Agression Towards Children Only

[Jeff Jones]

But I think the OP might of found it confusing as they dont know who or who havent you used.

ETA: RottyLover01 no malice is intended from my posts as I know you have used alot of trainers regarding your situation and are still seeking trainers and guidance to get your dog under control.

Edited October 31, 2007 by Jeff Jones

[RL1]

But I think the OP might of found it confusing as they dont know who or who havent you used.

Fair comment, my mistake. I've used Dog Tech, Team Work, Multi National K9 and The Pawman.

[Vickie]

C&Z, at the end of the day there are no guarantees, especially when there is a genetic component involved (I think I read somewhere of another reactive behaviour he has?).

If you find a great behavioural trainer, if you interpret their advice correctly and if you do exactly what they say, you may find his issues easier to manage.

But it's a big call to ever really be able to make his fear totally disappear. I live with a dog who is fearful of children. I am extremely vigilant with my own children & other children when he is around. I manage the situations & feel like I have enough knowledge & experience to do so. I know his fear will never completely go away, but I have taught him to trust me to look after him & if he feels uncomfortable he will generally come & sit beside me. It has been a work in progress for many years, IF there is a quick fix, I haven't found it.

My goal has always been for him to co-exist with children & we have achieved this. But I never encourage him to be happy or choose to engage with children, it is enough for me that he is not reactive toward them. Even so, I still often put him in a safe (for him as well as the kids) area if I feel he is at all stressed.

Edited October 31, 2007 by Vickie

[poodlefan]

In terms of advice, you're to some degree going to get what you pay for. You want a behavioural specialist with a track record for dealing with such an issue and not just some general advice.

Have to disagree with that, i've spent a fair bit of money on one's with a so called proven track record and didn't get much more than advice. I guess it's a matter of finding the right one. I myself have all but given up on handing over anymore cash to these so called specialist trainers. I really wonder now if some trainers receive their qualifications out of a cornflake's box. I hope the topic starter finds the right one.

So do I but she doesn't need a trainer. She needs a qualified behaviouralist ie someone with qualifications in animal behaviour and with a track record of success. The best way to find one is word of mouth from someone who's been successfully helped. People like that do not get their qualifications out of a cereal box.

There are no miracle cures and the realistic goal IMO is desensitation to the point where the behaviour can be managed. Sometimes, given the handler/dog combination, there may be very little that can be done to improve the situation. I don't think it's the case here but I do think there's such a thing as a dog that's genetically hard wired for aggression. Given the right environment (indeed almost any environmnent) it will manifest in some dogs.

[Lil Miss LeiLani]

Thanks for all your replies everyone.

I understand that by putting him in a situation with children will probably make things worse, as our trainer suggested.

Vickie - I believe that if your dog has your 100% trust, he will know that you will never do anything to hurt him. Which of your dogs has this problem ? How old when the problems started happening - was your dog tormented by children to make him this way, or something he always had ?

Our dog was fine with children, until the kids next door started throwing things over the fence to/at him. Its almost as if he needs to have his mind cleared of this past experience so he can forget that children are bad. Almost like we need a hypnotist !!

[Griffo]

That sounds great. I think we perhaps need to put Zorro in a situation where there are kids around, and correct him when he starts to misbehave.

But as we don't have kids or really know any, it is hard.

When we take him to the markets of a sunday, there are lots of kids around, but he doesn't even pay attention to them.

When we go to obedience classes, there are a couple of kids there, if they come too close, he starts to get funny, and same with kids at the beach on the weekend.

Not at the dog park though...

Correcting a fearful dog is not a good idea. What you'll be doing is teaching your dog that showing warning signs (back off signs) is wrong. This can lead to your dog biting without any warning as the typical warning signs you would have gotten before he bites (growling, hackles etc) will be corrected out him.

It also does not serve to make the dog more comfortable or confident around the trigger. It is not showing the dog that the trigger (children) are a positive thing because he is forever getting corrections around them.

You need to reward his positive behaviour and if the dog is too agitated and there is no positive behaviour then you are too close to the trigger and need to move back to a point where the dog knows the children are there but will still focus on you...reward him for focusing on you and also calm behaviour while watching the children.

Insure the children ignore him and make no eye contact with him as this is perceived as threatening/challenging to the dog. Do not allow the children to approach your dog or come towards you. If yur dog gets too agitated then relieve the pressure, move him away then back again.

Most important thing tho is that your leadership is 100%. You might think it is, but if the dog is fearful then he is not trusting you to protect him. You need to insure your a really strong leader and dont put the dog in a position where he ever has to protect himself...that's what you are for, you need to be reliable, fair, predictable, confident.

Think carefully and honestly about your own body language when you come across children. If you are nervous in the slightest then you will project this onto the dog. You need to have relaxed and confident body language. Think success, not failure.

You might find that putting a muzzle on your dog will help you to relax by knowing he cant hurt anyone, and therefore your dog will also be more relaxed. Do not put the children in danger. You need to have 100% control over the situation at all times. The more your dog practices the behaviour, the harder it will be to break it.

I can not stress how important it is that you get your leadership perfect before tackling this problem.

I know you said you can not afford to see another behaviourist, but it is really important you insure this behaviour is indeed fearful behaviour and not being mistaken. Believe me, it is a very easy mistake to make. Programs for your dog will also depend on your dogs nerves etc... that is why getting points etc over a forum/internet etc is NEVER a good idea because we have not seen your dog, which is extremely important. What works for one dog will not work for another.

One thing that will always help tho is your leadership and getting a good hold on that.

Edited November 1, 2007 by Rachelle