# children and chis



## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Everytime I bring Chloe anywhere she is always malled by people, especially children. I don't know what it is with parents but they just let their kids run up and put their hands all over my dog. It is really starting to irritate me because I had Chloe out yesterday and four different families just came running up to her. Chloe is perfectly fine with people approaching her in her own home, but out in public she is very timid and shy. And she only gets nervous when people start yelling "AWWWWW look at the puppy" in her face, other than that she is perfectly happy sitting in my lap or going for a walk.

She would never hurt anyone but feels very uncomfortable around outsiders. I think the little kids make her so nervous because they are usually screaming and so excited to see the dog. I try and tell them to calmly pet her or just let her sniff their hand for a minute, but they never listen!!! One little girl picked her right up and kept talking very loudly right in her face. I was like no just let her snniff your hand and keep her on the ground! GRRR sorry I just needed to vent because it is getting to the point where I am getting angry. I want to be able to bring my dog out in public without her being attacked by every single person. It's like people have never seen a small dog before. I want Chloe to be socialized with all different kinds of people but I feel like I can't do this with these crazy people attacking her.

Does anyone have this problem. What do you do in this situation?


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Another thing I don't get is sometimes people just come up and force their hands all over her and see her tail go between her legs and continue to do what they are doing. If I saw a dog that upset I would back up a little and give him/her some space to get use to me. People are clueless!


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## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

I have to admit I tend to be quite rude with parents if they don't ask me if their child can touch my dog..it's just general politness after all he may be small but he can easily bite, possibly more so that a large dog (Zero loves children but he can get nervous when he feels crowded). As for picking my dog up NO one picks my dog up except me, often if there are children about he'll try climbing up my leg so I'll pick him up anyway. Yes he's good with kids, but often children aren't good with him. I've also had the opposite end of the spectrum with children shooting super soakers at him, I will tell you now my language was pretty colourful with the parents.

Generally I say to parents "you are aware my dog could easily take your childs finger off" and I walk Zero away from the child, what annoys me about it is IF Zero bit the child then I would of course have the damn police on my back, but if the child injured Zero there is nothing I can do about it. So I tend to be rude unless people ask me, after all I doubt any parent would allow a child to walk up to a rottie and not ask is the dog safe?? or is it ok for my child to stroke the dog. Ugh i just class it as bad parenting.

If someone asks me if they can stoke him, I'm fine with it I just HATE it when people are rude and don't ask


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Ya I totally agree... I even get adults just walking up to her and petting her. The other day Chloe was sitting on my lap and some man walking by just stuck his hand out to touch her as he was walking... i was like what the heck! Like you said what if my dog was vicious and bit him... he has no idea what my dog is like (even though she wouldn't bite him, but still) 

People have no respect! I am going to have to be more firm with people, I feel bad but I'd rather protect Chloe than care about hurting someones feelings.

I mean I should be able to take my dog out for a walk or to the beach without people attacking her.


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## Stephy (Aug 29, 2007)

I have had the same problem with kids and Kujo. I was holding him in my arms once because kids were around and he gets nervous. After all he's tiny, so I don't blame him! A girl ran up and insisted on petting him, he growled a bit I told her no, she kept on. I said please do not touch him, he's scared. 
He is used to my kids but not many others. 

I do not let my children touch dogs unless they ask the owners. I make sure they are gentle and say please and thank you. If they reach out and touch one (usually in the dog store and they are little 5 and 3) before I can grab their hand I apologize to the owner and teach the kids that's not nice. 

It's just a matter of good manners. I find it is harder to keep hands off my small dogs than the bigger ones.


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Poor Kujo... I don't blame chis for being nervous, the world is so big to them. I couldn't imagine being that small and having people racing up to me and putting their hands all over me and oooooing and awwwing in my face.

I mean if most parents were like you and apologized that would be one thing but some parents just let their do whatever they want to my dog and its totally unacceptable.


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## Stephy (Aug 29, 2007)

I agree it is not acceptable at all. You will just have to be firm with the kids, if they don't listen find the parents. Sad thing is, if the parent's aren't watching their kids to see what they are doing they probably won't care :roll:. 

I'm a take charge kind of person, if someone is doing something out of line with my kids or my dogs I speak up . They may not like what I have to say but they will listen one way.... or another! hahahaha


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

They better start listening to us chi owners or elsee... bwa haha lol

Sometimes when I get really frustrated i make my boyfriend hold or walk her because he is more stern lol and I feel like less people approach him


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## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

generally as long as you are firm but polite with the children they understand. As for the parents I tend to have a word with them if they aren't actually watching their kids. 

You do tend to find it's people who don't have dogs who do it, as children who are raised with dogs generally have more respect for them.


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## Chloe_Love (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm quite worried about this when the time comes that I'm out and about with my Chloe.
I find it really stressful talking to people at times and have anxiety issues about going out at all, so I'd really not like it if people came up to me all the time. I mean I KNOW it's gonna happen, cos people like cute animals, and chloe is verryyy cute! 
I know that getting a dog will help my social skills by making me go out and about, taking her to the beach in the car etc, which I'm soo looking forward to, but some days I will seriously want to ignore people cooing and get past them, and just have time by myself with her.
I also have the worry about people scaring her and being loud!
There are so many new things to think about when you're getting a puppy aren't there


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## chibellaxo (Jul 6, 2008)

catalat said:


> Everytime I bring Chloe anywhere she is always malled by people, especially children. I don't know what it is with parents but they just let their kids run up and put their hands all over my dog. It is really starting to irritate me because I had Chloe out yesterday and four different families just came running up to her. Chloe is perfectly fine with people approaching her in her own home, but out in public she is very timid and shy. And she only gets nervous when people start yelling "AWWWWW look at the puppy" in her face, other than that she is perfectly happy sitting in my lap or going for a walk.
> 
> She would never hurt anyone but feels very uncomfortable around outsiders. I think the little kids make her so nervous because they are usually screaming and so excited to see the dog. I try and tell them to calmly pet her or just let her sniff their hand for a minute, but they never listen!!! One little girl picked her right up and kept talking very loudly right in her face. I was like no just let her snniff your hand and keep her on the ground! GRRR sorry I just needed to vent because it is getting to the point where I am getting angry. I want to be able to bring my dog out in public without her being attacked by every single person. It's like people have never seen a small dog before. I want Chloe to be socialized with all different kinds of people but I feel like I can't do this with these crazy people attacking her.
> Does anyone have this problem. What do you do in this situation?


You are very kind. I dont have a chi, anymore, but when i get my new one, I wont let strangers touch her. Of course, others may disagree with me and that is fine but I view my chis as my children, and i would never let strangers touch my biological children so the same goes for my chi children. With my last puppy, no one approached her because if people got too close, she would growl. I did nothing to stop it because I benefited from it, too. I like having my personal space. 

I must admit, I am pretty surprised that so many children would just run up to a dog and pet it without the owner's permission. As a child, my parents taught us to always ask the owner's permission....
But I cant say I blame the kids for wanting to pet puppies. Puppies are so cute, everyone wants to love on them


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## Chi-Chi (Jun 3, 2008)

ugh, I have the same thing happen to me everyday. I hate it!

Kids run their fastest up to my chi Ben and start petting him roughly, sometimes there are like a crowd of 10 kids. I tell them not to pet his head because he hates it, and of course they don't listen :foxes15: I have also had kids spray him with a water gun, poor guy thinks hes in trouble for no reason at all.

Ben has issues already with trusting people and is usually terrified around new people, they just make it worse. I dont want someone to report my dog to the police for biting them because they cant control there kids and teach them not to rush up to a dog without asking.

I pick him up if there are to many kids around....it kinda works.


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## freedomchis (Jul 28, 2007)

i hate that too i tell children not to pet mine unless i say its alright to do so

my children have been raised to ask owners if they are allowed to pet there dogs as i always tell them if you dont ask you wont know if the dog could bite

children around my area always ask my hubby does your dog bite he will say no but i do so dont touch lol i couldnt say that i would be embrassed


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## Jangles021204 (Sep 20, 2006)

One of the things I hate most about owning a small dog...is the PEOPLE who bother you anytime you try to bring your dog somewhere out in public. I don't particularly mind the ones who are calm and know how to act around dogs...especially small dogs.  And I really appreciate the polite kids who are taught to ASK first.  But honestly, I would rather not be bothered at all. It just gets old really fast.

I have found that avoiding eye contact with other people sometimes helps. I try to just look straight ahead and ignore everyone around me, especially those who look interested or as though they might want to approach...and if I see anybody like that, I change direction or walk away. My behavior might be read as antisocial, but really....I would like to think that if I'm trying to mind my own business, then maybe others could do the same.


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## Dixie's mom (Jan 3, 2007)

The vet made one move towards my chi and it was a soft move and she growled and snapped at her , and she hasn't messed with her again, the public needs to respect us as chi owners , if a chi is nervous as is mine leave her alone they aren't use to things or the surroundings and they might hurt you in some way.


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## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

Dogs are only nervous and snappy if you reward them for it by picking them up and cuddling them, I'm sorry but in all honesty I hate the rep chi's have for being snappy as none of mine are. Personally if your girl is snapping she needs socialisation and training. No dog should ever just snap at someone, if my dog ever snapped at someone and he did once he was ignored by me and made to sit on the floor he has never snapped since. snapping is not something to be proud of or tolerated, chi's may be small but are dogs and should be treated as such. My problem is when people don't ask me to pet my dog, Not that my dog would actually bite them or that I would encourage them biting


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Chloe has never biten anyone or acted like she was going to.. she was just very frightened because she is the type of dog that likes to approach strangers on her own.. she hates when people just run up to her and i can understand why. she is so small and it intimidates her. if chloe gets to watch strangers from afar for like 10 mins or so then they come up to her she is more interested in meeting them.


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## jesshan (Sep 15, 2005)

It is hard when you are out. I know my dogs wouldn't bite because they are used to children and different people, because they are show dogs they are used to being touched by strangers BUT if a child or adult for that matter comes straight up and strokes my dogs I always tell them "how did you know he wouldn't bite you? you really SHOULD ask before touching ANY dog and just because they are small doesn't mean they won't have a nasty bite on them."

I have also always told my kids, again because they have gone to dog shows since being babies, they must always ask before stroking a dog - NEVER ASSUME it won't bite.


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## bindi boo (Jul 2, 2008)

oh goh catalat it must jst come with the territory of owning a chi pup. bindi seesfine with people coming up to her but like you said with chloe she prefers people to approach her i er own tie. she will wander of to strangers an nag them to pet er and ifthey approach her slowly then she will jusmp up for a cddle and a kiss but i also get very naffed off with poeple and get pretty ratty with them because not many people actualy ask e if its ok if they dont ask me i cal bindi away and just walk off because i dont like it at all. i have hreedogs and pip is very weary of strangers and could do alot of damae if it ever got to the point she felt shehad to lash out (thankfully she never has up till now). 
with bindi i have been walking her u the street an suddenly eel the lead o slack i swing around to see whats happened to find some stranger has swooped her of the floor shouting reallly loud (which mut terrif bindi) awww come look at the puppy and then a whole swarm of people crowd her. people areforeverjust picking her up without permission and i get so annoyed with it. 
one little boy (not a youngster) i would say about 10 or 11 years old so surely knows hoew to treach a dog he came up to bindi started pattin he on her head really hard so i said if ya wann stroke her trok her gently (the same thing i have to do with my 2 year old brother....just to point out there was nothing in the slightest way disability in this kid, infact i find the disabled people to be vy gentle and loving whe tey come to say hello and its nice to see that than some bratty little kid kicking off because i wont let them walk my dog) anyways what was i saying. oh yeh so i say stroke her engly and he starts laufghing and says she has funny ears pulling at her ears so i pull on binds lead to get her to follow me and i hear her yelp coz the little brat had hold of her tail s yeh obviously i did shot at him t let go bindi was terrified and i live i a house with 6 littll kids so cant have her building up a fear of them anyways so tell him he shouldnt do it and to get away from my dog and then his family get ll ratty and start shoutin a me that if bindi doesnt like kids i shouldnt walk her at the beach. well some people reallllly know how to wind me up coz bindi is great with kids lol just not little demon children with bad parents thats all.

and everytime it happens it ges more annoying doesnt it?
gosh some people
anyways rant over lol


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## bindi boo (Jul 2, 2008)

wow sorry didnt realise i wrote so much and i now see there is some missing letters...grrr stupid computer keys


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

lol i feel for ya! poor little bindi! i think most people are just ignorant about the smaller breeds. they don't realize how fragile they are and how scarey the world can be to them at first.

i don't think ill ever be ok with strangers picking up my dog.. even if chloe doesn't mind it, it will still bother me


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## rebel_yell (Mar 24, 2008)

Total agreement here! I have some social anxiety and whenever I take Bruce and Lola out I have all the same experiences as the rest of you. I'm always polite and try to just move along but there's always people who put their hands on them. And then the kids who come along and do the same and the parent's don't even try to stop them. Just the other day this happened and Bruce was obviously getting nervous and it was all just awful. I want them to be well socialized and I can usually pick what experiences they have but then this stuff happens and they end up taking steps backwards. It is so frustrating.


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## cocopuff (Mar 27, 2004)

I have been dealing with rude people who think that just because they are small they can grab at them ever since CoCo was a puppy 7 years ago. This past weekend was our local street fair and we took our 3 furbabies with. I made sure that I wasn't going to have any problems by just putting them in their stroller so that no little hands could get in their face. That way I could enjoy the day and not worry about any problems.


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## carachi (Mar 20, 2005)

I would never have a Chihuahua if I have children under 8 in my house. I've owned Chihuahuas my whole life and not one of them were comfortable with children. They were always snappy and would growl at them because they play very rough with them and Chihuahuas aren't the most patient creatures.


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## vviccles1 (Feb 13, 2007)

catalat said:


> Another thing I don't get is sometimes people just come up and force their hands all over her and see her tail go between her legs and continue to do what they are doing. If I saw a dog that upset I would back up a little and give him/her some space to get use to me. People are clueless!


I have only been able to walk Nya for a little over a week (after her 2nd set of shots) and experienced all the stuff you are describing. She is also a peach. Yesterday it was too much, we were at a park by the ocean and when kids or adults who were rambunxious, I would say sorry: she is in training and keep walking, at times I would pick her up also. Good luck.


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## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

I just tell people she bites. I don't care much what they think if they think I can't train her, whatever ... it keeps them away. If they are nice, they ask, and look like they know how to be around dogs, I'll tell them they can let her sniff their hand, but it absolutely drives me up the wall when adults will come over, pet Yoshi, talk to her, not say a word to me, then just walk away >_< Arrrrrrrrgggg! Children not asking is one thing but you'd think adults would have more common sense than to just completely ignore the owner of the dog they are petting without permission. So yeah, if you just say 'sorry, she bites' they'll stay away.


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## jesshan (Sep 15, 2005)

Jezz said:


> I would never have a Chihuahua if I have children under 8 in my house. I've owned Chihuahuas my whole life and not one of them were comfortable with children. They were always snappy and would growl at them because they play very rough with them and Chihuahuas aren't the most patient creatures.


I disagree with that - my chihuahuas were first in my life and the kids came along after. All my kids have been taught to respect chihuahuas and the house rules are NO WALKING WITH DOGS. If they want to have a cuddle they must sit on the floor and allow the puppies to come to them. My kids have gone to dog shows since they were a few weeks old and always ask the owner before touching. 

Only my older chihuahua's who have had enough walk away and the kids are told when they walk away - LEAVE THEM. they have had enough.

It also depends on the kids of course.


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## *Sarah* (Apr 19, 2005)

jesshan said:


> I disagree with that - my chihuahuas were first in my life and the kids came along after. All my kids have been taught to respect chihuahuas and the house rules are NO WALKING WITH DOGS. If they want to have a cuddle they must sit on the floor and allow the puppies to come to them. My kids have gone to dog shows since they were a few weeks old and always ask the owner before touching.
> 
> Only my older chihuahua's who have had enough walk away and the kids are told when they walk away - LEAVE THEM. they have had enough.
> 
> It also depends on the kids of course.


I completly agree with that, children and chihuahua's can be the best of friends if both taught each others boundaries and taught to respect each other. Zero adores my partners niece and nephews and they range in age from 1 1/2 -12 and they are all great with him because they know that if he doesn't want anymore to leave him, the only person he ever snapped at was Freya and being just over 1, Zero wasn't sure of her, but he was great with her when she was a tiny baby, but i guess she was at that age where her motor functions aren't great so she wasn't sure how to be with him, but now they get on great and she knows to be gentle when stroking him and he's more than happy to reward her with kisses after  Zero and Jake (he's 4) are the best of friends, they play ball together and Zero's happy to walk on the lead with Jake holding it (supervised of course lol) whats funny is they both share the same birthday as well and hair colour lmao. He's a very sensitive little boy and it seems the boys have a special relationship they took to eachother straight away. We even got Jake a cuddly chihuahua toy a couple of xmas' ago that looks like Zero with a little collar that say's Zero on it, which he sleeps with.

The problem is more children who haven't been raised with small dogs and don't know that a little dog can be frightened and don't know when to walk away and leave them, let alone be gentle with them.


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Chis are weary little creaturess, but I sure love them... Yesterday I was moving into my apartment and Chloe saw a younger man walking by.. and she ran up to him wagging her tail and giving him kissing. It was so unlike her... I think if she gets the chance to approach people then she is perfectly fine being friends with them.. it's just the second people approach her with their giant hands rubbing all over her and their screams of "AWWW looky a PUPPY!" she gets upset..


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## Ciarra (May 6, 2008)

I have that problem alot since I have so many dogs, When I go some where I take a few on the leash or one in mine or hubbys arms. I have people running and in minutes Im surrounded my hundreds of people. Since I take mine to my art contest that are outside. But I cant take a step without people asking "OMG! what kind of dog is that, whats the price?" I just wanna say....does it matter, or is that your business? I just change the subject or say around a number. But a have a few kids that ask me if they can touch my dogs. So evey time I take my dominant male Kirby I wont let anyone touch him. He is very protective and doesnt like to be touched my anyone he doesnt know. I warn people not to touch him but can touch the others. But I was voting at my art contest and it touch me 45mins to vote since everytime I took a step we were stopped and asked a million in a half questions. It was crazy thats for sure.


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## Keeffer (Feb 26, 2008)

I hate it when people want to pet Keeffer. As if one does, everyone wants to and my 15 minute walk will end up in a 60 minute walk. I also don't want kids to pet him, unless they ask me to. A while ago there was a kid who came running and wanted to pet him. I said she couldn't and she didn't listen. I told her 5 times she couldn't pet him, and then she tried to pick him up. I got so mad and yelled at her and she looked at me and asked if she could pet him. I was SO mad, I said NO and walked away. She was very annoying. A little boy saw what happened and dare to ask if he could pet Keeffer. And I said, didn't you hear what I said to that girl??? Oh my, sometimes they are deaf. Also people think that if I say they can pet him, that they also may pick him up. People are weird, lol. Keeffer is really sweet and anyone can pet him, I just don't want them to.


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## Chloe_Love (Jun 24, 2008)

it's weird, I feel like I've learned a lot listening to all of you on the subject because I've only just started life as a dog owner lol. 
I have always just used common sense anyway, I mean if someone walks past with a dog and smiles I will smile, I wont stop and stroke their dog just because they smiled. And if someone is walking their dog alone I'd leave them to it. I wouldnt run up to a stranger and start touching them rofl


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2008)

Roxy's Puppies have been brought up around my Nephew Jamez, he's 2 in October. He knows to be good around them, he's been around Roxy and Macky since he was born. He will sit down and let them climb on him and he will stroke them and give them kisses. He knows not to be mean and he always asks strangers before stroking their dogs. 

Mai loves Jamez :lol: she follows him everywhere


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## jesshan (Sep 15, 2005)

Chloe_Love said:


> it's weird, I feel like I've learned a lot listening to all of you on the subject because I've only just started life as a dog owner lol.
> I have always just used common sense anyway, I mean if someone walks past with a dog and smiles I will smile, I wont stop and stroke their dog just because they smiled. And if someone is walking their dog alone I'd leave them to it. I wouldnt run up to a stranger and start touching them rofl


ha ha....would that depend on how cute they were? ROFL


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## catalat (Apr 21, 2008)

Aww Mai is a little sweetie... My neighbors grandkid sometimes comes over to play and she is actually pretty good with Chloe... she is calm and pets her very nicely, Chloe doesn't mind either because she feels more comfortable at home lol.

I find that most of the time if I hear people saying "aww puppy" or something like that if I don't look at them/pretend I didn't hear them they won't approach Chloe.. Before I use to be nice back and smile or something and thats when I would find people coming over to her. So thats my new tactic do not look are make eye contact with anyone hahaha I am antisocial now


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## chibellaxo (Jul 6, 2008)

Linipi Chihuahuas said:


> I would never have a Chihuahua if I have children under 8 in my house. I've owned Chihuahuas my whole life and not one of them were comfortable with children. They were always snappy and would growl at them because they play very rough with them and Chihuahuas aren't the most patient creatures.


I feel sort of the same way that you do...except, I dont agree with anyone under 10 playing with my chis. Petting is ok ( if i decide that the child is alright) but never, playing with the dog unattended. He is my chi so i get to make the rules. I had some "breeder" randomly message me ( we were in another chi group) and she spent the whole day messaging me about how unfair my views are and how I will hurt the feelings of my friends with children because i dont want " their flesh and blood playing with th puppy." so? i bought the dog for me, not their kids. thank god, none of my friends even have kids so this isnt an issue, but how common is it for parents to make a huge deal that you wont let their kids play with YOUR dog?


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## Kioana (Mar 1, 2005)

I also have the same issue. I hate when people touch my dog with out asking because it's like if he bites you then your going to want to sue and want me to pay for your bills! Then some times i tell people he bites if i see them coming with there hands out

Once this pregant lady came to pet Jamoka without asking so i started to "Pet" her belly and said "what's it's name"? she looked at me like she was pissed and i said HMMP now you know how i feel! and walked away

 1point for the chi owners!!!!


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## freedomchis (Jul 28, 2007)

well my children are 4 and 8 and we have had chihuahuas from my two were 2 and 6 my lot love my children and are really happy to be petted and loved by other children
although i never let them be petted unless i say so i think its a good idea for chihuahuas to be brought up along with children as they learn to respect each other


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## Kristin (Nov 12, 2004)

Boss has been around children his entire life. And all my kids have been around dogs their whole lives. So, they know how to handle him. Dawn is the only child he has bitten so far, but he recently has started to show attitude towards the neighborhood kids. Sometimes he freaks out on them and wants to chase them and other times he gets all scared.

Just yesterday during our evening walk I was came up on a street where 2 8yr old girls were playing. They are constantly over on our street bothering our stuff with the other neighbor girl (she lives 3 houses down). Anyway- they immediately saw him and started saying, "Oh what a cute puppy!" and I knew right then they were going to approach us. Boss saw them and started to lag behind me a little bit (where he had been keeping up). The girls asked if they could pet him, I said no he bites (which recently I'm not positive he wouldn't). So what did they do?? They continued to walk with me!! Boss stopped dead in his tracks and flat out REFUSED to move. I didn't want to hurt him so I picked him up and kept walking. The girls kept talking and I looked at them and said, "Guys I picked him up so he wouldn't bite you, that doesn't mean follow us for the rest of our walk." They CONTINUED to follow me but dropped behind. I finally got far enough away from them to put him down. I don't usually like to pick him up when he's like that, but since he's been nippy lately I don't want to encourage him to try it. It was a no win situation.


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## OrchardLane (Aug 30, 2008)

We encounter this problem a lot - sometimes we have 5-10 Chihuahuas with us at any given time so we are bound to get noticed haha. 

This is a problem for our puppy owners as well since we have bred some of the smallest puppies in this area - and the pups get A LOT of attention wherever they go because of their size, colors and Chi-ness.

We choose to make this an educational experience for people. We are polite and informative but demand that they respect our dogs/us.

We try to explain to people, parents and children the proper way to greet a strange dog. Dog etiquette 101 so to speak. We show them how to offer their hands for the dog to sniff, explain why that it is important etc., how to properly pet a dog and to watch for signs of discomfort from the dog etc. We also explain why it is important for people to use these skills when greeting small dogs in particular - explain about the breed etc.

You would be surprised how many people say things like "OMG I totally forgot", or "I never knew" ....

Being standoffish and abrupt will work but it doesn't teach the person anything and they will do it again. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I want to hold down the person and have forty people rush at them all hands etc and see how they like it .... but we have found that taking the time to really explain what is respectful etc has made a great improvement in interactions for our dogs.

If the people don't want to learn, then they don't get to pet. It is as simple as that. Social interaction should be a positive experience for the dog, you and the person and that is what we aim for every time we head into the city


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2008)

Well, I won't let anyone just walk up and touch one of my dogs and surely wouldn't let anyone pick up one of them. I won't even let someone just walk up and touch my therapy dog except when we're at the library where he is supposed to be petted. I guess I feel like if they don't have enough manners to ask if it's OK to touch him, I should teach them some manners. He is totally loving and sweet, but it's just good manners to ask before touching a dog. If I have them on a walk, I tell people not to touch until they have been properly introduced and if it's my little rescue Chi, I stand with her between my feet and don't allow touching. None of my three would hurt a fly, but it's just not good to rush up and touch a dog and surely no one should ever pick up someone else's dog. I'm a very protective mom!


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2008)

*petting*



Kioana said:


> I also have the same issue. I hate when people touch my dog with out asking because it's like if he bites you then your going to want to sue and want me to pay for your bills! Then some times i tell people he bites if i see them coming with there hands out
> 
> Once this pregant lady came to pet Jamoka without asking so i started to "Pet" her belly and said "what's it's name"? she looked at me like she was pissed and i said HMMP now you know how i feel! and walked away
> 
> 1point for the chi owners!!!!


hahahahahahaha ........... love it! You go girl!


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## DozersMom (Sep 12, 2008)

I have the same problem! Sometimes it can be a sticky situation... people always come up going "awwwwww" and reach their hands out, Dozer is usually good at letting me know if he is not liking the situation and I can just tell by the look he has, but you never know and I just dont wanna deal with him biting someone, so I just always say Iwouldnt pet him hes really mean, hehehe and it always works, but then of coarse theirs those kids that just wont give up and tell me 'oh no its ok I have a chihuahua' and wont leave me alone. All the kids in my neighborhood KNOW that "he is mean" and everytime Im walking him they always try to pet him, grrr its so frustrating!


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## Tora-Oni (Sep 13, 2008)

I don't know but people naturally assume a small dog like a chihuahua is happy and friendly if its not barking at people. Right? I mean my lab Clifford I didn't have to worry about people picking him up. X3 but the Chis are delicate and I do believe all animals deserve respect and I hardly ever just go up to a dog with out asking some one if I can pet them sometimes. I think kids do get a little crazy and don't relize how scary it would be if some one did that to them when they are walking. Seriously I think it be creepy for any one to pick me up at a park and start cooing at me. IF the kids are getting rowdy simply pick up the dog out of their reach and then kindly explain something like "I know you want to pet her but she is very small and you wouldn't like it if some big stranger came up to you and started touching you, and picking you up?" Your parents wouldn't like that either.


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## Tora-Oni (Sep 13, 2008)

DozersMom said:


> I have the same problem! Sometimes it can be a sticky situation... people always come up going "awwwwww" and reach their hands out, Dozer is usually good at letting me know if he is not liking the situation and I can just tell by the look he has, but you never know and I just dont wanna deal with him biting someone, so I just always say Iwouldnt pet him hes really mean, hehehe and it always works, but then of coarse theirs those kids that just wont give up and tell me 'oh no its ok I have a chihuahua' and wont leave me alone. All the kids in my neighborhood KNOW that "he is mean" and everytime Im walking him they always try to pet him, grrr its so frustrating!


lol Kids sometimes don't know "Don't touch" sorta of things they always seem to anyways. Crazy kids


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## Crystaviel (Aug 20, 2008)

I've had problems with many people just reach out and petting my dog (or my friend's Chi) without asking us first. It gets me pretty upset, and I always say "Please don't touch without asking first." 

I've taught my kids to always ask the dog's owner for permission to pet the dog. They've listened to me so far. 

Sure wish most people would have the common sense to ask about petting a dog first... you never know if the dog's friendly or not.


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## carachi (Mar 20, 2005)

I just don't like Chihuahuas and children mixed together at all. All the time I've known the breed, they have no patience for the little kids and don't tolerate having their ears, tails, legs pulled, having their faces poked at and rough handling like bigger breeds would. They've always snapped, even super friendly Chihuahuas.


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## OrchardLane (Aug 30, 2008)

Linipi Chihuahuas said:


> I just don't like Chihuahuas and children mixed together at all. All the time I've known the breed, they have no patience for the little kids and don't tolerate having their ears, tails, legs pulled, having their faces poked at and rough handling like bigger breeds would. They've always snapped, even super friendly Chihuahuas.


I have to disagree with this. If children are doing that - ear, tail, leg pulling - face poking ... rough handling ... then they are not properly supervised and it is the parents' fault.

Children need to learn how to properly interact safely with animals. They need adult supervision and guidance. Heck there are some adults out there that ear, tail, leg pulling - face poking ... rough handle etc. - it comes down to ignorance of the people at hand. 

I would never let a child of mine do any of that. Nor would I allow a child to do that to one of our dogs. 

Whenever we encounter anyone - we educate them on the proper way of dog/human interaction. They may come at us rushing up, all hands etc ... but they quickly see that will get them no where with us or our dogs. 

We aren't rude, stand offish or anything - we just simply say - "If you would like to meet our dogs, allow us to demonstrate how to do it so they are safe and so are you".

There are many, many, many children out there even as young as 2-3 that understand how to properly greet a strange dog or even interact with their own dog.

Too many people assume a small breed cannot mix with children. It all depends on the children and how well the dog has been socialized. 

I personally get a kick out of breeders that immediately rule out people because they have children under a certain age etc. \

Who is to say you don't place a dog and then they have a baby or adopt?! What do you do then? Take back the dog??!

If you properly socialize your dog - children shouldn't be an issue for most. You are always going to get the odd dog that hates children no matter what (they are all individuals).


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## SCY0226 (Sep 11, 2008)

Before I got my pup I didn't realize how much attention I'd get when I bring him out in public haha.. So far nobody has tried to pet him without asking or done anything really rude.. but every where I go with him almost every person I pass is staring at us and grinning. Its kind of weird lol.


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## carachi (Mar 20, 2005)

I agree OrchardLane, but so many kids just go "omg puppy!!!!!* and attack them. I know when I was three I jumped on a Labrador and started to pull at it's lips because I thought it was so cute. I grew up with dogs and was always told how to treat them appropriately, I mean I was doing junior handling when I was little but being so young you only really think of one thing at a time and that thing was the cute Lab!


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## tiny pups (Jun 30, 2008)

*Nasty kids*

Hi i have 4 kids ages 11,10,7 1/2 & a 4 1/2 & my chi puppie loves them,they are very carefull with her they dont shout around her or run & no they are never to pick her up,not all kids are gits,if i saw a chi dog/puppie befor i had my puppie i did not run up to it & touch it & my kids did not & will not ever,i think some people never think befor they do anything,if anyone came up & picked up my puppie i would take her off them & slap them,how dare people & dont just let people come up & touch if you dont want them to tell to p off i will.


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## Chili-mom (Sep 7, 2008)

chibellaxo said:


> I feel sort of the same way that you do...except, I dont agree with anyone under 10 playing with my chis. Petting is ok ( if i decide that the child is alright) but never, playing with the dog unattended. He is my chi so i get to make the rules. I had some "breeder" randomly message me ( we were in another chi group) and she spent the whole day messaging me about how unfair my views are and how I will hurt the feelings of my friends with children because i dont want " their flesh and blood playing with th puppy." so? i bought the dog for me, not their kids. thank god, none of my friends even have kids so this isnt an issue, but how common is it for parents to make a huge deal that you wont let their kids play with YOUR dog?


The nerve of that breeder, she's the one with the stupid thinking! I'm with you on this one. Who cares if you hurt your friends feelings if it saves the life of your dog. If someone hurt one of my dogs they would have alot more than hurt feeling to deal with:evil3: Lucky for me my freinds don't have kids and my neices ect... are older. I want my dogs socialized but my dogs are not teaching tools for children to learn how to treat animals. I prefer that job fall to someone else. I find that so some parents just let there kids run amuck and then get mad if you tell the kid to stop doing something. There maybe hope yet though because many of the parents on this board sound like they are doing a good job.


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2008)

*Chis*



Linipi Chihuahuas said:


> I just don't like Chihuahuas and children mixed together at all. All the time I've known the breed, they have no patience for the little kids and don't tolerate having their ears, tails, legs pulled, having their faces poked at and rough handling like bigger breeds would. They've always snapped, even super friendly Chihuahuas.



I totally disagree! I've had two Chis before the one I have now, which is a rescue. The first one belonged to my five-year-old son and she was very sweet tempered and loved kids. My kids grew up with dogs and they where taught from birth how to treat them. My second Chi also loved kids, was very gentle, and loved my little granddaughter to death. He was very outgoing, liked everyone, would have made a great therapy dog. My little rescue that I have now is very sweet, totally gentle, even though she is still afraid of people. She loves my granddaughter and will sit still to be petted and gives kisses. If the dog and the kids are raised properly and supervised properly, there's no reason that Chis and kids can't get along and love each other. I would never tolerate a rough child or a snapping dog.


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2008)

*petting*

If the people don't want to learn, then they don't get to pet. It is as simple as that. Social interaction should be a positive experience for the dog, you and the person and that is what we aim for every time we head into the city [/QUOTE]

Good thoughts! My little therapy dog, Cosmo, (Bichon) visits with pre-school kids and I spend a lot of time telling and showing kids how to pet and interact with a dog. Some of the mothers have said Cosmo is the first dog their child has ever met up close, so I take the opportunity to show them the proper way to approach and pet him. Some of these kids aren't even walking yet, so it's a great time to teach them. Cosmo is totally friendly, of course, but I don't want him poked in the eye or petted too hard or pinched. One little boy who started out petting Cosmo too hard and was shown how to pet him then told another little boy and showed him how to pet Cosmo. That's what we want, a youngster who learns and remembers and then passes it on to other kids. I am very protective of my two Bichons and especially of my puppy mill rescue Chihuahua and don't hesitate to tell anyone not to touch them. I walk my two Bichons on a split leash and they attract a lot of attention and my Chi is little and cute, so she gets a lot of attention, too. I try to take the opportunity to educate people, but don't hesitate to protect my dogs either.


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## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

Linipi Chihuahuas said:


> I just don't like Chihuahuas and children mixed together at all. All the time I've known the breed, they have no patience for the little kids and don't tolerate having their ears, tails, legs pulled, having their faces poked at and rough handling like bigger breeds would. They've always snapped, even super friendly Chihuahuas.


I disagree, that is the fault of the parents if they are doing that stuff. There are two girls that live on my street they are two and three and whenever Yoshi walks by they kneel down and hold out their hand and wait for her come over to them, they never rush at her, grab, poke, or pull her. They are very respectful. There are also two year old twins around that are the same way with her, very nice and Yoshi likes them all a lot 

I myself don't tolerate ear, tail and leg pulling on any breed, even if they are big enough to 'take it'


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## OrchardLane (Aug 30, 2008)

As a breeder myself, I refuse to be one of the standoffish/rude Chihuahua owners because there are _so many_ - that we are making a bad name for ourselves AND our breed of choice. I hear it all the time. How Chi owners are stuck up snobs, rude etc. and their dogs are vicious. What the people saying this don't understand is WHY.

They just know that someone was abrupt or rude to them for no reason (in their mind). So education is the key.

People *will* rush at you when you have a puppy or a Chihuahua. It is part of owning one. People forget their brains when they see one. Is that right? No!

However, you will get _farther_ by politely saying to a child, "Would you like to pet my Chihuahua? Ask your Mom/Dad first. Now in order to say hi to a little dog it is best ..." then explain the proper way to do it. Explain to the Mom/Dad that the reason you are doing this is that many small dogs are afraid of people lunging at them and children get bit everyday by dogs, even ones they own. This way you educate the parent AND the child. 

You will also get farther by politely saying to an adult, "Have you ever petted a Chihuahua before? We have found that the best way to introduce yourself to a Chi is ...." then explain the proper way to do it. Explain to them that the reason you take the time to discuss this is that many people just rush up to dogs, especially Chis and it makes small dogs afraid of people. 

It is more important for us to represent the breed positively than it is for us to just get uptight and walk away. Our dogs benefit from the interactions as much as the people do as long as we control the outcome.

If someone says they know how to pet a small dog etc. I query them. If it is not correct then I explain that their method is not one we use but if they would like I can show them how to introduce themselves to our pack. It them becomes their choice. Yes or No. 

We have had groups of people cross the street to come see our dogs. At one time we have 30+ people surround us and our 10 Chis. It was just the hubby and I. How did we handle it. We had the dogs sit. We asked the people to give the dogs a bit of room and we said that if you wanted to pet the dogs we would explain how to do it safely and in a way that makes it a learning experience for the dogs too. Every single person got to pet every dog. Not one of our dogs had a negative experience with this - no snarls, bites or anxiety. I had to be assertive but I was polite and people walked away talking about the different dogs like they just made new friends.

Educating the "rushers" is something that I talk to our puppy owners about. It is part of owning a small dog. It is easier to get upset and be standoffish but it gets your dog, you and the person no where - it just perpetuates the cycle. At least if you are polite and the person doesn't want to listen - then even though they didn't get to pet your dog, they will hopefully think about their method of interaction next time. 

I have days when I just want to tell people to *^#@(^$ off and get out of my way but then Rupert will look up at me and be in "petting position" and I have to suck it up as he is ready to meet his adoring fans ....


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## OrchardLane (Aug 30, 2008)

"if anyone came up & picked up my puppie" - how does it get to that? I really don't understand. 

We may be open to educating people about the proper way to interact with dogs, particularly Chihuahuas but we are very protective of our dogs' welfare. We interject people, verbally greeting them BEFORE they get to "petting range" and establish a personal zone/space for us/our dogs. 

The visual signs of "wanting" are usually there ... the wide eyes, the huge grin, faster step ... we have seen it all before.

Very rarely do you see someone show NO interest in a dog and then just "grab and pet". In all my years of dog ownership I have never encountered that - ever. You need to be aware of your surroundings - for your safety and the safety of your dog. If someone could get that close to pet or pick up your dog without you seeing any signs of interest - someone could get that close to steal your dog or your purse etc.

Part of being a responsible dog owner IS educating the public on how to interact with your dog. If we all have the mentality of "let someone else do it" - NO ONE will. Then where would we be?

Some of the points laid out by No Puppy Mills Canada on Responsible Dog Ownership are:

• Training your dog through gentle means to be a good canine citizen
• Training your dog not be a nuisance, and helping him achieve that goal
• Teaching your children to respect animals and not abuse them through play (this is also Responsible
Parenting)
• Teaching other humans how to interact with your dog 

The entire list of what is responsible dog ownership can be downloaded in .pdf format here:

http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/links.htm


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2008)

*dogs in public*



SCY0226 said:


> Before I got my pup I didn't realize how much attention I'd get when I bring him out in public haha.. So far nobody has tried to pet him without asking or done anything really rude.. but every where I go with him almost every person I pass is staring at us and grinning. Its kind of weird lol.


My single son says a cute little dog is a real "chick magnet."


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## OrchardLane (Aug 30, 2008)

ladyj said:


> My single son says a cute little dog is a real "chick magnet."


LMAO - Some of our single male friends are known to "volunteer" to take the dogs (usually the youngest pup at the time or one of the girls) to the dog park hehe

Apparently they work like a charm


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

A teeny dog is a 'people magnet'!
Adam gets accosted quite often but he is such a tart that its mostly his own fault. He only has to hear someone say 'ahh, look at the little dog' and he's like a furry guided missile!!
On the 5 min walk to my friends house today he jumped into the laps of a group of beer drinking blokes, licked 2 small children almost to death and interrupted a couples arguement by fawning all over them and then running into their house


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