by Toni
(Maryland)
HELP!!! She chases after her when she walks and uses her body to redirect the way she is going.
She ignores her calls. She won’t listen to her commands. My rottie is 13 weeks. Any suggestions…
Hi Toni
Puppies often treat children as siblings because that’s how they perceive them. They may think that the younger children are ‘lower in the pecking order’ than they are and try to dominate them and this is what I think is happening here.
It’s perfectly normal puppy behavior, but you need to discourage it and make sure that your pup learns that EVERY human has more authority and a higher standing in the family than she does.
I’m not sure how old your youngest is, but providing she’s not a toddler or pre-K, she should be able to get involved with your puppy’s care and this will help to show the pup that she’s not in charge of this little girl.
This is what I’d suggest (and you can help her as much as you think is necessary, depending on her age)..
Have your daughter feed your pup at least once a day. Start off by having her give the pup her food bowl at mealtimes, and as long as you’ve taught your puppy not to ‘snatch’ food, you can let your daughter feed the pup a meal by hand (either one piece of kibble at a time, or a handful in her palm) every other day. This helps show who is in charge of the resources, and will establish your child’s seniority in the eyes of your pup.
Also, make sure that this pup obeys your daughter. Have daily practice sessions (keep them short and check out my Free Puppy Training Tips page for lots of help with training. When she’s told to ‘sit’, she MUST obey, even if it means helping her little butt to hit the floor before giving her a treat. Again, help your daughter as much as she needs, but try to let her be the ‘boss’ here.
Whenever necessary you can get involved if the pup is pushing the limits and reinforce the correction or shape her behavior, but it’s important to let your child do what she can. Also, don’t allow this puppy on her bed, or to climb up on the furniture etc. It doesn’t sound as though she’s overly dominant, but it’s always a good idea to try to prevent behaviors from starting, rather than have to fix them later on.
I hope this helps some. Best of luck with that adorable pup.