Please can anyone give advice-Re Millie

I love my Millie to bits, but she as recently started to bite!! Twice so far and I am devastated. The past 6 weeks we have had the 4 grandchildren through the days. Two of them (Erin and Shona) don't have a dog and have been absolutely motheating Millie. She loves them so. They have been carrying her a lot and taking her for walks. The twice that she has gone for people, she has been with them. I am wondering if she is jealous of them talking to someone else!!
She knows she has done wrong, she hasn't caused any injury YET!!
I just want to stop it before it gets serious. I'm now afraid to take her out in case she nips anyone. Maybe she is too spoilt. She knows she has been naughty. OH thinks she will settle down now the children are back at school, but I am not sure. :smt018
Any advice will be welcomed Please. :smt017

Annex

How old is Millie?
How old are Erin & Shona?
Who did she bite?
What were the circumstances? i.e. what led up to it? what happened after the incidents?
How were the people that she bit acting towards her prior to the bites? e.g. patting her, picking her up, etc.
Has she shown even the slightest inclination to be aggressive prior to this?
Does she have any medical problems?
Were toys, food, or other resources involved?

The more information you can give, even small, seemingly insignificant facts, then the more chance of someone being able to help/advise on what you should do about it

Millie is just one year old and was spayed 3 weeks ago, but has no medical poblems. Erin is 11 and Shona 10. They have been treating her like she was a baby. The people she bit one put his hand out quickly to stroke her while she was in Shona's arms and the other was a little girl who was playing with them. Millie was licking her and just seemed to snap for unknown reason. Which shocked me quite a bit. She didn't know either of them and it happened two days apart.
She has never been aggresive however she is very yappy, but is normally very loving.
No toys or food were involved. Though she does have a lot of toys. She will let anyone take them from her. even a bone or a biscuit.
Thank You for your concern Shadow Boxer
Best Wishes
Anne

No one should be carrying her around like a doll/baby you need to put a stop to that immediatley. It does sound like she has been getting a lot more attention than usual with the children being at home. However from what you've said you need to teach your children that she is a dog and needs to be treated as such. Do you take her training? Have the whole family been involved in her training? Does she know that the children are above her in the pack as is everyone else in the family.

Do your children walk her on their own? I think in most cases children need to be older than 10 or 11 to walk a dog. Maybe an adult could supervise your children walking her?

Thank you Jake, it seems we have been irresponsible with Millie. It has been a bit of a crazy time with OH in and out of hospital, plus children here. I have not been firm enough with the children, but will change things immediately. To be honest I have been thinking long and hard since I posted the problem. Things are changing, when the children visit they are having new rules. So are we. This is not Millies problem but it is ours.
Many Thanks for your assistance. I promise to take things very seriously.
Anne

Aww firstly YOU HAVE NOT BEEN IRRESPONSIBLE! i'm ever so sorry if my post came accross that way I didn't mean it too I am speaking from how I have trained my own nephew who is 18 months old and jake together! My brother (who is an adult might I add) is the worst person ever for winding dogs up is someone who I have had to teach how to handle dogs in order for him to teach his son Believe me he was worse than all your children put together

The local children in our area all want to pick jake up because he's so little. It is hard for children to remember they are not toys. After all plenty of adults out their treat their dogs like babies and toys. I don't for one moment believe you do that! Children do get over excited and forget though as do adults.

I just don't want to see it turning into a scenario where Milly would bite you or your family. I hope things get better for you soon and I'm truley sorry to hear you've had such a rough time lateley.

Kindest Regards
Laura xx

Hi Anne!

I have found that when mixing children and dogs, a NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) approach works really well - even the youngest, or dog-inexperienced children understand the principle that the dog has to do something they want before they give it fuss, treat etc. The dog then knows where it stands with everyone, no matter whether they are visitors or people living in the household and no matter how big or little they are

Hi Anne

It sounds as though you have perhaps let things slide a bit lately (which is perfectly understandable) and Millie has become a little too self-important. The changes you have in mind should get things back on track. The children must respect Millie as a dog, not treat her as a doll. Millie must respect everyone and not be allowed to get away with bad manners. As Iwlass says, the NILIF program will help a great deal with this.

Good wishes
SB

surely the more a dog is around children who are playing and interacting with the dog
the better the dog is with the child/children?
by that i don't mean being picked up and pestered but being able to stand the hussle and bussle a child makes?

You have all been so very helpful, I have taken everything on board and believe me I feel so relieved. Thinking about things, I have really let the children treat Millie as a baby (doll) and yes they picked her up and really got her too excited and she forgot that she was a dog. (So did we I think). Since I got your replies and the children are not around OH and I have gone back to her normal routine and she is her old self again. I will have new rules when the grandchildren come again. Thank you all So very much, you have one very happy person here. Good old DW.
Best Wishes,
AnneXXXXX
:smt041 :smt041 :smt049