Joe,

What a great post!

I played rough with Jäger, those sharp little puppy teeth drew blood frequently. My arms were covered with wounds in various states of healing. Your son's arms are pretty tender too.

I'm not saying to allow your child to be mauled, but, it is only a six month old puppy. Is it possible that it's just boys being boys?

If you don't already know it you need to learn about Pavlov and his dog. It's important, no, it's very very important. Then, as the rest have said, read up on pack mentality and dog psychology (You might even purchase some of Ed's materials so he can afford to keep this forum open). You need to be smarter than your dog. That's not intended as an insult, but too many people try to relate to their dog like it's a little person in a fur coat. It's not, it's a dog, and it's little brain is wired quite simply. You don't talk and reason with your son like your peers, why should the dog be different. Your dog is trying to figure out how this pack works, he's carefully watching your body language, the inflection in your voice, and who sits where, eats when, and a ton of other dog things. You need to understand this and use it to your benefit.

Having said that (and am awaiting my thrashing) let's use the pup's exuberance to our benefit. Buy some disgustingly cheap hotdogs, the ones who's ingredients list says "Animal parts" and doesn't get more specific. Cut them into very small bits, the goal is not to feed the pup but to put the taste in his mouth. Love him up and give him a treat, use his name a lot. Hearing you, your husband, and son saying his name will soon program him that you saying his name is a happy thing and he'll work to get you to say it.

Next play pin-ball. Each of you get a bunch of treats and take turns calling him (do this when he's hungry) in your living room. When he goes to the one who called him, he gets a treat and lots of loving. Keep the distance short and the action quick. Don't spend more than five minutes on this game, but do it several times a day. Soon, coming to you when you call will be the happiest place on earth in his brain. Expand the distance slowly and take it outdoors. Soon he may not get the treat every time, but will get the praise. Pick a term like "Good" and use it a lot. Soon the word "good" will be associated with the treat and you can dispense with the treats and just use the word good as a reward.

If the pup gets to playing too hard, tell your son to say "Ouch" and end the game (his litter mates would yelp and leave him alone, this is behavior he'll recognize). Walk away and ignore him for ten or fifteen minutes. Dogs are pack animals and crave company he'll learn quickly that biting too hard means the game ends. When he jumps up on your son he needs to say "No!!" and end the game. It will also start conditioning the dog that jumping on people is a quick way to end fun. Your son is too young and lacks the judgment to be correcting the dog, but, by ending the game he has power over rover.

God bless you, Joe, for adopting AND training your Dobie by the Leerburg method <:-)

If it hadn't have been for Ed Frawley & Cesar Millan, our beautiful blue 2 year old male might have been turned back into Doberman Rescue as "untrainable" -- Duke was never socialized as a puppy, or given any obedience lessons as he matured, plus he had dominance-aggression issues (and is a little bit "haywire", truth be told) but we LOVE him & have been determined to save this poor beastie...

Ed's Groundwork for Adult Dogs program has been a REAL godsend for Duke, who can now be lived with quite happily as a house-dog!

 Quote: adrian gentilcore

One thing one of our friends suggested was to have our son feed him as a way to establish dominance. He's gotten really good with us and will usually sit quietly while we prepare his food and will wait for his release command before he eats, but I doubt if he will behave this well for Blake. Maybe that's a good place to start - supervised, of course.

Thanks!

Adrian

Adrian:

My 3 year old son is capable of commands with my Australian cattle dog, using a toy as a reward. At 3 he is capable of giving the command "down", marking the behaviour with the word "yes", and throwing the dog toy, at which point the dog chases after it (miraculously avoiding my son even when the toy is thrown straight up in the air My son finds this game to be marvelously entertaining, as does the cattle dog.

All of this is closely supervised. However my dog clearly understands that my son is a resource controller.

I would note this cattle dog is almost certainly more dominant and physically forceful than your golden, so this can work.

FYI, I NEVER allow my 3 year old to hug, or lie down with, either of my dogs. My dogs only have positive experiences with my son: they don't have to "tolerate" anything. This means that when I can't supervise there is no access.

Another hint: When my dogs are in the crates and my son or other children are around, at no time do they approach the crates without a dog treat to give to the dogs in the crates. Therefore, EVERY time a child approaches a crate, the dog is happily anticipating a treat, and is not threatened or defensive.

With an 8 year old, he could put this dog in the crate by creating a system of a command and food reward EVERY TIME the dog goes in the crate for the command.

hope this gives some ideas. andrew may

 Quote: Mike Arnold

You have two puppies. Your dog and your son. Neither are of an age where one should be training the other...

Training a dog - especially a six month old dog - and training a child - need I note eight years of age is hardly a dominant leadershape age? - is a 24 hour a day job or jobs.

Ditto. And everything else Mike Arnold said. Please take everyone's advice seriously - for your sake, your puppy's sake, and especially your son's sake. You are supposed to be the responsible adult - it is more than time to take control and make some serious changes. Please don't let us read about a heartbreaking experience next month, next week, tomorrow...

 Quote: connie sutherland

Joe,

What a great post!

 Quote: candi campbell

God bless you, Joe, for adopting AND training your Dobie by the Leerburg method <:-)

Thanks for the kind words, Connie and Candi.

When I think about how many great dogs were put down because of lack of understanding and improper training for the level of drive in the dog, it saddens me. It's nice to see a community of people who are dedicated to helping their own dogs and the "problems" of other people's dogs.

Looking back, I also find it amazing how my dog's prior "transgressions" (from the benign potty training escapades to the more serious bites) could have easily been avoided and were directly a result of handler error. It's humbling AND empowering at the same time. My wife used to think I was being an apologist for the dog by putting the blame on myself and not the dog. Now she can't believe how "good" of a dog he has become over the past few weeks. It's the same dog, but it's how we interact with him that has changed. I know with 100% certainty that he could just as easily transform back into a "bad" dog if we abandon the constant obedience work and NILIF philosophy.

Yes (!!!) Ed & Cindy have truly saved many more dogs than either one of them has ever met in person <:-)

My daughter's 10 now. She still is not left completely alone with any of our dogs.
We've always had large dogs. Never been without one. I'm 100 pounds and I'm even careful around our 125 pound Saint Bernard. He gets exhuberant and can knock me down.

Accidents do happen. Check this out:

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/BSL/OtherBreedBites/2006/January06/goldenfatalityLI0106.pdf