hi ive just got a 6yr old daschund bitch on the 12,02.05, shes great with my kids.but she has snapped at my sisters kids. she is coming into season! could that be why shes snappy? her last owner told me shes never snapped. if i get her spayed will it make her any better,but will it rune her coat? can someone give me advice please!

It could well be her season, or it could be something your sister's child did, albeit unintentionally. What exactly were the circumstances that lead to the snap? What was the bitch's body language?

hi she was under the chair by me wen he got down to stroke her,her last owners had 4 children around the same age
as my nephue.she said shed never snapped. just a bit of a concern as i have 2 children 1 whos 5 and 1 whos 4months .the breeder assured me she was ok with children! could it just be that shes a bit irritable coz shes coming into season?

Id say she probably felt a little vulnerable and the children hadn't taken her warning signals - lets face it, not many adults can understand a dogs body language :(  She's also under gone a lot of changes just recently, so her behaviour is likely to be a little unpredictable.  Bearing this in mind, I'd supervise her very carefully around children and remember, it's not unknown for an owner to not tell the whole truth when rehoming, so any rehomed dog should be treated as if it has the capability for snapping until very carefully proven otherwise.......

what are these warning sygnals am i to look out 4? coz knowing them may help.she rearly has appeard quite placid until now.my little girl can hug her and pick her up with no problems.just something ill have to keep an eye on.im hopeful shele settle.it was here first meeting with my nephues! and i think it was probebly just a warning ! coz she didnt bite just snapped! thanks for the advice anyway uve been a great help!

When my pups go to homes with children I always advise NEVER to let the children lift the dog.  I ask the children to sit on the floor and the dog sits on their lap for a cuddle.

This applies especially to a dog like a Dachs whose back could easily be damaged with clumsy handling.  I have yet to meat any adult dog that relishes being picked up by children or strangers, they learn to tolerate it having been brought up to have good manners, but it is not fair to expect them to put up wityh being picked up by kids.

A dog whose feeling stressed will show the white corners of the eyes (the outer edges), they may also drop their heads, and the body will stiffen.  There may follow a slight lifting of the lifts before you get to see the teeth, and then there's the growl, often followed in short order by a snap! :(  Many dogs these days are punished for growling, so learn to skip that bit of the warning, which is a shame, as it's often the only idea other humans get that something is wrong, so NEVER punish your dog for growling, but take it as a warning that they are seeking reinforcement, this is your opportunity to take charge of the situation and recognise the child has put itself in a potentially dangerous situation.

I'd also plead that you stop letting your daughter pick the dog up, apart from anything else Daxies have backs that are very suseptable to injury from a twist, and this could easily happen should she slip from your daughters grasp :(

If she was under the chair it probably meant she wanted to be left alone ...

Also I'd stop your daughter picking her up. This makes many dogs anxious, because children aren't the most secure of carriers! Best to keep her on the floor.
:)

Did your sisters children do anything to provoke her?  If she is well behaved with your children it would seem that something was done to her, prodding, pushing, pulling etc in order for her to snap.  Getting her spayed may not make any difference and I would not assume that because she snapped once (I am assuming if it has been on more than one occasion please correct me) that she is nasty.  Maybe you should get your sisters children to sit down quietly with her, just gently stroking her to see if she reacts in the same way???

Although always 100% with humans, including children, my Cocker would often be short tempered and snap at my other dog in the lead up to her season, although that wasn't the reason she was spayed it certainly removed that problem.

thanks for that im going to get her spayed after her season,and see if that helps if not maybe ill try some behavour classes.shes a lovely dog i just hope she settles down .also how long r they in season 4? and how much am i likely to pay for the spay?

If she was by you under the chair she may well have felt threatened and unsure.  You have only had her a short time, so she maye has noty built up trust in you all yet.  See it from her view point she maybe wanted to be left alone and her space was invaded.

You need to teach the kids to never follow the dog to where they have taken refuge but should wait for the dog to come to them for a stroke under supervision.  This way the dog will learn to trust you and them, and it will avoid any unpleasant incidents.

thanks for the advice ill make sure my little girl dusnt pick her up,wen she does though i always support the dog anyway.im sure once she gets to know the rest of the family shele be fine.shes as good as gold with us ie me my partner and my kids. she just surprized me thats all i supose i keep forgetting that we aint had her that long and itl take time to settle in,as it already feels like shes always been here! thanks for the advice tho much apreciated!