Is Taquito destined to live with another family member?

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

In light of the recent discussions about vicious dogs (and Joanne's "Does Size Matter" discussion) and recent encounters in my personal life, I am starting to worry about Taquito.  I know he is a non-dood, but I have some questions.

How can I go ahead and start having him associate babies/toddlers with positive reinforcement?

He is good most of the time, but he will definitely snap at a child if he/she comes up quickly and if Taquito is near me or DH (you know these little dogs are territorial). 

This weekend he snapped at my college roommate's 1 year old, who came too close too fast. We were sitting there (he was next to DH) and pulled him away.

3 years ago, pre-Peri, we were at in-laws for xmas.  Their then 2-year old kept coming up to T. and poking him, pulling on ears, etc...I told her to be gentle and they never did anything to help keep her calm.  He ended up nipping her on the nose (no blood at all, not even a mark).  Since then, they are good about teaching the kids to be gentle and 95% of the time all-around (not just with these kids), T. is totally fine, no growling even. 

 

But I am worried.  I am worried because we are probably going to expand our family soon with a human child and this makes me so nervous.  Mainly because I DO NOT WANT TO BE THAT PERSON WHO HAS THEIR DOG GO LIVE WITH ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER ONCE THEY HAVE A HUMAN CHILD.  I know for 1000000% certainty my sister would take him, so it's not like I would be really re-homing.

However, to me, this is not an option.

If you were me, would you go ahead and work with a trainer?  Peri's is also a behaviorist (for what that means) and I really like her.  How do you train though if I don't have kids yet?

Help.  The issue has really never come up until recently. For the first 6 years of his life, I was not even thinking about kids myself (yet) and none of my friends had kids. Now almost all do and it is becoming a reality that T. hates kids.

Peri is totally different. She gives all children tongue baths and cannot keep her paws off of them.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

 Personally, I think you are moving too fast right now.  One Day at a Time.   There is a reason it takes almost 10 months gestation for a human child to be born.  Just as long for the child to begin to walk.   These are slow periods of adjustments for you also.

Can you imagine be given a chiild today after just thinking about it yesterday?  Even you, a well adjusted young woman wanting a child would be OVERWHELMED. 

Here, Allyson.  Here is your son. He is already 10 months old, needs to eat, sleep, gets into EVERYTHING, puts EVERYTHING in his mouth, he has an ear ache today, you really are running out of diapers, the house is a mess, you have no sleep, and you  .................................. OH MY IT GETS so busy. 

But these things are slow and steady changes. They happen slowly over months of time and new parents adjust. Somehow.

You could not adjust in one day, therefore do not expect a dog to either.  That is how Taq felt at that moment.  Suddenly a child.  The dog in these moments felt overwhelmed.

I have a feeling that Taq will feel all the love in your home.  It will bond as you will.  Taq may just be so protective over it's new sibling.

No child, even around the BEST behaved dogs, do most parents leave unsupervised.

One day at a time.  :)  I have a good feeling you will all adjust perfectly.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

OMD, I couldn't agree more.  I think it's way to early to know how T will react, and so it's way to early to be worried.  It's one of those things that remains to be seen.  I would not be getting a trainer at this point to work with T if I were in your position...it's just too soon.  My Murph is not a "kid friendly" dog.  He tolerates them as long as they don't do anything to "spook" him, but that's about it.  He has a "safety net" which is to go upstairs with the kids gated out when he gets too nervous.  I can now recognize all the body language, and I just give him some space.  I trust him now around the older grandkids, but I manage his interactions with the little ones.  I find it all manageable, even when the kids are staying here.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Thanks Jane!  We are just around kids more and more and it makes me nervous already....my friends kids are getting mobile and it scares him. 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Thanks Joanne!