Doggie Dilemma

[kinlaw6450]

My DS who is now 7, completely loves our dog Sunny. Problem is starting about 3 months ago, Sunny really DOESN"T like him. She growls and snarls when he pets her on the head shoot she won't allow him to walk by without growling.

He wants to roll and play like he used to but she won't have it. She's only 6 years old so I wouldn't figure she would be acting this way. She has also ALWAYS been around children.

Nothing weird happened that would cause this and the vet says he can't find a problem.

Here's the dilemma...based on her attitude and my increasing fear that she will bite him, I want to move her out of our home. But to where? She can't be in a home with animals...bad animal agression (that is her previous owner's fault) now no kids...and she's not a pup anymore. I just don't know what to do We have had her for 4 years and I am so stressed about it!

Can anyone give me any suggestions?

 

[JohnTBap]

Perhaps there is a shelter in your area that takes pets like this? I'll PM you a link to one I know of. It may not be in your area, but perhaps it will give you some ideas. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[dtuleya]

Before you have to make such a drastic move, have you contacted an dog trainer that specialized in behavior modification? There is a woman in our area that will come to your home to help you work out strategies and help figure out why your dog is doing this. You might want to ask your vet or contact your local SPCA for referrals. Hope you can work the issues out.

 

[DoeWDW]

Wow, what a shame!!

Our mini dachshund is VERY attached to me and sometimes she will act up if she perceives the kids are getting my attention instead of her.

Dogs are very tuned to "pack order". There are no equals in the dog world. If you are considered the alpha or "top dog" in the house, then the dog will try to determine where she fits in the order. She may snap or act aggressive to anyone she feels is below her in the pack order.

Dogs use many things to determine pack order. The top dogs eat first, and lower dogs eat later. Top dogs sleep in bed with you and lower dogs do not - if your dog is sleeping with you and your child is not, then this sends a strong message. You get the idea.

I would definitely check with a dog behaviorist - call around to local dog trainers and check the yellow pages to find one. There should be ways to show your dog that the child is above her in pack order, like having your child be the one to feed the dog, etc. but I would only do this with a dog behaviorist's advice. I wouldn't want the dog to become even more aggressive with your child, since it may lead to having to have the dog put down.

Best of luck and please keep us posted!

 

[kinlaw6450]

The dog doesn't sleep with me...DS IS the one who feeds her (or did until this started) He was the one who took her out in the yard...

Overall nothing makes sense.

 

[piphay]

Perhaps your son has played too rough with your dog and accidently hurt him. I would give it some time without pushing him. Let your son be the one to put food in his bowl but let the dog come to him instead of trying to force the issue.

I don't want to sound preachy, but animals are not disposable. When we take them into our homes we are making a commitment. It also teaches our children perserverance and commitment.

I hope things work out.

 

[DoeWDW]

Sounds like you've been on the right track.....but something still went wrong. I'm so sorry to hear this - I know how attached we all get to our pets.

Is there a special treat she absolutely goes crazy for??? Maybe stock up & let DS be the only one she gets the treat from after he has her do sits and downs? My dog goes nuts for cheese or small pieces of boiled chicken breast, so when she acts up with one of the kids, I have them work on her training a couple times a day with the really good treats.

Otherwise, I suppose you could advertise in the paper for an older or retired couple who might be looking for a quiet stay-at-home companion-type dog?

I'm really hoping this all works out for you - sending hugs & pixie dust your way!!

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by piphay
I don't want to sound preachy, but animals are not disposable. When we take them into our homes we are making a commitment.

When you have a child you make a commitment to keep that child safe. This dog snarls when touched by kinlaw6450's son and growls when he walks by. There is something seriously wrong with the relationship between the dog and the child and the child will lose.

The child comes first and the dog comes last. If that means that the dog is "disposed" as much of a hard decision that would be I would do it in a heartbeat to protect my child.

kinlaw6450, I would also suggest speaking to an animal behaviourist. I don't remember where you are from, but we have a local one here in Wisconsin named Trisha McConnell (sp?) who also does a radio talk show "Calling All Pets" on Wisconsin Public Radio. That radio show is broadcast nationwide. If you cannot work with the dog to overcome the agression, I would suggest that you put the animal down yourself. It is not fair to give a dog/human agressive dog to someone else or a shelter . I'm sorry things are turning out this way .

 

[peg2001]

2 thoughts:

- The dog is in pain, which you've already tried to rule out at the vets. Good for you. See if you can make the dog growl at you by running yours hands completely over the dog, applying light pressure. If no growls or whimpers, probably not a pain issue.

-The dog feels his dominance over your son is being threatened. This is not uncommon as younger kids start getting bigger. Your dog needs to be taught that your son is higher in the pack than he is. Invest in a good trainer, clearly explain the problem. The dog needs to be taught to submit to your son.

Good luck. You are correct to be worried. You do not want the problem to escalate to the dog actually biting or attacking your son. Please try the training route before resorting to getting rid of the dog. I agree with both previous posts, pets should not be considered disposable, BUT, the safety of your family comes before your commitment to your dog.

Peggy

 

[Rajah]

Put a dog down just because she growls at one person? I don't think so. That is just plain irresponsible. What, you going to "put your child down" if he/she becomes a bully? I doubt it. Don't do the same with an animal. Instead, either work with the animal, or if that doesn't work, find him/her a new home.

Kinlaw -- I also recommend seeing a trainer/behavioralist if you can find one. Try working with Sunny and your son, see if you can find out what's going on and solve the problem. If not, then try finding a new home for her. There are some couples out there with no kids and no other pets who I'm sure would be willing to take her. Check around with vets, shelters, etc to see if any of them know someone, post ads in the paper, etc. Please, if you can't solve this problem and feel you must get rid of Sunny, do so by finding her a new home. Not by putting her down.

 

[kinlaw6450]

No worries. Putting her down was never an alternative. Finding her a new home is the main goal. I just have to keep hope that that is possible. No kids, No other pets...quiet...that is what I am afraid she is going to need.

As for the pain thing...DH wrestles with her all the time and has yet to hit a sore spot. DS used to be able to wrestle too.

I see the theory about DS getting bigger...that's a given, it never dawned on me though since obviously DD and myself and DH are all bigger than him.

 

[peg2001]

Originally posted by kinlaw6450
I see the theory about DS getting bigger...that's a given, it never dawned on me though since obviously DD and myself and DH are all bigger than him.

When the dog came into your home, DS was 3. It was clear in the dog's mind that she was dominant over the preschooler. She apparently accepted from the beginning that you, DH, and DD were all over herself. Now she is no longer so sure about DS. DS is getting bigger and the dog is asserting herself by growling and snarling to show DS "his place."

Does the dog know her commands? If so, you should immediately start making her lay down whenever she starts growling. If you feel comfortable doing so, you should even roll her over on her back (this is a submissive position). She needs to learn her place, on the BOTTOM of the hierachy.

Again, I strongly recommend a good trainer to help you get through this.

Peggy

Edited to correct dog's gender. Sorry! I'm terrible about that. At least I got your son's gender correct.

 

[stamper]

Does sound like a "loss of place" issue. She doesn't want to give her spot in the "pack" willingly. Think I would get in touch with a behaviorist/trainer.

Also, try the folks here Great pets They have a community there with several boards..one of them is called "Help! Dog problems and solutions"...try there. The members are VERY helpful and knowledgeable.

Good luck!

Oh...the link above takes you to the home page. Click on the pic of the dog in left corner. There you will find links to many dog related things ...link to the "community" is all the way to the right.

 

[marlasmom]

Just before my older dd ws born someone gave us a beautiful German Shephard. I had had two German Shephards before and loved them. Both of those dogs were easily trained wonderful dogs. The new dog was delivered with a thing that screwed into the ground and a very short chain attached to it. He was wonderful with adults. Some friends came to visit and came to the door with the guy carrying the dog he had taken out of the back yard. The dog hated kids. He dragged my husband across the yard to get to the two year old next door who was a very quiet child and just standing there. He was very agressive toward all children. The person who gave him to us had three children and we decided they must have teased the dog and that is why he hated kids. We contacted a couple of trainers, both of whom said that dog could never be trusted around children. We had to get rid of him. You cannot jeopardize a child for the sake of an animal.

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by Rajah
Put a dog down just because she growls at one person? I don't think so. That is just plain irresponsible. What, you going to "put your child down" if he/she becomes a bully? I doubt it. Don't do the same with an animal. Instead, either work with the animal, or if that doesn't work, find him/her a new home.

As much as I love my animals ... animals are not humans. There is no comparison at all between putting down an agressive dog with killing a child. I hope you were just trying to make a point, although I am not sure what point that would be.

What is just plain irresponsible is passing a known agressive dog off to another "good home". If the problem is not solved at the OP's house the dog is a ticking time bomb at the new house. It's just a matter of time before someone else that Sunny feels dominant over, a child or someone who is afraid of dogs, visits and Sunny bites them.

I sincerely hope that the problem is a dominance one. Those kinds of problems can usually be solved, especially since it has come on fairly quickly and can be nipped in the bud. A trainer or behaviourist will be able to give the OP a timeline on when she should see improvement. I really do wish Sunny and her family the best of luck in working out the agression problems.

 

[Rajah]

Kinlaw, if you can't find a trainer/behavioralist to work with, or until you do, I like peg's suggestion. Instruct the dog to get into a submissive pose, and instruct your son to stand tall and not "cower", and you'll be showing Sunny what the proper order is. If she'll accept that after a few times, you shouldn't have much problem after that. If she won't, you'll *know* you need to find her a new home.

 

[jrmasm]

What is just plain irresponsible is passing a known agressive dog off to another "good home".

While I agree with that statement, I would also say that it is just plain irresponsible to label a dog a known aggressive without seeking professional evaluation first.

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by jrmasm
While I agree with that statement, I would also say that it is just plain irresponsible to label a dog a known aggressive without seeking professional evaluation first.

Great, then we are in total agreement . Of course the dog should be given a chance! I said the OP should put down the dog if working with a trainer didn't work on overcoming the dog's agression . See my first post on the subject.

 

[piphay]

As much as I love my animals ... animals are not humans. There is no comparison at all between putting down an agressive dog with killing a child. I hope you were just trying to make a point, although I am not sure what point that would be.

Murder is murder. It is not an "either/or" choice. The dog has done nothing but growl. We don't know that something has not happened with the child that has caused the growling.

We as adults should be caretakers...caretakers of children,animals,elderly ...those that are at a disadvantage due to no fault of their own. It unfortunate that some times those that have the power misuse it because it is easier. I would say that given a chance my dogs would definitely rank higher than those irresponsible to put a dog down for growling...especially since it isolated toward one person.

I am not saying the situation never presents itself that a dog would need to be put down, but this is definitely not one of those times.

 

[kinlaw6450]

Woah!!!

This was not a debate thread on animal euthanasia!!!

Just wanted opinions about what to do about our faithful friend not liking our youngest child!!

Come on guys lets play nice!!!