smell these items from across the room .. and that's as close as she should be allowed.

If Minnie walks over to smell the diaper she gets a verbal NO.  The goal is to teach the dog that the smell of the baby is  OUT OF BOUNDS.

NEVER leave these baby items laying around when you are out of the room. Treat them just like you treat the baby. The dog and these items are never alone together.  Look at it like this. If you can't control Minnie staying away from these articles of clothing then you can't control her staying away from your grandbaby.

Until you have trained Minnie not go go around the baby items... or the baby.... I would advise crating her during the times you have your grandchild.  Better safe than sorry.

This is a totally correctable situation... I hope you'll do what it takes to correct Minnie's behavior.

This newbie has gotten great advice and should follow it. I am very fortunate that Smokey is great with everybody but, tell you what, if there is a little kid around him, we take a totally different approach. It was said by Nora and it is true, kids are very unpredictable. Just watch two toddlers together and they are crawling on the floor reaching out to each other and poking and touching. A dog may take that as aggression.

I may be setting myself up here but tell you what I think. This person joined on the 14th and posted this problem. To date, hasn't responded. She says she has had the rattie for 3 years. Why is it that so many times people join here and the very first post mentions "rehoming" or "getting rid of" or " please find an new home" for their dogs? Everyone here jumps right in to help (and I am not suggesting we don't!) and Nora, usually takes the most time in explaining what to do. She is the training moderator and doesn't have that title or respect in here by accident. If MinniesMommy reads this, at least have the courtesy to respond. Not only will you find the right answer to this problem, you will become a member of the best informational and support site on the Internet for our Ratties.

Well said Bill

I e-mailed her since she gave the address. I am curious and as long as she made it available, why not.
We really want to help in these situations. This site has been hit with so many like this and it's frustrating and such a helpless feeling.

Thanks Bill.  After this past weekend, I am even more adamant about taking necessary precautions in certain situations.

Please, do not leave young kids and dogs unsupervised, particularly those under the age of 12. Dogs, especially puppies, see toddlers and kids as littermates, not pack leaders. Dogs are a different species. They communicate, play and rough-house in different ways than humans. In an idealistic and perfect (Disney) world, we want children and dogs to get along and have the ultimate respect for one another. In the real world this is impossible and unfair to both species.

About a month ago, a friend of mine... a mother and co-worker... called me to say that her dog (a boxer) snapped at her 4 year old son. She wanted to know if the dog should be put to sleep. It turns out, after assessment, that the child was chasing the dog with a plastic bat!! The dog didn't need to be put to sleep. The dog needed a bodyguard!

If you can't supervise, then separate children and dogs. Use a baby-gate or crate. Schedule small play sessions where you can supervise safe interactions between the child and dog.   And... certainly a BABY should never be put on the floor with a dog.

Exactly.  Thank you. 

 To those of you that thought I was NOT heeding your advice and not reading the boards: I most certainly was and DID. I had a death in my family and was away for a time. So, I appologize for the lateness in post.  And as  I boarded Minnie at her favorite "Vet" kennel,because of the funeral, I also got some advice from her Vet.  It seems that she was developing an ear infection which, the vet explained, is more than likely what made her cranky. Ear infection is mended. And, you'll be happy to know that Minnie is STAYING. She and Grandboy are fast friends again with a healthy respect for boundaries. Her bedding and toys are out of his reach and he is not allowed to pull on her. She is not allowed to touch his toys and things. Yet, she puts her head in his little lap and lets him pat her (very easy, I might add). We are all learning. She has learned to back away if he is crawling around. And, I no longer expect that she is just going to be a "littermate".

In answer to someone's question. No it did not break the skin. It was an incident that won't, i hope, be repeated.

She grew up crate trained, she knows that is her place to go. She's my baby, I love her, and she knows who is boss. ME.  I thank you ALL for your good advice.  Grandma, Minnie and Grandboy (DJ) ALL THANK YOU.

PS....I have had problems figuring out this board. I would love to post a picture of my girl. how might I do that. Please EMAIL texjeansnpearls@sbcglobal.net

 To those of you that thought I was NOT heeding your advice and not reading the boards: I most certainly was and DID. I had a death in my family and was away for a time. So, I appologize for the lateness in post.  And as  I boarded Minnie at her favorite "Vet" kennel,because of the funeral, I also got some advice from her Vet.  It seems that she was developing an ear infection which, the vet explained, is more than likely what made her cranky. Ear infection is mended. And, you'll be happy to know that Minnie is STAYING. She and Grandboy are fast friends again with a healthy respect for boundaries. Her bedding and toys are out of his reach and he is not allowed to pull on her. She is not allowed to touch his toys and things. Yet, she puts her head in his little lap and lets him pat her (very easy, I might add). We are all learning. She has learned to back away if he is crawling around. And, I no longer expect that she is just going to be a "littermate".

In answer to someone's question. No it did not break the skin. It was an incident that won't, i hope, be repeated.

She grew up crate trained, she knows that is her place to go. She's my baby, I love her, and she knows who is boss. ME.  I thank you ALL for your good advice.  Grandma, Minnie and Grandboy (DJ) ALL THANK YOU.

PS....I have had problems figuring out this board. I would love to post a picture of my girl. how might I do that. Please EMAIL texjeansnpearls@sbcglobal.net

Thanks for coming back and posting Minnie's Mommy, I hope you stick around and join in, this is a great forum. Your vet was right, a dog that feels poorly is far less patient, however the great advice in this thread is valid in all cases. It sounds like you have the situation well in hand.

I know it may have sounded short, but it can be frustrating when folks come on, make one or two posts (sometimes very frantic ones) which make us worry about the dogs, frankly being put down, and then when a person disappears we never know what happens with the dog and owner. It's worriesome. So thanks again for taking the time to post.

If you look at the FAQ section at the top of this forum you will find LOTS of info on how to post photos and an avatar (the small photo by your name). Hope that helps!

MinnisMommy!
So glad you are still here! I didn't post because I didn't have advice. Glad to hear it is working out! Kids and dogs make a great combo. They  just need to be watched! Good for you to do the right thing!!! Dogs and kids will be better for it!!