My puppy and my friends child.....

[mojozen]

After reading other comments I want to say a bit more else if no one minds.

I want to say I may be a little more protective of Mojo because he's a pit bull mix. And while my family says they like Mojo they still hate that he's a pit bull mix. In their minds a good pit bull is a dead pit bull... and Mojo's only saving grace is he's not a full bred pit (to our knowledge).

I know if anything were to happen where Mojo was provoked to bite someone - like my youngest nephew - then it wouldn't matter how it happened I'd be highly pressured to get rid of him or put him to sleep.

Fortunately for me, I can generally redirect Mojo out of the situation and/or he leaves it on his own. The last time my nephew decided hitting mojo with a toy was "fun," I called Mojo to me and he calmly got up and walked over to where i was and sat at my feet.

I feel that bully breeds such as Stoli, Mojo or others that I know will have there breeds stacked against them, which is why I am not as tolerant as I suppose I should be towards how children are allowed to handle dogs. I agree it's the one of the ways dogs will learn how to be handled... but with my family's attitude it's not a risk I am willing to take.

 

[juliefurry]

Thanks for your first hand input Julie.....I am not really worried that she is hurting Stoli (well...okay kinda worried...lol)...it's that Stoli is trying to bite her when she is doing it...and that is what worries me....I don't want Stoli to think it's okay to do that. We need to have a serious talk with the child. I guess from what you have said about the problem with your son, who is two years older than this girl I need to take care of this right away so it doesn't continue and turn into a very very bad situation.

I would first try redirecting the girl's attention and have her do something more appropriate before having a serious talk with her. At four it would most likely go in one ear and out the other. It is the same with my stepson although we don't see him much anymore. First just show her the correct way to act with the puppy, if she plays with dolls or stuffed animals nicely just comment to her and say "see you have to be nice like that with Stoli" and when she is nicely petting or being good congratulate her and say "that is very nice, you are being very nice to Stoli" or say "very good, Stoli really likes when you are nice to him, he doesn't like when people pull his tail and hurt him". If she does continue to do what you do not want then pick up the puppy and say "Stoli doesn't like when you do that, I think he will sit over with me until you stop being mean to him." If she asks, or wants, to play with him agian then ask her why he was taken away from her and if she tells you then say "you can play if you will be nice with him but if you get too rough then I'm going to take him away agian." Make sure you express that he is a baby and he needs to be handled gently, that seemed to work good with my stepson until our lab got bigger now he thinks because she is bigger he can hit and pull on her .