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Ok, I have a very heavy heart tonight. My 3 year old GSD attacked my baby and I don't know what to do. My thought is to make her wear a muzzle permanently when the baby is around and work with a vet behaviorist to try to resolve this issue, but I don't know if I can risk it. I don't know if the responsible thing requires rehoming to a no-child home. I'm sure many people would even say I should put her down. Here are facts:
1. Dog has no bite history with people. But we had to do a lot of work on leash reactivity and resource guarding when I got her. She was intensely possessive of her food bowl and toys. Never bit me, or even snapped. But lots of low, tense body language and growling. She's also gotten in a few (less than five) fights with dogs. Only once ever broken another dog's skin and it was a very superficial one-tooth puncture on an ear. However, she requires lots of management. I can tell seconds before she's about to get into a fight because she gets an odd c-type body posture, with her head lowered and sort of looks at the dog (now baby) sideways. Fights are very likely to be triggered by a resource. She's no longer leash reactive, but is not a safe off leash dog. She's no longer remotely possessive of anything when it comes to me or other adults, but is intensely possessive of them in relation to other dogs (so toys are just not ever out around them).
2. When the baby first came, I was vigilant about watching interactions. She hasn't been uncomfortable. She's approached the baby on her own with loose body posture. I'm of course always within arm's reach when they can touch each other, but there have been a couple instances of pets that were too grabby or harsh, and she's always reacted appropriately, licking his hands away, being patient, moving from the situation. We've done a lot of cc/ds games when it comes to her resource guarding to prevent it from being a problem. For example, me holding the baby while she's near a toy, treat, my touching the toy, treat, picking it up, treat, giving it to the baby, treat (and back to her immediately after each one. These were the strategies that worked well with her resource guarding towards me. And they seemed to be working well between her and the baby too. I've only once previously noticed any tense body language when the baby reached for a toy of hers. Her head went down a little, and ears back. But that was months ago, and nothing since.
3. This evening I was eating ice cream, and the baby playing at my feet. I saw the dog walk by, look at my ice cream, the baby started moving toward her, and she went all c-body. I was right there and so grabbed her immediately, but she still went for his head. I'd estimate her teeth made contact two or three times before I pulled her off. Again, no blood, no punctures, just a scared baby, and now a terrified dog. I'll admit I hit the crap out of her, and pulled her by her scruff into the other room. Now it's three hours later and the dog's trembling and won't come near me. I've never hit my dog before. I don't feel particularly guilty about it. I wasn't even really thinking. That said, I know that that sort of violence has only a slim chance of being effective and may even worsen the relationship between her and the baby.
I don't know what to do. Obviously I love my baby. I love my dog too. I love working with her. I'm not terrible with her- she's well trained with titles in obedience and scent work. So I'd categorize myself as an above-average handler. If there's a protocol I can follow that would make her safe to have around my baby, I am willing and capable of following it. But I don't know, even if I get the very best help, whether I can condone any risk at this point.
As far as a gameplan how are these thoughts:
1) Remove all her toys from the room (they're currently lose and available for her to play with whenver. Only have toys out when we are actively working at a session.
2) Stop giving her any tastes of food when I'm eating, and to be extra safe, crate her during mealtimes.
3) When the baby is awake and in the apartment, she needs to be muzzled. No exceptions.
4) Work with a very good trainer specifically on both 1) building the relationship between dog and baby so that dog loves baby 2) working on resource guarding, both in general, and in particular related to the baby.
I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you this. When I was 2 or 3 years old, I accidentally fell on the family dog, who turned around and bit me.
My mother had the dog out of the house the next day.
Yeah, my parents would have instantly euthanized any dog that did what mine did. I remember swaddling my cat and pushing her in a baby stroller as an eight year old who clearly should have known better. If she'd ever scratched me, she would've been homeless.
I'm not upset that it's a different era. I love my dog and if there's any way to keep her safely in my home, I will do that. But I just don't know what the right move is here. Is there a safe way to keep her in my home?
All this training takes time, and you have a very fragile little person in your care. You can't take that chance. I am someone that loves my dog as much as any family member, but everyone's safety (including the safety of your dog if another incident occurs) is the most important thing. Expecting a dog to live in a muzzle, and that to work isn't a good idea either. I'm sorry, but you have to find that dog a home with no children, and disclose the bite history and all the details. I know it breaks your heart, but it's the right thing to do.
My feelings are that even if you train the dog, you are aware of the dogs behavior prior. And as much as we may like to at times, we have no way of knowing what the dog is thinking or feeling. It will take great effort on your part to keep the dog and the child separated at all times, for years to come. And will that be fair to the dog, if the dog is use to being the one you focus on? Personally, I would work on re homing the dog into a home where there are no children or other animals. As much as you love the dog, some dogs just do not do well with kids or other animals, even training may curb behavior, but who knows how much it could be stressing the dog out.
As much as I love dogs, and really I love dogs more then most people I meet, my child is, well my child. No way I would take the chance. Remove the dog from the home.
And personally, this is just me, I would not get another dog until my child is big enough to control what ever dog I would on a leash. See how fast something happened, you were right there. I think anybody who leaves an infant or toddler alone with dogs is walking on a tightrope.
muzzling can INCREASE issues...
CRATE AND ROTATE...when baby is on the ground playing, dog is secured in another room, crate or behind a gate...simple...
When food is around, dog is behind a gate, ect...
you recognize she has these issues from earlier, sometimes it can be such a simple trigger...but a muzzle is not fool proof, it can increase aggression (frustration) and a dog that large also has more than enough body weight that an accident simply from a well placed paw could be serious...
I don't know id give up on her right away...but I 100% would DEFINATLY crate/rotate baby and dog...dog can be loose when baby is sleeping/in a playpen/secure...but when baby is down (heck even when baby is in your arms) that dog would be secured in another room...
id also increase excersize and step it up with a behaviourist (not just a trainer)
that being said, I don't have kids and my maternal instinct is at aproximatly a -20 when it comes to human children...soooo...
but it does sound like you have put a lot of work in are observant and realy willing to put in the time and effort it WILL take to get through whatever this is...so id say if anyone can make the situation work...it sounds like youd be one ot have a good shot!
muzzling can INCREASE issues...
CRATE AND ROTATE...when baby is on the ground playing, dog is secured in another room, crate or behind a gate...simple...
When food is around, dog is behind a gate, ect...
you recognize she has these issues from earlier, sometimes it can be such a simple trigger...but a muzzle is not fool proof, it can increase aggression (frustration) and a dog that large also has more than enough body weight that an accident simply from a well placed paw could be serious...
I don't know id give up on her right away...but I 100% would DEFINATLY crate/rotate baby and dog...dog can be loose when baby is sleeping/in a playpen/secure...but when baby is down (heck even when baby is in your arms) that dog would be secured in another room...
id also increase excersize and step it up with a behaviourist (not just a trainer)
that being said, I don't have kids and my maternal instinct is at aproximatly a -20 when it comes to human children...soooo...
but it does sound like you have put a lot of work in are observant and realy willing to put in the time and effort it WILL take to get through whatever this is...so id say if anyone can make the situation work...it sounds like youd be one ot have a good shot!
I agree with this. Our 2 boys fight since moving to our new house and have had 2 very intense fights (like if my husband had not got home when he did, wed have at least 1 dead dog). We now Crate and Rotate.
All this training takes time, and you have a very fragile little person in your care. You can't take that chance. I am someone that loves my dog as much as any family member, but everyone's safety (including the safety of your dog if another incident occurs) is the most important thing. Expecting a dog to live in a muzzle, and that to work isn't a good idea either. I'm sorry, but you have to find that dog a home with no children, and disclose the bite history and all the details. I know it breaks your heart, but it's the right thing to do.
I know it hurts, on so many levels....your baby....omg! You must be terrified.....
But, I have to agree. You cannot risk it. It is sad, but it is the reality of the situation.
IMO This situation was already a bad one, with the history you described, your dog was high risk around any child or dog.
I think you took so many precautions, because at your gut level , you knew this dog was a big risk around your child.
I think if you can rehome, that would be a risk too. Because I think a rescue would not re-home because of liability, with this incident.
Since it does have the training that you mentioned, have you considered donating your dog to the police?
This is a very tough situation for you. Maybe you can look for a good home for your dog, but in the meantime you can still try to work with her. I would not euthanize her though. She could have hurt the baby if she really wanted to, but like you say, there are no punctures, no blood.
I once adopted an aggressive dog, but I have no kids so I never had to worry. Maybe you can find her a home with someone who loves shepherds and has no kids.
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