Question:
ok guys new question.
my friend has 4 children under the age of 8, (ages 8,7,5,2) last night they were over for halloween, and it was the first time pippin was introduced to the kids. they have never had pets and their mother wont allow them to have a dog, so basically they dont really know how to treat them. i supervised completely the whole time, but the mother didnt even step in when they were trying to play with pippin( he was getting excited and nipping them) i had to step in, i put pippin in his crate after a while, so then i catch them teasing him in his crate and then complaining when he nipped them. i explained that when he was in the crate he was "hands off" and i dont mind teaching them, but come on.. shouldnt all children be taught how to treat animals of any size or kind ?? and where does i cross the line? let me know what you guys think. :P


Answer:
Yes, those children need to be taught how to behave appropriately around dogs. I don't think that you crossed the line at all. Pippin does not deserve to be treated like that and if the mom isn't going to be responsible for her kids, you need to step in and stick up for your dog. Did you think you got through to the kids at all?


Answer:
no i doubt it, the kids are really quite young to understand. joey is at least a little older and does seem to "tolerate" them if you know what i mean. pippin does have a nipping problem, but he is a puppy you know. anyway, my friend doesnt like to listen to "advice" so to speak, nor does she like to be corrected. so i think for now, until pippin is older i am going to keep the kids away,


Answer:
Almost all puppies have nipping problems...it's just part of the way that they explore their surroundings. Keeping the kids away sounds like a good solution.


Answer:
You did the right thing. It's your house and your dog. If mom won't teach them animals skills, someone has to do it. Poor Pippin!
Now adays, unfortunately, it is also about protecting yourself from lawsuits I've heard of friends becoming enemies because of dog bite incidents within their homes. I have 4 dogs. When kids come over, I know two of them do NOT like young children, so I put them in another room off limits. If the children are particularly rambunctious, I put ALL 4 dogs away.


Answer:
that is a good idea, i thought i was doing the right thing by putting pippin in his crate, safe zone you know, ugh i was soo frustrated when they were teasing him, dogs are soo much easier to train then kids Hehe, we want kids eventually and mine will be trained about puppies and dogs for sure!


Answer:
Well, it's too bad the mother wasn't supervising her children, but unfortunately, as the dog owner, you have to be aware of your dog's limits and remove the dog from a potentially dangerous situation. You did good to put Pippin in his crate away from the children. You should also ask the mother that next time she and the children visit, you expect them to treat your dog appropriately.


Answer:
I agree with what's been said: the dog (Pippin) must be protected from situations in which she might bite the kids (thus signing her own death warrant). It infuriates me that so many people put children's right to abuse a dog ('playing' ) ahead of the dog's right to peace.


Answer:
RossGirl, I think you did the right thing by putting Pippin in the crate and telling the kids to stop teasing while Pippin inside. I know some people are touchy about others telling their kids off but Pippin is your dog and your responsibility (to make sure he doesn't bite) and if they can't teach their kids manners then I wouldn't hesitate to step in and tell them off. Kids have to be taught that animals are not like stuffed toys that can be handled/poked/dropped/punched.
Any animal will bite if provoked enough and kids need to know that.


Answer:
thanks guys for all the support, it is a very touchy subject with any parent, including me, these guys are my "kids" , and it is my job to protect them from abusive children, who may only ruin it for all children.