I just adopted a Shihtzu two days ago. Already he has bitten my daughter on the face (she was doing NOTHING to antagonize him) and I'm not sure I'm going to keep him. I lost my beloved dog of 16 years (SADIE) just a couple of months ago and was really hoping this was going to fill in that empty space. He is 5 years old and adorable! If anyone is interested and I would recommend with no small children in the home, he is available for a rehoming fee of $100. He will come with a bed, frontline, water system and dishes. Feel free to PM me and I will send a pic and anymore information you need.

How bad a bite? Was he being aggressive or just playing? Was down on the floor with him or holding him?

My dog did this as well when children would play too rough with her. But she hasn't done this in a long time because of the spankings she received from my parents.

Is this dog potty trained? I would like to see a pic. I have an 8 or 9 year old female shih tzu.

She wasn't playing rough at all. My daughter was standing by the couch petting him on the belly when all of a sudden he jumped up and bit her on the cheek. He has never shown any aggression at all before or since then. Im not sure if it was an isolated event, but my daughter is fearful of him now.

Is this dog potty trained? I would like to see a pic. I have an 8 or 9 year old female shih tzu.

Yes he is house broken! Email me at letslaugh99@hotmail.com (letslaugh99@hotmail.com) and I will be email a pic back if anyone wants to see him.

Hi,

Sorry to hear of this incident. However, with ANY new dog, it is not a good idea to let children play with them, even supervised. You must first socialize your dog AND train your children. Yes, train your children. They need to know that playtime with the dog only comes once everyone knows the rules and everyone (most importantly the dog) feels safe and secure.

I know... you are saying "but my other dog never..." Just because you had a previous dog doesn't mean that your children are trained. It is in fact likely your children were never properly trained, but that your previous dog was just very submissive and already socialized when your children were born.

I know... you are now saying "how can I trust this dog now that It has bitten?"
You can't! You couldn't before either, but just didn't realize it. You can't trust ANY new dog around children. The dog must earn your trust over time. Understand that there are many reasons that this dog may have bitten your child, e.g., it was afraid, it was spooked by a noise, it was playing, it was trying to determine its position in the family (your pack) by doing what it does with other dogs. It is not necessarily a child aggressive dog that must always be away from children. However, it may be child aggressive. You will need to determine this by slowly re-introducing your dog and child. This will take time and should be done slowly, for example, over a period of a month. Because you may not be familiar with the best way to do this, I would suggest doing some research on dog training and consulting a behavioral specialist for dogs.

I know, you are now saying "I didn't think it would be that much work." It is your responsibility as the owner and head of the family to communicate to a new dog the structure of your family and its position in the family. You can do this with consistent training. This takes time. Even older dogs need training and exercise. If you are not willing to dedicate this time, you should return the dog to the breeder or shelter and not adopt another dog. A hamster or rabbit might make a good alternative pet. These pets are much less work.

I know, you are now saying "I just wanted a dog like my last one." Yes, I understand. You can have a great companion once again. Having a dog in the family will bring joy to you and your daughter. More importantly, think about what your daughter will learn when she sees you taking responsible care of your dog and then eventually, the interaction that you and your daughter will have in the process of training your dog. On the other hand, consider what you will teach her if you 'rehome' your dog.... to be afraid of dogs, probably for life.

OKCCrime

Sounds like your just giving up, and I agree with OKCCrime completely. And a rehoming fee of $100.00,how much did it cost you from rescue??

The dog came from a home that had children. That was one of the reasons I was interested. Either the previous owners LIED or just told half truths when I asked all the important questions when purchasing a dog for my family. My daughter has been trained on how to be around pets. Like I said, I had a dog for 16 years; however this wasn't the only other pet we had all those years. Simply petting the dog was the only thing she was doing. She had been standing there ( the dog laying on the top cushion of my sofa) and petting him when he all of a sudden jumped up and bit her in the face. I can't explain what happened, we have gone over it numerous times whether or not she had startled him in any way.

"You must first socialize your dog AND train your children. Yes, train your children. They need to know that playtime with the dog only comes once everyone knows the rules and everyone (most importantly the dog) feels safe and secure. "

The dog is 5 years old, and had been socialized-with a family who also had children. This was a military family and were getting relocated and said they couldn't take the pet.

"It is in fact likely your children were never properly trained, but that your previous dog was just very submissive and already socialized when your children were born."

The children KNOW how to behave around a dog. This dog is an addition to MY family and straight to the point- I won't put my CHILDREN in harms way over a DOG!!!!!!


"On the other hand, consider what you will teach her if you 'rehome' your dog.... to be afraid of dogs, probably for life."

Hopefully it will teach her that human life is much more important and valuable than that of a DOG. To value the safety of her CHILDREN over an animal is what I consider a valuable lesson. She has not been AFRAID of dogs, yet, also understanding that there are dogs who are not always family friendly. I suppose you would also say that most people bitten by a pitbull were just not properly trained. OR perhaps provoked it in some way?

I'm out $250, for a registered shih tzu, however if I don't find a better home for it I'm sure the animal shelter won't question my ability to properly "train" my children!

Did the dog break the skin or did it just bang her teeth up against the child's cheek? That is how grown dogs handle puppies to get them to give them some space. If it was a real bite to hurt, I would really worry. Your child may be trained for your previous hound but all dogs are different and the transition period is frequently dicey. I am sure you know that and I don't mean to sound like I don't think you do. Your new dog may have been trying to establish rank in the family by its actions, which is one of the reasons it is important to closely supervise any new dog - even one that is used to being around kids. It may turn out to be a terrific kids' dog but pack rank is something that most dogs need to work out. I find it interesting that it went from a submissive position (getting petted) to nipping the child's face. That screams (to me) of an attempt to establish rank in its new family. You may have to decide if you are willing to take the time and effort to help that pouch have an attitude adjustment (in a kind manner). If it was me and the dog was just giving a warning, I'd read up on this aspect and try to come up with a strategy to make it easier for all concerned. From the tone of your post, you don't really sound like a dog person (and by that, I mean the kind of person who considers dogs to actually be family members - some people would call us fruity) so I can't say it you would be interested in making the effort. It might be a lot of work.

It this was a genuine, vicious bite, that is the first and last opportunity this dog would have in my family. If it were just me, I would give it more time and a lot more effort. With a child in the mix, I'd be more cautious. Is there a rescue for that type of dog in your area? I hope you don't just drop it off at the pound. I suspect since this dog has successfully been a member of a family that it will be able to do so, again with a proper transition period or perhaps in a home without small children. You sound pretty unhappy with this dog so it might be better to find a home where there is a more positive relationship.

What did you do when the dog acted out?

The dog broke the skin....there was blood and screaming. My daughter had to knock the dog off of her. My actions to the dog might not have been the RIGHT thing to do...but I spanked him VERY HARD. Then I had to attend to my daughters wounds. I LOVE dogs, and by that I mean, I have had many dogs in my family over the years. I also have a lab/chow mix who is 3 years old. I love having them around, my children have always enjoyed them too. This dog bit my 10 yr old who is probably the most gentle with the animals. I also have a 7 and a 5 year old- which is why I worry. I would expect a dog to react in that sort of way if he had felt threatened. But because it happened in the manner it did- just from being pet to biting for the FACE-is what worries me the most. Suddenly turning!!!!

For now, I am keeping the children away from him. I will even admit to feeling a little on edge when I am petting him and when he suddenly turns his head around. At the moment, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. As I have thought more about this, I'm not sure I would want to pass this potential problem off to another family. Perhaps over the weekend I will do more research and possibly call a veternarian. Thanks for your input!

Well, I would worry, too, if it was that severe. I hope you get some good input from the vet and that this has a happy ending. The fact that he had a good experience with a family is positive, and it may just be that he would be fine in another home, perhaps with no children. How is he getting along with your three year old dog?

Not sure if this is an option but I saw this online: Lone Star Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso Rescue of Texas (http://www.shihtzu-rescue.com/aboutUs.html)

That's really crummy to hear, Relaxationstation. I'm sorry for your (and your child's!) difficulties with the dog.

While I understand (and appreciate!) your interest in trying to rehome the dog, I wonder if it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it just a bit more time for him to feel comfortable and settle in? Only reasons for this thought is the dog had only been in your home for a couple days. And he's 5 years old. Puppies adjust to new homes pretty well, but think about this poor fellow...he's just been uprooted from the home he's known for 5 years and thrust into a situation with new people and pets. I could understand him being a bit unsettled and defensive. Some dogs adjust very quickly, but he's a little guy (and you all are MUCH bigger than him, not to mention your other dogs are, too) and he's kind of "alone" in this traumatic experience.

Personally, I would probably give him ONE more chance, and make sure that he knows the HUMANS are in charge, not him. (Some little dogs are babied by their owners - previous owners in this case - and they start to believe they are the heads of the household, so they can behave in an unacceptable manner.) But also understand that he's been through quite a bit of "trauma" in the past week, and let him get more comfortable - while re-introducing the kids slowly.

Whatever you decide, my best of luck to you. It's a very difficult decision, but I'm sure you'll do what's best for your family. If you do decide to take him to the shelter, make sure you tell them of his difficulty in adjusting. That way, they can make sure his transition to a new home is a little bit easier and the people who take him home will be aware of his needs.

After talking with my daughter (the one who was bitten) she is ok with the idea of seeking some training and giving him another chance. So, unless there is another incident we will be keeping him.

That is great Ms.R! I will be interested if you decide not to keep. I'm a little more understanding when it comes to having to sacrifice in that area. And I want another shih tzu!

OK , well I will let YOU know first thing if we decide to go ahead and get rid of him. Thanks.

I wish you luck. Your daughter sounds like a sweetheart. I hope this little guy settles in, quickly and there are no more mishaps. Tough, tough situation, I'm sure.

I'm very glad that you are giving it another go and talking to a professional trainer to assure that the introduction to your family happens in the best possible way for everyone.

It sounds like there are a number of people on this forum who care greatly about pets and so I am 100% sure that if you need any advice or information that your questions would be welcomed.

OKCCrime