Aggresive guard dog behavior. I got a problem. (border collie, aggressive, stomach)

[springazure]

Heidi is black lab/blue heeler. Was born March 1st, in a barn (lol) 2007. So guess that makes her? 7 yrs old? She's fat!!!! More to love and cuddle!!! right? LOL She's 75 lbs.

I'm trying to figure out HOW to shorten this story? Back in 2005, I quit my job, and moved my Parkinson/Dementia mother in with me! One day... my 3rd son calls me on the phone... and says.... "guess what Mom! I got a puppy!" So he came up that night.... with his brand new 6 wk old puppy! Whipper was adorable! and my son and myself just wanted to give my Mother a "feel good" moment with a little puppy! IT NEVER OCCURED TO US IT WOULD BACKFIRE!!!! LOLOLOL

Next thing we know... my Dementia Mother just LAID CLAIM TO THE PUPPY! She REFUSED to give it up!!!! LOLOL I told my son to head back to that farm and get us ANOTHER SOLID BLACK PUPPY (prefer female) and I gave my son $20 to pay for the time/trouble/gas.

When he got back with a 2nd puppy... we waited for my Mother to have to go to the bathroom. While Mother was preoccupied in the bathroom.... my beloved sons switched puppies!!!!! LOLOLOL That was 2007.

Well... the good news is.... without any formal training of any kind from me..... Heidi girl became one of the best darn LOYAL GUARD dogs I could ever ask for!!!! I had the neighbor from hell...... locked up in prison twice for sexually doing his own daughter! That neighbor was making MY LIFE a living hell.

Heidi girl became the best thing I could of asked for! I never never never trained her to be a guard dog! SHE JUST WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!! In fact.... my Mother actually died in my Family Room via the Home Hospice Program. The last 6 wks of Mother's life, I private paid hired 6 nurses for "24/7" care of my Mother.

Heidi girl was sooooooooooooooooo attached to my Mother..... Heidi girl was the therapy dog for my Parkinson's Dementia Mother! Heidi girl made alllllll the difference in my Mothers last yr of life! We set up the Family Room as my mother's private Hospice Room. Heidi girl eventually got used to the 6 private paid Nurses coming in and out of their various shifts. Heidi girl would LAY RIGHT ON MY MOTHERS BED! Everytime the Nurses would have to reposition Mother's body, or whatever... the Nurses could tell Heidi girl...."down".... AND HEIDI WOULD JUMP OFF THE BED!!!! Then the Nurses would give Heidi girl permission to get back on the bed, when they were done doing whatever they were doing!

Heidi was born March 1st, 2007. Mother died July 22, 2008. I will never ever forget that night! It took my 4 sons several hrs to CONVINCE THE DOG TO LEAVE MY DECEASED MOTHERS SIDE SO THE MORTICIAN COULD REMOVE HER!!!! If that isn't loyalty? I don't know what is?

In Heidi's mind.... "THAT'S MY GRANDMA AND YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!!!!" It was heart breaking and gut wrenching. Everybody was crying, including the 6 private paid Nurses.

Fast forward several yrs later..... Heidi girl continues to be the best darn GUARD DOG I could ever ask for!!!! (again... I've NEVER formally trained this dog for squat)

I'm in a brand new location (moved 5 hrs south).... and for whatever dumb reasons.... I somehow got stuck with another perverted neighbor from hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when he's not trying to steal from others, and the list goes on.......... HEIDI HATES HIM!!!!

Heidi is now 7 yrs old. Here's the deal..... when you knock on my door.... Heidi goes psycho nuts! IF IF IF I say to her.... "it's OK girl. Be nice! It's OK girl. Be a good girl".... Heidi realizes that this is a person that HAS PERMISSION to be in the house! IF IF IF I DONT SAY THAT? Heidi jumps into ENEMY MODE AND SHE DOES IT WELL...... Who needs a gun when I have Heidi? LOL

This has proven over and over again... this is the best darn guard dog I could ever ask for!!!! Not to mention the best darn bed warmer during the winter months! LOL As long as you have MY PERMISSION to be here, she will try to kiss your face right off your skull! (yeah, yeah, I know). If you do NOT have my permission.... SHE MIGHT KILL YOU!!!!

Sunday afternoon.... I just had my most TERRIFYING MOMENT!!!! The neighbors little 4yr old boy... <for whatever dumbfounded reasons> decided to walk right into my front door and hollared "HI"!!!!! He really is the cutest little buggar! he rarely does anything wrong! He's so well behaved! But......

He made a really bad decision that day..... my Heidi girl ran down the hallway.... by the time I ran and hit the kitchen.... I SCREAMED... NO.... DON'T.... STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly thought Heidi was going to take his face off! I thought she was going to kill him!!!! Because that little boy is only 4 yrs old.... his face and her mouth is about the same level!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This whole incident has just shook me to my very core!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to put Heidi down because some little 4 yr old boy WAS WRONG! But I don't want some 4yr old boy to DIE BECAUSE OF HEIDI!!!!

I'm at a loss here???? I don't know what to believe? Doggie behavior is instinct!!!! I'm sick to my stomach! I'm scared to death!

THAT 4YR OLD BOY WAS WRONG!!!! But..... Heidi is aggressive towards other dogs, little kids, and anybody that I don't "give permission" for her to be friendly towards.

I don't know what to think, what to believe, or what to do? She did her job WELL. The problem is.... it was a 4yr old child.

[mc33433]

Um, keep your door locked???

[Gcs15]

She needs professional training. I had a GSD who had no training and instinctively was protective of our property. I've come to realize its not a good thing. Now I have my Saint Bernard and have trained her to be wary of strangers but to back off as soon as she is called. No exceptions. When I say sit, she must stop and sit.

What your dog is doing is not okay. Even though you enjoy it, she can't be allowed to be protective without any training. That is what leads to disaster. She is asserting her dominance over you by what she is doing. That can't be allowed. You need to be in charge 100% of the time no matter the conditions. I would get a professional trainer ASAP. Unless you want one of them or both to end up dead.

[springazure]

Originally Posted by mc33433

Um, keep your door locked???

Right up to the moment that little kid decides to stick his fingers right thru my fenced in back yard?

[Eresh]

Use this as a lesson to definitely keep your door locked and be glad nothing happened... this time. Even if the other person is in the wrong, the law won't be on your side (especially when it's a child) Aggressive dogs are a huge liability. I had a dog like that long ago. I was stressed every day of his 14 year life worried about 'what if he got loose' or 'what if some stranger wandered into the yard'.

[springazure]

So you are telling me I need to put her down? Trust me.... the thought has crossed my mind.

[mc33433]

Originally Posted by springazure

Right up to the moment that little kid decides to stick his fingers right thru my fenced in back yard?

That's another issue. However, the fact that anyone can walk right into your house like that is terrifying to me!

You should also speak with the parents and warn them that your dog is not safe for the child to be around. Maybe they will supervise him better.

It sounds like some professional training is needed for this dog or you will have serious problems down the road.

[JrzDefector]

Lock the damn door. Make sure she's supervised when she's outside. Exercise the hell out of her.

Cattle dogs are notoriously defensive of their territory. Many herding breeds are. I had a border collie that would attack any "unauthorized" person who invaded his territory. As a solution I simply shrank his territory when he came to live with me - he was in a small condo where I was the only person who had the key. Outside of his "territory," he was perfectly friendly.

[Tuck's Dad]

Different situation, but same concept.

Pit bulls tend to be dog aggressive, and can (in some dogs) be people aggresive (I have a pit, so pit apologists settle down, and read the rest of the post).

On one of the forums I visit (a pit bull forum), a pit bull owner was talking about Schutzhund training for pit bulls because they tended to like "bite work" but if untrained are/can be potentially dangerous because they don't quit once they go into attack mode. His take was training the dog to positively use the dogs natural aggresive tendancies, and instead of punishing the dog for them, teach the dog when and how to use them under a handler (you in this case) worked well - effectively creating an "off" switch for what is a natural behavior for the dog.

Conceptually this would work for your situation. Taking the natural guarding tendency, and training the dog in Schutzhund type training, would not only give the dog an outlet, but would also put you in control, and give you an "off" switch for your dog. The training would be time intensive, but I think you would find as you work with and train the dog, you get a better dog, and a better bond with the dog! (I do Rally with mine, I work with them daily and have them with me in courses about 3 times a year, it takes a lot of time, but is very rewarding)

Just something to consider.

[gouligann]

keep your doors locked when the dog is inside and muzzle him when he's outside if the kid can get his fingers/hand through your fence. Otherwise, you're looking at a lawsuit when the kid loses a face or hand.