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My Miniature Daschund is about seven years old. Her only flaw is that she's not the best at using the bathroom when she should, and otherwise she's a beautiful, loving, companionable dog. I don't have any pictures. Sorry. Wish I did, she's adorable. Kind of looks like the one on the right:

So. My mother had m a sister a couple years ago, and she's about three. The dog and her get along great, much better than most dogs and little girls. My dog has had a strong protection over her since she was old enough to be around her. The dog has nipped at her a couple times over the years, usually when she's provoked, teased, or otherwise bothered unreasonably. Nothing too serious. She has a nasty habit of biting her in the face (Mainly because my sister puts her freaking face right up next to the dog's while she's bothering her, which is a problem in itself) I never put too much blame in the dog because I understand how animals operate, and none of the nips were aggressive... Until today.

I wasn't there, and what my mother tells me is cryptic, but from what I've heard: The dog jumped off the couch kind of suddenly after lounging around for a couple hours. It seemed weird to my mom, like she had a bad dream or something. So she goes over to her little bed near the window and hangs out there for a couple minutes, not acting weird or anything. Just chilling. And then (of course), my sister went over to her to presumably harass her or talk to her in that annoying "kissy" voice she picked up from my mother. And for no apparent reason, the dog lunged at her (she was on all fours, with her face up close to her) and bit her in the face, this time drawing blood. There's a couple bloody marks on her face, one on her cheek, one on the edge of her left nostril and one above her lip. So the dog just opened wide and chomped down on whatever was in her way.

I don't get it. The dog has never bitten me once aside from normal dog-human rough housing. She's never bitten anyone enough to draw blood. The three previous times she's bitten my sister, they've been abrasions, and nothing more. I can only assume my sister rushed over to her and was doing something that didn't sit well with her, and she was caught of guard and retaliated in the only way that dogs can; biting!

So my mother freaked out. She's trying to send the dog off to a shelter. She's saying all sorts of gak, like "Things are just going to get worse if we leave her in the house. She's dangerous, and I don't want to take anymore chanced" and "what if she really hurts her and rips her nose off, hurrdurr". She's full of gak. She's being hysterical. I even asked my sister if she felt unsafe around the dog, and she said "No, I love her". I can't believe she thinks the dog is "dangerous". And yes, she has her rabies shots.


I love my dog. She's a pleasure to be around, and she's about the best lapdog in the world. I don't want to see her go, even if I am set to leave in a couple months. My mom is just being irrational, I think. She wants to get rid of her tomorrow. I'm really sad dakka. I know sometimes you have to give us your pets for reasons of safety, but I don't think this is worthy of sending her to an animal shelter (which coincidentally I worked at for quite a while). Thanks for reading. Sorry if I'm not describing this well enough!

Aww. She looked like this when we got her. She couldn't even eat solid food. We had to give her this food paste stuff..

Well, if it was anyone elses kid that got bit your dog would have been put down :/ so I guess you're kind of lucky that your mother only wants to send her to a shelter.

I don't know much about dogs but I would say that your mother is well in her rights to get rid of it if she fells that it is best.


However (if it were me) the only human being whose advice I would trust in a situation like this would be our very own Frazzled.

Maybe give the mother a bit to cool down. Women suck at being rational when their children are involved (not being sexist, just realistic). Sorry for the drama though :/

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:Maybe give the mother a bit to cool down. Women suck at being rational when their children are involved (not being sexist, just realistic). Sorry for the drama though :/

I don't think it only applies to women.

Men can get rather aggressive in situations where they perceive threats to their kids.

Usually it ends in someone getting arrested.


I would also say to the OP that if it is "your" dog, then why did you ever let things progress to this state?

Seeing as biting or nipping a child is (I think most dog owners would agree) totally unacceptable, why was this behavior not stopped immediately once it began?

Also trying to get your little sister on your side is bogus, she is too young to understand the implications.

My mother has agreed to talk to the shelter owner, who I'm very good friends with about it. I gave her some pretty good points, and I convinced her that she might be moving too fast with a big decision like this.

My mother loves the dog just as much as I do. It's "My" dog (We got her for me, and I'm responsible for everything but medical stuff) but as it goes in our house, my mom usually ends up being the dog's 'mother'... So it's a family dog, in other words.

She's telling me she has a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for her children, blah blah blah. Our other dog used to nip and bite me all the time. I didn't make a stink about it, because I knew I was wrong. It's basically the same situation here. My sister doesn't know her boundaries with animals well enough. I think it's a matter of trial and error, honestly. If she learns how to behave around animals, she won't get bit. If she continues to smother and harass them, she'll have to deal with the consequences.

I know it's dumb to pick your dog over your sister, but I can't help it. I love that dog.

Also trying to get your little sister on your side is bogus, she is too young to understand the implications.

Yeah probably, but whatever lets me keep my dog


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Seeing as biting or nipping a child is (I think most dog owners would agree) totally unacceptable

Is it really? I think it depends highly on the situation.

Samus_aran115 wrote:She's telling me she has a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for her children, blah blah blah.

Well she does you know. Sorry but if the dog bites her child seriously, or someone else's kid, you don't want social services asking questions why a dog with a history of biting was kept around children.

Samus_aran115 wrote:My mother has agreed to talk to the shelter owner, who I'm very good friends with about it. I gave her some pretty good points, and I convinced her that she might be moving too fast with a big decision like this.

My mother loves the dog just as much as I do. It's "My" dog (We got her for me, and I'm responsible for everything but medical stuff) but as it goes in our house, my mom usually ends up being the dog's 'mother'... So it's a family dog, in other words.

She's telling me she has a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for her children, blah blah blah. Our other dog used to nip and bite me all the time. I didn't make a stink about it, because I knew I was wrong. It's basically the same situation here. My sister doesn't know her boundaries with animals well enough. I think it's a matter of trial and error, honestly. If she learns how to behave around animals, she won't get bit. If she continues to smother and harass them, she'll have to deal with the consequences.

I know it's dumb to pick your dog over your sister, but I can't help it. I love that dog.

Also trying to get your little sister on your side is bogus, she is too young to understand the implications.

Yeah probably, but whatever lets me keep my dog


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Seeing as biting or nipping a child is (I think most dog owners would agree) totally unacceptable

Is it really? I think it depends highly on the situation.

Oh, what situation would merit a child being bitten in the face, or anywhere else for that matter?

A person i knew inherited his mom's weiner dog when she passed away.
He's be holding him, watching TV and outa no where he's bite the guy in
the nose. We always chalked it up to the loss of it's owner.

Maybe your dog is jealous of the addition to the pack. you said your sis
is only 3. maybe your dog doesn't like being low dog on the totem pole.

hope it works out.

Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

Because the best way to teach an infant how to read a dogs body language is to draw blood?

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

A bite is a bite. I would not keep the dog around children. I wouldn't keep it period. I love dogs and I've spent a good deal of time with them. When you mess with a "good" dog, they will simply move away from you. This only changes if you back them into a corner, and that's justified defense. If your dog bites when someone messes with it, then what's to say one night it gets on a bed or a couch with someone sleeping on it, like a child. Child accidently rolls over on the dog, and dog begins to tear into child?

Biting is never appropriate behavior for any but the most dire situation. Never.

The humanisation of pets is the problem, far too many people expect them to lose all of their animalistic sense and become, for all intents and purposes, a semi-human being.

The best you can do is keep it away from the kid, since it isn't old enough to know what not to do to an animal, and leaving them together is a veritable recipie for disaster; on the one hand you have a child who doesn't know any better, and on the other you have an animal (no amount of house training or calling it a 'pet' can remove that fact) that is expected to act like a human, in that its expected to know not to attack the kid that pulls its tail.

Necroshea wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

A bite is a bite. I would not keep the dog around children. I wouldn't keep it period. I love dogs and I've spent a good deal of time with them. When you mess with a "good" dog, they will simply move away from you. This only changes if you back them into a corner, and that's justified defense. If your dog bites when someone messes with it, then what's to say one night it gets on a bed or a couch with someone sleeping on it, like a child. Child accidently rolls over on the dog, and dog begins to tear into child?

Biting is never appropriate behavior for any but the most dire situation. Never.

My dig bite me and he drew blood only because i was playing with him and stealing his ball when i was little i then bite his ear after he bite me. He has yet to bite me after 7 years.

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

A bite is a bite. I would not keep the dog around children. I wouldn't keep it period. I love dogs and I've spent a good deal of time with them. When you mess with a "good" dog, they will simply move away from you. This only changes if you back them into a corner, and that's justified defense. If your dog bites when someone messes with it, then what's to say one night it gets on a bed or a couch with someone sleeping on it, like a child. Child accidently rolls over on the dog, and dog begins to tear into child?

Biting is never appropriate behavior for any but the most dire situation. Never.

My dig bite me and he drew blood only because i was playing with him and stealing his ball when i was little i then bite his ear after he bite me. He has yet to bite me after 7 years.

That's showin' them who's top dog!
you don't bite other things/people though, right?

alarmingrick wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

A bite is a bite. I would not keep the dog around children. I wouldn't keep it period. I love dogs and I've spent a good deal of time with them. When you mess with a "good" dog, they will simply move away from you. This only changes if you back them into a corner, and that's justified defense. If your dog bites when someone messes with it, then what's to say one night it gets on a bed or a couch with someone sleeping on it, like a child. Child accidently rolls over on the dog, and dog begins to tear into child?

Biting is never appropriate behavior for any but the most dire situation. Never.

My dig bite me and he drew blood only because i was playing with him and stealing his ball when i was little i then bite his ear after he bite me. He has yet to bite me after 7 years.

That's showin' them who's top dog!
you don't bite other things/people though, right?

hell no. no bitting unless if i have to bite through a rope

Asherian Command wrote:

alarmingrick wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

A bite is a bite. I would not keep the dog around children. I wouldn't keep it period. I love dogs and I've spent a good deal of time with them. When you mess with a "good" dog, they will simply move away from you. This only changes if you back them into a corner, and that's justified defense. If your dog bites when someone messes with it, then what's to say one night it gets on a bed or a couch with someone sleeping on it, like a child. Child accidently rolls over on the dog, and dog begins to tear into child?

Biting is never appropriate behavior for any but the most dire situation. Never.

My dig bite me and he drew blood only because i was playing with him and stealing his ball when i was little i then bite his ear after he bite me. He has yet to bite me after 7 years.

That's showin' them who's top dog!
you don't bite other things/people though, right?

hell no. no bitting unless if i have to bite through a rope

You should've ended that with 'Arrrghhh matey'

alarmingrick wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

alarmingrick wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:

Asherian Command wrote:

Necroshea wrote:Bad dogs come from bad owners. If you can't control, your best off not owning it.

Sorry if it comes across as cold, but I've grown to despise dog owners who let there dogs become dangers to society. What's more infuriating is that they will adamantly refuse to believe that small dogs can be dangers.

uhh its like a nipping bite. Thats not that bad. IF you want to see bad dogs meet my neighbors dog that attacked my dog, and i requested it to be put down as it almost bite my face off. That alone is enough to make it a danger to society. This little Weiner dog is not that big of a deal. Is the dog protecting the baby? YES! it is teaching the baby "If i look angry please don't grab my tail and mess with it."

A bite is a bite. I would not keep the dog around children. I wouldn't keep it period. I love dogs and I've spent a good deal of time with them. When you mess with a "good" dog, they will simply move away from you. This only changes if you back them into a corner, and that's justified defense. If your dog bites when someone messes with it, then what's to say one night it gets on a bed or a couch with someone sleeping on it, like a child. Child accidently rolls over on the dog, and dog begins to tear into child?

Biting is never appropriate behavior for any but the most dire situation. Never.

My dig bite me and he drew blood only because i was playing with him and stealing his ball when i was little i then bite his ear after he bite me. He has yet to bite me after 7 years.

That's showin' them who's top dog!
you don't bite other things/people though, right?

hell no. no bitting unless if i have to bite through a rope

You should've ended that with 'Arrrghhh matey'

I agree matey! Arghhhh! Its more of a guideline than a set of rules... ARghhhhh.
I believe the Weiner dog that Samus has a Pirate accent.

I have the feeling that this thread is missing a very specific poster.

A dog's reaction to waking up from a nightmare can be extremely uncharacteristic for them. My dog had never bitten anyone before he had a nightmare while sleeping next to me. He woke up and clamped down on my arm hard enough to do some really impressive damage. We damn well didn't send him to the shelter.

Nerivant wrote:I have the feeling that this thread is missing a very specific poster.

If you build it, he will come.....

Asherian Command wrote: hell no. no bitting unless if i have to bite through a rope

you shouldn't HAVE to bite through the rope.
The SAFE word should be enough to get you untied.

Your sister doesn't understand the dog's boundaries (dogs do not like anything getting in their faces - especially other faces - and smiling with bared teeth is not good, either - in many animals, the baring of teeth is a threat display. You are essentially spurring the dog on with a dare.) so should NOT be able to interact with it. Until she is capable of understanding.

If she can't understand that a dog biting her on her face is dog-speak for GTFO, then she shouldn't be near it.

Trade a sister for a dog? No way.



A cat, perhaps...

alarmingrick wrote:

Nerivant wrote:I have the feeling that this thread is missing a very specific poster.

If you build it, he will come.....

I sense a disturbance in the force, as if tens of wiener dogs cried out in anguish.

1. Your mother is over-reacting...BIG TIME. She needs to stop. Every cat I've ever seen is 10x my flightly and more likely to scratch you.
2. Others have posted sound points. Getting in a dog's face is not necessarily a good idea. Your sister needs to understand boundaries, especially with small dogs. ESPECIALLY with wiener dogs who are can be some of the touchiest. I don't think you sister is old enough yet to catch doggie emotions.
3. The best strategy is come in slowly. If the dog is not immediately playful and inviting, don't crowd its space, but give it room and pet it at arms length, but only a little bit. If the dog opens up then continue, if noit give it some space for a bit.
4. I've had pit bulls, titanic horse sized hunting dogs, shepherd dogs, and wiener dogs. As a baby I was protected as pack by a pair of dobermans (who would routinely snap at dad). Its a trait thing. Its the little dogs that seem more nervous about this thing, so respect it. TBone routinely growls if you try to pick him up or move him when he doesn't want to be moved-he crotchety, mean, and spiteful and was Mom's favorite dog because of it . I wouldn't take that from George the Pit Bull of Love, but from Tbone its just cute. Each is different and you have to be aware of that.

Here's a side point. When I first read this what went off i my head was "the dog is sick or hurting for some reason." Is it a fat wienie? Jumping down will sometimes hurt their back if they are gaining weight (notorious back problems).

There is a difference between a dog which reacts snappily to being interfered with, and a dog which makes an unprovoked attack (charge and bite, etc) on a person.

My parents' Chihuahua doesn't like to be picked up and will snap at you if you just go to grab him.

People need to learn how to interact with animals. Everything isn't the animal's fault.

Kilkrazy wrote:There is a difference between a dog which reacts snappily to being interfered with, and a dog which makes an unprovoked attack (charge and bite, etc) on a person.

My parents' Chihuahua doesn't like to be picked up and will snap at you if you just go to grab him.

People need to learn how to interact with animals. Everything isn't the animal's fault.

I agree with this 100%

Kilkrazy wrote:There is a difference between a dog which reacts snappily to being interfered with, and a dog which makes an unprovoked attack (charge and bite, etc) on a person.

My parents' Chihuahua doesn't like to be picked up and will snap at you if you just go to grab him.

People need to learn how to interact with animals. Everything isn't the animal's fault.

I disagree. The dog shold know that attacking another pack member will not be tolorated. No matter how big or small a dog it still thinks its a wolf. If you get up close to it and make it uncomftable a dog should not lash out, it should show a submissive attitude. If a dog ever thinks it is ok to bite somone then it dose not realise its place in the pack.

Dogs need a strong confident Alpha, and need to know they are the Omega member of the pack, otherwise they will be agressive, fighting to be in charge and unhappy as we will never be able to let them have the power they want.

A dog should NEVER EVER think it is ok to bite, snap or threaten its owner/s. It may be a nip this time but next time it could be much worse.

http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/problembehaviors/understanding-aggression

Paul wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:There is a difference between a dog which reacts snappily to being interfered with, and a dog which makes an unprovoked attack (charge and bite, etc) on a person.

My parents' Chihuahua doesn't like to be picked up and will snap at you if you just go to grab him.

People need to learn how to interact with animals. Everything isn't the animal's fault.

I disagree. The dog shold know that attacking another pack member will not be tolorated. No matter how big or small a dog it still thinks its a wolf. If you get up close to it and make it uncomftable a dog should not lash out, it should show a submissive attitude. If a dog ever thinks it is ok to bite somone then it dose not realise its place in the pack.

Dogs need a strong confident Alpha, and need to know they are the Omega member of the pack, otherwise they will be agressive, fighting to be in charge and unhappy as we will never be able to let them have the power they want.

A dog should NEVER EVER think it is ok to bite, snap or threaten its owner/s. It may be a nip this time but next time it could be much worse.

http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/problembehaviors/understanding-aggression

Respectfuly I disagree.
That doesn't work on certain breeds, and literally dachshunds. Its a mark of their breed that they are notoriously untrainable, stubborn, and often dumber than a box of rocks (our Rodney is an example of the latter).

You can teach them you are alphas but trying the Me He man approach that works so well with certain breeds, doesn't work well with some other ones.

Our instance is an example. Pack alpha was strongly instilled in the dobermans and the pit bull. With the pit I literally layed down on him and wouldn't let him up. However, the same tactic was tried by a previous owner on TBone. This did not work and he was shuffled to another home. He will still snarl if disturbed - revealing all three of his teeth, but its recognized as a false threat (unless you nudge him with your shoe in which case he will gum you). Its a running joke at the house and everyone is aware.

You can teach them you're top dog without going overboard and again understanding that certain animals react differently and act accordingly. But watch how you do it.
The other part to remember is the "alpha" has to reinforce the control, else there will be a continued power struggle.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Nerivant wrote:I have the feeling that this thread is missing a very specific poster.

A dog's reaction to waking up from a nightmare can be extremely uncharacteristic for them. My dog had never bitten anyone before he had a nightmare while sleeping next to me. He woke up and clamped down on my arm hard enough to do some really impressive damage. We damn well didn't send him to the shelter.

I have a wife that back handed me once when conveniently "asleep."

So a dachshund is not the best dog to have around young kids is what you're saying?

Ma55ter_fett wrote:So a dachshund is not the best dog to have around young kids is what you're saying?

1. Depends on the Uberwiener in question. However, some simple precautions can take of that with your sister.
2. Real young (toddlers/infants) have to be watched as sthey don't understand things like sticking your finger in an eyeball is a bad thing.

You want a dog? Get medium sized breeds or larger.
You want a small set of jaws that may or may not bite you and may freak out at any given moment? Get a small dog.

I'll stand by Pomeranians though, those dogs are AWESOME.

First off, keep the dog and tell your mom and sister the various things that have been said ITT about treating a dog as a dog rather than a stuffed toy/human baby.

Second, for future reference, if you want a dog that will tolerate the way your sister is acting get a beagle rather than a dachshund.