My Chihuahua mix growls at my toddler after baby. What can I do?

This is a cause for concern. I would keep your dog out of the room when you breastfeed, you don't want your dog to get aggressive with your husband. Have your dog seen by a professional behavioral expert for this behavior.

I strongly recommend you consult with a professional, in-home dog trainer. You need a trainer to come to your house and see the behavior and the interaction of all the family members with the puppy. This is your best bet. Aggression problems need special care and it is not recommended that you try to correct this on your own. You may give him the wrong signals and make him worse. This needs to stop before he hurts someone.

This is a very concerning and potentially dangerous behavior. Guarding of food and feeding opportunities is a common instinctive behavior but the fact this is now extending to normal activities should raise immediate alarm bells. Make sure your daughter has no access to him unless they are kept at a distance and he is completely controlled on a short leash until you can arrange assessment in the ho.e with a certified behaviorist

I imagine he feels a little like his home has been invaded by aliens that are loud and boisterous. First of all, never, EVER allow the children and your dog to be together without your direct supervision. Some signs of trouble are obvious. If a dog shows his teeth or growls at a child, he’s clearly feeling uncomfortable and aggressive. But it’s unwise to wait until you see these behaviors. It’s much safer to learn to recognize your dog’s early, subtle warnings. The first sign that a dog is getting uncomfortable is often a “freeze,” a momentary pause. The freeze is sometimes accompanied by a hard stare or “hard eye.” When a dog is giving a hard eye, you can often see the whites of his eyes. If these warnings don’t deter a child, a dog may move on to showing teeth, snarling and growling. If the child doesn’t understand the dog’s warnings or finds them amusing and continues to annoy the dog, he may move on to the next level of warning, usually a snap. (Many people assume that a snap is an unsuccessful bite. But dogs have wonderful control of their mouths, and they move a lot faster than we do. If a dog means to bite, he generally will.) If the snap doesn’t repel the child, the dog may deliver an actual bite. Some dogs inhibit their bites and don’t injure the targets of their aggression. Others deliver harder bites, like the ones they’d likely deliver to puppies in need of some discipline. Unfortunately, a bite that would just pinch a furry puppy’s rolls of fat may cause serious damage if it lands on the face of a small child. When you’re not able to supervise the interaction between your dog and the children, it’s best to confine your dog to a safe area away from the kids. If you teach your dog to be comfortable in a crate, in an exercise pen or behind a baby gate, you can easily put him there when necessary. A crate can also provide a safe place for your dog to sleep, eat or chew on things without worrying about a child bothering him. Make sure that your child can’t access your dog’s confinement area. And teach your children how to behave properly around dogs. Don't let them touch his food, toys, or bedding, not to climb on him, or get in his face. With your supervision, teach the older child to give him treats, throw the ball for him if he likes fetch, and make her a part of good things happening in his life. Reinforce the knowledge with her that the dog is to be left alone at any other time, only when she is with you or your sister should she interact with him. Hopefully she can be taught this with too much excitement that will upset your dog. And make sure you spend plenty of one on one time with him. Take him for walks, off to the park or for a ride if he likes the car, spend time with him away from the noise and commotion of the children. It may be that he needs some time to decompress away from them, plus the extra activity may make him more tired and less nervous.

I am sorry you are struggling with Chico. I would highly recommend bringing a trainer into the house after making sure a physical exam by a veterinarian is normal. Behavioral issues/ training takes a lot of time and patience. I feel having someone come into the home and observe the situations where he is anxious and aggressive will help. Also recommend getting him neutered as soon as possible.

I strongly recommend you consult with a professional, in-home dog trainer. You need a trainer to come to your house so they can see the behavior and the interaction of all the family members with Max. This is your best bet. Aggression problems need special care and it is not recommended that you try to correct this on your own. You may give him the wrong signals and make him worse. Especially with his breed you need to do this correctly and since his life start was not good that plays into his issues. This is a situation that definitely needs professional intervention. I suggest you call your vet to get a referral for a trainer or do an online search for trainers in your area. Best wishes.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, and I would like to help offer some suggestions to help you with your dogs new behaviour concerns. Dogs and humans share a very close bond, especially when you have had them in your life for as long as 6 years. Though your dogs may not understand the exact details of what is changing with you, they are aware of a change. This is causing Kaygee to feel unsettled. This is not abnormal at all, and I can suggest a few tactics to try; Dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) adaptors in the house DAP collars for the dogs Increased excercise Increased interaction and positive connection with you, including extra cuddles, walks, or even indoor games like hide and seek Thunder coat Positive reinforcement of positive interactions I would suggest trying a few of these tactics over the next few weeks. Please report back with your progress and we can help you further if needed. Best of luck.