What Would You Do?

[Kajtek]

To Secret Kei

[Greytmate]

absolutly no not rehome this dog it is dangerous.

i think sleep overs are extreamly important for kids.

but you have a massive dog issue. this dog is dangerous you need to get help

I wonder if this was a bigger dog this dog would still be here sorry but i would have PTS the 2nd time it bailed someone up first time maybe an allowance 2nd time attacking someone good bye dog

If the dog bails someone up (or bites) it's a management problem. Manage it correctly and there won't be a 2nd time - and if there is then the owner needs to look at WHY and HOW it happened and fix the problem rather than blaming the dog.

Your job as an owner is to protect your dog from that which they are fearful of, not place them in a comprimising situation then label them as dangerous or aggressive when they fail.

Whether or not NicoleL has failed as an owner, there may no 'fix', and the dog does fit the label of being aggressive and dangerous. No point in apportioning blame to any person or dog, as that won't solve anything.

I would say that unless a secure lockable pen is available for the dog, it will continue to be a danger.

If the dog is out of its pen, you would need to make sure the house and yard were secured properly so that nobody could inadvertently walk into the dog's area.

Basically it would need to be kept in the same way that any ferocious guard dog would need to be kept.

To totally ban other children from the house seems overly restrictive of your own kids, and may not be entirely possible to enforce.

This dog is certainly not a candidate for rehoming, yet it isn't really a suitable pet for the situation it is in now.

[aussielover]

How stressful for you!

This dog is not suitable to be rehomed. She has shown aggression to humans and there is no way any rescue group or pound would rehome her. If you can find an experienced person without kids who is willing to take on a "problem dog" then that may be an answer, provided they know the full history of the dog.

Sadly, these people are few and far between.

Your options are:

1. Keep the dog as a "dangerous dog" would be kept when you have friends over

2. Consult a behaviourist to asses your dog and help you figure out your options

Good luck with your decision, it would not be an easy one to make....

[Christina]

Obviously your children have to have friends visit & sleepovers are great fun.

My daughters chihuahua ( long gone now at 16 ) turned into psycho dog at a few years old, for some unknown reason.

We just put him away when children visited. A bit easier with a tiny dog but as long as you & your family feel safe dealing with her & she is not a risk to the public re home or put down is not needed really.

You just need to figure out a fool proof way of securing her.

I would not muzzle & have her around everyone. May make her feel helpless & stress or get more aggressive.

Sometimes there is no answer or cure. It just happens & no one knows why.

[Nekhbet]

do NOT use a muzzle. A dog can bash a child severely and terrorise them and itself. If rehoming is your option, no this dog needs to be put to sleep instead if it is attacking children.

you need to get on top of this dogs aggression towards humans and get it sorted for yourself and the dogs sake. Frankly time to invest in a different training method. It's not just because of sleep overs but if you NEED to have a child in the house for whatever reason and it gets out you need to have a safety net. Frankly Delta + aggression I have not seen effective at all.

Feel free to pop down to my place for half a day and we can sort it out

Edited November 21, 2010 by Nekhbet

[Rascalmyshadow]

Thankyou for so many constructive replies, I am trying to get my head around the situation.

At this stage there is no risk of her being PTS she is a high strung dog and I do agree it is a management problem.

I can invite adult guests into the house and she is great you would never even know there was a problem. She is wonderful with all our family including grandparents etc.

She is normally exceptionally well mannered and very easy to get along with but she dislikes unfamiliar kids and dogs which is making it hard for my children.

We live in a little court and the kids have friends in 5 different houses they play with on a daily basis and I am always on edge worrying incase a door gets left open, my kids are very good and careful but there can still be accidents.

I was hesitant in using a muzzle because she is a large dog and damage can still be done and I also agree it would probably make her feel more out of control.

I can't afford to see Robert Holmes at this stage, I am going in for surgery on my hand at the start of Jan and I will be off work for a couple of months so we have to be very careful with money for a while.

Nekhbet thanks for you offer I will chat to my OH you are a long way from us but if we could organise something that would be a great help.

I don't want to lose this girl she is my dream dog and apart from this one problem she is perfect in every other way.

I am going to see if we can put another set of gates on our carport and turn it into a dog run, at least it is covered in and can be locked.

I do have someone that would probably be willing to take her, they are on an acreage, no kids and are home a lot but I really don't want to let her go I would rather find a solution.

[Moselle]

absolutly no not rehome this dog it is dangerous.

i think sleep overs are extreamly important for kids.

but you have a massive dog issue. this dog is dangerous you need to get help

I wonder if this was a bigger dog this dog would still be here sorry but i would have PTS the 2nd time it bailed someone up first time maybe an allowance 2nd time attacking someone good bye dog

It isn't the dog's fault that it has issue, obviously past experience has moulded it to the way it is now; putting it to sleep is simply unfair, there are always other avenues.

Edited to correct spelling.

Edited November 21, 2010 by Moselle

[Rusky]

do NOT use a muzzle. A dog can bash a child severely and terrorise them and itself. If rehoming is your option, no this dog needs to be put to sleep instead if it is attacking children.

you need to get on top of this dogs aggression towards humans and get it sorted for yourself and the dogs sake. Frankly time to invest in a different training method. It's not just because of sleep overs but if you NEED to have a child in the house for whatever reason and it gets out you need to have a safety net. Frankly Delta + aggression I have not seen effective at all.

Feel free to pop down to my place for half a day and we can sort it out

[Greytmate]

It isn't the dog's fault that it has issue, obviously past experience has moulded it to the way it is now; putting it to sleep is sleeping unfair, there are always other avenues.

Life is not fair and other avenues are either risky or unethical.

Children's safety has to be the priority.

[SpikesPuppy]

absolutly no not rehome this dog it is dangerous.

i think sleep overs are extreamly important for kids.

but you have a massive dog issue. this dog is dangerous you need to get help

I wonder if this was a bigger dog this dog would still be here sorry but i would have PTS the 2nd time it bailed someone up first time maybe an allowance 2nd time attacking someone good bye dog

Hope much bigger than a Standard Poodle do you want?

Nicole- is this your beautiful white girl I met a few years ago? I think she was just a pup then.

I hope you can get something sorted out, Nekhbet is a great start

Good luk with it all n

[Nekhbet]

thats OK pack up the kids and dog into a car and make a day of it ;) saturdays are good and you can stay as long as you need to (and we can fire up the BBQ as well if needs be )

meanwhile if she does suffer anxiety try some calming paste on a daily bases, 2ml per day straight into her mouth. I found the good manners paste to be quite punchy when it comes to making a difference. As for high strung if you see my Malinois I think yours has a kindred spirit

If you want to visit robert holmes be prepared to morgage your house. If I do recommend medications, and it is a rare occurance since 99% of the time changing the dogs lifestyle, training technique etc tends to make a difference, I send people to a good vet they trust and knows the dog.

[Moselle]

It isn't the dog's fault that it has issue, obviously past experience has moulded it to the way it is now; putting it to sleep is sleeping unfair, there are always other avenues.

Life is not fair and other avenues are either risky or unethical.

Children's safety has to be the priority.

Children's safety is important but it was due to mischievious children that this problem came into being. There are other methods that can be adopted. The dog can be isolated when kids are over. Where there is a will, there is always a way! Perhaps boarding the dog overnight for the occasional sleepover or as the OP has stated, restricting it to one part of the backyard. Killing a dog that is loving and affectionate with members of its own family and relatives alike deserves far more than to be destroyed.

[Greytmate]

It isn't the dog's fault that it has issue, obviously past experience has moulded it to the way it is now; putting it to sleep is sleeping unfair, there are always other avenues.

Life is not fair and other avenues are either risky or unethical.

Children's safety has to be the priority.

Children's safety is important but it was due to mischievious children that this problem came into being. There are other methods that can be adopted. The dog can be isolated when kids are over. Where there is a will, there is always a way! Perhaps boarding the dog overnight for the occasional sleepover or as the OP has stated, restricting it to one part of the backyard. Killing a dog that is loving and affectionate with members of its own family and relatives alike deserves far more than to be destroyed.

That will only work if there is absolutely no chance that an unfamiliar child could accidentally wander into the dog's territory. It would require construction of a special enclosure for the dog, and perhaps changes to house and yard locks.

That would restrict Nicole's children's current lifestyle, as Nicole explained "We live in a little court and the kids have friends in 5 different houses they play with on a daily basis and I am always on edge worrying incase a door gets left open".

Providing exercise for this dog will require special consideration, as well as controlling the environment to avoid the dog becoming anxious about anything in future.

It doesn't matter now why this dog is unhappy around strange children to the point of aggression, or whose fault that was. What is important is that no child is bitten by this dog.

Nicole needs to consider all of the options and what is going to work for her now. Yes, when there is a will there is always a way, but there are huge risks to be considered too.

[persephone]

Just a slight aside...

Ok- so a dog run is built .. a dog is inside . This dog lunges at and snaps at unknown children ..when out walking, or if children are on her territory.

I just wonder how this dog will feel/react locked in a run..hearing/seeing kids in 'her' yard/house..and being restricted like that?Could it escalate a problem?

The boarding out suggestion ..for a highly strung dog s..not sure at all about that being in teh dog's best interests,unfortunately.

[Rascalmyshadow]

nekhbet where do I get the calming paste? I will definately give it a try. Are you available on a Sunday or Monday OH and I usually work Saturdays. Would be wonderful if we could make a day of it and thanks for including my kids.

Spikespuppy it is my white girl, she is 6years old now. We have done everything we could to socialise her especially when she was a puppy, but I know this temperament is in her lines (didn't know when I got her) and I feel some days I am fighting a losing battle but we will try anything within our means. She is so much a bitch I had to give up my bunnies and piggies because she jumped through the open bedroom window and killed two and she bit chunks out of the timber on a hutch. Her prey drive is very high.

We are lucky that she is very obedient and will do as she's told but we always have to be ready.

Worst thing is she was supposed to be the one I was going to do agility and flyball with, I wanted to be able to take her everywhere including work, which I have basically banned her from coming because of her attitude to other dogs. She does love all the staff members at work and will sit and shake hands for a treat without being asked.

Here she is doesn't look like she'd harm a fly which makes it even harder.

[shells]

I wonder if this was a bigger dog this dog would still be here frown.gif sorry but i would have PTS the 2nd time it bailed someone up first time maybe an allowance 2nd time attacking someone good bye dog

A Standard Poodle isnt small and fluffy.

NicoleL - If I was in your position. I would crate her in a quiet room - sleepovers may be more difficult to manage as it will be a longer timeframe but for playdates crating with a kong/bone would be ideal until you can see a behaviourist.

I have a situation where one of my daughters good friends is terrified of my dogs and when I know she is coming over I get some nice bones and either put them outside or in the laundry with the bones until the friend leaves. I do find it a pain in the bum but try and minimise everyones discomfort - especially that of my beautiful furbabies

[Staranais]

I'd advise you to take up Nekhbet's offer, and to crate or otherwise securely isolate the dog from kids in the meantime.

Some dogs just don't like (or are reactive to) kids. I expected to have to manage my girl carefully around children when I got her, having to be careful around kids is just part and parcel of having some types of dog. I guess you don't expect it when you get a poodle. But I see no reason why you can't modify the behaviour and/or manage the situation so everyone is safe, so long as you take it seriously & seek all the help you can get.

[Nekhbet]

yup mondays are good for me pick a nice day and you guys are welcome here as long as you need to be unfortunately I have children of my own to provide but we can work on a heap of things anyway

I can tell you my own working line is not keen on children either but she wouldnt dare hurt them. I had them climb my fence and pelt her with glass bottles so you can see where it comes from. She can now have small children around her when we're out and about and if she fells nervous she has been taught to focus on me and I move her away I dont expect a dog to sit there and take it, but I expect her NEVER to redirect onto a child.

Nicole I have ferrets and a rabbit so we can work on her prey drive.

[TsarsMum]

i am going to say i did not realize it was a standard poodle my appoligys for not know out the many pics it was the big one. i just think when i read snapped at a childs face i thought small dog. not a large one.

ps your dog looks lovely i do love the big fluffy poodles. I used to groom a big white girl like yours she was an amazing dog had men issues (she was very badly beaten up by a man)

I hope you get help and no more problems.

I am just very protective when it comes to children and aggresive pets and see that childrens saftey is the most important thing

and i am not someone to type 100 extra words to sugar coat i just say it.

[Monah]

Nicole, she is gorgeous. Good luck fantastic Nekhbet, you are an angel.xx