dog bit baby (border collie, biting, toy, aggressive)

[Charlotteborn]

You absolutely must find another home for your dog.

Keeping the dog in the home with your child is not an option.

[cjmeck]

Wow, I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. Right off the bat, I'd re-home her. I'm saying that as someone who has rescued and fostered dogs for my entire adult life; primarily Shepherds, Rottweilers and Pit Bulls. But I look at things with a mother's heart first. Once a dog goes after a human **unprovoked** that's it. I've only had to do this once, and yes it was involving a baby. Long story short, we worked with a behaviorist for 18 months--the dog never bit but would randomly growl and tense up when my baby would crawl or walk into the room. I did not trust the dog, although I loved that dog more than I have words for. But it was her or my son so I had to re-home her to an older childless couple. It was the hardest and smartest thing I ever did. The fact of the matter is you cannot guarantee with 100% certainty that the dog and baby will be safely separated at all times, such is life, accidents happen. It sounds like you have done everything right, you seem to have more than basis knowledge of dog behavior. I'm sure you love this dog and it won't be easy. Is there a chance you could fix this dog and live happily ever ever? I'm sure there is. But there is also a greater chance she could seriously injure your child. I'm going to assume this dog has some fear based aggression issues as well? In my experience, those are by FAR the hardest to fix, if at all. Again, I'm sorry.

[DCforever]

I think you are in an impossible situation. You'll always be tense when to dog is around the baby and that tension will be translated to the dog. BTW beating the dog was incorrect, you should have throw the dog on it's back and pinned it.

[christina0001]

Sorry you are in this situation. This won't sound very nice to dog lovers but IMO either you must find a new, child-free home for the dog immediately, or take it to the vet to euthanize. You have a responsibility to protect your child, and your child could be seriously injured or killed by the dog.

[runswithscissors]

NO. REHOME YOUR DOG. What a mess. Yes of course you need a muzzle now.

Sorry but you don't have enough experience or the right leadership/disposition for your dog and LOVE is probably why she's that way. Even though you THINK you do. YOu need the rehab before the dog can be rehab'd.

ALL THE SIGNS WERE THERE and you ignored them - sorry not a read or criticism just the truth. I'm positive you missed PLENTY of other dog signals. Sometimes it's only a GLANCE. Head placement. Tail placement.

Do what's best for HER finding her an appropriate experienced home.

With all your "handler" experience/connections and her experience it should be quite easy to do.

Didn't you know that a female GSD is the quickest most accurate biter on the planet? Just for starters.

Thank you for PROVING all the "training" in the WORLD does NOT make up for being a true LEADER with a BALANCED PACK and that some dogs just are NOT suited to living in some homes with certain type of "leadership" (or lack of), especially when baby's lives are at stake.

A GSD is ALWAYS waiting to get your car keys and check book when her "time" comes.

All the trendy mumbo jumbo terminology.Resource guarding...leash reactivity....on leash ~work.... Gurl ,leash reactivity comes from THE HANDLER. Yes I realize you said she stopped that but you did NOT say that she can be safely walked in the company of dogs etc. So there's some info missing here. Of COURSE she's seeing the baby as a dog. She was not told other wise that the baby is HIGHER in pack ranking. (And I doubt it would matter to her anyway at this point).

SHE'S STILL NOT GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS.

The KEY GOALS are: LEADERSHIP. BALANCE. RESPECT. EXERCISE. DISCIPLINE (self discipline) and YES: SUBMISSION. NOT FEAR SUBMISSION - RESPECT submission of waiting to be INVITED to "participate".

You don't have that. WHY would you be giving her access to SHARING YOUR FOOD with HER HISTORY? More evidence that nobody who understands dogs really helped you with her. Or you did your own thing. Food is affection. Food is power. Food is EARNED. It's all body language and leadership and energy not "training" or "commands". Although sure sometimes "commands" can convey leadership but they are NEVER necessary with good energy and leadership. Sure commands can train stuff like retrieving or even a verbal command can be shorthand but a look or a gesture or posture gets you a better response if you are a LEADER and respected as someone who they can TRUST in the world.

Your dog should have understood that that BABY is in a higher position than her in the pack and of course because you never SUCCESSFULLY REHABILITATED her ongoing ISSUES that was not possible. You were "MANAGING" her not REHABILITATING her brain. Yes I understand you tried your best with what you thought you knew.

And OF COURSE that "sort of violence" that is still obvious three hours later is the worst possible thing you could have done. She is also mirroring your instability.

In your dog's eyes she had a simple dog disagreement over YOU. Just like she would have done with another dog (wrongly). She needed to be brought back INTO the pack not isolated. You broke the trust bond if it was there to begin with.

LOVING YOUR BABY is NOT A GOAL.

Only a LEADER gets "RESPECT" in a dog pack even a baby who STILL needs to be PROTECTED AT ALL TIMES with ANY DOG.....and this is a LONG LONG LONG slog that is questionable at BEST and a disaster for your dog ending up likely being euth'd. Obviously the baby is at the most risk too god only knows how you were lucky she didn't lose an eye get gashed in the face etc.

Because of MOM, sorry.

I'm not trying to make you feel WORSE but I am trying to make you realize what's going ON HERE.

BTW I'd get her a FULL PANEL THYROID test PRONTO. Just a hunch. It's not cheap and it may not show anything but still....This dog has obviously shown the ability to LEARN from what you said so if she's not thyroid it's YOU. Well, it's you even if she's thyroid LOL. No offense really, just trying to make you see she is NOT hopeless in the right hands.

[MotleyCrew]

Rehome. As much as we love our dog, if he attacked our grandchild that has yet to arrive, he would be out.
Your baby is at risk and do you think that the dog will not go all the way next time? Can you be positive about that?

[young92]

I would rehome your dog. If it was grandkids visiting now and then I would work with my dog and crate them while the kids visited. Since this is you child in the home 24/7, I would never again trust my dog. Contact the local GSD Rescue and PLEASE be blatantly honest with them about your dog. THey will do a good job of working with your dog and placing them in a suitable, no children home but you HAVE to be honest and open about everything. The last thing you want is rescue to make a bad match and there is another incident because of it.

[Eazine]

Rehome. Your dogs temperament is not suited to a home with children.

[Katie1]

No One says to Kill the dog ALL are saying RE-HOME!! I SAYING RE-HOME Before the dog Kills your child or some one elses! No Matter How great the baby & dog are together NEVER leave a baby & dog in the same room unattended! Dogs CAN & WILL kill a baby!

[cjmeck]

Originally Posted by runswithscissors

Because of MOM, sorry.

I'm not trying to make you feel WORSE but I am trying to make you realize what's going ON HERE.
.

Holy harshness. "What's going on here?" Honestly, you have NO idea what's going on there. We don't know if she's done pack leader training, nothing in life is free or what training method she has used. I do know that she has a bond with her dog or she wouldn't be earning obedience titles. Were there warning signs she likely missed? Yes, likely. But calling the OP out on it now does nothing to help the dog or the owner. I don't usually feel the need to call out people but your response was ridiculous and hateful.