Q&A Kids and Dog Aggression

Leerburg Questions & Answers
Kids and Dogs

My dog is showing aggression towards my young daughter. What would you suggest?
We are having a baby in September and countless people have expressed concern over introducing the dog to the baby and visa versa. Is there a right vs. wrong way to introduce a dog?
My pup is growling at my two young children and being very shy towards other dogs. S hould I be as concerned as I am about this situation?
Our 8 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever bit our 1 1/2 yr old baby on her hand. My wife wants the dog to go, I don't know what to do.
My dog is aggressive around toddlers, what should we do?
When will our dog be able to be unsupervised with our cats and what videos do you recommend that explain how to introduce a baby to our dog? I’m due to have our first child in a couple of weeks.

1. Question:

Hello,

I have sought help from numerous sources (too many to mention here), including my vet. I have one huge problem with our border collie,

named Oreo, she is 7 yrs old, we've had her since she was 10 weeks old. She is a wonderful dog all the way around... for obedience, etc. no problems.

The problem is she is showing aggression towards our daughter who will be 4 yrs old in February. She used to be able to go and pet Oreo and help me feed her, etc. However over the last couple months her aggression is getting worse and worse. I've gone to the point that she is back in the kennel or tied to me with a leash or has to wear a muzzle in efforts to prevent her from biting my daughter. Oreo has even gone to the extent of preventing my daughter from getting on her own bed. If Oreo is close to either me or my husband, and she comes walking by (not at all provoking Oreo), Oreo will growl then show teeth. Two suggestions have been made - either find her a new home or have her put down. She also has dog aggression. As well as more and more not willing to let people see or pet her. I work from home as a pet groomer, I need to fix this.

If you need more info let me know what you'd like to know.

What would you suggest?

Shanette

Answer:

The problems you are seeing are the result of the way you live with your dog. When dogs act like this they lack leadership from their owners. In other words their owners don’t understand how important pack drive is in how they raise their dogs. As your daughter gets older, your dog is trying to make sure he keeps his place in the pack order by making sure your daughter doesn’t become higher ranking than he is. It’s up to you to be the leader, you have been allowing your dog to call the shots without even knowing that you are doing so. This is completely normal behavior in dogs and how they interact with each other. This is also very dangerous behavior especially when children are involved.

Owners of dogs like yours underestimate the genetic power of "PACK DRIVE." Pack structure is not something new and it is not optional, and if you don’t provide the structure and leadership a dog NEEDS then he or she will behave as canines have for thousands of years and will structure your family and household their own way. Your dog is not behaving badly out of spite or stubbornness; your dog is simply being a dog, a dog that needs some guidance and rules.

If you want to fix a problem like this you can but it takes some work.

I’d start with our Groundwork program and the video that picks up where the article leaves off, Pack Structure for the Family Pet.

Here is a DVD that I would recommend titled Dealing with Dominant and Aggressive Dogs. If you go to the link on this DVD you can read about what it covers. You will also see a detailed outline of what’s in the video.

I’d use a muzzle and this dog would be either on a leash, muzzled attached to me or in a crate at all times until this issue is under control. Oreo should not ever be loose in your house at all, she’s lost those privileges by behaving in a dominant manner.

I would direct you to the search function in the upper left corner of the website for any additional questions you may have. If you type in your key words it will guide you to articles, Q & A’s and posts on our forum. You will find out that your problem is probably the most common issue discussed on our website.

I hope this helps.

Cindy

2. Question:

Hi there,

We have a 16 month old Boerboel (South African Mastiff). We have been following your videos for puppies and he sailed through a local obedience class with flying colors.

We are having a baby in September and countless people have expressed concern over introducing the dog to the baby and visa versa. I scanned your Q&A, but couldn't find something close on the subject.

Is there a right vs. wrong way to introduce a dog to a new high ranking member of the pack?

When friends come over with toddlers, he is fantastic, but a crying newborn may be different.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

-Marisa (with her 165 pound Boerboel puppy)

Answer:

I’d make sure you have very good pack structure in place before bringing a baby home. I’d start with our Groundwork program and the video that picks up where the article leaves off. Pack Structure for the Family Pet.

I would then recommend you spend some time reading our Dogs & Kids section, there is an article about how to introduce a baby into the household.

I hope this helps.

Cindy

3. Question:

Hello, I have looked for an answer to this question on your website and I have found some good responses but not one that totally satisfied me. So I wanted to ask you this one directly because I am concerned about this new puppy I have and need to make a decision about returning it to the breeder or not.

First off this puppy has a lot of qualities that we like she has bonded to the family almost instantly, she is very intelligent, very loving and is responding to basic obedience commands very well. My only concern is her growling at two young children and being very shy towards other dogs. She is a 16 week old Cane Corso which we have had for 5 days now. She has not growled at me or my 6 month old son at all but once at my wife when she was picking up a blanket that was in front of the puppy.

Both of the growls at the young children were due to the children getting close to the puppy. I do not and will not leave my dogs around kids unsupervised and this puppy is no exception. That said I know that the children were acting appropriately around the puppy under my supervision.

My question is if I should be as concerned as I am about this situation. I am trying to socialize the puppy by bringing her to new places and meeting new people every day. When we got her from the breeder I did notice that the pups mother was very unsociable however the father was fine. Also we picked her up from the breeder that lived on a farm and I am told the puppy received socialization off the farm.

I am currently in a situation were the breeder will take her back with a full refund early next week. However like I said before I really like this dog however if I cannot socialize her properly around other dogs or people this is a deal breaker. One other thing is due to school I had to leave me Boxer with my parents. I will not be able to pick up my Boxer for another 3 months and I am worried that I will have problems then not with my boxer but with this new puppy. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jared

Answer:

What kind of foundation did you establish for the puppy? Did you start her off with any pack structure when you brought her home? Sometimes new pups feel insecure until they settle in. This is where this article called The Groundwork to Becoming Your Puppy’s Pack Leader comes in.

Pack Structure for the Family Pet

There are also puppies that are genetically weak nerved or sharp. These dogs ABSOLUTELY need structure and to have all their free time controlled. They also need the work I mention above, but in many cases if you slack off on the structure at all as they grow you may have problems.

Many times weak nerved pups seem to bond instantly, because they are so unsure they need to be with an authority figure. These dogs can be good companions as long as you are aware of the dangers of having a dog whose genetic predisposition is to be suspicious. Suspicious dogs typically don’t have the strongest self confidence and may have aggressive tendencies.

It all depends on what you can handle, what your household is like and whether the pup is just going through an adjustment period or if she’s showing a core temperament issue. You have a small child that will be mobile soon, so I would give careful thought to how your household will be changing as your son grows.

We have a section on dogs & babies.

If you do keep her I’d recommend you read this before you bring the boxer home.

I would direct you to the search function in the upper left corner of the website for any additional questions you may have. If you type in your key words it will guide you to articles, Q & A’s and posts on our forum.

Cindy

4. Question:

Cindy,

Our 8 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever bit our 1 1/2 yr old baby on her hand. My wife went into the kitchen quickly leaving them alone, less than 5 seconds, so she didn't see what happened. The dog drew blood - could have used a stitch or 2. My wife wants the dog to go, I don't know what to do. Sarge {our dog} has had possessive issues since he has been a pup.Thanks for any thoughts that can protect all involved.

Tom

Answer:

If you’ve let a dog be possessive his whole life and then left him alone with a baby (even for a few seconds) you are very lucky there wasn’t a much worse incident.

The problems you are seeing are the result of the way you live with your dog. When dogs act like this they lack leadership from their owners. In other words their owners don’t understand how important pack drive is in how they raise their dogs.

Owners of dogs like yours underestimate the genetic power of "PACK DRIVE." Pack structure is not something new and it is not optional, and if you don’t provide the structure and leadership a dog NEEDS then he or she will behave as canines have for thousands of years and will structure your family and household their own way. Your dog is not behaving badly out of spite or stubbornness; your dog is simply being a dog, a dog that needs some guidance and rules.

If you want to fix a problem like this it will take some work. I’d start with our Groundwork program and the video that picks up where the article leaves off - Pack Structure for the Family Pet.

Here is a DVD that I would recommend titled Dealing with Dominant and Aggressive Dogs. If you go to the link on this DVD you can read about what it covers. You will also see a detailed outline of what’s in the video.

This dog needs to have his free time controlled 100% of the time, no privileges unless you grant them and no contact with kids.

We have a section on kids and dogs.

It’s likely that you will never be able to trust your dog around your child, if this was my child I would NEVER leave the dog with the baby ever. This dog would be on a leash attached to me, or in a crate or kennel at all times.

I would direct you to the search function in the upper left corner of the website for any additional questions you may have. If you type in your key words it will guide you to articles, Q & A’s and posts on our forum.

Cindy

5. Question:

Hi Cindy,

We have a two year old German Shepherd/Australian Cattle dog that we got from a shelter at three months old. We used both your Puppy and Basic training videos and our dog generally behaves well and we are happy with her. She is a soft dog and shows signs of being submissive as I understand it (presents her back side, licks me, etc.) She has never been aggressive towards anyone save for when we used to get near her and her food although that behavior has almost disappeared. We have a three month old girl and the dogs have been fantastic around her as well.

The problem is when toddlers are introduced to the mix. My 1 1/2 year old niece and a three year old friend of ours seem to make our dog uncomfortable. She gets snappy and barks around them, especially when they make sudden moves even if the actions are not directed at the dog. While we are confident that she will deal well with our daughter as she gets older, what can we do to help her deal with toddlers now? For now, we simply keep the dog and toddlers separated when they visit. We try to introduce the toddlers to the dog gently by having the kids pet her with me holding the dog or with the toddlers giving her treats so that she can experience toddlers in a pleasant setting. What would your best solution? I have looked over your boards and couldn't find a question that dealt specifically with this. Thanks.

Luke

Answer:

The recipe for a successful relationship between kids (of any age) and dogs is supervision at ALL times. I’d first suggest you start with our Groundwork program and the video that picks up where the article leaves off - Pack Structure for the Family Pet DVD.

I would NOT ever think I was going to change a dog’s view of kids (no matter the age) by letting kids give the dog treats or petting. BAD IDEA. You are putting the dog and the child in precarious situation when you do this. It’s much better to teach the dog that they are not allowed to interact with the kids, and they must be indifferent and non aggressive. You must control the kids so they are not allowed to get in the dog’s space. It only takes a split second for an incident to happen.

If you find you need to put the dog in a crate in order to preserve the dog’s and child’s safety and your piece of mind then that’s what I would recommend. Be aware that as your baby’s mobility changes, your dog’s attitude towards her may also change. Don’t take anything for granted here.

You should read this section of the web site.

Cindy

6. Question:

Hello,

I have a 70-75 pound Alaskan Malamute that is 2 years old and have 2 cats that lived in the house prior to my dog living here. Ever since she (my dog) was a puppy, I followed your techniques with training her to get along with the cats. At this time, she is wonderful with the cats! She seems to even be protective over them and does NOT chase them, in fact she will quickly look the other way if she accidently catches a glance of my 15 year old cat (my 15 year old cat is the boss of all the animals). There has been no fighting and truly peace between the cats and dog; the cats fight with each other, but never with the dog.

I still keep the dog separated from the cats when my husband and I are not around (we use a tall baby gate with a lockable cat door in it). My question, is there ever a time in our dog's life where we can leave them in the same common area? I know that every dog/cat situation is different, but I am being super cautious and other than at night they do not wonder together without our supervision. She is trained to stay in our kitchen and only leaves the kitchen when we give her the command, so at night the cats sleep with us and the dog sleeps in the kitchen (I'm amazed that we were actually able to train her to stay in the kitchen, as she's my first dog). She'll even be within feet of the cats when they eat and does NOT go near their food. If anything, I actually have the opposite problem where my one cat will eat my dog's food and my dog will openly share with him with no ill feelings! However, I quickly scold the cat for doing that and remove him from the dog's food area as this is a bad habit that my cat has.

Thank you for all of the advice and training techniques with the cats, it really worked! Overall, our dog is very easy going and really accepts our cats as part of her pack. I was very strict with my training, so I believe that things paid off! Now, if I can only get my dog to protect me! It just does not seem to be in our dog's nature to want to do anything other than lick strangers!

Also, we are expecting our first child in a couple of weeks and was wondering if you have any DVDs or places within your website with advice for a new baby? She loves babies and kids, but I wanted to work with her in the correct manner. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong place or missed it on the website, but I couldn't find a DVD with baby specific baby information in it.

Regards,
Terri

Answer:

I can’t tell you if and when your dog is trustworthy around cats. That is something that you will need to determine. It sounds like you’ve done a good job training your dog, but without seeing your dog and cats interact with my own eyes, I would not want to offer an opinion about that.

If you are having success with things as they are so I would not rock the boat especially with a baby coming. Dogs need predictable structure; I wouldn’t be loosening things up at this point. You’ve heard the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

If you want a protection dog, I think you may have the wrong breed. Malamutes were not bred to be protective, they were bred to be rather independent and to pull.

We have a section on our website about dogs and babies; use the search function (located in the left hand corner of every page on our website) Simply type in your search terms or key words and you will be directed to articles, question & answers, free streaming videos and posts on our forum.

I hope this helps.

Cindy

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