New Dog Gone Crazy What Do I Do?

Question

I just had a dog 18 mths old 3 days ago. Old owner advised was good with kids & trained. Reason rehomed was he didnt have time. Since I have had him, he runs around the house, jumps everywhere and one ie coffee table, me, sofas. He pushes my kids 2 the floor. He snatches food from hand & plates. He barks constantly in garden. Walking I give up he pulls me to the floor.He is loving and beautiful but this was not what I had in mind. My mum has a dog and she has problems with her. But this is ridiculous. The worst though is I put my 8mth old girl on the sofa and he jumped up and tried to stand on her and then sit on her. It was real hard to get him off. I find myself screaming at him in frustration cause he dont listen. When Im calm and I say no he ignores me. He also barks and growls at my 2yr old son and when I went to brush the garden he backed off thinkin I was gonna hit me. I think old owners used to beat him. Dont know what to do pls can someone give me advice should he stay or go

I had him on wednesday and I found out today that he is a standard american bulldog. I thought he was a white labrador x with a staff. He looks like it. Which is why Im worried with these behaviour probs and this type of dog. If it was any type of dog I prob wouldnt be so worried.

Answer 1

bring him to obedience school for puppy's/dogs

Answer 2

Sorry it's going to be a long answer but please read it!
Sorry to say this but keep him away from the children and take him to a rescue centre ASAP! Tell them exactly what you know and also what you suspect (the brush incident particularly)
I've been rescuing problem dogs for 40 years I've had several who fit the desciption but I had older children who knew how to act around dogs and he needs time and work that quite frankly you haven't got. He's probably a full male, just coming into adulthood which is a very awkward age (teenager in human terms with hormones raging through his body) he's had no training, he may have been hit and he's already acting aggressive round your son! It's a recipe for disaster.
What the heck was the previous owner doing letting you take him in the first place and lying about it. I'd use a broom on him if I had the chance!
YOUR CHILDREN MUST COME FIRST!
With all the will and good intentions in the world, you can't give the dog what he needs at this stage in his life. No-one with 2 young children should even try. Your frustration could turn to anger and his instincts to find his place in the pecking order of the pack could lead him to challenge not just the children but YOU!
He needs someone who can handle him now, with lots of time and a good knowledge of his breed.
Let him go now and I'm sure they'll find a good home for him, wait till your children are older and then get a puppy of a known breed that can be reared and trained to fit your lifestyle and family.
Anyone who thinks you should keep him knows less about dogs than they think they do!

Answer 3

Oh dear. There is a reason why people rehome dogs at around that age and that is the human equivalent of the terrible twos!. Most of the time, you will not be given an honest story by the previous owners otherwise you probably would not have taken him!. My advice is to go to training classes with him. He is going to need a lot of support, love and discipline - it can be done but it will be hard work. He will be hyper because he is so young and is an new environment. Don't give up on him because all he needs is someone to train him - ANY dog will be like this without training - in a way, they are like children in the sense they need rules and boundries. If he shows any agression towards your children then he needs to go as you cannot take any chances. Good luck!

Answer 4

Sounds like you have inherited a slight problem. I say slight because you will get out of this dogEXACTLY what you put into him.

He is excited and frightened and nervous and somewhere totally new with people he doesn't know. How do you think you would feel when you can't actually vocalise to anyone other than barking?

He didn't mean to sit on the baby - he just knows no better!

Train him to keep off the furniture and he will stay off the kids!

What breed is he? Contact the breed owners club for hints and tips on how to calm him down and feel more settled.

Feed him in one place at one time and establish a routine for this dog - he is no more than a child and your kids would misbehave if they had the opportunity to jump around, make as much mess as they could and snatch tasty morsels off everyone wouldn't they. I know I would!

You have to be CALM and CONSISTENT and stand for no crap off this dog!

Please don't give up on him. He is the equivalent of a child and needs just as much love and attention and exercise...and lots of training!

It WILL get better if you persevere and you may find yourself with 'the best dog in the world' and a childhood memory maker for your kids for all the right reasons.

Good Luck.

Answer 5

This dog needs training! He's not doing anything unusual for a dog his age (at 18 months, he's only a 'teenager') who has had his life uprooted and changed.

Get this dog a good leather leash and training collar and start working with him. There are tons of internet sites, books, and videos that will help you turn your new 'monster' into a mannerly dog. He doesn't know that the things he's doing are wrong. Dogs aren't born knowing the boundaries-- that will be up to you to teach since his previous owner didn't give him the care and training they should have.

Get a crate for when you can't watch the dog, and tether him to you with the leash when he's not crated. He'll learn to bond with you, and you can get something done around the house without wondering what he's up to. It will also allow you to teach him basic manners -- he needs to learn to sit or lie down quietly, stay off the furniture, etc. and all of this is much easier with a leash on the dog. (Even if you want him allowed access to furniture at some point, save that privilege for when he's trained, respectful, and knows you are the 'pack leader'. Dogs need to EARN that privilege.)

Until this dog gets some manners, supervise him carefully around your children. No child under the age of 6 should EVER be left unsupervised with even the best dog, nevermind one that has no manners.

Ask around and find a good obedience class for group or private lessons to help get you started, and bear in mind that this is a young dog with boundless energy. You'll need to find a way to give him that exercise. Teach him to fetch, jog with him, take him to an enclosed area and let him run and play with another dog. Just keep him on a long line (30 - 60 ft line) so you can catch him when it's time to go home or if he gets too rough. A tired dog is a good dog :-)

Good luck!

Answer 6

Wow! This is one problem with rehoming a dog - the old owners rarely tell you the truth about why they are getting rid. Whether you keep him or not is up to you, but with 2 young children it doesn't sound as if you have the necessary time to devote to him, I'd also be very wary about him with the children if he's growling at your 2 years old. He hasn't been trained in any way from the sound of things & you would need to go back to basics, use the nothing in life is free method, take him to a good training class (not somewhere like Petsmart) where you could learn how to train him and give him plenty of exercise. Don't take him back to his old owners (who probably wouldn't take him anyway), find a good rescue centre and be honest with them. They may even have a more suitable dog for you. If he is a pedigree, you could contact the relevent breed club and ask them for help.
Before you get another dog, make sure you do plenty of research!!!

Answer 7

American Bulldog? did the pit get left out? You need to find out just what it is. It sounds as though he has learnt to control his environment, It should be the other way round.If you want to keep the kids you have to think about how to handle the dog. Screaming at him is no good, he just screams (barks) back. The only way to deal with this is firm hands on treatment. Every time he misbehaves get hold of him immediately and put him in an enclosed pen to cool off. You may well have some blood spilt before you gain control. If it's yours that's part of the joys of a dog, but could you live with yourself if it was one of the kids?

Answer 8

You could take him obedience but to be honest with a dog that is pushing around my kids I would not have. Sorry but the kids come 1st.
The house he originally came from could have had kids that abused him therefore might not like them & sees them as a threat thats why he is growling etc @ your child as for sitting on your baby big no no.
I would not leave this dog with your children.
I know people say these dogs are nasty by nature but it is usually the owners that do this to them.
Sorry I know this is no fault of your own or the dogs but I would not have this dog, I would look for a more placid dog I would ask to walk the dog before bringing out/home to see what it is like with walking & with your children.
I find a harness is better to control the dog when it is pulling

Answer 9

The Standard American Bulldog is in breeding very similar to the American Pit Bull. These types of dog are banned in a lot of countries because they are very difficult to control unless the owner is an experienced trainer and handler.

Had you had the dog as a young puppy you might have managed to instill some idea of social skills into his small brain, however, to be landed with an adolescent, agressive and unruly animal of this breed is not only unfair, but downright dangerous.

As a professional dog trainer, specialising in problem dogs, I have had several American Bulldogs in my training sessions and all have proved to be very stubborn and headstrong at about this age. I agree with some of your previous answerers, in that the dog is not suitable for a home where it is in close proximity to young children. I would be very wary of letting the children near it especially unsupervised. Because of the dog's nature and his history, of which you have no concrete facts the combination is a serious accident waiting to happen.

My advice to you would be to take the dog to your local rescue organisation or contact the American Bulldog Rescue Society and ask for their help. I do not wish to be alarmist or unkind to your young dog, but it is worth mentioning that some of the larger organisations such as the RSPCA, will almost certainly take the animal and humanely destroy him.

I do wish you all the luck in finding someone, who has the time and expertise, to offer your dog a long and happy life.

If you are in the UK and want any more help you can contact me via The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme (under UK Dog Training) or The Kennel Club Accreditation Scheme for Instructors (Membership Number HR80701).

Answer 10

This is one problem with adopting an older dog rather from a private person or the pound/shelter.
I would either get a kennel and keep him outside and attempt to send him to a good obedience trainer who knows how to train a dog like that.
My Sister got a great dane basically same reason they gave as for getting rid of the dog. the dog attacked her 3 times the last did a good deal of damage.
She took the dog to her vet, come to find out it's where the dog had been before. the dog was diagnosed as necrotic and the best suggestion was to put to sleep as it could never be safe. it had been inbred which the vet thought was more genetic problem.
Another sister had gotten a dobie form a shelter near her and was told the dog was a great dog with EVERYONE,But it went after her son and husband. The dog HATED men.
That's why I go for pups then you can train them the way you want them.

Answer 11

Im not sure what breed your dog is but I have a Staffordhire Bull Terrior and I know that they are very hyper dogs.
I think you should buy your dog a harness and that way you will have more control when walking him and personally, try -with the harness on - walking him round your house letting him have a good sniff around, stroke him and play nice with him but start off slow as he obviously has trust issues. Let him sniff your hand and then slowly stroke him once he has got used to you.
As for the 2yr old I think you should be very careful as if he has been hit or abused then he may be unpredictable, perhaps have your son with an adult sat on the floor, and with the dog on the lead let him sniff him and introduce him like that.
Gte the vets advice also.
Good Luck!