Our 6 mo. cockapoo pup Charlie bit my son on the cheek today. My son is okay, the bite produced a scratch, but we are all freaked out by this. I was right there when it happened. My son was sitting on the couch and Charlie was trying to get up on the couch (he is NOT allowed on the furniture). My son was trying to prevent Charlie from jumping up by holding his hand down and out in front of him, blocking the dog, telling him "off". Charlie managed to get by him and jumped up on the couch and bit my son on the cheek. We put him right into the crate. Charlie has not demonstrated any agression at all - no food aggression, people, other animals, toys. He is a happy go-lucky pup. Charlie was not riled up when this happened. We don't play rough with him. He is great with my kids, who are gentle and kind with him. He is affectionate and loves to be petted, we brush him all the time, and he has never shown aggression. I don't know how to differentiate between aggression and puppiness here. Is there a difference? Help!

How old is the child? Toddler, or what?

Does the child normally command/correct the dog or was this new? Was there excitement/rough-housing/tussling involved?

Sounds alot like puppy stuff imho.
Not that I'm sure I'd let him get away with it (getting on the couch), but I wouldn't over react to it.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

Did a growl accompany the bite?

Connie: My son is 11 years old. There was no rough housing. We don't play rough with Charlie at all. We all use the same commands, in this example we say "off" when he tries to get up on the couch. My daughter is 8. He is normally good (and still learning) at responding to our commands. He sits and waits until called, he's getting better at come and down/stay. We all work with him.

Lynne: When he tried to get up, my son said "off", blocked his attempt at getting up, Charlie growled then --when my son was blocking him, and the dog got past him, up on the couch and bit him on the cheek. That is exactly what happened.

It was so random and out of the blue, and atypical of his usual behavior. But it scared us.

http://leerburg.com/308.htm

I would point out that nothing is really random or out of the blue. Without knowing anything about the situation, we can't know what warnings were missed.

Is the dog ever allowed on the couch? What, if anything, was different about that instance?

Nothing. Charlie tries to get on the couch and we tell him "off". He is not allowed on the furniture at all, although he tries...we tell him off, and he gets off, or if we catch him trying to get up, we say "off" he (usually) stops trying.
Honestly, I didn't see anything different happening. I was right there. Nevertheless, I can see how it is a pack issue, in that he was overpowering my son.

 Quote: Susan Murphy

Nevertheless, I can see how it is a pack issue, in that he was overpowering my son.

I think that you are right (having been there myself, with my 6 year old and our pup); here are a few things you can do to re-establish pack order. Remember, at 6 months old your pup is still figuring out where he belongs in the 'pack', and as Mike said, your son is just another puppy (from your pup's point of view)

When the pup is loose in the house, have a short lead on him; it's much easier to redirect him (or correct him if needed) with a lead than by grabbing his collar with your hands.

Get your son involved with the feeding routine; the pup should sit before he puts the food dish down and wait for a release ('OK!') before he starts eating. Then, let the pup eat in peace.

When you take your pup for a walk, have him sit at the door and wait for you to go out the door first, and do the same thing upon returning from your walk.

If the pup is in your way (blocking a doorway or whatever) don't walk around the pup; gently move him or call him so that he gets up and moves.

Here are a couple of links (if you haven't found them yet); they are free and full of good info:

http://leerburg.com/ebooks/puppygroundwork.pdf (Pack leader info for puppies)

http://leerburg.com/pdf/markers.pdf (Marker training)

If you haven't discovered marker training yet (clicker training), read that one and get your son involved. It's lots of fun and your son is at a great age to be involved with your pup's training. And this will help to reinforce his pack position in your pup's eyes.

Thank you, everyone, for your responses and advice. It is so appreciated. We are going to regroup our efforts here and continue on in training Charlie to be a nice, family pet. Thank you again. I was so caught up in the scratch that I couldn't sit back and assess the situation any deeper than that! Thank you.