"Our 2 3/4 yr. old son has just started hitting our puppy and chasing and harrassing our cats (immitating the worst behaviours of the puppy). He is on his own initiative making the big change from diapers to potty, and I heard that some regression is to be expected due to that. I mentioned the hitting this morning to our daycare provider, and she said he and his 3 y.r old best friend (also a boy) have started hitting each other and her dog, as well as poking each other and the dog with sticks (yuck). Our son also recently went through a phase of calling us names like stupid and jerk. I personally find it easier to handle (ignore) the verbal assaults. I would really appreciate reading about how other parents have dealt with these problems.
We certainly do spend lots of time explaining to our son that the puppy (who weighs more than our son already) is our responsibility, that pets are to be taken care of and loved. We always stop him from hitting the pup and chasing the cats. We sometimes put him on timeout for his actions, and never hit him to discipline him. I am weary of having explained what is acceptable over and over without seeing any change in his behaviour. On name calling: we were told by other parents that using swearwords is mostly done to get a reaction, and so we handled the name calling in the way that was recommended for swearing. We told him that what he said was mean and could hurt peoples' feelings and then we let it go. "
Laurie
Oh, man - that sounds like a bad situation waiting to get worse. I’d suggest protecting the puppy, otherwise that pup is going to grow up hating children and will eventually decide it has suffered enough abuse and tear into your son. The cats need a way to escape from the abuse, too.
Our cocker spaniel was 10-years old when my nephew was born. This dog’s personality was already set and his behavior mature, so he knew when to hunker down and take it, and he knew when to run away. We taught the boy how to care for and treat dogs and cats.
Your puppy, which is a baby, is at the mercy of your son. I suggest you talk to someone at the local Humane Society for guidance on dogs, cats, and how little kids can relate to them. When you call them, explain what kind of help you need; it benfits them to help you rather than have your dog later end up in a shelter because of its behavior.
Also, there are books that help you this issue, but I’d give the folks at the local animal shelter a call and ask if they can help you right away