I have Pip a rescued terrier who we have had for 3 years.  He has always been a handful but we have taken him to training and he is much improved.  He is aged about 6.

However, we have two small grandsons.  The elder one,  Tom, is 6 and adores Pip - he is confident with both my dogs, I have a female Westie too.  The other grandson Joseph (5) is scared of dogs which seems to make Pip worse.  As soon as Joseph arrives the dog is jumping up, the child shrieks and his parents get upset.  Pip has no malice and has snapped but he does like to follow you around and tries to jump up although he normally settles down after 5 minutes or so.  YesterdayJoseph and family  came to our house for  lunch and I had to shut Pip in the kitchen a lot of the time which resulted in him jumping at the door and getting really stressed.

The other thing he does is pick up in his mouth all sorts of bits of the children's toys - you know,  bits of lego - anything he can his teeth into which results in crying and tears. No-one can leave a bag on the floor as his nose is in it.  They are coming on Christmas day and I am dreading it as Pip will not just settle down and leave the children alone.  The Westie minds her own business - much she is not a rescue dog!  Wiht my husband and me Pip is fine - I wonder if he gets jealous when the grandchildren come?

It is driving me mad - can anyone help?

Leonora

Thank goodness I'm not allone :rolleyes:
I understand exactly how you feel, we have the same with our dogs and my grandchild - it makes it worse as his Mum (my daughter) won't allow the dogs in the same room, which in turn makes them hyper so they stay behind a dog gate in the kitchen during their visit and they  will be visiting and staying over Christmas too.

I'm sure it makes the dogs worse when the parents are nervous and jumpy, when my daughter goes out and leaves my grandchild with us, the dogs are allowed in with us, settle nicely and are fine and so is my grandchild, as soon as Mum returns they are hyper again

And one of the dogs, will pick up the toys and run away with them  

Here, here. We have no problems with the 2 labs and our grand-daughters - but we do with their parents! So the dogs are out with the kids most of the time when the parents aren't here, but behind the dog-gate when they are. Which is no problem with our bitch, but the dog gets very fed up and can be noisy - which makes the parents even less keen.....I wouldn't mind, but I would never have become a dog-lover in the first place if my son aged 10 hadn't longed for a pet.....and this is the man who now has no time for them. Gr-rr-rr.

Thanks for your replies - nice to know - as you said - we are not alone.  Actually I left out a word in my first post and wrote that Pip had snapped - I meant to write that he had NEVER snapped - I don't think he would have it in him to snap,  he really is very gentle apart from being yappy and hyper around the children!

I have decided especially for Christmas day I will get out the dog gate again and he will have stay in the kitchen behind it but he will be very fed up!  My Westie Lucy just pushes off when the little ones come, off upstairs and snoozes away on the bed as do our two cats LOL.  I just wish Pip could do the same!

Leonora

My Daughters three are mixed in their reactions towards the dogs, one loves them. one isn't bothered one way or the other and one is jumpy around them. I just let them get on with it, my daughter knows what I'm like and respects my love of dogs enough to take my word for it when I say they will not hurt the children. They are always supervised anyway so we have no problems except the jumpy one who sidles past the dogs if they are in the hallway as if she is about to get jumped on!! She is 11 now and knows they will not move if she has to pass them. She has learnt over the years how to behave around dogs and that is something I think ALL children should learn. It is wrong to think that all children will love dogs and for those who don't we must make allowances. I would try to get them more used to being around the dogs, Possibly then your dogs will be less bouncy. All the time they are locked out they are getting hypo but if they can come in and mix they will soon settle down. Maybe a heart to heart with your daughter will help. Is she wary of the dogs? My daughter grew up surrounded by GSD'S and although understandably is careful with her children, she does know that my girls are harmless. Bearing that in mind ALL dogs have the ability to do harm (as have children) intentional or not and children and dogs should ALWAYS be supervised, who knows what accidental damage they can cause one another.
I would try to introduce quiet times when the dogs and children are allowed in together under close supervision, and even if they (The children) don't like the dogs, they can then learn how to behave around them. A leson which may hold them in good stead in the future.
Aileen.

I have found through personal experience that dogs do tend to get more excited when children are around, they usually calm down unless you add a shreiking child or parent and with all due respect the calmest dog can turn into a jumping excitable mess!

I usually get the dog to greet new children and they can give them a biscuit when the dogs display acceptable behaviour, shutting the dogs away nearly always makes them worse and can make them envious of what they are being shut away from therefore making the whole situation worse. No advice for the chewing as we never leave toys around to give our boy the chance! (and i have an 18 month old and 3 year old)

Regarding toys, children simply ahve to learn not to have them around where the dogs are.  My friend has a dobe adn a little boy and he has to put his toys away, play with them in a room where the dog isn't allowed when toys are out or plays with small toys on the table.

i am by no means an expert and i have only just joined the site but i have a 10 month bullmatiff and 3 children and although they are told to put toys away some are always left around. i have found that letting the kids play with toys on the floor while i sit with monty and constantly tell him leave has helped. he is now understanding that not all toys are his and we don't have so many tears from the children. as for getting hyper around small children monty is a pain too especially when out walking, i'm sure small children must smell of dog treats!!!

The age my grandchildren are is difficult as they like to play with lego,  jigsaws and the like.  Pip just waits for one piece to drop down (or he is not averse to pinching a bit off the table if he can) and then he makes off with it - that is when there are yells and shrieks.  My house is rather open plan and it is hard to find a room (other than a bedroom) that can be shut off.

I still think on Xmas day I shall have to revert to a stair gate at the kitchen door (and a bottle of gin for myself ....)

Leonora

There is an alternative to a dog gate which is a muzzle and before anybody shouts just let me explain. 

I have a dog that although small and never jumps up is barky when there are visitors (he has in the past nipped toes too) - but apart from the nipping of toes occasionally just the bark alone is enough to scare some children.  I have three options I use when I have visitors - the dog gate, the muzzle and the long lead and I use all three depending on the situation.

The muzzle with children works well - the children relax because they now know 100% that it is only and can only be noise - the dog relaxes because the children are then brave enough to stroke him which is all he wanted in the first place - so everything calms down.  I personally try not to use the dog gate when it is a child because I dont want my dog to think of the child as the enemy and the reason he is excluded.

The dog gate I tend to use when I am greeting people at the door because the fact of so many people all in a small space - my hallway is small you see - gets the dog too excited.

The long lead I use when visitors have been here for a few hours and everyone is relaxed sitting down chatting - I take the muzzle off but keep him on a long lead because he will get excited if somebody decides to suddenly move and bark and make people jump.

Hopefully thats another couple of ideas - my view is just to create a relaxed atmosphere and whichever tool or aid enables you to do this is a good thing. 

Maxine

PS all of these were ideas that people on champdogs gave me and I tried out to see how I got on - there was another which was to crate the dog in the same room as you and the visitors but that one didnt work for my dog - he became quite aggressive if he was locked in and somebody approached the crate - but I tried all before I decided which worked best.

I would not lock him away,this is his home and visitors,adults and children, should learn how to interact properly around dogs,especially when they go to someone elses home ,which will never happen if he is locked away!
If you absolutely,positively have to confine him,then i would use a long line.

Sorry,but if it were me i would not let people,family or not,dictate where and how i kept my dogs.It is up to you and them to train the children and the dog how to behave. Locking him away will possibly make him worse and more excitable and adamant to get out with the action.

I think your daughter has to accept the fact that when she visits that your dogs are part of the package,and shouldnt expect you to turn things inside out to accomodate her and her kids.Christmas is hectic enough,without having this on top of everything else to worry about...

I think your daughter has to accept the fact that when she visits that your dogs are part of the package,and shouldnt expect you to turn things inside out to accomodate her and her kids

The daughter and grandchildren are also a part of the family as well though:) Christmas can be such a stressful time though :)

Dogs feed off energy and as kids are quite high energy that feeds through to the dogs, my younger brother whos 8 is scared of dogs so when they go near him he starts jumping around and screaming which in turn makes the dogs worse as they think all this high pitched noise and jumping means he wants to play, we found that if my brother stayed calm and tried to keep his energy low it worked and the dogs were less hyper.

Do you have children Ktee?  If not I think you need to realise that even if the children are resident children wind dogs up easily and can be unpredictable and even cruel and their interactions need to be supervised so they do not hurt each other inadvertently. 

This will mean some kind of segregation is needed at times.  So  little of it when kids just visit is not a big deal though a bit of a faff.

Thanks for your suggestions.  I think a muzzle would drive Pip mad and so would crating which I had thought of.

The trouble is of course my two dogs have a quiet life with my husband and me generally.  They are spoilt to death, sleep on our bed and the sofas etc.  So when the grandchildren appear they find it very exciting/scary.  My Westie Lucy is perfectly fine.  She doesn't much like children although she is of a gentle temperament so she just pushes off upstairs and snoozes on the bed.

Pip wants to be in on the action though although I expect there is a bit of jealousy there.  One of the grandchildren is Tom who is 6 and he loves Pip, no problem there.  The other two are more the problem, Joseph who is 5 and Annabelle only 14 months.  They are very wary and flap their arms etc. The more they do this the more Pip follows them about which they find intimidating.  Their  parents don't like Pip so it is difficult.  Unfortunately my son (normally a dog lover and grew up with dogs) married a girl who doesn't like dogs much - and therein lies the problem.  Although she likes Lucy who is well behaved, white and fluffy she can't stand poor Pip.

I agree with those of you who say it is Pip's home and he shouldn't be shut away but I just can't put up with  all the moaning.  Maybe a long line might be the answer.  I think if I could just kennel him for the one day and collect him Xmas evening when they have all gone I would but that is impossible over Xmas as he would have be there boxing day too which is not on.

Pip is perfectly Ok with visting adults - two minutes jumping about and then back to snooze mode.

Have to say Pip has been the most difficult rescue dog I have taken on and I had had several including two short legged Jack Russels - never had this problem of trying to steal toys etc - sure it is an anxiety thing.  Dog training has helped in normal circumstances but not with this.

Leonora

I can understand what you are saying about the muzzle driving the dog mad.  My experience is that this just took a little bit of training to get used to - I use the basket muzzle so can put treats through etc and can honestly say it didnt take more than a couple of tries and now it is almost like an off switch he visibly relaxes and goes for strokes.

Not all things work for all dogs though - and I obviously had that extra motivator - the toe nipping!

Good luck anyway,

Maxine

The trouble is of course my two dogs have a quiet life with my husband and me generally.  They are spoilt to death, sleep on our bed and the sofas etc.  So when the grandchildren appear they find it very exciting/scary.

SNAP AGAIN!

Our 2 dogs have a similar life with me and my husband, and when the grandchild arrives - excitement abounds, there are sticky tasty fingers and all manner of tasty snacks accidentally dropped on the floor that my 2 greedy dogs can't wait to help clear away.

I'm not sure if it is that Pip is a rescue dog which makes her pick up toys in her mouth, the dog of mine which wants to eat all the toys is not a rescue dog and just loves to carry things around in his mouth and if it smells of baby than all the better :rolleyes:

I don't muzzle mine or crate them, but as I said before, they are put in the kitchen behind a dog gate.  It is sad, but no worse than being in a kennel for the day, and probably much better as they are in familiar surroundings with all their home comforts (except for the run of the house)!

I agree on one side that it is the dogs home and they should not be shut up, but I also want my family to visit, and if being in the kitchen for one or two days is what it takes then so be it. 

I'm hoping that as my grandchild becomes more confident with the dogs, then his Mum will relax more and hopefully allow them to be in the same room.  Although I haven't a clue what to do about the stealing of toys

I had wondered about shutting Pip  in our bedroom on Christmas Day.  It is a large room (two knocked into one and is 22ft long).  I could put his bed and toys up there.  Maybe if he couldn't hear all the commotion of the children he would settle down.  Behind the gate in the kitchen he would be dying to be in the thick of things.

Mind you a stairgate across the kitchen door isn't a bad thing anyway when cooking the  Christmas dinner to stop the children charging through which is dangerous.

Oh my don't I love this time of year!!!!

Leonora

>Do you have children Ktee?

Yes i do. What i'm saying is that the dog shouldn't have to be locked away in it's own home.

I do agree with supervising them.

Shut away with some peace and quiet could be exactly what the dog wants! :D

Having had a highly strung member of a herding breed as my first dog she would ask to be allowed to go upstairs for peace and quiet if things got too busy and noisy when children visited.  She was great with my daughter whose shadow she was from the moment she arrived and my daughter was a year old, and she was great when my son was born, but she couldn't deal with too much excitement for too Long and other peoples kids.