I'm having a problem with my 5 month old male GSD. He's been pretty possesive with toys,food or what he THINKS is food since day 1. I have two children ages 4 and 7. Luke(the dog) has growled and barked at myself,my husband and both children in the past about getting near or trying to take things away from him. We were able to teach him not to behave that way over things through firm corrections and NO commands. Now...here's the problem...if either my husband or myself are in the room and the kids get near the dog with a toy,bone ect...the dog does not growl or act upset in any way. It's gotten to the point that the kids can actually walk up and just take his bone it they wanted to. Luke just gives them that curious "please can I have my bone back?" look. Okay..but when the adults are NOT in the room Luke thinks he is boss. The other night I thought my children were both upstairs with me...my daughter decided to go quietly down the stairs where the dog was. I heard a very dangerous sounding growl then my 7 year old daughter screaming like the devil. The dog had bitten the hell outta her. He broke the skin in several places and left a large bruised area on her arm. He had a wrapper he had managed to steal out of the kitchen trash can...my child went to pick up the pieces that the dag had ripped up and he bit her. I know the two should not have been alone...like I said I thought my child was in her room. She's been told over and over again not to take things from the dog unless I am right there with her. But...needless to say I am torn as to whether to keep the dog or not. Once your child has been hurt like that there will always be that What if? lingering in your mind. Is there any way to correct this behaviour so that I can feel safe with my kids and dog? I am seriously thinking that I am going to have to give my pup up. Any info would be wonderful.

Dear Angela,

Get rid of the dog.

Your children are too small to live with a dog like that. They can get hurt. There is no reason why they should be put under that risk.

There are articles on this issue on Mr. Frawley's site that will teach you a lot.

Best regards,
Pedro.

Thanks for the reply Pedro. I know that's what I have to do. Just trying to hope against hope I suppose, that this is a fixable problem. My gut tells me it's not though. I've kept him far away from the kids since that night. They are at their father's for the Holiday so I am hoping to find Luke a home over the next few days. I've just emailed a GSD rescue in my area. We also have a possible appointment with the trainer of the K-9 division in the next town over.
A nice lady has offered us one of her little collie mix puppies. I'm thinking that may be a good choice for the family. Just gotta take a look at the sir of those pups to determine what sort of dogs they'll be. Ack, this has been an emotional last few days! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
Thanks again for the reply.

Originally posted by Angela Bonomo:
We were able to teach him not to behave that way over things through firm corrections and NO commands. Angela, possessive aggression is a behavior problem that can occur no matter the breed. If you encounter this problem with your new dog (which I hope you do not), I strongly suggest that you do not use the techniques you used in this case.
I think that with a lot of work, and the right techniques, this problem with this dog is fixable. Hopefully he will be adopted by someone who is capable of doing so. I hope you find a nice dog for your family. But please seek assistance from a knowledgeable person before trying to correct problems like this one in the future. Good luck with your situation.

It's a very difficult step to take, but it's better not to wait until you regret not having taken it.

I'm not an expert, but I know how easily and how badly a child can get hurt by a dog. Your dog needs a home with no children, and, if he's doing that stuff at 5 months, probably needs an owner with lots of experience who can deal with a very dominant dog. It's a good thing that you are going to visit a k9 trainer.

There are people on this forum who know more than I do. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Best regards,
Pedro.

Angela,

I am sorry that you have to re-home your dog but if you can't live in your own home knowing your children are safe then it just isn't worth it.

A word of warning be careful with collie mixes - here in the U.K. the shelters are full of them for various reasons.

Would you not think that a lab or a golden retriever would make a better choice?

JMO

Hello again...thanks again for the replies.
L Swanston...You said that you would strongly recommend that I not try and correct this sort of problem the same way if I encounter it again. BTW...I do understand that this isn't only a breed problem. What would you recommend that I do..should I come across this again? Gotta admitt I've had a lot of dogs in my life.....but never have I had a problem this severe. I've never encounterd the aggression as I have with this one..especially out of such a youngster. I remember we had GSDs when I was growing up...they had their own personal likes and dislikes of course...I just never had one that is so dominant. I'd be the first to admitt that I am not the one to handle him...especially with the kids in the house also.
Gwen..hmmm....Problems with Collie mixes? I wonder why? I guess it would depend on what the pups are mixed with? I have heard and read that ..say..if you have a mixed breed consisting of for example a Dobbie and perhaps a border collie,they COULD grow up dominant and hard to handle(protective type dog + a herding dog). You read so much and hear so much that it's hard to know which end is up and what's just a whole lotta B.S. I did consider a lab or perhaps a golden. With so many people churning these dogs out for a buck these days it's really hard to find a responsible breeder.
Any suggestions on picking a puppy would be wonderful. I am certainly not going to just pick one up on a whim....but would love some feed-back . Such as...what to look for when you are looking at a litter of pups. Personality wise..the way they interact in the group ect...
Thanks you guys for your input. I feel like a real heel about this whole thing...he is my responsibility and not only that I love that rascal of a canine.
But anyway..any advice on finding a nice mixed breed would be greatly appreciated.

Angela,

I have found that the main reason for having collies and collie mixes in the shelters here in the U.K. are basically because these dogs can be very destructive if they become bored.. These are high energy dogs that require loads of free running every day. They are no couch potatoes.

I visit a shelter every week and it is so sad to see the number of collies that are bounced back & forward from home to home.

I took on a 4 year old GSD from the shelter a year or so ago. This dog had severe dominance aggression problems- I stuck it for 5 weeks but the outcome was that the dog was put down. That's another very long story. I just hope it works out for your dog - sometimes the problem is genetic and nothing will change the behaviour.

If you were here in the U.K. I could find you the perfect Goldie, Lab or even Flat Coated Retriever which would be perfect for you and your family.

I wish you well and don't feel guilty - your children MUST come first.

Be Safe

Gwen,
Sorry to hear about your Shepherd. It's always heartbreaking,huh? I've felt like a big sap these last few days.
Yeah I agree that Collies do need lots of activities. I actually LOVE to play! I'm excited about the prospect for snow this winter..love nothing better than to play out in it with a four legged buddy. Sad that so many people give their pets up because the dog may be too energetic...then they just end up in a kennel all cooped up...must break the animals heart.
I know my kids must come first and they do.
Too bad I'm not in the U.K. huh? Over here in small town USA.
I thought you might say that the reason the collie mixes were in shelters was perhaps because they were mean or something. I understand that the energetic dog is not for everyone...but my husband refuses to have a dog that can't keep up with him! My best dogs have been "mutts"....except maybe for the Lab I had years ago. Dunno....when the time comes I pray that I choose the right companion.
Thanks again,
Angela

Put the dog down. . .like in the ground.

This one is closed folks.