Aggressive Dogs and Kids
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Advice about Pets > Aggressive Dogs and Kids
May 2004
I have a difficult problem to solve that involves the family
dog and our son. Our son has just learned how to crawl and is
always very eager to approach our dog, which doesn't go over
well with the dog. At every opportunity our dog snarls to warn
our son. I'm concerned because since the baby's arrival our
dog has been upset, and I fear the worst could happen.
Our dog is an amazing dog in every other way, so giving him up
is my second choice next to fixing him. Can he be fixed?
Anyone know of a dog behaviorist? Anyone deal with this issue
before?
My husband is strictly using his head and thinks the dog should
be given-up to a childless person. I, however, can't stop
using my heart to lead me. My hope is to get advice or
guidance from a detached source.
Facts to note:
Our dog has lunged and even bitten his owners before. Seemed to
us a mistake.
There is another dog in the house(his sister)that he dominates
over.
We've had a vet examine him and everything in normal.
Our dog walker says that he isn't aggressive, but rather Alpha
and like to be the ''Leader''.
He learns quickly, listens to and acts out his commands
Weimeraner is his breed, but not at all the skittish, over-
bread type. Will be mellow if you are, or active when you are.
It's time to get rid of the dog. I'm surprised you are so close
to the dog that you can't see the risk you're putting your
children through. I have a dog who has never growled at my
child or bitten anyone. He is sweet and tolerant even when my
boy pulls his hair, ears, tail, .... He drops balls for the
baby to ''throw''. He kisses the baby (even though the baby isn't
so happy with the wet face). I've worked with the dog since he
was a puppy to supress any alpha instincts. Whether by nature
or training, he is submissive to all other dogs and people. I
love him dearly, but if he ever growled at or bit anyone, I'd
have him in rescue immediately.
Terrier owner
I had a similar thing happen with our dog once my daughter
started crawling. I talked to 2 dog behaviorists (one at the SF
SPCA) about it and they felt that our dog was frightened of
this new situation. Previously the baby had been inmobile, but
now she was starting to crawl and wanted to crawl on the dog
and on the dog's bed. My dog would growl and move away. We all
felt that the growl wasn't an aggressive growl, as such, but
was to communicate that she wasn't comfortable with the
situation. She never snapped or lunged and I never felt that
she would actually do harm to my baby.
This situation lasted for about three months. We didn't keep
the baby and the dog apart, but we discouraged our daughter
from crawling on our dog. When our daughter did approach our
dog (under supervision) we'd reassure our dog that everything
was okay. Eventually this problem went away on its own. As soon
as my daughter was walking, she grew interested in other things
and didn't pester the dog as much. Now, our dog doesn't growl
at our daughter anymore and is more tolerant to being petted
and crawled on. If the situation hadn't improved on its own, we
would hired a behaviorist to work with us.
Dogs need time to adjust to new situations too. It doesn't
sound like your dog is inherently aggressive, so perhaps you
can give it some time to see if it improves. Try hiring a
behaviorist as well. Giving up a dog should truly be a last
resort. A dog deemed aggressive with children will be very
difficult to rehome.
Mom and dog lover
First, this concerns me profoundly: ''Our dog has lunged and even
bitten his owners before.'' I don't know what ''Seemed to us a
mistake.'' means, but if your dog has bitten you, he is not
certain *you* are Alpha over him. If he thinks he's Alpha over
you, he *will* bite your child to keep him in line. (You must
correct each and every snarl or growl.)
The only way to deal with this dog is to put him down or hire a
behavioral trainer. I used Alon Geva for my dominant Labrador
bitch almost 10 years ago, and it made the difference between
putting her down and keeping her. Alon has a website but it's not
coming up for me right now: http://www.alongeva.com/ I saw
brochure from him at Oakland Veterinary Clinic recently; they may
know how to contact him, or another behavioral trainer if he's
not available.
Please *don't* consider giving this dog to a dogless family.
There is always the chance that the dog will be near a child
while being walked, and will lunge at the child and bite him or
her. This is an unacceptable risk. If he cannot be rehabilitated,
it is your responsibility to put him down, sad as it is.
Good luck. Alon worked wonders for my dog.
Jennie Van Heuit wearpurple@mac.com
I'm not an expert on dog training, although I've been a dog
owner, but if you seriously want to keep your dog you should
consult a professional dog trainer quickly to evaluate the
situation. If the dog has bit people in the past and is
growling at your toddler, I think it's a pretty dangerous
situation. I would suggest using a muzzle for the dog until you
have either found it a new home or successfully retrained it,
and never leave the dog unattended with your toddler. Good luck.
concerned parent
I have dealt with this issue before...if you can call getting bit
as a child by a mean dog ''dealing'' with the issue.
You say your dog is ''an amazing dog in every other way'' but
I can't imagine anything about a dog being so amazing that
it would be worth risking your child's safety!
I suggest you get rid of your dog. For me, this would not be a
difficult choice, but then, I am afraid of dogs and basically
hate them (although I wish I didn't!). Perhaps your child can
avoid my fate if you get a dog with a more pleasant
temperament.
anon
I had the same exact problem! Our australian shepherd mix is
very alpha, and had bitten a couple people--not seriously, just
letting them know she's the boss--still she broke the skin, and
we were no longer able to let her off the leash--ever. She
seemed fine with our kids--licked them, behaved submissively
toward them. However, one day my 2 year old approached me
while I was eating, and the dog was lying at my feet. She
jumped up snarling, knocked the baby down, and bit at her
face. Fortunately, she just barely broke the skin, but it
scared me terribly. The vet said she was perfectly healthy,
just an older (10 years) cranky, alpha female. He advised me
to have her put to sleep or find another home immediately. He
had another client whose dog actually KILLED their baby. He
said ANY sign of aggression is not something you can ignore, or
hope will go away. My 15 year old son was extremely attached
to the dog, so we came up with a third alternative--the vet
filed down her canine teeth and oversewed the stumps with gum,
filed down all her front biting teeth, and left only her back
grinding teeth, so she can eat, but is unable to do any damage
if she bites. A year and a half later, she's still a bit
chunkier than she should be, seems perfectly happy, and didn't
have any apparent postop distress--we gave her pain meds for
one day just in case, but she was running around like nothing
happened. My preference would have been to find another home,
but in reality, who wants a dog that can't be off leash because
she will attack other dogs (again, no serious bites) and bites
people? Answer: Absolutely nobody. There are tons of dogs
with great personalities that need homes. So--my 2 cents, for
what it's worth....Hope you come up with a solution that works
for your family.....
wouldn't have a big dog around my toddlers again...
Our labrador, who has no history of biting anyone or anything,
started growling at our baby when she started crawling. She
wants to chase him around, relentlessly. The growling made me
extremely nervous; even a little snap could do so much damage to
a baby. We would never get rid of our dog (well, if he bit her,
I'd think pretty seriously about it), so I just have decided
never to leave them alone together. If I leave her in a room to
play for 3 minutes, I take him with me. As it happens, he
stopped growling! He used to growl and get up and walk away
from her. Now he just walks away, and lately he's been resting
his head on her when she nurses. I don't let her chase him too
much, though. I think it's going to work itself out. But I do
think, generally speaking, that dogs and babies don't
necessarily mix. Even the nicest dog is unpredictable,
unfortunately.
anon
Our dog had a similar reaction when our son started crawling.
He would start with a low growl. I agree with you, it was very
disturbing. We took him to our vet, a behaviorist at UC Davis
and a trainer. He was aggressive with other dogs, but not with
our older children or my wife and myself. We tried all of the
above for 9 months before he snapped at our son, at that point
we couldn't risk our son's safety and decided (reluctantly) to
put him down. Our vet and trainer both agreed that we couldn't
rehome him due to his aggressiveness with other dogs and
children.
I feel for you in this circumstance and would recommend finding
a new home for your pet. Although not an easy thing to do, it
is best for your sanity, your child's safety and your dog's
future.
a pet lover
I highly recommend reading The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
for a fresh perspective on this. We have two family dogs who
were our first babies. They had always been gentle and
although I was always very cautious when they were with
children, we hadn't seen any reason to be concerned. But very
few dogs I know are bombproof, and of course there was an
incident. One of our dogs was feeling sick (he had eaten an
entire loaf of banana bread, stolen off the kitchen
counter...), and my 2 year old niece was playing with him past
the point when he wanted to be playing (he just wanted to lie
on the floor and sleep off his stomachache). She was rolling
around and (we think) somehow nudged his aching belly...and he
snapped at her. His tooth grazed her skull...lots of blood and
crying, no permanent damage (she is still in love with him).
Basically, this was a dog who would ordinarily remove himself
from a situation he wasn't comfortable with, but in this
instance he just wanted her gone from his space. And he speaks
dog, not english...which means growling, posturing, ear
wiggling, wagging, and if pushed, teeth. Although unfortunate,
this was a fantastic lesson for me as a mom and a dog mom. So
with our 10 month old human baby, I'm taking the ultra cautious
approach. The kid LOVES the dogs, and they seem to get a kick
out of him too...but I always heavily supervise, watch the dogs
for their responses, never let the kid get heavy handed with
them, and if I don't feel 100% up to the task of moderating, I
keep everyone separated by a baby gate. I think that if your
dog is already at the snarling stage, you need to take some
quick action...the dog is telling your kid to go away, and if
your toddler doesn't go away, your dog may feel forced to make
his feelings known more strongly (eg teeth). I know, it's
hard, you want your dog and your kid to be together, they're
both your family, you don't want to shove the dog in the
backyard where he'll just get lonely and neurotic. But the
fallout is SO dreadful from something like this, for all
parties. I know the Berkeley Humane Society has lots of
classes and they would also be able to refer you to a
behavioral specialist. Best of luck to you.
str
I feel very badly for you, my husband and I went through a
similar scenario in November. Our 8 year-old gorgeous alpha male
hated kids, was very spoiled, and had bitten small dogs and had
almost bitten children several times. We had neutered him early,
he had been through over 4 years of obedience/agility training
and was wonderful on leash and command. But, off command, he was
very aggressive when he felt anything was threatening his owners
or his turf. He never threatened or acted aggressively toward us
or our friends, in fact he was the most sweet and cuddly dog I
have ever owned. But his basic temperament was one of pure alpha
male, and nothing we did- early socialization with other dogs,
off-leash parks, living with a smaller dog- ever changed his
behavior. We looked for a new home for him for nearly 2 years,
had friends in 7 different states searching, and had been turned
down by all of the rescue, ASPCA, and shelters because of his
history. We felt that it was not right to not let someone know
his history- we could have endangered another dog or child.
Basically, they all told us that the shelters are full of really
sweet, loving dogs who can't find homes- how could someone take
a known aggressive dog? We made the incredibly painful decision
to put him down, at the breeder's suggestion even, so that he
would not fall into the wrong hands, or be chained up outside by
a callous owner (which would have just destroyed him, he never
spent a night alone in his whole life), or used to fight, etc.
It was the most painful thing that I have ever done, I still cry
about it, but I think of him as having 8 wonderful years with us
that other folks may not have had the energy to deal with. And
our son is now 6 months old, and in my heart, I know that it
would absolutely not have worked out- the dog would have been an
accident waiting to happen and I can't imagine how horrible I
would have felt having allowed him to injure my son. My husband
was also the one pushing to let the dog go- he kept saying ''he
is just a dog, but this is our son...'' He was right, but it
still hurts. You know your dog better than anyone- think it out
and you will make the right decision.
dogless but baby is safe
Call the Berkeley Humane Society and ask to speak with their
animal behavior specialist--immediately. Snarling is a
warning. Small children are at great risk with dogs, because of
the way a dog's psychology is set up. Children are small and
can be dominated--not good. They stare into a dog's eyes--not
good. They interrupt feeding being affectionate--not good. My
son was bitten at age 4 (not by our dog). Small children are
most at risk for damage to their eyes and face. Protect your
dog (who is behaving ''just like a dog'') and your child (who is
behaving just like a child). PLEASE--keep them apart until you
determine a more permanent solution.
Ilene
First, I feel for you. I've been in a simlar situation. We had
two dogs that we rescued. Black lab mix and a golden. The
golden was great from the get go. The black lab was always a
challenge in some way. Great at the dog park, great protector
when I ran alone in Wildcat Canyon, and once someone went
camping with us, he'd protect them too! He was extremely
loyal,funny but protective of my husband and I. Once we had our
first child we thought he would do OK with alot of retraining,
watching over, love, attention, etc. ''all the right things''.
We brushed off and overlooked a few aggressive behaviors even
after our first child was born. But then we started hearing
stories of children who were bit by friends dogs, family dogs
etc. With the impending arrival of our second child we talked
to our vet about another home etc. We did what we needed to
do, we focused on if we could ever forgive ourselves if our
children got injured, scared, or bit by our family dog. As much
as we loved the dog, we knew he couldn't be with us anymore ( we
had him for 10 years). We don't have the dog anymore and we all
miss him, but there is alot less stress in the house because we
don't have that worry. Good luck to you, it's a hard decision.
dog lover, not owner right now
I have friends in Portland, OR that after bringing a new dog into
the house, with two resident cats, were having trouble with the
dog being aggressive toward the cats, and I suspect other
problems. Someone told them about the use of an ''animal
psychic.'' I am sure, at first, they laughed, but given that the
phone call was only approximately $30-50(?), they decided to give
it a try. They called some woman in the midwest or back east
(forget where), and she informed them all about the dog's issues
with his owners and the two cats. Low and behold, her advice
worked! They have a happy family once again, and a great story
to tell! I would be glad to get the animal psychic's phone number
for you, if you contact me directly, at: kathbca@yahoo.com
Kathleen
You must, must act today to find a new home for this dog. The
dog is clearly signaling to you that it is uncomfortable with
having a child approach it. You WILL NOT be able to monitor all
interactions. You could be looking away and it will happen that
the baby will pull a tail, poke an eye, etc. and the dog will
be in perfect rights to bite at that point (according to canine
psychology). Some things are trainable, others are innate in
breeds and cannot be trained out--after all, specific traits
have been breed into breeds for thousands of years. If your dog
is aggressive (which is what alpha MEANS--that the dog is
constantly working on to keep its rank in the family) it will
want to control the baby--and in dog language that means
aggression using the mouth. This is even more serious since the
dog has a history of biting. Every day that you have the dog
and child together you are taking a serious, serious risk for
the health of your child. And you MUST, as a parent, put your
child's welfare above the dog.
We had to find another home for a beloved cat who could never
come to terms with our first child, and I've never looked back
as it was such a clear cut decision. There are so many dogs who
truly love kids--we have a Golden Retriever with NO self-
protective impulses. Our kids can do anything to her any only
get kissed. I trust her totally. Or my sister has had many
German Shepards who have been breed for thousands of years to
look after baby animals. When we visit my sister with our baby
and he cries her Shepard is glued to my side with the most
concerned look and won't leave until my son quiets. Go with
breeding and personality and trust what's before your eyes
before its too late.
Nancy
I encourage you to use your heart but focus it on your child
instead. How would you feel if the dog bit your baby, or worse?
It could be disastrous and in light of the dog's previous
history, you might be found to be negligent by the law. As my son
went from crawling to cruising and finally walking, he used our
boxer to pull himself up, then later as a horsie to ride, or as a
stepstool (when the dog was asleep) to climb on the seat by the
fireplace. He also played with the dog's water and food. You
must ask yourself, what will your dog do then???? You can't
always be present and it could end badly.
You need to find another home for the dog without question.
I suggest that you consider getting a boxer. They have great
personalities and are known for being wonderfully gentle with
children. They are more protective than golden retrievers and
don't shed either.
Use your heart and focus on worrying about your child's safety.
Dog Lover with Child
Keep the dog away from your child! You owe it to your child and
your dog to keep your child safe. If you want to follow your
heart, you should consider how you will feel if/when your child
is bitten. Anyone who has ever seen a child bitten (often in the
face or neck) will advise you to take no chances.
A mom and dog lover
We had the same trouble with my Shetland Sheepdog mix when my
4-year-old son was born. (I've since learned that Shelties are
known to not get along with children; I'm not familiar with the
quirks of your breed.) I never even considered giving up the dog.
I knew that no one else would take him, and leaving our household
would mean he would be put down.
The day we brought my son home from the hospital, both our dogs
barked and barked and barked at the baby. I finally took a rolled
newspaper and hit it against my arm, scaring the dogs with the
sound and in doing so, declared the rocking chair a safe zone.
The key since then was vigilance. I never left the baby alone
with my dogs. (After that initial day, my other dog, a female
Lab-Border Collie mix, turned out to be very gentle with my son.)
I always put his carrier on top of a bed or table, and he got his
floor time in his room first with the door closed. After the
Sheltie (who had imprinted on me) whined outside the door, I let
him into the room, but I made a wedge between the baby and the
dog with my body. If the dog growled, I sent him out of the room.
We gradually expanded this to the rest of the house.
It helped quite a bit that we have crates, and the dogs have been
trained to respond to the ''go to your crate'' command. When the
dog acted too aggressively toward the baby, I gave him a
''time-out'' in the crate. He probably has snapped at my son about
five times in the four years. I should tell you that my son does
not like the dog. He calls him mean, and during my son's terrible
2s and 3s he would try to stand his ground against the dog.
Neither would move for the other. I worked and worked on teaching
my son that the dog was old and stubborn. But we also had my son
give the dogs treats when we left the house. He would never hand
the treat to the ''mean'' dog but, instead, would toss it to him.
We even managed a weekend car trip with the dogs and my son. I
would say we're in detente nowadays.
The funny thing is that the Sheltie has been comparatively nice
to our second child, who's now 14 months. My husband thinks he's
just mellowed, but the vet and I think it's a gender thing. The
baby is a girl. And the dog continues to stand his ground against
my son but will get up and move when my daughter toddles toward
him. He's even let her get away with pulling his tail. In any
case, I think you have to do what you're comfortable with.
There's no question that the children come first. You may want to
consult a Weimaraner breeder to get further suggestions. If you
have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
Gwynne
I love dogs, despite being bitten in the face by a large dog
when I was 8 (no scars thankfully). I have a 14 month old son
and a dog. I used to have a son and two dogs, but one of my
dogs was aggressive with the baby, even after months of training
pre-birth to try to prepare him for the transition (we pretty
much guessed he'd have issues). Dogs NEVER bite anyone by
accident. They growl, snarl, nip, and bite, and each is a form
of precise doggie communication. Your dog will not ever
ACCIDENTALLY bite. He did it on purpose, and you need to get
that dog away from your child. I didn't want to do this either,
until I actually thought about how I would feel should my son be
harmed (potentially very badly). My dog trainer and vet both
recommended removing the dog. We invested in even more training
for the dog (outside our home at a boarding facility), made him
an excellent candidate for adoption, and placed him through a
pure-bred adoption agency (no kill with lifetime placement) for
brittany spaniels. He now lives with a great family with
teenagers, roaming around on almost an acre in San Diego. He's
happy and my son is safe and playing happily with our remaining
dog (who is still not allowed to be around the family if food is
in the picture). You just can't be too careful. Dogs are dogs,
food is food, and they don't understand that human babies are
very fragile. Protect your child first.
Dog Lover
I have to chime in and urge you to think of your children. I
know what you're going through, as we also had a dog that
growled and snapped, and was agressive with other dogs. In many
ways, he was a marvelous dog, and at first, he was ok with the
kids, but as he got older, and crankier, and they got more
rambunctious, it was an accident waiting to happen. And it did.
My five year old crawled past him in a narrow hallway, with my
20 month old behind, and I don't know if he was sleeping, or
guarding a ball or what, but he snapped at him and nicked him
below the eye. I knew in that instant I would have to put him
down, and that it was overdue. Everytime I see that tiny scar on
my child's face, I think of what I risked. I know how hard it
is - I'd had my dog in several training programs, including the
Berkeley Humane Society program for agressive dogs, spent
thousands of dollars and many many hours, but in the end, he was
what he was. You can not watch every minute.
In addition to the Berkeley program, Kirk Turner, an excellent
trainer in El Sobrante, will also evaluate your dog, and let you
know what the options are. Good luck.
anon
Nov 2002
Our family dog (a yellow lab) whom we have had for the last four
years is starting to show signs of aggression towards our 9
month old son. We have caught the dog growling at our son when
the two are in fairly close proximity to each other as well as
baring his teeth at him. The dog was initially not bothered by
our son as a baby but as he has started to crawl the dog seems
to be getting more aggressive and particularly so when my
husband is around both of them. Obviously we don't let either
close to each other but we're also starting to see other
behaviors such as the dog running into the middle of us playing
on the ground with our son and trying to get our attention away
from the baby. Would like to figure out a way to help our dog
adjust if possible so I'm interested in knowing if there are
other parents out there who have had similar situations and what
you have done about it and if anyone has used a behaviorist for
their dog, did it work and can you recommend one. Thanks.
Arquelle
We once worked with a dog behaviorist (not for aggression
towards our child but for aggression towards other dogs) who is
excellent. His name is Mike Wombacher and he has recently
published a book about this very subject called ''There's a Baby
in the House!'' You can get Mike's contact info and buy the
book on his website, www.doggonegood.org.
lmbyer
My veterinarian highly recommends the animal behaviorist at U.C.
Davis. I can't locate the phone number, but I'm sure your
regular vet can give it to you, or you can call my vet at 925-
934-8042.
R. Low
Two pieces of advice:
1) Call dog behaviorists at SFSPCA for advice on how to manage
situation.
2)Post problem on pets forum on craigslist. Lots of dog savvy
people on forum who will have good input to this issue.
Finally, keep dog separated from your baby until resolved.
Sounds like your dog is jealous and territorial...be careful.
Good Luck!!!
Lisa
what's more important, the dog or the baby? find the dog a nice
new home before something awful happens.
anon
Regarding your dog...
We were very concerned about our rescue dog before our daughter
(now almost 2) was born. When I was pregnant, we had a dog
behaviorist come over and meet with the dog, talk to us, etc.
She gave us her opinion and gave us some advice. Our dog is
fine with our child but we don't trust her with other kids and
always shut her in a room. We were told that we would need
to ''manage'' her behavior. Anyhow, an animal behaviorist (maybe
you can get a number of someone from your vet or the SPCA) could
definately give you some advice. We were living out of state,
so I can't give you the name of anyone locally. Talk to someone
soon - and good luck.
Erin
Hi. we have a 7 yr old irish terrier and a 5 mo old son. Our dog
was acting the same way, running into him, and playing a little
rough for my taste. We just made sure to give her LOTS of
attention and talk to her all the time while playing with the
baby. give her lots of walks, etc. we also let her lick the
babies feet and hands (sounds gross i know) but i feel like it
hleped her to feel like she was still part of the family.
also, i have been taking her to a holistic vet in oakland, Jenny
Taylor to get accupuncture and herbs which help to mellow her
out and can address the behavioral component.
hope this helps. I think it can be worked out with lots of
attention to the dog
J
Please, Please, Please don't abandon your dog. This is a
common situation and can easily be remedied. I'd suggest
you contact the Berkeley Humane Society first. They have a
wonderful dog obedience training progam as well as lots of
great tips on how to cope with situations just like the one
you described.
I know the woman that runs the obedience classes and
she's an expert canine behaviorist. She's trained with the
best and is a wonderful instructor. I just went to the Berekely
Humane Society's website and saw she has a ''Dogs with
Attitude'' class starting in January.
I know your needs are more immediate and it seems as
though you might be able to have her come over and do a
private evaluation of your situation .
If you'd like to call Nancy, this is her phone information: call
(510) 845-7735, extension 22
The Berkeley Humane Society's Website is
http://berkeleyhumane.org/
Beth
We were having the same problem recently with our new 1 year old
dachshund and our 19 month old son. We hired a personal dog-
trainer, whose business card we got from our local vet. He came
to our house once a week for 6 weeks, and it was a miraculous
change in the dogs behavior. To be honest, it was expensive but
well worth it. Basically, he said dogs are pack animals who
always will assume leadership in the absence of training. They
want to run the show, and apparently the dog was trying to train
our toddler to leave him alone, which wasn't working. You
really have to establish your position of dominance with the dog
by enforcing strict restrictions upon the dog and obedience
training and crate training. This was all that was necessary to
put our dog in it's place. It really worked for us, although I
won't ever completely trust the dog around a toddler again. At
least I have confidence that the dog knows what is not
appropriate behavior around the child. When other children are
around, we either send the dog to its ''place'' or to its crate,
and we have had no problems since.
April 2004
I don't know if I am making a big deal out of nothing, or if my
neighbor's dog is too aggressive and potentially dangerous to
my kids. I know absolutely nothing about dogs. Our neighbor
has a dog/mutt that is part husky and part I-don't-know-
what...... He is long haired, black and about 3'
high....probably 75ish pounds....so he is not a small dog. He
is about 4 years old so is no longer a puppy.
A year ago the dog nipped at my toddler's face with no
warning....no growl...no nothing....just a sudden lurching
towards my son's face. We were all standing very close to the
dog and the dog had a chew bone in it's mouth. I guess my kid
was too close to the dog. (I know, I know---Believe me-I've
learned my lesson!) Since my toddler's lip was bleeding, my
docter insisted that I take him in to Children's hospital.
They concluded that it was minor and required no further
action. They wanted, however, to report the dog bite but we
decided to avoid doing so since 1-the harm was minor, 2-I felt
partially responsible since we were on their side of the front
yard obviously too close to a dog with a bone in its mouth, 3-
we didn't want to unnecessarily damage neighborly relations,
and 4-this was the first time anything happened and we didn't
believe the dog was dangerous. I communicated all of this to
my neighbors (who have 2 older kids) and requested they no
longer allow the dog off leash in the front yard, where we
often play. (Does the dog now think he has domination over
my toddler because of the nip/biting attempt?) They seemed
grateful we didn't report the dog and indicated that they'd
keep him on leash. Months later, the dog was running around
off leash again.
(Yes-it is against Richmond City ordinances to let a dog off
leash and it is also against my homeowner's association's
CC&Rs. I guess this didn't mean anything to them).
Months after the biting/nipping incident, the dog - yes off
leash -(again in the front yard) began barking and charged me
while I was in my house closing the front window. Again the
neighbor witnessed it. After I complained again, they agreed
to keep the dog on leash, although they made it clear to me
that they weren't happy with the arrangement.
Today I was in the back yard with my toddler and he was playing
at the fence line. This same dog came barking and charging
over to my toddler who back away from the fence....think god
his hand wasn't playing though the fence. The owner witnessed
this and called the dog away from the fence. I said nothing
except to get my toddler away from the fence line. Should I be
worried about this act of aggression or is this simply dog
behaviour that needs to be tolerated?
This incident makes me feel like I cannot allow my children to
play in the backyard without my vigilent presence. isn't that
ridiculous? I am getting fed up and don't know if my
intolerance is due to ignorance of dog behaviour or if this dog
is too aggressive and should be dealt with more proactively
(If so-what would that be?) I would like feedback before I
approach my neighbors again.
Should I plant something thorny all along the long fence line?
Get a rotweiler? I don't want to make a big deal out of
nothing, but at the same time, I don't want to feel aggressed
upon by some stupid dog when I am in my own backyard. If I
didn't have kids, I'd probably be less motivated to follow up
on this. Any comments or suggestions are truely appreciated!
anon for now
The dog is aggressive and should be reported immediately. You
have been more than patient with the owners (certainly more than
I would be!) but the fact that that this dog has charged you,
bitten your child, charged the fence at your child, etc. is
pretty scary.
Here's a true story: My mom lives next to a family who has a
history of owning aggressive, big dogs. They have always kept
their dogs on leash when out of their yard. Last month their bull
mastiff, who has never had a history of aggression, attacked his
owner. He was on a choke leash, which probably was the only thing
that saved the owner's life. The man is well over 6 feet and
around 200 pounds, but the dog knocked him down and went for his
throat. The owner's arm (which was protecting his throat) was
bitten through to the bone, his thigh had a chunk taken out of
it, and he will need surgery to repair the damage done to his
hand. He attacked completely out of the blue.
The reason this is so scary to me is that there is a park and a
school nearby, so kids are walking around all the time. We visit
all the time with our own children, who are 3 and 5, and often
met the dog on his walk. This dog was on a leash when he
attacked, and he surprised the owner so that he fell. Who's to
say whether he would have attacked a child? Luckily my mother's
neighbor is okay. I'm sad to say that he had to put the dog down,
which does make me sad because it seems like a waste of a life.
For general safety however it was the right thing to do.
It looks to me like you have had plenty of warnings and second
chances with this dog. For the safety of your family I would
report the dog immediately.
Laurel
Well, some of this dog's behavior could be categorized as ''typical.''
Certainly
most dogs will be territorial and guard their territory by charging and
barking.
However, this dog sounds as if he is doing more than just that--and
nipping
your child until he bleeds, however minor, is NOT okay. Your neighbors
are
what I, as a dog owner, would consider to be irresponsible dog owners.
Their
dog has not been properly socialized. The dog should have been
''introduced''
to your family, made to sit and be greeted and petted by every one, and
every
single act of agression toward you should be met with a firm ''NO''
(and more
socialization behavior) until the dog gets the message that he is not
to act
aggressively toward you. I have two dogs and make sure that my dogs
meet all
the neighbors in my building (5 apartments). I am with them at all
times when
they are in the back yard. They have been well socialized, so they are
good
about being friendly to people that walk up. The youngest will still
bark and
charge the window when she's inside the apartment and some one walks by
outside, but otherwise, she's very well behaved.
You should definitely be concerned, these dog owners don't seem know
enough about dogs, either and are not teaching theirs well.
dog lover
As a dog owner, let me assure you from my experience you are
dealing with an aggressive dog. It sounds like you have been
more than accomodating with the neighbor and it's time to put
your foot down and INSIST that the dog be on leash at all
times. Otherwise, report the incident right away to local
animal authority. Please do not risk your child (or yourself)
being injured again or more seriously. I had to have a ''chat''
with my neighbor just the other day--for the second time in as
many days, her dog snapped at my 2 year old when she went up to
the fence that borders our properties. I marched over there
after it happened and we reacquainted the dog and my daughter
again so this hopefully won't happen again. I know that her dog
is her ''baby'', but my daughter's wellbeing is more important and
would not hesitate to report the dog to animal welfare if it
EVER happens again. (I would also not hesitate to take more
drastic measures if animal control is unresponsive.)
love dogs, but love my kid more
Dog ownership in cities -- it's a can of worms. People have very
strong feelings on both sides of the issue. There are many
careful and thoughtful dog owners out there -- but there are also
a number of thoughtless people who do not keep their dogs under
control. When I go running at the Albany shoreline park, for
instance, most of the dogs (all running off-leash) do not bother
me. They stay near their owners or are under their owners'
control. But at least five or six times dogs have pursued me,
jumped up and scratched me with muddy claws, run in front of me so
that I almost fell, etc., while their owners conversed (a couple
of times on the phone!). As a result I am always nervous when I
see the dogs, even when I know that most times there will be no
problem. And I am not afraid of dogs under normal circumstances; I
have owned a dog (on the farm) and like them as a general rule. I
can just imagine how people must feel who are afraid of dogs.
They would not be able to go running at the shore! Once a woman
with a dog explained to me (quite seriously) that I should not let
my child ride his bike on the paved shore path because ''it upsets
the dogs and they might chase him.'' Priorities?
I would go to the neighbors and tell them that you respect their
desire and right to have a dog and that you want to be a good
neighbor to them. But the situation is out of hand from your
point of view and they have not listened to repeated requests to
control their dog. As them for suggestions about what they might
do to improve the situation -- i.e. plant a thorny bush on THEIR
side of the fence, keep the dog indoors, etc., and tell them that
they must follow through. If there is an ordinance that says that
dogs in the front yard must be on leash, then you must demand
that. I doubt that you can make the same kind of demands about
the backyard, but you can make it clear that the dog must be under
control and that you will call the police if the problem
continues.
people first, dogs second
It does seem as if your neighbor has an aggressive dog. Some of them
are that aggressive, especially if they have not been trained not to be
(which can be a lot of work, depending on the dog's personality).
However, you shouldn't have to tolerate that kind of behavior, as it is
dangerous to you and your family.
Unfortunately, dealing with undesirable dog behavior can be a big
problem. One can report behavior such as aggression or excessive
barking many times without getting results, especially if the owner
isn't
particularly cooperative (I've seen this in my neighborhood).
In all seriousness, I might install a fence and/or hedge, if you're not
averse to something like this, and if you can't get the owner to -- as
he
should -- control the dog's behavior.
Karen
That dog does not sound typical; it sounds like a danger to your
child and you. I think you have been very kind to your neighbor
and have tried to resolve things in a neighborly way, and they
have taken advantage of you. I think you need to make that
formal complaint. It may be too late to press charges about the
earlier bite, but you should now call the authorities every time
that dog is off-leash, explaining its history. In order to
protect your child, you need to take action. Also, the dog may
harm some other child, so you would be protecting them too.
Remember that dog in San Francisco that killed a woman? If the
neighbors had complained sooner she might still be alive.
--loves dogs, but not aggressive ones
I have some experience with dogs, we used to have one and have
read extensively on the topic. For what I read, this dog is
agressive and should be reported. Your neighbors don't seem to
care to correct the dog, yes they can do that, or to do
something about it. Dogs are trained that no matter wbat human
is nearby when they eat, they are not allowed to growl or in any
way show territorialism. Now, territorialism is not bad if the
person nearby has bad intentions, but not when they are friends,
and particularly NOT with small children. Please do report this
behavior, you alredy had an incident with this dog. Don't worry
about neighborly relations at this point. They don't care, as
proven by their behavior. If I were you, I would do it to
protect my children and my freedom to play safely in my own
yard. Good luck to you.
Maria
I have two dogs and a 5 mo. old child. I know dogs and you are
right to be concerned. You need to do whatever you have to to
get your neighbors to keep their dog away from your child.
Ideally, this dog needs to learn that you and your child are
alpha (i.e. head of the pack). You would need your neighborsÂ’
consistent support to make this happen. Clearly your neighbors
do not get it and this puts you and your child at risk. You may
want to consider calling the police or animal control if you see
the dog loose again- you have been more than fair to your
neighbors and now you need to do what's best for you and your
kid. This is a really hard situation- hang in there.
Concerned friend of kids and dogs
The dog you are describing is aggressive. That is normal dog
behavior but not appropriate. I don't want to scare you but I
would ask your neighbor to put the dog on a leash at all times
in the front yard and if they do not comply then call animal
control. This sounds harsh but this dog is not controlled by
its owners and that is a dangerous situation.
For the back yard I would put up whatever kind of shrubs you
can to give you privacy/safety. You can't really ask the
neighbor to leash him in his own back yard. Do not ever let
your child play near the dog...even if you are there. I would
avoid the dog at all costs. The thing that scares me the most
is that the neighbor seems to not be aware or capable of
controlling the dog. I have had dogs all of my life and if I
had one like the one you describe (and I have in the past) I
would keep him away from children and get a qualified trainer
to help with aggression.
Julie
Report the dog TODAY. I am a dog owner of a dog that is shy
with strangers. Never has our dog done ANY of the things this
dog has done. This sounds like an aggresive dog. I would go
to your local animal control and tell them the whole story,
start to finish. Having never reported to animal control I am
not sure what they will do, but I would want them to, at a
minimum, talk to the dog owner and evaluate the dog. Sounds
bad to me, I'm sorry to say.
Concerned dog owner
What is not okay (and shouldn't be typical) is your neighbor's attitude
and
behaviour, and it sounds to me like it is time to drop the idea of
maintaining good
relations with them- they have failed to do so themselves.
There is absolutely no excuse for them letting the dog off leash in the
front yard
where it can cross the property line and threaten (and/or attack) you.
However,
according to Nolo Press section (http://www.nolo.com/) on dog law, the
laws do not
mandate any particular arrangements among condominium owners, you have
to
look to the CCRI's which you say do address that issue.
In the back yard separated by a fence, they do have a right to keep a
dog of any
temperment, but ordinances cover barking problems. If you can make the
fence
solid enough that your child cannot put his hand through, that would be
your best
solution. A cheap way to do this is to attach rolled bamboo fencing
(lumber stores
carry it) to your side- quicker than waiting for a vine to grow.
My suggestion is to write a letter documenting the problem occurances,
send it to
your homeowners association, and copy it to your neighbor. It does not
sound like
they can be counted on to keep the dog on leash in the front, and the
association
may have something to say about the situation in the back also.
My own preference in your situation (as a dog lover) would be to make
the physical
barrier in the back solid enough to assure your safety rather than the
dog having to
be chained in the back yard. Many people do not provide sufficient
exercise for their
dogs (contributes a lot to aggression), and it is very sad to see a dog
live its life
chained up. Your neighbors do not deserve your compassion, but the dog
is not
responsible for their lousy behaviour and he does.
Cecelia
I would report the dog to the authorities--you're far too
forgiving to your insensitive neighbors with a dangerous &
aggressive dog. The only way we got our neighbor down the
street to keep his dog behind the fence was to report when he
was out. and another neighbor reported that her dog was bit
through the fence. (Oakland) dog control went out and talked to
the neighbor, making it clear that he could lose his dog if he
didn't keep it under control. I think you've been more patient
than I would have--I just kept thinking what that dog could do
to my baby, and thought I'd never forgive myself if I let it
happen.
janet
As a dog owner and a mother of a toddler I have just a couple of things
to say... My
dog is well behaved and nearly 11, she is off leash in my presence in
our yards front
and back. After saying this I want to be very clear that no matter how
''good'' a dog
may be it is essential to remember that they are animals with instincts
to defend
themselves, their territory and their people, One should never trust
them completely
around small children. Saying that, my Toddler has learned and learns
every day to
be gentle, not to approach a dog she doesn't know without holding my
hand, not to
go near a dog when they are eating or in your case with a bone in it
its mouth.
approach from the side and never put your face in a dogs face. My dog
is a chow
mix and has growled and snapped at kids who run up to her or try to
pet/hit her.
This is totally natural defensive behavior. I think it is really
important to teach kids
an appropriate way to act around dogs for everyones safety. Your
neighbor's dog
sounds a little aggressive but not dangerous. I imagine it could help
matters to have
a better introduction between dog and kids- no bones or toys present
and with
gentle voices and hands, the dog may then become used to your kids and
stop the
aggression. I also think it was good of you not to report the
snap/bite. Hopefully
your neighbors will work with you on this. Also, often dogs can be more
aggressive
when restrained with a leash.
Just some thoughts- good luck
dog and child lover
I've had a lot of dogs, but I don't consider myself an expert.
So, the best thiung to do is to talk to an expert. Paul Klein
trains dogs at Berkeley Humane, they can probably get you
in touch with him. He is very experienced. IMHO, since this
dog has been allowed to run around off leash, he is unclear
as to exactly where his territory ends. Nor have his owners
been responsible in training him to understand it. Be aware
that small children
can be interpreted as prey by dogs, especially large dogs.
Dogs can be dangerous toward people who are not their
owners, who they are loyal to and will protect, whether the
threat is real or not. Your fear is not overreacting and you do
need to get this situation under control. It is unfortunate that
you have to deal with dog owners who are not responsible
enough to get adequate training for their pet. Talk to Paul,
he will give you good advice.
Dogman
We had a similar problem with next door neighbors. Big dog off
the leash, and 2 little kids. We called the police and they told
us to call Animal Control. They will come out and take the dog
away if the dog wanders into your yard. Stop being nice, and be
aggressive about the safety of your kids. I would rather have my
kids safe than have a good relationship with the neighbor but
have my kids at risk. Obviously, your neighbors don't get it,
and it's up to you to make sure that they do.
Anon
we have three dogs and a child. your neighbor's dog is acting very
possessive perhaps of his own territory and sees you and your baby as
a threat. you've mentioned this to your neighbors already and they
themselves have witnessed it. even though they may seem upset at
having to tie their dogs up in the front yard when the dogs are
playing,
they should realize that they are THIS CLOSE to having their dogs taken
away by animal control because the dog(s) is exhibiting aggression
towards human beings and they as owners aren't always taking
precautions against it.
Dog-on-dog aggression is normal and fine in dogs, but dog-on-human
aggression is NOT fine, if it cannot be corrected. This is dangerous
behavior; and this is the kind of dogs that need to be put to sleep. I
am
not saying that your neighbor's dog is such a dog, but they should be
taking more active steps in curbing/teaching their dogs not to be
aggressive towards people in general and you in particular. if they
can't
correct the behavior, then they need to seriously make sure they can
keep their dogs in control at all times, whether on their property or
outside of their property.
as to the dogs being aggressive by your fenceline - your neighbors have
a right to do whatever they want on their side of the property and so
do
their dogs, even if the dogs are barking and lunging on their side of
the
fence towards you. HOWEVER, they are responsible for having a
SECURE fence, because once those dogs get out of their area and into
yours, then they are responsible for any damage that their dogs do.
if you don't feel comfortable being in the backyard with the kids, i
would
tell the neigbors so and make them understand that the fence has got to
be secure enough for their dogs. other than that, you can't really
report
them just because the dogs are acting territorial in their own backyard
and property. (oh, and for sure make them realize the dogs have to be
leashed/tied in the front yard as well).
this goes without saying, be responsible parents and don't leave your
children out of sight, esp. when they are in the front yard and the
dogs
are also in their front yard.
good luck.
anon
This dog is acting aggressively toward you and your child! I can
say that because I am the former owner of a dominant, alpha dog,
obedience-trained, agility-trained, smart-as-a-whip but meaner-
than-hell neutered 80 lb. male dog that we we finally had to put
down after 8 years of working with him because of recalcitrant
aggressive behavior, especially toward children and small dogs.
It took us so long because we really loved the dog who was sweet
with us, but we ALWAYS had him on leash and never allowed him
outside alone or near children off leash. As much as you don't
want to confront your neighbor, you need to do it for your kid's
safety. Your neighbor is acting very irresponsibly and I can't
believe that his dog has never had another run-in with others in
the neighborhood: dogs don't just act that way overnight. Are
there other neighbors who have had bad encounters with the dog
or could act as witnesses so that you are not the only ''bad
guy?'' Too often, owners don't want to admit to the fact that
their dogs a capable of doing serious harm, but it is time for a
wakeup call. A dog that large can easily permanently injure an
adult, not to mention how terribly he could injure a child. And
that fact that the dog is coming onto your property to harrass
you is just awful. I love dogs, but this could be very dangerous
to your family. Call the animal control for your county, and
explain the situation and find out what recourse you have now
that you have asked the owner several times to obey the law in
terms of the dog. Then, contact your neighborhood or homeowners
association to find out what their position is. Don't wait, the
owner is not doing what he should, and a dog attack can happen
in the blink of an eye and you need to protect your child. There
are too many signs that the dog is giving to think that his
problem behavior is just going to go away. Once you have a plan,
know your rights, have the backing of others and something in
writing, go and talk to the neighbor with another adult or
adults there to support you. Don't let the neighbor bully you
like his dog! The law is on your side, especially with the
heightened awareness of dog attacks in the Bay Area.
Former owner of a sweet but aggressive dog
It doesn't matter whether the dog's behavior is typical or not:
it is obviously and manifestly dangerous. I own two dogs but I
firmly believe that your child's safety is vastly more important
than some dog's ability to roam free and menace you. If you
cannot physically isolate the dog from your child by improving or
adding fencing, you may want to explore mediation or legal
action. The book Neighbor Law by Nolo Press is a good place to
start. It is probably available at your local library.
David, Berkeley
The behavior of your neighbor's dog is not typical and should
not be tolerated! Your child is definitely in danger with your
current situation, and you need to act now to prevent a
tragedy. The dog is agressive and potentially very dangerous
to your toddler. You have several options, and I hope you will
pursue them both. The first is to contact Contra Costa Animal
Control (call info-they are in Martinez) and report that your
neighbor has an agressive dog that is allowed to roam at
large. This is against the law. I urge you to call and report
it every time you see the dog loose. You should also make a
complaint to your HOA since it is against their rules. I don't
know how much they can help you, but it is worth a try. Any
knowledgeable dog trainer will agree this dog is potentially
very dangerous to your toddler, who would be defenseless
against a dog attack. Please act today to safeguard your
child's safety. You would never forgive yourself if a tragic
incident were to occur. p.s. Maybe if you remind your
neighbors what a huge (financial) liability their dog is they
will keep it in, but I doubt it.
-Concerned dog lover and toddler mom
March 2002
My 8 year old Aussie mix has a very strong herding instinct around kids
and I have a baby that is about to start crawling. I am concerned about
what the dog will do when the baby starts motoring around, and also when
other children are around. He already snaps at kids and adults when they
come in or near our house. He is otherwise very loving and I've had him
from 10 weeks, so would love to learn more how I can nip this scary
tendency in the bud. I've just contacted creatureteachers.com as
recommended in today's recommendations listing, but if you have other
recommendations, I'd really appreciate learning of them!
Concerned in Richmond
My herding Shetland Sheepdog mix also has a problem with people. He has a
love/hate relationship with my now 2-year-old son. He has to be wherever my
son is, but he will not let my son touch him. Under no circumstances should
you ever let your baby and your dog be alone together, and you may never get
them to totally get along. But I believe they will be able to co-exist. The
most important thing is to have a time-out area for your dog. This may be a
room that you can close the door to. But I believe the best way to do this
is to get a crate. It is not too late to crate-train your dog. Put some
blankets in the kennel and always give your dog a toy and some treats when
you put him in there. Feed him in the crate. The crate will give your dog a
safe place to be and give your baby quality time with you. You can have the
crate in the same room with your baby, so your dog doesn't feel he's been
isolated. But it gives your baby safety and gives your dog his own
territory. You may !
fi!
nd you want to do this whenever your baby is on the floor. Although many dog
trainers are averse to negative reinforcement, in cases like this, where you
don't want your dog to harm your baby, it is sometimes the only way. One
fairly mild form, but a good way to establish boundaries, is to use a
rolled-up newspaper or magazine. **NO, do not hit your dog with it.*** When
your dog growls or gets too close to your baby, hit the newspaper or
magazine on your arm. For some reason, the noise puts the fear of god in
many dogs. Some dogs also respond to the sound of soda cans filled with
pennies. If your dog gets to close to the baby or snarls, shake the can
vigorously. Be consistent. Your dog will learn that he must keep some
distance from your baby. One other method is to keep your dog's training
leash and collar on him when your baby is crawling. If your dog gets too
close to the baby, give him (the dog) one quick jerk on the leash and firmly
say your dog's ''off'' command (off! !
or no!). Praise your dog when he stays away. Keep a lot of treats on hand and
give your dog treats when he you tell him to stay away from the baby and he
obeys. It's very important that you give the dog a lot of love during this
time, so he doesn't take any jealous feelings out on the baby and he knows
that he's still a much-loved member of the family. At the same time, start
explaining to your baby that s/he must stay away from the dog. Believe me,
though, it's often easier to train the dog! Good luck, and if you have any
questions, send me an e-mail.
Gwynne
Feb 2001
Does anyone have any experience or advice about
Alameda County's animal control office? There is an
aggressive dog who lives in my neighborhood and I've
contacted animal control on several occasions and
haven't gotten anywhere with them. I am repeatedly
told I'll be called back but it hasn't happened. When
I have recontacted them about these incidents I'm told
that someone has contacted the owner but every time I
walk by this house this very large doberman continues
to come running out into the street barking and
growling at me. On the one occasion that I did get
the owner to call him off, the dog ignored the owner
and trotted farther down the street. Since I enjoy
taking walks in my neighborhood with my daughter I
find this whole situation scary and frustrating.
We're currently staying inside until we can be assured
that this dog won't confront us anymore. Any advice
on what to do would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Call animal control and tell them you are so scared you are thinking about
shooting the dog. It worked for us. Maybe you don't want to tell them who you
are, and hang up before they trace the call (just kidding!).
Do you live in Berkeley? If so, call the Berkeley
Police to report an aggressive dog. I've found this
is very effective. (Dog we dealt with was put
on "house arrest" for 10 days and his owners are
more careful now.)
Kristine
You don't say where you live. Since you mention calling Alameda County
Animal Control, I am guessing you live in an unincorporated area. If
Animal Control is being unresponsive, I suggest you go up the hierarchy
of county government. Alameda County is run by a Board of Supervisors,
so you would call the supervisors office and find out who to contact (my
Oakland phone book doesn't list a number for the supervisors' office, but
there is a general county information number, 272-6399). Plan to make a
real nuisance of yourself--write letters, and follow up with phone calls.
Also--and this is very important--you must keep a written log of every
incident, including date, time, names (or description of dog or person if
you don't have names) and a brief factual description of what happened.
It's surprising how easy it is to decide not to bother with this; but the
information in a well-maintained log is crucial.
We are currently dealing with an aggressive-dog-irresponsible-owner
situation in my neighborhood. The city has been very responsive, and
Animal Control is doing what they can; but getting real change in this
kind of situation is slow and calls for persistence. We are finally to
the point where the neighbor's dogs are impounded until he does the
necessary things to keep them confined and gets insurance. If you live
in Berkeley, I can give you some specific information about getting the
city to deal with aggressive dogs.
Louise
Someone told me that a neighbor sent a letter to the Supervisor of the
district, with the head of animal control's name c.c.'d as well as the
head of the local sherriff's office, etc.... I think the idea was that
the bureaucrats become afraid of liability and fianlly follow-up.
Susan
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Last updated: May 25, 2005
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