# HELP please, aggressive dog and don't know what to do



## prospectbear (Nov 12, 2012)

Hello all, I hope some can offer me some advice? Sorry if this is a long post but really don't know where to turn. 

I have a dog called Frankie, who is 5.5 years old. He came to live with me when he was 1, after his original owners (who I knew through work) had twins and said they couldn't give him the attention he needed. It now turns out they lied and he didn't like the babies, strangers or other dogs but chose not to tell me.

He is a Jack Russell cross with some other small dog, not sure what! Frankie has always had anxiety/ aggression issues.... not good with strangers, other dogs, and children. I have been able to manage this and 'live' with it as he is a lovely dog to those he knows and trusts, he even has a couple of doggie friends. I love him SO much. 

However, life changes as it does. I have a 16 month old son now, whom Frankie tolerates. He's never really shown much interest but now Ted is starting to walk things are a lot more challenging. Ted crawling/ climbing onto sofa to see the dog etc.... Frankie responds by growling, I shout at him, he jumps down and sits somewhere else. 

I thought I could just keep 'managing' their interaction but in my heart I think it is only a matter of when, not if, Frankie will bite him. A week ago he bit my 12 year old nephew on the hand, didn't break the skin but if he had bitten Ted that hard it would have broken the skin.

So I have a problem, what to do for the best. I want to do the right thing for my son but also for Frankie. I don't want my son to be injured but I love that dog so much. He won't be able to be rehomed via dogs trust as they don't take in dogs who show signs of aggression, so my options are training and try and get him to relax and listen to my commands or have him put down. I can't believe I am even thinking of having him put down, I am crying as I type. He is such a wonderful dog 90% of the time. My family and friends think this is a easy thing to decide- not good for Ted then he has to go- but my heart is breaking as I believe that if he isn't here with me no one else will have him and he will have to be put down.

I said it would be a long post and if you are still reading thank you! Any advice or thoughts would be welcome.

x


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## blossom21 (Oct 29, 2012)

What an awful dilemma for you,and how anxious it must make you with a toddler around. Can the dog not be kept in another room with a gate between him and the baby? Obviously you cant keep an eye on both 24/7 but dogs can and do inflict nasty bites. Im fortunate my dog is great with my grandchildren but they are older. Babies dont understand about giving a dog space. If it came down to the baby or the dog then personally it would have to be the dog.As hard as that decision would be the baby needs to be kept safe. Have you thought of buying a soft muzzle for when he's around the baby that may be your answer. Im sure more experienced dog owners will have advice for you.


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## Owned By A Yellow Lab (May 16, 2012)

Has he been checked over by a vet, in case there is some underlying condition causing the aggression...? Dogs in pain can sometimes display problem behaviours. Your vet should also do blood tests - there are other folk on here who will no doubt offer more detail on the specific tests needed.

Assuming all is fine physically, then a trainer or behaviourist should be your next step. Someone experienced who ONLY uses positive methods. Stay away from anyone who talks about being 'alpha' or 'pack leader'!

Once someone experienced has assessed your dog, you will have a clearer picture of whether the problem can be 'solved' or managed.

I wish you the best of luck, it's very stressful for you all.


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## ozrex (Aug 30, 2011)

*The correct answer is to separate dog and baby while you get help from a behaviourist and I would do just that. Be guided by the behaviourist.*

If all else fails - I'm just preparing to die - deep breath.... One of my patients had a Jack Russell that bit people. All sorts of people, including her. Believe me she was NOT the kind of person to train a dog. When she had grandchildren her daughter-in-law refused to allow them to come to the house when the elder child began to walk. My patient -very sadly- took the dog to the vet to be put to sleep. The vet was reluctant to kill the dog as it was only about 5/6 and very healthy. He removed all the dog's teeth.

It's gross, I know and I would never do it, but it saved this dog's life. The dog still growled and bit but it could only give a nasty pinch. They tried to keep the dog away from the children still, but the children were allowed to visit as the dog was "safe". The dog ate tinned food and lived to be about 16.


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

You have no choice but to rehome.

A jack Russell is a working terrier and as such does not make an ideal family pet.

As a rescue we will not rehome a terrier in with babies or small children. They have to be very highly socialised and your dog has not been.

A behaviourist cannot "fix" a terrier. They are what they are.

Our rescue specialises in working terriers (I deal with the staffy side)

Please read this section on our website. It explains why terriers are NOT suitable for babies

Our Approach « Terrier Rescue

PM me to discuss rehoming


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

I prefer to use the term Reactive. This is what a dog does. He reacts to what is happening. Dogs don`t `dislike` children. They are not trained or socialised. To a dog, a child is a separate species - not a human in need of care. They are loud, unpredictable and scary. And they throw things and poke you. 
Managing the situation must be done with some regard to the fact the dog is anxious. Shouting makes the situation worse. Using a safety gate to separate the two, and providing the dog with a safe space to go to, and training him to go to it on command is a better option. 
You don`t say what the other child was doing when the confrontation happened. I`m not saying the child was at fault - I`m saying that children don`t know dog behaviour and body language and therefore need to be supervised by an adult. 
The fact that the dog could have bitten *but didn`t* is in his favour IMO. The child I assume ignored Warning One - stiffening and staring, and also Warning Two - growl, so the dog would have gone to Option Three - feel my teef - without escalation to Options that would have injured the child. Don`t you feel that earns him a stay in execution? 
Any dog you have will need to be trained and supervised around your child. It isn`t the fault of the dog that you haven`t trained him - read this articles? 
http://www.thebehaviourcompany.com/documents/dogs-and-children.pdf

Dogs Trust - Children and Dogs


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## prospectbear (Nov 12, 2012)

Thanks to all that have posted. I have been to the Vets, have some tablets that might help calm him (they are natural remedy). I have also moved his bed into a more 'quiet' room where we spend less time, so he can rest and relax without having to worry about Ted all the time. I have found some info on clicker training to try and help me manage him and get him to listen to me. even after one day I can see a slight improvement, but this could just be my confidence?? 

I will NEVR trust Frankie with Ted, however if I can get him into a behaviour where he listens to commands then maybe he has a chance of being rehomed - (Goodvic, I will PM you about this, thank you). 

I was having a cuddle with Frank while my son was having a nap and he is just the most cuddly, lovely dog... once he can trust you... I think he deserves all of my energy and help to be the best he can be, it isn't his fault I had to go and have a baby!!
Thanks again


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## fluffybunny2001 (Feb 8, 2008)

just wanted to add,please don`t tell your dog off for growling,that is a warning,stoppping them from growling,means next time could just be a straight bite.
can`t offer any other advice


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## prospectbear (Nov 12, 2012)

Hadn't thought of it like that, thanks. This afternoon Frankie has been a bit calmer, he has his bed in a much quieter room now. I got over feeling guilty at 'pushing him out' when I saw him sleeping and relaxed!


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

I do think you're on the right lines with clicker training and would so urge you to continue with positive reinforcement rather than shouting at him. As you say, it's not his fault you have a child and I imagine his world has been turned upside down with this little person suddenly walking. Now he's being shouted at. It's said that shouting breeds aggression and Frankie did the right thing by warning Ted, it's just that Ted didn't understand of course. As Ted gets older he should.

You might find that a one to one trainer might be able to give you some positive help in the safety and comfort of your own home?


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

prospectbear said:


> Hello all, I hope some can offer me some advice? Sorry if this is a long post but really don't know where to turn.
> 
> I have a dog called Frankie, who is 5.5 years old. He came to live with me when he was 1, after his original owners (who I knew through work) had twins and said they couldn't give him the attention he needed. It now turns out they lied and he didn't like the babies, strangers or other dogs but chose not to tell me.
> 
> ...


First off, you should never stop a dog from growling. That is his warning and if it is taken away, he will go straight for the bite. At the moment, he is still respecting your son and warning him. It is up to you to teach the child that when the dog growls, he backs off. I know he is very young, but he is not too young to learn this. Good idea to perhaps have a stairgate across the kitchen doorway or another room and keep the dog in there when the child is up and about. That way they can still see each other and interact without the danger.

When my grandson was born and lived with us, we had a dog who positively hated children. My grandson was 18 months old when we lost him and in all that time we managed by letting the dog find his own space and making sure the baby never disturbed him.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

ozrex said:


> *The correct answer is to separate dog and baby while you get help from a behaviourist and I would do just that. Be guided by the behaviourist.*
> 
> If all else fails - I'm just preparing to die - deep breath.... One of my patients had a Jack Russell that bit people. All sorts of people, including her. Believe me she was NOT the kind of person to train a dog. When she had grandchildren her daughter-in-law refused to allow them to come to the house when the elder child began to walk. My patient -very sadly- took the dog to the vet to be put to sleep. The vet was reluctant to kill the dog as it was only about 5/6 and very healthy. He removed all the dog's teeth.
> 
> It's gross, I know and I would never do it, but it saved this dog's life. The dog still growled and bit but it could only give a nasty pinch. They tried to keep the dog away from the children still, but the children were allowed to visit as the dog was "safe". The dog ate tinned food and lived to be about 16.


I am sure the dog would have been happier, and the children safer, with a basket muzzle for when they visited.


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## ozrex (Aug 30, 2011)

You are absolutely correct Newfiesmum and if they were sensible people this might have worked. So might training the dog.... or shutting it in another room.

They were the kind of exuberent, noisy, careless but happy people that you meet. The sort that would just walk in to the house without telephoning or knocking first. Who would think "someone" ought to muzzle the dog but not actually do it themselves (to be fair the dog would have bitten anyone who tried to put it on). Who would allow children to pull the dog's muzzle off without noticing that they were doing it. You know the type?

Then there would be huge dramas.

The d-i-l didn't just announce calmly that the grandchildren would not be visiting. She rang everyone in floods of tears to tell them that my patient preferred the dog to the children; that the dog would kill a child; what X, Y and Z had said about it yadda, yadda.

My patient was noisily proclaimimg how much she loved the dog; how cruel d-i-l was being; how she couldn't bear killing her precious dog......... You get the picture?

It was a horrible thing to do but actually _for them _it was the only thing to do. Awful as it may have been and unnecessary as it may have been for you and me at least the dog lived. Honestly I don't think the dog cared once its mouth healed.

I only mentioned it because the options seemed a little limited. Re-homing a dog that has behaved badly towards people/children may not work out and may result in the dog's death. It would here. I swear in Melbourne no-one would re-home a dog with that sort of issue for fear of litigation. Separating the baby and the dog looked difficult and keeping an active toddler away from a dog 24/7 is very difficult. My younger Monster climbed out of his cot and had a lovely time roaming the house one night; he was 11 months old. Working with a dog to reduce that behaviour may not result in 100% success and who has the ability to work intesively with a dog and cope with an active toddler's needs. Perhaps the baby may be lucky enough to have a little brother or sister one day? Then what?


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## tanglewood3 (Nov 13, 2012)

Re Frankie
It's not for me to say what you should do with your dog; you know him, I don't, but I'll just say the points to consider.
First and foremost your baby is your priority; you cannot wait until there is an accident to decide what to do. 
In the short term Frankie should either be shut out of the room or wear a muzzle when the baby is around. This will bide you time while you decide what to do, but it is not a long-term solution.
Try not to shout at Frankie as he will probably associate it with the baby.
If he is fine when he is used to someone, you could make nice associations with the baby, treats etc, bit you really need a trainer to come and see him to give you ideas.
Even if he gets used to the baby what will happen if he falls over as he goes past him and grabs him for something to hold onto, or rushes past screaming/shouting/making funny noises as toddlers do.
What about when the baby's older and wants friends around or you want friends with their toddlers around.
If he's always had anxiety/aggression issues with the best will in the world, you're unlikely to change him now.
Sorry not to be more positive, but it's a very difficult situation. If you do decide to try and rehome him privately, please point out his issues. You never know there might be someone whose lifestyle would suit him but be very careful as to the type of home that would welcome a dog with aggressive tendencies.


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## SleepyheadSam (Nov 15, 2012)

I'm so sorry you're in such a difficult situation. I really don't think you need to think about putting him down though.
I'm working in a dog training centre, I am not qualified or anything, just help out there. But I think you should bring your dog to a training class, not a 1 on 1 as socialization would definitely help him and could you bring your nephew? Having children getting the dog to sit or lie down could be great for him.
With him growling at your son, there are ways to help with that but I really think going to a good training place would show you so many things for him. Jack Russells are great little dogs and most love doing agility like jumps, gives them lots to think about.
I'd never trust a dog with children anyway, but if I were you I would try the training and socializing and if your still not happy get in touch with a rescue shelter, they try to re-home any dogs, It sounds like Frankie would be able to get a good home if it wasn't working out for you and your son.

My foster dog sounds a lot worse than Frankie so she will be re-home in place place without children. Getting her put down just isn't an option, theres always someone,

Good luck with everything


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