Is my dog being aggressive towards my child?

Question

I have a 65 lb. (very large) 5 year old Australian Shepard and I love this dog. He is very protective of me, if my husband raises his voice or if a stranger comes around he will get in between me and them. Also if another dog wants to be petted he will shoulder in between us and knock them out of the way. He will bite them if they keep trying to get attention from me. I have a 2 year old and they have always played well together but I have noticed that he has started trying to get in between us when I hug her or pick her up. Is he becoming aggressive towards my baby? I never let her around him or any other animal without my supervision, I don't want to get rid of him but I am not going to risk my child, is there anything I can do about this? Also he is an outside dog, he is not allowed in the house at all. And he was neutered several years ago.

Answer 1

I really love dogs and can understand your situation. I would consult a dog trainer to see what if any can be done. A Shepard is a great dog and may be able to be taught that your daughter is just another member of the family however, if it seems after all is said and done you still see the behavior I would call a Australian Shepard rescue place and see if you can place him w/a person or couple who do not have children. Sorry, I wish I could tell you that all will be fine.

Answer 2

A few years ago when I was pregnant I used to watch "The Baby Story" all the time on the TLC Channel, and one day they had a couple on there that had a dog trainer come into their home and instruct them on how to train the dog when the new baby done certain things and how to reward him for not reacting in the right way. It might be worth a shot. I would make sure and put a lock on your door so your baby can't just open it and go out. You need to treat it as if you have a pool now and protect your baby with no regrets.

Answer 3

Your Australian Shepard is just doing what it was born to do, to bring in the troops. He is just herding, which is what they were bred to do. He is looking to you for praise on a job well done. If he snaps at your child, this is a different story. This may be territorial aggression. He may view you as his property and your child is invading his territory. Keep a watchful eye, if he does snap, I would find him a new home without children. Some dogs do not get along with children no matter what. Just like people, every dog has their own personality. Some people like children, others do not. Good luck, I'm sure everything will work out.

Answer 4

If it's an outside dog I wouldn't be too worried then. If the baby is around the dog, just make sure it's supervised. I really don't know why people get dogs if they are going to keep them outside all the time. It really defeats the purpose of having pet.

Answer 5

The nudging is the way dogs show dominancy in a pack. This could very well turn to aggression, especially if your child seems a "threat" to his alpha status. Please check out the Dog Whisperer online or on his show on National Geographic channel. He really gets into a dog's psyche and will explain further. YOU need to establish that YOU are the alpha dog of the pack. Be cautious. Good luck.

Answer 6

I think he is jealous. Spend lots of one on one time with him when you have a chance. Give him something else to focus on when you are with your child in the yard, like a ball or rope. If you are hugging your child and he comes up between you and him, push him away and make him sit. When you are finished with your hugs, praise the dog if he has behaved.

I think everything will be okay here. The older the dog gets the less patient they are, but if you stay in command there shouldn't be an issue here. Keep the dog very stimulated with toys and training.

Good Luck and Take Care.

Answer 7

I would get an English or Italian Mastiff, and let the mastiff know that the child was *his* responsibility, and have the mastiff sleep at the foot of the child's bed. Then *no* dog or human is going to harm the child. I also believe that keeping dogs outside is emotionally cruel to the dog and encourages behavioral problems in the dog.

Answer 8

He has claimed you as his property and he is going to seriously hurt your kid if nothing is done about it. He is running the house not you.

Send him away to dog training school or watch Cesar Milan The Dog Whisperer on the History Channel.

I hope you don't do like many other people and wait until the dog bites your kids in the face then get mad at the dog and have him destroyed. Needs training quickly.

Answer 9

First discuss it with your vet. Then consult an expert dog trainer. A dog trainer spends years studying and perfecting his craft. I'm sure the expense will be worth it. I've seen too many dogs needlessly abandoned or brutalised because the owner couldn't keep them under control. Every child, regardless of the species requires some schooling, and the bigger the animal, more professional must be the training.

Answer 10

Your child IS in danger.

When a grown dog is introduced to a baby, the dog will regard the child in one of three ways.
1) As another human who also has authority over him.
2) As another suboordinate dog that it is expected to get along with, and maybe even likes, but the child will be expected to follow dog rules, and that includes being submissive to the dominant dog.
3) As a varmint, to be killed immediately.

It sounds like your dog is regarding your child along the lines of #2.

77% of children who are bitten by dogs were bitten by their own. But it is important to understand that although you and the child may consider the dog to be yours collectively, the dog only considers himself to be subject to your authority, not the child's.

I did a research paper on pit bulls when I was in college. Part of my report covered the Journal of the American Medical Associations report on Dog Bite-Related Fatalities. Most of these fatal bites were children, and the culprits were not just pit bulls, but covered dogs of many breeds.

In one situation, a child of 3 gave a six year old dog, a family pet that had never shown any aggression towards the child before, a hug around the neck. The dog pulled loose and bit the child on the head, driving one canine through his skull, killing him.

Another case involved a mother who broke a cookie in half, giving half to the dog and half to her child. The dog immediately attacked the child, killing him before the mother could intervene.

Of the 5 to 7 million people (depends on who you ask) who are bitten by dogs every year, most are young children, and most of the scenarios are similar to the ones above.

Play it safe, and get rid of your dog.