Hello all,
Hoping to get some advice on a very hyper 2 year old female pug.
She, like I believe most pugs love food. A few times she has been offered food from someone's hand and rather than taking it gently she snatches and sometimes bites fingers. I know pugs are only small dogs but they have needle like teeth which really hurt!
Anyway, my husband and I weren't really concerned about it...However, we now have a baby on the way and concerned that in the future we could have a toddler offer her food and cause some rather serious injuries to little fingers.
My dogs are indoor dogs, and even when we finally do bring a baby I want them to have a normal life as much as possible. I really don't want to shut them away because our pug cannot be trusted when it comes to food. Of course I don't believe in leaving any dogs alone unsupervised with children but I don't want to be worried whenever there's food about.
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks,
Replies
Vicki-Boone (11 months ago)
My pug is the same. He tends to snatch though it isn't generally painful and he doesn't realise he's doing it. I wonder if it's because they don't have the long nose that makes them unable to genty take things from your hands.
Does your pug take food when it isn't been given to her? Will she steal food if she can reach it off plates etc whilst you're there? (My Boone will only take food if he knows you're not there, he isn't a dare to take from your plate right in front of you.) Is there the issue of the puggy takign food right off the baby, is this what you're worried about??
If she's behaved enough not to take food right off your plate without you giving it her then it's possible you could teach her how to take it from your hands. Like praising her when she takes it nicely etc. I'm sure it'd be a gruelling task like teaching a pug anything, but it'd be worth it in the end
Electric_Blue (11 months ago)
There have been a few incidents where she has snatched food from people's hands biting fingers in the process and drawing blood...when she gets you it hurts.
Toddlers only have tiny fingers and I cringe at the thought of what sort of damage she could potentially do if she snatched food from a toddler.
Does she snatch food when it's not offered? No, not really. Although there have been a few times where she's come close. She thinks about climbing onto the coffee table and taking food and she has before...when our backs were turned. Another thing that bothers me if is you're eating on the couch she will jump onto the couch where as my Pug X doesn't...he waits patiently on the floor to see if I give him anything.
The other week I was having English muffins for breakfast. I was sitting on the couch and as usual she's jumped up onto the couch to get a closer look. I often tell her to get down but she's back up within 30 seconds.
My Pug X was on the floor, so to TRY and teach her I tore a bit off and gave some to him because he was on the floor.
She still didn't get off....so I tore another bit off and was offering it to my Pug X when she turned into a ninja and swooped in and snatched it before it got to him.
I threw her off the couch at that point.
I often wonder if she behaves that way because she's not the only dog here and sees the Pug X as "competition"
He is older than her and a bit bigger....but she dominates him.
Vicki-Boone (11 months ago)
Hmm I see what you mean. Maybe try a meal time with the other pug in another room. Just to see if it is a domination thing. Though you would think she would copy his good example.
She sounds like a little madam! I have the same sofa routine with Boone though. He listens when I tell him 'down' but then he gets back up again a few seconds later.
Apart from trying to teach her how to accept food in a gentle manner I can't really thing of another solution. I feed Boone when I have my tea, this gives me around thirty seconds of peace to sit down and pick up my knife and fork. But, if I stuff his kong with peanut butter and give him this whilst I'm eating, it generally keeps him preoccupied whilst I eat my tea
KatB (10 months ago)
China Rose is a treat bitter as well. And OMG! it hurts. She has one thing on her mind when given a treat and that is to grab it and run. At Kennel club she is known as the shark. What I have worked, and worked with her, and if you don't remind her before hand, you still may come back with a nub. HA! What I do with her is put her into a sit stay. I then take my finger and bonk her on the nose and say gentle! Then give the treat. Then she will take it some what a gentle as she can. What was my mistake in the beginning, was I would toss her treats up in the air and let her catch them. (A snapping at the treat). I should have never taught her that. Cause then she started nipping fingers. Just use a command word, like gentle, and remind her every time she get a treat.
Vicki-Boone (10 months ago)
I'm not sure if this is of any use at all, but yesterday I had a bit of a revelation at tea time. Boone was sat next to the dining table pesting for food scraps whilst we were eating. We discovered that if we held food above his head, he would snatch it from our fingers rather aggressivly. But if we held the food low enough for him, he would take it gently using his lips.
Give it a go with your puggies and let me know!
kbailey (10 months ago)
Charka is basically a stomach with legs. He is hungry all the time! And he has absolutely no problems stealing from hands, plates or the dustbin. We also have a baby on te was so we are worried about it too. I've been offering him small treats and making him sit and wait for them. If I remidd him firmly to be gentle then he does take gently, but. He's still a little thief. But I agree- they were our babies firstso they are super important in this whole process
Sadiesmommy1010 (4 months ago)
@ Vicki-Boone isn't peanut butter poisonous to pugs?
KatB (4 months ago)
@Vicki-Boone, When I work with students, I tell them about how to hold treats. And your comment is right on. If you hold treats dangled above their heads, they will jump up to it. I tell them to lower it down to the front of the noise. So good point.
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