When it comes to people and kids. BUT once last night and once 4 months ago he gave 3 warning barks and snaps for no reason to 2 small children one was my 1 year old nephew.The other was a 3 yr old girl that wanted to pet him. What would cause him to do this?
2007-02-19 00:33:55 · 13 answers · asked by billes_2006 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
this is definetly something you do not want....the best advice I could give you would be to take your GSD to a reputable trainer. It sounds like your dog is generally not around kids and has not been socialized with them. a trainer will help you look for warning signs that your dog is becoming reactive and help you steer him in another direction using a positive approach. try looking for a shy/reactive dog class in your area...skip petsmart that is basic obedience and you are going to need a different form of training him. I went through this type of class with my GSD because he was reactive around other dogs and some people when he was 5 months old. and it helped immensely. the class cost around $160 but was worth every penny!
you asked what caused him to do this? usualy it is fear, but it more than likely is a lack of socialization. he doesn't know how to act around small kids, training definetly would help him and make you feel secure in the knowledge that he can be trusted, but this takes lots of time and consistency on your part. GSD's are very intelligent I own a german bred GSD and have small chilldren. and I have to say that he is one of the best dogs I have ever owned. he was taught from the begining who is alpha...me! and that even my 3 yr old is above him on the pecking order. you have to remember too that kids can give "hard loving" to dogs, ears being pulled, hair pulled, sat on etc. it is going to be up to you to teach not only the dog but kids how to interact with the dog and if you are nervous or excited that is transmitted to the dog. so training both of you is a must. this is just my opinion, I hope it helps you somewhat!
2007-02-19 01:17:28 · answer #1 · answered by julie's_GSD_kirby 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First, in order for a dog to be good with children they need to be raised with them around them.
Second, I think the big issue here is the dog isn't properly trained, part of getting a puppy is having the time to train it, if it wasn't properly trained then it needs to be fixed now. Dogs are pack animals and from what it sounds like your dog believe that they are the leader of the pack. Many people believe that it is cute when a puppy doesn't listen, which lead to a dog (much bigger) that doesn't listen and can become a threat. If you allow your dog to lead you, you will have no control over it. I would look into even a basic training class, this will help the dog realize that you are the pack leader and that they must listen.
2007-02-19 02:04:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anne H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
GSDs are naturally mistrustful dogs and you need to always remember this.
I have 2 males as different as night and day but both are the same in the fact that they hate anyone who tries to force themselves on them.
Small children have a tendency to act unruly and everyone thinks it's cute when they're jumping around waving their little arms and screaming.The dog sees only aggressive behavior and will defend itself in the only manner it can.
It does'nt matter how many times someones been to my house the dogs are put in another room until the person is settled in a chair and they are told the dogs are coming out and they are to ignore them completely allowing the dog to come to them.
People with small or unruly children are discouraged from coming here but when they show up the dogs are put up to keep THEM from harms way.I'm not running a petting zoo and my dogs are not here to entertain others kids while I visit.In public it never fails that someone reches to pet my dogs and they have to jerk back a hand quickly so I have to try to avoid anyone who looks at my boys as tho they're about to come up and reach for them.Now they are both adults just having a stranger look either one in the eye will set them off.
It's better to avoid an accident rather than wait for one to happen.So have a care and keep a watchful eye on the dog at all times.When you leave the room take the dog with rather than leave it unattended with any child.
2007-02-19 01:38:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I wasn't there, but I'd wonder if the dog thinks YOU are HIS, and that his job is to make sure those children know HE owns you. I would suggest getting some obedience classes going for him to establish yourself as alpha (top) dog and make sure he knows his rank in the family. Then you will have a lot more control over his behavior around people. Petsmart has reasonably priced classes - check them out. Good luck!
2007-02-19 00:40:00 · answer #4 · answered by jussamagin2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your dog didn't want these children around him for some reason. He needs to go to training classes to learn good behavior in all situations and you need to absolutely keep him away from children until this is resolved. He could escalate from warning children to stay away to biting them. Punishing him will make this worse not better. You need to learn prevention and a trainer will help you.
2007-02-19 01:06:39 · answer #5 · answered by pet persson 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe they approached him in a wrong way and he felt threatened. Or, they might have pinched him or hurt him in some sort of way while you weren't looking.
You should never leave the kids alone with the dog, no matter what breed.
2007-02-19 00:37:26 · answer #6 · answered by tamara_cyan 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Truly incredible dog
This fundamentalist Christian couple felt it important to own an equally fundamentally Christian pet. So, they went shopping. At a kennel specializing in this particular breed, they found a dog they liked quite a lot. When they asked the dog to fetch the Bible, he did it in a flash. When they instructed him to look up Psalm 23, he complied equally fast, using his paws with dexterity.
They were impressed, purchased the animal, and went home (piously, of course). That night they had friends over. They were so proud of their new fundamentalist dog and his major skills, they called the dog and showed off a little. The friends were impressed, and asked whether the dog was able to do any of the usual dog tricks, as well. This stopped the couple cold, as they hadn't thought about 'normal' tricks.
"Well," they said, "let's try this out."
Once more they called out to the dog, and then clearly pronounced the command, "Heel!"
Quick as a wink, the dog jumped up, put his paw on the man's forehead, closed his eyes in concentration, and bowed his head.
http://laugh-a-cow.com/top10.php
2007-02-19 00:36:31 · answer #7 · answered by om 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Your dog is probably not trained right.But if you go to dog school with it the dog will learn something and the kids might have disturbed the dog that it felt threatened.It's either that the kids might have disturbed it or harmed it or the dog...You decide...
2007-02-19 02:50:59 · answer #8 · answered by Adrianek 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a socialization problem. Join a local obedience club and get involved in obedience training and socialization with him.
2007-02-19 01:07:52 · answer #9 · answered by bear 2 zealand © 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There could be many reasons for this. To me, dogs have a sense beyond humans.
I go with the dog's instincts................the dog might be sensing something negative about those kids.
2007-02-19 00:54:59 · answer #10 · answered by Made in America 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋