dog experts - dominant puppy with small children?

[cathmom]

I'm sorry to bother you all YET again for this puppy, but unless we can train her better, we will not be able to keep her. She is a very dominant dog, and we have 4 children 8 and under. We were told by the vet to have our boys participate in her care: help feed her/help walk her/etc and it has made no visible difference. We've had her for almost 5 months and we cannot trust her with them. She nips at them if they try to pet her (she nips at us too, but she's gotten better). When she gets the chance she will jump on them and try to knock them down. One day she was sitting calmly on the sofa, with my 8 yo sitting on the other end of the sofa, and she just leaped up and leaped on top of him, paws on his shoulders, and she could have really hurt him. I yelled her name, and she leaped back to the other side of the sofa in a submissive position and looked sorry (you know how they look). She will nip at their feet as they walk around and if they are running around playing she gets very excited, barks at them and tries to knock them over. She has learned to be submissive (usually) to the adult-sized looking people but still sees the little ones as fair game.

 

I cannot live like this much longer. The boys are afraid of her, especially the 8 yo (he was bitten by a dog once and is somewhat timid/reserved anyway), and she knows it. She is now around 40 lbs, so she's the same weight as them. I keep thinking it's just a matter of time until she hurts one of them. We've given ourselves another week or two to figure it out and if we don't see improvement we are returning her to the shelter and looking for another dog.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for us? Thanks so much!

[SonshineLearner]

Seriously? I'm thinking I would spend a bit of money and go to training. It would cost less than setting up a new dog in your house... with new problems. Call and get the training today :) (You will be able to get the dog going, set up your children to go in and hear what they should do.... etc...)

[weaver_67579]

How you deal with the training will depend on a lot of things which is hard to do over the internet. For instance, you are saying the dog is dominant and mention nipping heels. Well if your dog is a border collie-nipping heels may be dealt with differently than in my German Shorthaired Pointer-a non-herding breed.... so yes find a trainer. The best way to find a reputable one is to find your closest kennel club or dog training club and ask for referrals.

[NatYoung17]

Seriously? I'm thinking I would spend a bit of money and go to training. It would cost less than setting up a new dog in your house... with new problems. Call and get the training today :) (You will be able to get the dog going, set up your children to go in and hear what they should do.... etc...)

 

:iagree:

It seems like you have let her get that way, since you've had her for several months and it seems like she has not been trained. I would definitely get a trainer. Dumping her at the shelter and getting a new one is not going to fix anyting, if you don't get your dog properly trained.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but it does bother me when people blame the dog when it's really a training issue. :001_smile:

[cathmom]

We have gone to puppy classes; we have spoken to the trainer and gotten advice that has not helped.

 

We would not be "dumping her at the shelter" - we got her from there and they will take her back, that's the agreement. It is a no-kill shelter and they would place her with a family that does not have small children.

 

She is trained, as in, can sit, stay, drop it, leave it, etc. We have housebroken her. We have put a LOT of time and energy and money into her. We want this to be successful BUT we cannot compromise our children's safety for a dog, if she cannot learn that they are above her.

 

Constructive suggestions, anyone?

[cathmom]

:iagree:

It seems like you have let her get that way, :001_smile:

 

In fact, she was "that way" the second time we saw her at the shelter, when she tackled a dog 3x her size and pinned it to the ground. had we recognized that for what it was then, we would have kept looking for another dog. However, we knew that the other dog was VERY timid and submissive and so we didn't realize that our puppy was so dominant.

[cathmom]

How you deal with the training will depend on a lot of things which is hard to do over the internet. For instance, you are saying the dog is dominant and mention nipping heels. Well if your dog is a border collie-nipping heels may be dealt with differently than in my German Shorthaired Pointer-a non-herding breed.... so yes find a trainer. The best way to find a reputable one is to find your closest kennel club or dog training club and ask for referrals.

 

She is not a herding dog.

 

This thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=340587

 

has a picture of her. She is most likely a hound of some sort.

[clarkacademy]

She is still a puppy surrounded by hyper kids too. How old was she when you got her? Is she getting enough time to play? Are you crating her? I mean if she is doing something wrong in the crate she goes for a bit after a stern NO. Besides playing are you giving her enough down time?

 

With a bunch of kids she may not be getting downtime very much. I don't think it's fair to trade her in so to speak she is not a car. She is a living creature. I see you are having problems but no where are you saying what you have done to discipline her.

 

She is a puppy and like a child with no guidance she is gonna be a terror. Does she get played with roughly? Before you answer that be sure. Kids can do the darnest things with no adults around.

[clarkacademy]

I just saw your other thread she looks boxer like. I would start with heavy discipline right now. Every jump get s a firm and I mean firm NO. Immediately she is taken to her crate. No attention at all everytime she jumps the kids should say no and take her to the crate. No laughing no nothing straight to the crate. I also would do that everytime she is on furniture.

 

She is going to be big and furniture will get torn up pretty quickly.

[southernm]

This is all very typical puppy behavior. To train him not to nip you have to first teach the command, "gentle". Then when the pup tries to nip, you say "gentle" and that's their code for stop. Remember that a 5 mo puppy is like a toddler. It's more than likely not being dominant. It just wants to play. Getting enough exercise also plays a huge roll in a dog's behavior.

 

To teach gentle: at feeding time, hold some kibble in your hand, hand closed. Let the dog sniff and try to eat through your hand. When the pup starts to use his teeth, scream in as LOW a voice as possible. Not no, instead use ouch. Next, let the pup do this again and while the pup is using his tongue, light teeth say, "gentle". As soon as pup gets too rough scream in your deep scary voice, ouch. You need to do this several times a day. Our trainer said at least 20. We were having trouble with our dog nipping at our heels and she did stop. I attribute part to training, part to her growing out of it.

 

ETA: for jumping, take a simple step back. If its on the kids, teach them to stand like a tree. If the dog jupmps on them, have them take a step back, turn around and be still. If the dog is doing this for attention it will learn that is not the way. If its smaller children, teach the dog "down". I really think you need a second round of puppy classes. Training never ends!

Edited January 25, 2012 by southernm

[cathmom]

The dog is 8-9 months old. She was 3-4 months old when we got her.

 

Yes, she is a living being, one who may be happier in another home.

 

We've basically been handling the issue of her and the boys by keeping them separated.

 

I'll write more later.

[J-rap]

I used to think that all dogs were trainable. We have had several beloved dogs over the years, have trained a lot of dogs, and always had great pets...until about dog #5. From the get-go, he was real jumpy, and at about 4 months he lunged at an elderly lady that we passed while just walking him. We spent hours and hours and hours training him, teaching him to heel, to come when called, to be gentle... And within our family, actually, he was really great. The kids weren't too rough with him (they were a little older), but they could certainly play on the floor with him, and he was always gentle and extremely obedient with us.

But with absolutely ANYONE else, he was instantly jumpy and very freaky. Our vet saw it in him very early on (as a very young pup) and warned us about him.

It got to the point where we could not have friends over, were afraid to answer the door until we knew exactly where he was, were afraid to walk him for fear we would pass someone on the street and he'd go out of control.

We live in a small town, so often during school hours, no one else was on the street. That was the ONLY time we felt we could walk him. Once my daughter was walking him during this time, on a leash with him healing nicely. Suddenly -- two blocks away, a little boy got out of a car, and our dog (then 2, I think?), yanked away from my daughter, ran two blocks and attacked the little boy. He was not hurt badly, but it was an awful thing to go through. In the end, we couldn't keep him.

Perhaps if we had hired a "dog whisperer" for hundreds of dollars, he could have gotten to the bottom of it? I don't know. We put a lot of time and energy into him, and have never known a dog quite like him, before or after. I think every now and then a dog's nature is just freaky like that; don't feel badly if you need to find a new home for him.

Our dog was a German Shepherd mix; sometimes we wondered if the other part was wolf.

[Laurie4b]

I'm sorry to bother you all YET again for this puppy, but unless we can train her better, we will not be able to keep her. She is a very dominant dog, and we have 4 children 8 and under. We were told by the vet to have our boys participate in her care: help feed her/help walk her/etc and it has made no visible difference. We've had her for almost 5 months and we cannot trust her with them. She nips at them if they try to pet her (she nips at us too, but she's gotten better). When she gets the chance she will jump on them and try to knock them down. One day she was sitting calmly on the sofa, with my 8 yo sitting on the other end of the sofa, and she just leaped up and leaped on top of him, paws on his shoulders, and she could have really hurt him. I yelled her name, and she leaped back to the other side of the sofa in a submissive position and looked sorry (you know how they look). She will nip at their feet as they walk around and if they are running around playing she gets very excited, barks at them and tries to knock them over. She has learned to be submissive (usually) to the adult-sized looking people but still sees the little ones as fair game.

 

I cannot live like this much longer. The boys are afraid of her, especially the 8 yo (he was bitten by a dog once and is somewhat timid/reserved anyway), and she knows it. She is now around 40 lbs, so she's the same weight as them. I keep thinking it's just a matter of time until she hurts one of them. We've given ourselves another week or two to figure it out and if we don't see improvement we are returning her to the shelter and looking for another dog.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for us? Thanks so much!

 

None of that sounds aggressive, just playful, and typical puppy behavior. So if that really bothers the kids, and you end up not being able to keep her, go for an adult dog next time. I remember when my mother got her puppy, I was really p*ssed off because the puppy kept nipping my child and my mother wouldn't do a thing to stop it--except to scold ds for "jerking his hand away" which she saw as motivating the nipping. :glare:Whatever. I corrected the dog, however, during that visit. (We don't live nearby.) The next time we visited, she was past the puppy stage and didn't even attempt to nip. It wasn't a sign of extra dominance, just normal behavior.

 

You can train a puppy to stop all that, but it takes a while, like it takes a while to train a 2 year old to do some things. It may be longer than you are comfortable with.

[ktgrok]

That isn't dominance, it is play. Normal puppy behavior. Please don't buy into the dominance crud. Watch a group of puppies play and you will see the same thing. And you will see that various puppies take turns being on top, nipping, etc. It isn't about dominance, it is about fun. Use bitter apple spray on shoes and such. And teach the puppy to sit for treats. If the puppy is sitting it isn't jumping up. If the kids see the puppy coming and say "sit" then the puppy won't jump on them, because it will want to sit for a treat.

 

Oh, and when you corrected it the puppy looked scared, not submissive.

[bbkaren]

Aggression and dominance BEGINS at play.

 

You have a big problem coming if you allow this to continue.

 

It's easy to fix; do a little research online and make sure the dog is submissive to EVERY human.

 

The results could be tragic one day if you don't set it straight now.

 

eta: Or rehome it before it's an adult set in its ways...

[ktgrok]

Wanted to add that although this dog doesn't sound aggressive at all, it does sound really hyper, so it might not be a good fit for your family. Maybe with a single guy that would take it jogging every day. I don't think returning it is a bad idea, but I would do it NOW, not after it is a year old and hard to adopt out. Under a year is easier for them to find it a home. And I would suggest an adult dog next time.

[Happy]

I raised German Shepherds when my guys were toddlers. Fortunately I had very maternal dogs willing to patiently put up with toddler antics. Puppies are a different ball of wax...

 

It sounds like your pup wants to PLAY...puppy style with wrestling, growling, and nips.

 

Two things I'd do if the pup were mine....lots more exercise. Teach him to chase a ball and throw it for a half an hour a day. Then go for a long run or walk. Wear that puppy out. :D

 

If and when the dog jumps or nips on the little one, I'd come mildly unglued. Get between the dog and the child and take the dog's face in hand. Firmly and maybe loudly say NO! Give the dog a little shake and release (or put the dog in the crate. I rarely use the crate for punishment though, so I would not.) Turn to the child and offer some attention. I would want to teach the dog that these kidlets are MINE and they are not to be messed with. If you felt the dog was truly being dominate, I'd roll the pup on his back when I was saying NO.

 

Because I love on my dogs so much coming unglued slightly gets their attention. There's no doubt that mom is deeply unhappy. They think I'm crazy and work pretty hard to keep if from happening again.

 

I'm sure there are other ways, but these have worked well for me.

 

One other thing...I don't know that it's enough to have the kiddoes feeding and caring for the dog. I'd have them active in training and exercising authority over the dog.

 

Good luck. If it doesn't work out...that's okay. Do what's best for your children. We had a Border Collie that would not happily live with our generous and flexible rules. She lives a good life elsewhere now.

[weaver_67579]

She is not a herding dog.

 

This thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=340587

 

has a picture of her. She is most likely a hound of some sort.

 

it's too hard to tell what she is, but i wouldn't rule out herding. She doesn't look terribly houndy to me either.

 

The persistent nipping would leave me to guess that there may be some herding there-especially since you said it gets more frenzied if the kids run around more. You need to not only work with the dog-but also the children. What are they doing when the incidents happen? For instance if running around incites nips-then teach them to stand still and not run if the dog is starting up. The dog will get bored with that if the kids don't move for it after a while. What are you doing about it? If it is a herding or prey response-grabbing the dog or chasing after it... may do the exact opposite of what you want only serving to make the game more fun. Just stopping the game for the dog may be far more effective. Also realize that nothing you do will stop all bad behavior right now. Just like me and my love of junk food-it will be a journey to being better getting easier over time. If you expect some quick fix-you will likely be disappointed. There are a lot of ideas I have that may be worth a try-but it is hard to know what to recommend when i can't see the interaction. you may message me if you try the above and it doesn't work-but you have to give whatever you try a while to see if it works-like weeks not days.

 

What did the trainer recommend? What issues did you ask about specifically? Also-you can get a second opinion. Training should not end after a puppy class. It is for life-in that you should always work with the dog and some basic obedience and more advanced stuff may help. I do not see anything you mentioned as non-workable. It would likely have been easier and faster to deal with it when she was younger though.

[kitten18]

I agree that it sounds like pretty typical puppy behavior (doesn't make it any easier to live with ;)).

We have a Golden Retriever that is almost 3.5 years old. He was a complete disaster until he was 2. Then it slowly started to get better. In the last 6 months, he has become a really good dog.

 

When he was your dog's age, he jumped and nipped constantly. ALL of my kids' clothes from that time had holes in them.

 

The solution for us:

More training.

More exercise.

Time to mature.

[gardenmom5]

I'd get rid of her now. You don't want something to happen first, you are being warned the dog thinks it is the boss of the children and is demonstrating a willingness to "correct" *them*. Your children are not old enough to learn how to "dominate" the dog so it get's the message it is the bottom of the pack - I think you have a bad personality mix, and I wouldn't risk it.

[AndrewsDK]

We have 2 very, hyper, mutt-puppies and 4 kids 7 and under. The dogs love to jump on the kids. We have had to train the kids what to do - turn their back and hold still. The dogs still jump a bit, but it's getting better.

 

Also, when we are training, DH or I will work with the dog for awhile on sit, down, gentle, etc. Then, we hand the treat to the kids and they do the commands wit the dogs as well. Helps the dogs to see them as dominant.

 

But, it also sounds like your dogs do want more play and run around time. A tired dog doesn't jump as much. :)

[Michelle My Bell]

I am not experienced but I have been reading books and watching Dog Whisperer in anticipation of getting a puppy in a couple of weeks. I would recommend watching Dog Whisperer if you can. I have seen cases like this on his show.

[Catwoman]

Whether or not the dog is trainable may not be the issue here.

 

For me, the thing that is jumping out of your posts is that your dc fear this dog. That is what I view as the biggest problem, as what is the point of having a dog that the kids don't like? It could eventually make your dc fearful of all dogs, and realistically, life in your house won't be much fun for a puppy who has no one to play with.

 

I hate to say this because I love dogs, and I know I am in the minority here, but this dog may not be a good fit for your family.

[Mothersweets]

I'm sorry to bother you all YET again for this puppy, but unless we can train her better, we will not be able to keep her. She is a very dominant dog, and we have 4 children 8 and under. We were told by the vet to have our boys participate in her care: help feed her/help walk her/etc and it has made no visible difference. We've had her for almost 5 months and we cannot trust her with them. She nips at them if they try to pet her (she nips at us too, but she's gotten better). When she gets the chance she will jump on them and try to knock them down. One day she was sitting calmly on the sofa, with my 8 yo sitting on the other end of the sofa, and she just leaped up and leaped on top of him, paws on his shoulders, and she could have really hurt him. I yelled her name, and she leaped back to the other side of the sofa in a submissive position and looked sorry (you know how they look). She will nip at their feet as they walk around and if they are running around playing she gets very excited, barks at them and tries to knock them over. She has learned to be submissive (usually) to the adult-sized looking people but still sees the little ones as fair game.

 

I cannot live like this much longer. The boys are afraid of her, especially the 8 yo (he was bitten by a dog once and is somewhat timid/reserved anyway), and she knows it. She is now around 40 lbs, so she's the same weight as them. I keep thinking it's just a matter of time until she hurts one of them. We've given ourselves another week or two to figure it out and if we don't see improvement we are returning her to the shelter and looking for another dog.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for us? Thanks so much!

 

 

Do NOT let her on the sofa! She will think she is as important as the children and that is a big no-no. The dog should never be treated like a person - I'm sure you already know that - but letting a dog sit up on the couch or get on the bed will lead to the animal thinking it is in the same standing as the children in the family and that can really lead to trouble.

 

And don't feel bad about taking the dog back - it is a DOG! It isn't as if you're getting rid of Grandma! :) If you've done all you can do to train her and she is still scaring you around the kids then take her back before something happens.

 

eta - agreeing with Michelle - watch a few episodes of the Dog Whisperer - his advice has always worked for us.

[SonshineLearner]

Well, I was trying to be constructive, so I'll try once more :) If you are over the pup... cool... give it back like others suggested. If you love the pup and want to try again... Here are some thoughts:

Can't remember how old your kids are... If you have some old enough, use one of the ball throwers to throw the ball for your pup. I have my son throw it 30x about 4 times a day, on a good day. My dog is 6.5, and puppies need more.

I have my son just play outside, and the dog's out there for much of it...

A short run for the dog... (a tired dog, is a happy dog) If your husband or you run... take the dog.

Ask a trainer (a good one, not a "Petco" one) about a pinch collar... And walk the dog for at least 10-15 minutes in the morning. A short amount of quality time really gets the day off to a good start!!

Do put the dog in the kennel for a small time each day with you there. I'd actually have my kids do this. We say "kennel" and the dog goes inside. My 8 year old can do this. For jumping, I know that it's bothersome. I would have the pinch collar on and when he starts to jump on your children, give it a "pinch".... (DO have someone show you how to do this.... You aren't suppose to "yank" on it...) I've taught my dog "settle" lately, which brings a full run to a walk. My dog is 6.5 and I'm STILL training him.

There are multiple good things to do to train your dog... These are a few.... Get a long lead rope & let him run from you... Call "COME" and give a slight pinch... have them come back to you and when they're in front of you have them "sit".... 5 minutes at a time, and recall will be better :)

Go somewhere safe and have your child and you spread out... call dog back and forth between you. My 8 year old loves to do this. (Dog goes running back and forth across the field) We have him run back and forth and "sit" in front of us each time, till he's released to go back to the other person.

Have your child feed them and say "sit" and release them with an "ok" command... You need to be there to help....

At such a young age, minus unusual circumstances, it seems like the relationship can be salvaged. Maybe view it as your family's 4-H project :)

[justamouse]

I'm trying to pm you but youz got no space!

 

No couches or sofa. Do NOT let it nip the kids or jump on them at all.

 

Put the puppy on a lead and keep him at your side. If he jumps on someone, straddle him, grab the back of his neck, give it a bit of a shake, and tell him no.

 

Stand beside his food and pick it up occasionally. Make him sit to get it back.

 

If he nips, roll him on his back and tell him No.

 

I've raised incredibly behaved bully breeds. I don't take any crap from a dog. I'm the biggest ***** in the room. And my dogs are awesome.

 

ETA, if your kids continue to fear the dog, there will be no getting over its issues, he'll always be the boss of them. Tell them that. They have to be the boss of him.

Edited January 25, 2012 by justamouse

[kitten18]

We have 2 very, hyper, mutt-puppies and 4 kids 7 and under. The dogs love to jump on the kids. We have had to train the kids what to do - turn their back and hold still. The dogs still jump a bit, but it's getting better.

 

I forgot about that. We did that too.

Also, our dog is a 'swatter', paws at us to get out attention or just gets right in our face. We cross our arms and turn (at least our face) away from him, it took awhile but it works very well now.

 

I did also go through phases where I tethered him to me to keep him out of trouble.

[KidsHappen]

I just wanted to say that you should NOT use a crate for disipline. A crate should be a dog's happy place, their safe, secure den. They should willingly go in the crate and be content to be there.

 

Based on what you have said so far, you either need to devote some serious time and money with a trainer that is experienced in dealing with problem behaviors or you need to re-home it quickly.

 

We got our Golden at 16 months and he was not fixed and not very well trained. It took six month of serious training with both the dog and all of the family to get to a point where he was very well trained with very few problem areas (he will still eat any sock he can find). It took a little bit longer to get him to comply with the children as well as the adults and I didn't have any small children at the time. And there were at least three months where I thought that there was no way it was going to work out because he was already a very large (95 lb) dog and very rambunctious. But $1000 and six months later and he was an extremely well trained dog. I trust him with my grandchild now. So I would say that you need to make a firm decision and then follow through quickly.

[RanchGirl]

I would hire a trainer to come to your home and work with her in the home environment. I would NEVER allow the dog on the furniture. Furniture is for people. The floor is for the dog. Big difference right there in who's big, who's little.

 

Also as a previous poster mentioned, TONS of exercise. Full out running. But above all, a trainer to come to your house and see exactly how she interacts with the kids.

[ktgrok]

If he jumps on someone, straddle him, grab the back of his neck, give it a bit of a shake, and tell him no.

 

Stand beside his food and pick it up occasionally. Make him sit to get it back.

 

If he nips, roll him on his back and tell him No.

 

 

Heavens, please please don't give this advice to others, especially people that are inexperienced, with a dog you haven't seen before. Your advice may work, or may get a person bitten badly. It is also very out of date and not based on any science. If it has worked for you you probably have excellent instincts and timing that make you a great trainer, and dogs that are not fear biters. Give this advice to a newbie and she may end up traumatizing the dog, or worse, she may end up badly bitten or maimed by a dog that decides to escalate. You have no idea if this dog is a fear biter, or how on earth it will react.

 

Not to mention if the kids see this then try it on their own, and get bitten.

 

OP, please do not try this at home.

[Penny_P]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I think this may be an unpopular opinion....

 

We rehomed our rather neurotic dog after a second bite for ds1 that required stitches. We found a very loving master, as she and her children have been nipped at as well. He was very sweet, but a little weird. We did puppy training classes, etc. We won't get another dog again for a very, very long time, especially after the financial/emotional investment. :(

 

Our house is now dog-hair free!

[gingersmom]

Whether or not the dog is trainable may not be the issue here.

 

For me, the thing that is jumping out of your posts is that your dc fear this dog. That is what I view as the biggest problem, as what is the point of having a dog that the kids don't like? It could eventually make your dc fearful of all dogs, and realistically, life in your house won't be much fun for a puppy who has no one to play with.

 

I hate to say this because I love dogs, and I know I am in the minority here, but this dog may not be a good fit for your family.

 

:iagree:

[SonshineLearner]

Heavens, please please don't give this advice to others, especially people that are inexperienced, with a dog you haven't seen before. Your advice may work, or may get a person bitten badly. It is also very out of date and not based on any science. If it has worked for you you probably have excellent instincts and timing that make you a great trainer, and dogs that are not fear biters. Give this advice to a newbie and she may end up traumatizing the dog, or worse, she may end up badly bitten or maimed by a dog that decides to escalate. You have no idea if this dog is a fear biter, or how on earth it will react.

 

Not to mention if the kids see this then try it on their own, and get bitten.

 

OP, please do not try this at home.

 

Yup:iagree: and don't "Alpha Roll" the dog..... That can be bad! ..... The keeping the dog on a leash with you is good!! Tomato staking the dog to you is an awesome way to get control. You can hold the leash, or put one of the waist things on you and hook the leash to that :)

[southernm]

Yup:iagree: and don't "Alpha Roll" the dog..... That can be bad! ..... The keeping the dog on a leash with you is good!! Tomato staking the dog to you is an awesome way to get control. You can hold the leash, or put one of the waist things on you and hook the leash to that :)

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

[EmilyinND]

This is all very typical puppy behavior.

 

 

:iagree: Based on your description. We were a little concerned about one of our dogs when we first got him, because of similar behaviors. We worked with him quite a bit including having the kids help with feeding (they wouldn't put the food in his bowl until he obeyed one of their commands such as sit or lay down, when he obeyed them, he got fed) It took some consistency, but he has improved greatly. He's 4 now, extremely patient & doesn't exhibit those behaviors anymore. We also have a 1 yr. Springer Spaniel...still working on his jumping...

[Cindyg]

I cannot live like this much longer. The boys are afraid of her, especially the 8 yo (he was bitten by a dog once and is somewhat timid/reserved anyway), and she knows it. She is now around 40 lbs, so she's the same weight as them. I keep thinking it's just a matter of time until she hurts one of them. We've given ourselves another week or two to figure it out and if we don't see improvement we are returning her to the shelter and looking for another dog.

 

In my experience, creatures don't make enormous personality changes. Our dog is sleepy and cuddly and submissive. No amount of training could make him act the way your dog is acting. In my opinion, no amount of training will make your dog act like mine. These are inborn traits.

 

That's not to say that your dog is bad. In a different home, with a different handler, with a different job, she might be an ideal companion or even an ideal working animal.

 

But given what you wrote above, unless your family is absolutely dedicated to working (hard) with a professional to re-establish your dog's role in the family -- I just can't see it working out. And you don't need to feel guilty about finding her a more appropriate home (or finding yourself a more appropriate pup). You tried. You can't let her hurt somebody.

 

Sorry for your bad experience.

 

P.S. I also think she looks like a boxer.

[bbkaren]

It IS typical puppy behavior...when the puppy (and this dog is hardly an innocent little puppy at 8 or 9 months) is determining who is the boss in the family.

 

Dogs on furniture, never!

 

There is endless information on the internet about dog dominance. Please look into it.

 

There are signals you're giving to the dog every day that reinforce this dominance.

 

Just because some people think "a little jumping" or "a little nipping" that the dog "grew out of" is acceptable doesn't mean your child might not wind up with a devastating bite wound.

 

Other people's badly behaved dogs shouldn't encourage you to allow your dog to behave badly as well.

 

Nip it in the bud, now. Please.

Edited January 25, 2012 by bbkaren

[EmilyinND]

It IS typical puppy behavior...when the puppy is determining who is the boss in the family.

 

Dogs on furniture, never!

 

There is endless information on the internet about dog dominance. Please look into it.

 

There are signals you're giving to the dog every day that reinforce this dominance.

 

Just because some people think "a little jumping" or "a little nipping" that the dog "grew out of" is acceptable doesn't mean your child might not wind up with a devastating bite wound.

 

Other people's badly behaved dogs shouldn't encourage you to allow your dog to behave badly as well.

 

 

Nip it in the bud, now. Please.

 

I was one that said it was typical puppy behavior, but I'm not sure where you read that we felt that behavior was acceptable. I think the point of what I was saying is that it does take dedication & consistency to train them so they are well behaved.

[Critterfixer]

If the best solution for your family is to re-home the dog via the shelter, then take her back. BE SURE you tell the shelter exactly the problems you were having that resulted in relinquishing to the shelter.

 

If the best solution for your family is to work through her issues and keep her then the very first thing I suggest you do is call your closest veterinary school and ask to speak to the companion animal behavior service. Seriously--there is a lot of advice out there on the internet and you truly do get what you pay for most of the time.

 

Play or no play, biting is not acceptable in the context you mentioned. Regular dog training is not going to help you with this. (Although it's good she has had it--it will come in useful.)

[bbkaren]

Not directed at any one person; I was merely trying to emphasize that while it might have worked itself out, or been outgrown by other dogs...or that the HUMANS have adapted THEIR behavior to accommodate the dog, it might not work out the same for the OP.

 

No offense intended.

Edited January 26, 2012 by bbkaren

[bnrmom]

I haven't read all the replies.

 

My first thought when reading your post is to not allow the dog on the couch, or any other furniture. We took every opportunity we could to teach our dog that every human in the household was "above" the dog. We also used a crate and tie down extensively.

 

Our puppy nipped quite a bit at the kids (and us!) when we first got her. Play was immediately over at every single nip. Stand up, turn your back and walk away, even if you have to do this after 2 seconds of play. If dh or I were there, we immediately scolded her and exerted "ownership" of the child by standing between the dog and the child. My dh would often hold one of our kids while they interacted with her. She would sometimes run after our ankles, and she would be reprimanded every single time. I know many are against this, but a few times my dh even did a gentle "pin down" to get her to stop the immediate nipping behavior, and it seemed to help her get it.

 

We also had the kids feed her every single meal, and give her treats when training, so she would learn that food came from them. I remember one time when it was a week of rain, and dh was out of town, I had to towel her off every time she came in and she was nipping at me the whole time. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Finally, I had one of the kids stand there with a bunch of small treats, and have them slowly dole them out while I wiped her down.

 

However, all that said, the nipping tapered off extensively after the first couple of months, and by 10 months was almost non existant. Now at 14 months she will ocassionally lightly mouth one of the kids when they are roughhousing with her, but she is immediately reprimanded for that. The kids often don't even notice because it's not even a nip, but if we see it we stop it.

 

I am very, very sensitive to an aggressive dog, and it was my major concern when bringing one into our home. I would pay to have even just an hour or two of private training in your home to try to address the problem before giving up, however. I found that a lot of suggestions in the puppy class were difficult to implement at home because our situation would be different than the scenario they would describle. Plus, you can get a professional's opinion as to whether she is just a really active puppy or it is an aggression issue. I wouldn't hesitate to rehome an aggressive dog.

 

Good luck. I know how infuriated I was when dealing with it, and looking back it seems like we didn't even have it that bad. Dh and I knew right then she would be our first and last puppy.

[BellaMama]

***The Dog Whisperer*** has wonderful insight on dog psychology and how to correct unwanted behaviour. Sounds like your puppy needs to learn who the leader of the pack is, and what behaviours are acceptable around small children (= calm). It will take a lot of energy! Good luck!

(I love his accent too!)

[cathmom]

Justamouse, I cleared out my inbox now! :D

 

I never wanted a puppy - I like adult animals. Dh fell in love with this puppy.

 

I do not have extensive experience with dogs, although I have owned them all my life. NONE of my dogs EVER behaved like this! The one I got as a 6 week old puppy never behaved like this!

 

She also always chases and barks at our cat, which we thought would get better but it has not. She barks at our children.

 

I'm sorry for being so sensitive to earlier replies which seemed so judgmental to me. We have tried for five months to make this situation work. I desperately wanted a dog for two years prior, since our previous one died suddenly right in front of me. I guess we picked unwisely; this dog has seemed like nothing but problems from the get go.

 

And now I'm crying.

[Shellers]

This is all very typical puppy behavior. To train him not to nip you have to first teach the command, "gentle". Then when the pup tries to nip, you say "gentle" and that's their code for stop. Remember that a 5 mo puppy is like a toddler. It's more than likely not being dominant. It just wants to play. Getting enough exercise also plays a huge roll in a dog's behavior....

 

:iagree:

[JudoMom]

Justamouse, I cleared out my inbox now! :D

 

I never wanted a puppy - I like adult animals. Dh fell in love with this puppy.

 

I do not have extensive experience with dogs, although I have owned them all my life. NONE of my dogs EVER behaved like this! The one I got as a 6 week old puppy never behaved like this!

 

She also always chases and barks at our cat, which we thought would get better but it has not. She barks at our children.

 

I'm sorry for being so sensitive to earlier replies which seemed so judgmental to me. We have tried for five months to make this situation work. I desperately wanted a dog for two years prior, since our previous one died suddenly right in front of me. I guess we picked unwisely; this dog has seemed like nothing but problems from the get go.

 

And now I'm crying.

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: It sounds like a tough situation. I'm sorry that you're in this position. I'm sure you love this dog, despite the problems she's having. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[bbkaren]

With small children, it's my opinion that a puppy is the best bet. An adult dog can have issues you'll never know about until they surface...sometimes unexpectedly and with dire consequences.

 

JMHO, a puppy raised properly by you, raised with ALL the humans in the house as his superiors, is the safest bet.

 

There are lots of great adult dogs in the shelters, but with a small child, I wouldn't rely on them not to have issues.

[cathmom]

The op is at the end of her rope anyway.

 

 

You can't handle the stress of this added to everything else I don't think. Re homing is kindest. Before something happens.

 

You got that right!

[lilypoo]

With small children, it's my opinion that a puppy is the best bet. An adult dog can have issues you'll never know about until they surface...sometimes unexpectedly and with dire consequences.

 

JMHO, a puppy raised properly by you, raised with ALL the humans in the house as his superiors, is the safest bet.

 

There are lots of great adult dogs in the shelters, but with a small child, I wouldn't rely on them not to have issues.

 

I have to agree. :/

 

I'm in a similar situation to the OP right now with an 8 month old I brought home a few weeks ago. I used to be all about rescue but it can be hard for older pups or adults to fit in, whereas young puppies are pretty darned moldable and apaptable. The pup I got was not socialized to kids or dogs other than her own breed and she was very unhappy in our home (and making everyone else miserable as well).

[Denisemomof4]

I have not read the entire thread but want to suggest a few things.

 

First, keep the puppy at your side at ALL times. It makes a HUGE difference and there are very few problems since the dog will be under your constant watch. It's really not much bother. I'm doing this with my puppy.

 

Second, buy yourself a good book. There are many out on the market to help with training, even training aggressive dogs. I can't know for certain if your dog is being aggressive. From what I've read I question whether she's just a badly behaved puppy.

 

Third, don't do this unless someone more knowledgeable than I can tell you this is the right thing to do. (I just got an excellent book for training my puppy but haven't read enough to advise on this.). This past weekend I went snowshoeing with a group of friends and dogs. My puppy, Cooper, is only 3.5 months old. There was an 11 month old lab, then three other labs ages 2 - 7. One of the labs went to attack Cooper. The woman immediately grabbed his snout, got him down to the ground on his side, and then left him there for quite awhile. I didn't know what to say or do, and getting Cooper away was my priority. She wasn't mean, she didn't speak, she wasn't rough. When she got back up, another woman asked her what she was doing. She said she was showing the dog that SHE was the dominant one. I was rather shocked by the entire thing, but that dog was perfectly fine the rest of the day, and he was perfectly fine with Cooper. I can't say I recommend this because I don't have an expert opinion on it, but maybe you can look into it.

 

Lastly, I swear your dog has some blackmouth cur in it. Check out the PUPPY pictures in this thread and ignore Kung Fu Panda's abuse of me.:lol:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329520&highlight=Blackmouth+cur

 

Anyway, if your dog has cur in it, I can tell you these are WORKING dogs and they need LOTS of REGULAR exercise. I've had dogs and puppies all my life and I can't stress this enough. It's actually good for ALL dogs to be regulary stimulated both physically and mentally. Do you have a good selection of dog toys? I have been accumulating them and I am amazed at how busy my dog keeps himself with these toys! I went onto amazon and read reviews and made selections based on the most reviews. I started with some plush, some hard, some noisy, some balls, etc. I got a large variety. All my dogs have had Kongs and I'd suggest that, too. They love it if you put peanut butter inside, but plan to keep the dog on a har surface floor and mop it when done. This can be messy. I've also put dry treats inside but those aren't as preferred. I also bought other hide a treat toys for my pup. I'd guess and say I have 15 - 20 toyqs. Cooper plays with them ALL. He also loves large plastic bottles. They make a lot of noise as they're being chewed on.

 

Start the day with a walk, wear the dog during the day, buy books to help you know hownto better train him, get professional advice. Puppies 8 months old will play nip, jump up, etc. Unless they've had proper training.

 

I hope it all works out for you!

[Denisemomof4]

Justamouse, I cleared out my inbox now! :D

 

I never wanted a puppy - I like adult animals. Dh fell in love with this puppy.

 

I do not have extensive experience with dogs, although I have owned them all my life. NONE of my dogs EVER behaved like this! The one I got as a 6 week old puppy never behaved like this!

 

She also always chases and barks at our cat, which we thought would get better but it has not. She barks at our children.

 

I'm sorry for being so sensitive to earlier replies which seemed so judgmental to me. We have tried for five months to make this situation work. I desperately wanted a dog for two years prior, since our previous one died suddenly right in front of me. I guess we picked unwisely; this dog has seemed like nothing but problems from the get go.

 

And now I'm crying.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I'm sorry, I haven't read most of the responses as I need to get outside and do barn chores.

 

I've never had a puppy like my cur ever, either. He is more work, but he is also the smartest, most loving, funniest, special puppy I've ever seen. He is SO loyal. The extra effort will pay off long term.

 

And, not sure if this is right either, but a friend of mine squirts her labradoodle with water when he barks unnecessarily. He's two now and she rarely ever does this now.

 

I need to read my book!