Hitting dogs.

[Granddad4]

Dear sir, my grandson has been living with me for over two months now. I have two dog. Both of which are trained and are very friendly. Unfortunetly they have become the victims  of hitting hair pulling and chocking. My four year old grandson can be fine one minute and the next hitting the dogs. I have tried as well as the rest of the family to explian to him that dogs are living breathing things and need love and we should be nice to them. Hurting them is not nice. We have tried many different things but with no success. We are at our wits end. We have tried putting him in time out as well but nothing. We have told him that the dogs can bite you if you continue to hurt them. Well of course that has happened and still nothing. Please help. Look forward to you r advice.

Thanks
Frustrated grand dad.

[allmymarbles]

Don't let him play with the dogs. That is a more meaningful punishment than time out. And don't bother repeating to him that it is wrong. By now he knows that.

[AnnieBrooke]

Before he came to you, was he being hit or harmed by someone?

[margypops]

It is important that you protect these innocent animals , I am a little puzzled how he can do this with you around ? is he alone unsupervised  to try to choke them /hit them ?