So do you have the time/money to take your dog to Schutzhund once a week?

Is it fair to your children to give so much time to the dog?

How are you going to feel if your child gets seriously bitten? If this happens Rocky may be too much of a liability to rehome and your only option might be euthanasia.

I'm not trying to pick on you, just ask honest questions. The answers for these vary from person to person.

IMHO, Rocky needs a person that he can be with and get out and work with on a frequent basis. Your situation in life makes this difficult for you to be this person. You've done a lot of good work with him. But honestly, speaking as a person who has had quite a bit of experience with children and a fair amount of experience with dogs, I wouldn't have a dog like Rocky if I had more than a couple kids. And even then not with young kids. It's just not a very workable situation

OK new question or two.

When the bites occurred one child was running by Rocky's Kennel, correct?

2nd bite your husband was picking up your child? so again movement????

When Rocky goes after baby animals are they moving or not moving?

Probably doesn't matter to those in the know I am just curious.

Right now I can tell you that I would be looking for a good re-home with people who are just waiting for a dog like this to come along to be channeled and have no small children. But its hard when the heart is involved. Question that I have though for you is this..... How much do you value your children? Remember you are a relatively inexperienced trainer. Yes you can learn and we all do learn but perhaps a different dog would be a wonderful place to start?

Good Luck to you. I am going to be quiet and watch this now. I do wish you all the very best.

Polly

My suggestion, having read all of the information is not to give the dog back to the breeder.

I would instead ring the police departments in the state or the army / homeland security - they will be able to advise you on what they are looking for in donated dogs.

I don't know about in America but here in the UK they will come look at your dog and then say yes or no. The dog leaves for two weeks and they test them in detail. Rocky may not be a suitable patrol dog but may make a detection dog. If they fail that bit they are allowed to come home to you - if not they will have a job that they love.

There is no shame in admitting that perhaps you dog was not bred to be a family pet. In that situation it would be better for you all - if he was found a JOB and you guys got a shep a little more suitable for your home.

This dog is also coming into maturity (around 18mo -2 year thur 3)& is going to really start testing you further. I believe it has only just begun.

This is a big dog & can SERIOUSLY hurt an adult let alone a child. I don't see the outcome being good. I think that you are taking an un-necesary risk, especially with your children, keeping this dog. He already has 2 child bites. Doesn't matter if he didn't do much harm. He should have had one serious 'jesus meeting' 2 seconds after he bit that child.

He now knows that he can get away with doing that. Not once, but TWICE. Not good. If he were my dog, that bit my kid, he would be OUT THE DOOR in a heatbeat. He would not have had a chance to do it a 2nd time!

IMO,FWIW, this is not a safe dog to have in your home with 7 children.

 Quote: Polly Simpson

When the bites occurred one child was running by Rocky's Kennel, correct?

2nd bite your husband was picking up your child? so again movement????

When Rocky goes after baby animals are they moving or not moving?

Yes, David was running by his kennel.

David (the child - 10 yo) was picking up the baby.

Yes, again, movement. He wants to control all movement when I am not around him.

The baby animals on the other hand can just be lying down or standing still.

Thank you for all your comments. I do appreciate them.

We all (our family) really do want this to work out for Rocky, but if he is not safe then I don't want him to be around my children, especially.

On the other hand, we would like to give him another chance by working with him in a more serious approach, concerning a specific sport or a "job."

Over all he is a great dog, calm when no movement is around, and with the children around he is calm as long as I am there, which I am ALL the time, now.

Truthfully, he would make an excellent pet for someone with no children, other pets, or farm animals.

Connie, to answer your question, he still does not like to "play." He wants to be "doing" something worth his while. However, when we run he comes back completely exhausted. That happens 2 times a day and the other times he is out we walk.

I really like the suggestion of military or police. Won't you think about that? From what you have said I believe you have a completely confident dog on your hands (raised the way a good working dog is raised but without the many "stops" we do while forming behavior) and have done the job you were intended by God to do with him.

Now won't you think about letting him go to finish the job he was born to do?

You will always know this..... in anyone else's hands this dog would probably have been broken down mentally. In your hands he has the tools and is now at the age to become magnificent. Wouldn't it be wonderful to know he is out there protecting many people by being a police dog OR narcotics dog or (I get the shivers thinking about the possibilities) any other number of public service jobs?

My feeling (and I go on gut a lot)is that Rocky has been in your home for a reason and that reason was to get him to this point in his life so he can go on to do the job he is meant to do.

I know it hurts because you have put so much into him but to not let him have a real job and possibly have to be put down well that hurts even me just thinking about it.

My male that I purchased at age 2 was a liability when I got him. He had been through 4 homes and bitten several people (needing stitches) including children. It took a LOT and we bonded tighter than I could have ever imagined BUT we did not have small children in the house to worry about. So there is a home out there that will value everything about Rocky and love him, give him the job and structure he needs to be everything he can be. Moose was 105 lbs of a very large doberman, in class one day he decided to challenge a Mastiff and this ended up with me stringing him up by the pinch collar on the wall until he calmed down. Then practicing with him to learn to ignore that dog over and over again. He required a very firm but very FAIR hand. At 110 lbs what are you going to do the day it becomes necessary to become physical with him? It is going to happen.

Hugs,

Polly

The thing is that the only 'serious' sport you could work him in would be ring or schutzhund. Both of which require training daily but to be honest I don't feel that that would be 'enough' for him. He needs to be worked to his full potential, by that I mean he comes out of his kennel to work - he works until he is tired and goes home, eats and sleeps.

So many times I have drawn up the euth. solution as people cry. They feel bad for the dog, bad for the child, they know they are guilty for having let it go too far.
Do something before he makes a mistake that ends up being a killing offense.

 Quote: Theresa Rutherford

Truthfully, he would make an excellent pet for someone with no children, other pets, or farm animals.

Then you really owe it to him to work on finding him a home like that. Because in the end with several young children you can't realistically manage all of them around the dog all the time.

Find him an appropriate home, then find yourselves an appropriate dog that you and your family can really enjoy without needing to manage 24/7.

I know it will be hard because you have invested a lot of yourself into Rocky an you do love him and care about him, but it really is best.