Dog getting aggresive, what should I do?

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

We have a snoodle that hates children, other then the ones living in our house. We have tried to teach her to behave around children but with no success. Yesterday the neighborhood children were playing in the front and the dog was in the fenced back yard. One ran across the driveway (well over 40 feet away from the fence) and the dog went crazy, snarling and ramming the fence. With dd she is tolerant but not affectionate. I have never witnessed mistreatment of the dog by dd or the others. She has always been weird with other children near by but lately it has gotten aggressive. Worst is there is a day care 2 doors down and I am afraid the dog might get out of the fenced yard and attack one of the children. She has growled at dd a few times lately and snapped at ds when he was putting her in her room because guests were coming over. I don't like that. I have been having thought of putting her down because the risk is getting great. I'm not sure what to do.

[Lolly]

duplicate post

[The Girls' Mom]

Before putting her down, I would try to rehome her with someone that isn't around children. (I had to do that once with a chihuahua mix that hated small kids)

[Lolly]

Take dog to vet to see if there is an underlying issue causing the ramp up in aggression. (In our old lab, it was cancer.) Treat if possible. If not or if there is no reason, put dog down. It is hard, but it really is not worth the risk. (We waited until he snapped at ds's face. Honestly, I wish we had done it sooner.)

[ma23peas]

They are big dogs, they need loads of exercise, long mile walks...this sometimes help with their demeanor,

[Suzanne115]

Before giving up on her, I would try training. A good trainer may be able to help you. I know the trainer at our puppy's dog obedience school works individually with dogs that bite or have other issues. She has a pretty good success rate.

 

I am sorry you are dealing with this situation. It sounds very difficult.

Good luck,

Suzanne

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

They are big dogs, they need loads of exercise, long mile walks...this sometimes help with their demeanor,

The snoodle is small, size of a skinny pug. We have tried exercise beyond the playing and chasing her around. No difference.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Take dog to vet to see if there is an underlying issue causing the ramp up in aggression. (In our old lab, it was cancer.) Treat if possible. If not or if there is no reason, put dog down. It is hard, but it really is not worth the risk. (We waited until he snapped at ds's face. Honestly, I wish we had done it sooner.)

She was at the vet a couple of months ago and had a clean bill of health. I did mention the aggression but she chalked it up to our move and said she would calm down. We moved over a yr ago but the aggressions gotten worse.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Before putting her down, I would try to rehome her with someone that isn't around children. (I had to do that once with a chihuahua mix that hated small kids)

I thought of this. How do you go about it? Put an add out? I don't want to put her in the pound....that feels wrong.

[ma23peas]

I thought of this. How do you go about it? Put an add out? I don't want to put her in the pound....that feels wrong.

 

 

Oh! Thought it was labradoodle! Ha! Put ad in craigslist or rehoming, put notices up at vet's offices...just be warned on Craigslist those looking for animals for laboratories often seek out rehomers, just be very thoough in your screening.

[JudoMom]

She was at the vet a couple of months ago and had a clean bill of health. I did mention the aggression but she chalked it up to our move and said she would calm down. We moved over a yr ago but the aggressions gotten worse.

 

I would take her back to the vet and see what they suggest.

[laundrycrisis]

If the aggression is getting worse, I would still suspect some kind of physical problem, maybe even neurological. A regular vet checkup won't find that. If that is the case, training won't help. You might ask to try some medications, perhaps for pain or anxiety. A dog might feel terrible and they have no way to tell us. If nothing helps, I would not feel safe about rehoming this dog. It would be more responsible to put the dog down. :grouphug:

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I would take her back to the vet and see what they suggest.

She goes next week for a clip and I was planning on addressing the issue again.

 

In the last month, she has stayed in her room (laundry room) more. We thought she was scared of a life size sarcophagus dd pained and hung above the stairs, but we took it down to see and she still stayed in her room. She is eating and gets excited when its time to play ball. Just the sitting in the room all day or the aggression are the only differences in her actions.

[DawnM]

I would put her down. I know that sounds awful, but I would not tolerate a dog that I feared would hurt children.

[J-rap]

How old is your dog? We had a dog that had some inklings of aggression as a pup (the vet noticed it), but most people would not have noticed until he was about 8 months old, with it slowly increasing over another year and a half. So, it could be that it didn't come up suddenly with your dog, but perhaps was in him all along, becoming more apparent as he got older?

 

If he is six years old, and up until now was extremely affectionate and gentle, then I'd certainly suspect a physical problem. But otherwise, it's probably a quirk in his personality. That's more difficult to change.

 

Definitely get him checked out one more time. There are also organizations that specialize in adopting dogs out to new homes for various reasons. But otherwise, you may have to put him down. We ended up doing that with our dog -- after he attacked a little boy. (He was fine, but it could've been awful.) It was one of the most difficult things we ever did, but I know it was the right thing to do.

[vettechmomof2]

Vet exam first with discussions for behavior training. Get recommendations for trainers and then interview a few to find one who might be able to help you.

The other avenue is finding a new home for the dog.

Fence and property guarding is not an abnormal behavior though so can you put fast growing bushes outside of your fence to block her view or a stockade fence?

You would still need to work on her training though, a lot.

[astrid]

They are big dogs, they need loads of exercise, long mile walks...this sometimes help with their demeanor,

 

No, I'm not sure but I think "snoodle" is designer-dog-speak for "schnauzer/miniature poodle mix."

 

Small, right, OP?

 

astrid

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

No, I'm not sure but I think "snoodle" is designer-dog-speak for "schnauzer/miniature poodle mix."

 

Small, right, OP?

 

astrid

Yep, size of a skinny pug.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

How old is your dog? We had a dog that had some inklings of aggression as a pup (the vet noticed it), but most people would not have noticed until he was about 8 months old, with it slowly increasing over another year and a half. So, it could be that it didn't come up suddenly with your dog, but perhaps was in him all along, becoming more apparent as he got older?

 

If he is six years old, and up until now was extremely affectionate and gentle, then I'd certainly suspect a physical problem. But otherwise, it's probably a quirk in his personality. That's more difficult to change.

 

Definitely get him checked out one more time. There are also organizations that specialize in adopting dogs out to new homes for various reasons. But otherwise, you may have to put him down. We ended up doing that with our dog -- after he attacked a little boy. (He was fine, but it could've been awful.) It was one of the most difficult things we ever did, but I know it was the right thing to do.

She will be 6 in July. She has never been affectionate. And has always shown a dislike for children (not her owners). We chalked it up to being overly protective. A few months back we tried to introduce her to friends we knew would be over often. But the whole time she growled, hair raised on her back, and even lunged at one of the children when they walked past. We decided it was not worth the worry and she goes outside when company comes. I just feel bad. We had a dog before this one that was wonderful, he died during the Katrina evacuation. He was only 2 but had health issues. My kids really want a loving dog, one that returns affection. My 15 yr old has even noted the aggression and was upset when it snapped at him.

[Teachin'Mine]

This is a long shot, but it might be worth a try. If she's acting aggressive out of fear, maybe you could try the Thundershirt - or another brand. It seems to give comfort to fearful dogs. I'd also bring her back to the vet and let her know how serious the problem is. Please keep us updated - I'm curious if you try the wrap thing if it works or not.

 

ETA: http://www.thundershirt.com/?gclid=CPPLz7SW1a8CFcqA7QodoiULeQ

 

The other one is the Anxiety Wrap: https://anxietywrap.com/default.aspx?gclid=cibf3eiw1a8cfqda7aodingohq

Edited April 27, 2012 by Teachin'Mine

[Miss Marple]

Definitely talk to your vet. I had to put down my Yorkie (she was 9) for similar reasons. She bit my 18 month old on the cheek when he accidentally woke her up. It was an instinctive reaction but I could not have her around because I had an infant as well. I talked to the vet about re-homing, but she indicated that with the other problems (some health issues) we would just be handing our problems to someone else. A biting dog is a liability in any situation.

 

:grouphug: I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

[Julie in CA]

I would not tolerate a dog that I feared would hurt children.

This, and I would not rehome it, either. I would put the dog down, and right away. It's had a checkup, it's had plenty of time, and even if you tried more training, how would you ever trust that the propensity to attack would not come at an unexpected moment?

 

:grouphug: I'm sorry, but it would be gone TODAY. :sad:

[Momof3littles]

I have a border collie/germ. shep mix. He started behaving a bit like that when my neighbors across the street started cutting next to our fence to walk to the bus stop (basically through our yard, but on the edge of it. Not on a sidewalk or anything). He would bark, and then the son, who was scared of dogs, would run. That was exciting to him, as a dog with herding instincts. We also found out around the same time that he was starting with some fear aggression issues. We didn't have children at the time. The dog only had issues with strangers.

 

We took him to a top veterinary school behavior clinic. and he was seen by a team of behavioral vets (2 vets, a vet assistant, and 3 students). We didn't even know he was half border collie until that time since he looks like a black and white germ shep. Once they saw his mannerisms, the intensity and way he fetched tennis balls, and heard about his love of frisbee, they mentioned he was definitely half border collie. As a herding breed, that urge to chase and pursue can really get them revved up.

 

We thought he was terrible, but they basically told us on a scale of the animals they see, he was a fairly mild case. We got some exercises to do with him, some tips on handling him, and a RX for prozac. We purchase through costco and several months' supply is 10 or 12 dollars. Very inexpensive for the generic. We still have him 8-9 yrs later. He does great with our kids, we know how to introduce him into environments now so that he'll feel comfortable. We also know his triggers-when he feels backed into a corner, like a stranger reaching through a gate or fence, that would completely freak him out to this day. But otherwise he's pretty normal now for the most part. We still keep our guard up and usually just put him away when someone he doesn't know well is over at our house.

 

We also worked with a trainer who used clicker training and positive reinforcement. We worked on getting past some of his fears. He couldn't even make eye contact with a stuffed animal dog toy that she had in a crate, and would shake at the sight of it. He was also afraid of a jack russel puppy in our class and would shake and avoid eye contact. She helped us work with him on being around other people and dogs at a distance he could tolerate without becoming aroused, and then gradually shortening that distance. Our trainer had a class for dogs with special needs like him. She understood their behavior, understood fear aggression is really about fear and anxiety.

 

That was time consuming, to say the least, but I'm glad we did it. He's still an important part of our family.

 

The vet school had us do lots of inventory paperwork to identify his triggers and behaviors at home, etc. and that helped them in the diagnosis.

[BlsdMama]

Every story is different, every dog unique. Excitement is very different than agression.

 

We have a German Shepherd. When he was six months old we moved across the country and my dad kept him for six months. He exercised him with a four wheeler. :D He LOVED that four wheeler. To this day (he's now three) he gets SO ramped up/excited by ATVs and motorcycles. However, his demeanor is very different if you're watching. He SEEMS a little high strung from the outside, but if you watch his tail it's wagging and happy. He IS barking loudly but aggression is TOTALLY different than excited.

 

Frankly, if it is only getting worse I would wonder about genetic/breeding issues. Did you get him from a reliable breeder who was breeding for temperament or from someone who was breeding designer puppies for their popularity? Just the fact that it was one of the now popular designer mixes leads me to believe they may not have been breeding for temperament but I could be wrong. Standard poodles are amazing dogs when they are bred for intelligence/temperament but can be high strung, anxious, and snappy when not.

 

If I were in your position I would take the dog to a vet that can test for temperament in a controlled environment. That would probably be my last visit.... If you know what I mean. Because I suspect you already know what would happen. I would NOT re-home this dog. Even if you found an owner who could handle the dog, don't they still have to walk it and care for it in a neighborhood? Generally those have children.

[sparrow]

We have a snoodle that hates children, other then the ones living in our house. We have tried to teach her to behave around children but with no success. Yesterday the neighborhood children were playing in the front and the dog was in the fenced back yard. One ran across the driveway (well over 40 feet away from the fence) and the dog went crazy, snarling and ramming the fence. With dd she is tolerant but not affectionate. I have never witnessed mistreatment of the dog by dd or the others. She has always been weird with other children near by but lately it has gotten aggressive. Worst is there is a day care 2 doors down and I am afraid the dog might get out of the fenced yard and attack one of the children. She has growled at dd a few times lately and snapped at ds when he was putting her in her room because guests were coming over. I don't like that. I have been having thought of putting her down because the risk is getting great. I'm not sure what to do.

 

I wouldn't like that either. I made excuses for a dog for too long. She nipped my son within centimeters of his eye.

 

I will never do it again.

[Mergath]

If you've ever seen an episode of the Dog Whisperer, he deals a lot with dogs that have similar issues. Usually, it's a matter of giving the dog the right kind of training, and the dog understanding that he/she is lower in the pack than the humans.

 

If that doesn't work, I'd have the dog put down. I wouldn't want to take the risk that the dog could injure someone, even after being rehomed.

[mom4him]

We have a snoodle that hates children, other then the ones living in our house. We have tried to teach her to behave around children but with no success. Yesterday the neighborhood children were playing in the front and the dog was in the fenced back yard. One ran across the driveway (well over 40 feet away from the fence) and the dog went crazy, snarling and ramming the fence. With dd she is tolerant but not affectionate. I have never witnessed mistreatment of the dog by dd or the others. She has always been weird with other children near by but lately it has gotten aggressive. Worst is there is a day care 2 doors down and I am afraid the dog might get out of the fenced yard and attack one of the children. She has growled at dd a few times lately and snapped at ds when he was putting her in her room because guests were coming over. I don't like that. I have been having thought of putting her down because the risk is getting great. I'm not sure what to do.

 

We had a dog put down because of aggression. It wasn't easy as when this dog was nice he was nice but when something didn't go his way he was not nice. He was VERY protective of ME to the point he would snap and snarl at our then very young children. My ds who is in a wheel chair would need the dog to move out of his way and the dog would snap and snarl. Well in my opinion it is a dog and it was people he was threatening. He was not a small dog and if would have decided to attach any one of the people he was aggressive to he would have done major damage before it was all over. We had him put down. I wouldn't have considered re-homing him.