Hi Shannon,

I gave my friend one of our Miniature Dachshund puppies 3 years ago. (He was 6 weeks old). His name is Ciro and he really is a lovely and lively little dog. He lives with a 6 year old Pug named George. Both are males and have been sterilised. George is a very quiet and loving dog - not at all aggressive, not even to kids. Ciro grew up with his new mom and dad without any children around. They both love their dogs as their own children and might even be seen as spoiling their dogs a little bit. On two occasions he bit my daughters, aged 5 and 7 (both grew up with dogs and love animals). The first time, they were playing outside (in his back yard) and he suddenly without warning bit them on their ankles - first the one child and a few minutes later the other child.

The second time, my 5 year old was playing with him while sitting down and when she stood up he bit her in her thigh, while wagging his tail. I can not understand this, as all our previous litters did not have this problem. (I made a few phonecalls to check)

My friend is now expecting her first born and I am really concerned as to how he will react to the new baby in the house. What do you suggest we do?

Thank you

CONCERNED MUM

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Dear Concerned Mum,

The information you have provided is fairly limited with regard to the biting incidents, but from what I can gather it would appear that there are three elements at work here:

1. Underdeveloped interaction skills (with specific reference to bite inhibition)

It would appear that the first incident was as a result of heightened excitement and the Dachshund being unable to control himself. The fact that the children were bitten on the ankles suggest that it would have also had a prey drive trigger - the feet are the fastest moving and easiest part of the body to reach. I would assume that the children were trying to run away at the time thus triggering another aspect of the prey drive. Any dog can be triggered in such a manner, but a dog with underdeveloped bite inhibition can cause serious damage.

One of the reasons for underdeveloped bite inhibition is a puppy that was removed from his mother and littermates too early. A puppy learns invaluable social skills, including how to play and how to inhibit bites, between the ages of five to eight weeks. This puppy had this learning period cut in half. Many dogs have this phase shortened due to ignorance on the part of the breeder. It's either by pure luck or an excellent canine role model in the new household that we see far fewer problems than one would expect.

2. Undersocialisation to children with possible fear aggression

Although this puppy was raised in a household with children, it would appear that he has never been properly habituated. Young children have erratic movements, they shriek in high-pitched voices and they have a different chemical signature to adults. In effect to a dog they are not humans, but some strange species that seems to fascinate their owners.

Although the commonly-accepted socialisation phase ends at around 16 weeks, new research suggests that a puppy should be positively exposed to stimuli throughout puberty to ensure a level of habituation suitable for the demands of a contemporary lifestyle.

If a dog is not socialised or habituated to a particular stimuli (in this case children) he will automatically revert to one of the 3 F's (fight, flight or freeze) when in doubt. Perhaps the second biting incident was a result of fear as the child stood up? Please note that a wagging tail is not always an indication of a happy dog. A tail tucked between the legs with the tip wagging is often a display of extreme submission.

3. Possible hierarchy issues

If these dogs have been "spoilt" as you say, they may have hierarchy issues with any newcomers or guests in their home, be it human or animal. It is hard to say and I am not one for putting everything down to hierarchy, but perhaps the dogs need to be brought down a peg or two in terms of seeing themselves as high-ranking individuals who are tasked with disciplining the children?

As with any case involving aggression, you need to contact an accredited behaviour consultant in your area. While I can certainly give you generic guidelines, this problem needs intensive hands-on help. The fact that your friends are expecting a baby makes this all the more imperative. Please visit the ABC website for a nationwide listing of accredited behaviour consultants.

Best of luck.

Shannon