Sticky Situation

Many of you have met my moody oldest dachsund, Rudy. Many of you have met my very active toddler. Those of you who haven't met them, have probably read about them here. The two are not a very good combination.

I have done my best to try and teach B to be gentle. I am constantly warning her not to chase the dogs, not to throw things at them, to stop trying to pick them up...etc. She does well most of the time, but not all of the time. I am also careful to see when she is being aggressive or overly loving and to segregate the dogs for the safety of all involved. It is what any responsible parent who loves both their children and their dogs would do.

Yesterday, B wanted Rudy to move and he didn't and so she swatted him on the head before I could blink, let alone stop her. He nipped her thumb and growled. He did not break the skin. There was only a read mark for short period of time. It was a warning - "Leave me alone!" However, he did nip her. It cannot be ignored, even if the reaction was understandable.

John flew out in a rage, hearing Rudy growl and hearing B cry out "Ouch!" It was all I could do to save Rudy's life and comfort my daughter. She was really crying more from her fear of John's yelling at Rudy than she was over the pain in her thumb. I was in tears. Completely torn in two.

I love my daughter. First and foremost, I want to protect her. However, it is my duty to train her as well. She needs to learn that hitting animals is not appropriate and may very well have consequences such as a bite. She readily admitted that she hit Rudy in the head. I am trying to show her the relationship between the bite and her actions. I don't want something worse to happen.

Rudy is a good dog. Really, he is. He is not a tolerant dog though. Many dogs aren't - of all breeds and all sizes. He is one that reacts when he feels threatened. He would never hurt someone without provocation. He is close to 10 years old now. He is a "senior" and he is my dog. I love him. I would never put him down because he nipped at someone who hit him, even if the offender was my own flesh and blood. I could never love someone who would even suggest it. This is not a case of an agressive dog.

For now, I'm going to monitor things closely. If I'm not holding Rudy, he and B will not be in the same room. True, that really isn't fair to Rudy - to lock him up so much. However, several days a week, John is home in the mornings and B is not. Rudy can be out freely then. Rudy can be free after B has gone to sleep. Really, we could leave Rudy out of his crate all day while we are at work, if we need to. He can be trusted to run free in the house. Even when he is "free" he's usually found cuddled up under a blanket in a bed or on the couch. He's older now and less active than he used to be. Ideal, no. However, I also don't think it is ideal to re-home him at this stage in his life, unless we really have to.

He could live at my parent's house if we really need to get him out of the house. I also have a friend who would probably take him, if we had no other option. I just can't do it, unless it is a last resort.

I want to teach my toddler to respect animals and treat them well. I love having pets in our lives, and I hope we don't have to give that up. I also want to honor the commitment I made when I got Rudy in the first place. I can't ignore the problem, but I hope we can resolve it with training and time, safely. B won't be two forever.

I may have to re-home him. It may come to that. I just have to think this through. My heart is broken....