my beloved 2 1/2 year old doberman keeps biting my son (not enough to cause serious damage, yet)...

lately every time my son gets near me to talk, my dog loses it and chases him, snapping, growling, biting...

i'm am definately afraid for my son. what can be done??

Originally Posted by sammygirl

my beloved 2 1/2 year old doberman keeps biting my son (not enough to cause serious damage, yet)...

lately every time my son gets near me to talk, my dog loses it and chases him, snapping, growling, biting...

i'm am definately afraid for my son. what can be done??

You need to get a handle on this dog NOW. I suggest you enroll the dog in obedience training and take your son to the classes with you. This will only get worse. The dog sees your son as a playmate not an alpha...you need to take this dog to teach it manners immediately before he/she takes it too far and injures your son. This is not behavior you can ignore.

Something needs to be done straight away, you are otherwise risking your sons safety, Certainly training a good starting point, seperation between the two untill you can get some balance around the place. You are going to have to make it clear to the dog that your son is alpha, be creative, be clever, things like perhaps your son feeding him, commanding sit and wait may assist in building some dominance. (if safe to do so)

For the time being if the dog is in the house I would strongly reccomend that he be kept on lead, to keep your son safe and the dog under control.

Find a good traininer today and book in as soon as you can. You are risking way too much if you dont sort this situation out.

Well, I'm not suggesting that you do anything or get rid of the dog, or anything like that. However, if a dog attacked my son, he'd be gone.

Here's what I would do, don't give the dog access to your son until you have a handle on this problem, no matter what you have to do to achieve this.

it's just heartbreaking! my 16 year old son loves the dog too, but is always in fear of him snapping at any moment....

he will suddenly get a look in his eyes and he goes into attack mode, without warning.

i'm hoping more exercise, classes etc. help us, but at this point i'm really considering giving him up.

there was an incident when my boyfriend came to visit and my dog jumped on my bed and wouldn't get off... when i put him on a leash he started snapping and growling at me... and also, he has taken over my couch, that i didn't want him to ever get on... i know, it's a dominance issue... but when i tried to make him get off, he growled at me!!

most of the time, he is a sweet heart....

when i got this dog, i was married, my ex doesn't want to take him.... i'm not sure what i'll do at this point.

Then get rid of him - who is he going to attack next - a toddler? The dog is probably very possessive of you, but the behavior should not be tolerated.

Originally Posted by sammygirl

it's just heartbreaking! my 16 year old son loves the dog too, but is always in fear of him snapping at any moment....

he will suddenly get a look in his eyes and he goes into attack mode, without warning.

i'm hoping more exercise, classes etc. help us, but at this point i'm really considering giving him up.

there was an incident when my boyfriend came to visit and my dog jumped on my bed and wouldn't get off... when i put him on a leash he started snapping and growling at me... and also, he has taken over my couch, that i didn't want him to ever get on... i know, it's a dominance issue... but when i tried to make him get off, he growled at me!!

most of the time, he is a sweet heart....

when i got this dog, i was married, my ex doesn't want to take him.... i'm not sure what i'll do at this point.

Okay, if this is a new and sudden behavior, the first thing I would do is take this boy in for tick born disease testing, particularly Lyme. Dogs will show unprovoked aggression issues with Lyme disease, and a simple round of antibiotics would be prescribed. If tick panel comes back clean, this this dog MUST be taken to a behaviorist/trainer so you can get a handle on him/her. If you cannot do this, I highly suggest you relinquish the dog to Dobe rescue, tell them his/her history so they can make an informed decision on whether or not to bring the dog into rescue.

Although I suspect this is a behavioral issue, the first thing you should do is have him evaluated by your vet. Specifically, have his thyroid function tested, check for Lymes, check for arthritis. Hypothyroidism can cause increasing aggression, as can pain.

If everything checks out fine, and I suspect it will, you need the help of a professional trainer who deals with behavior issues. It sounds like your dog knows who's in charge; HE is. You need to learn how to be your dog's leader, not part of his "staff".

Until you get him back under control, you must keep him away from your son. Tragedy can strike in a heartbeat. By the time you react, it may be too late, and your son will need a plastic surgeon to repair the damage.

If a professional trainer is out of the question, you need to think seriously about what to do with this dog. Rehoming him may be an option, so long as you are not just passing the buck. It's not fair to just send him off to another home, where he'll just become someone else's problem. If you can't find a suitable home, with a person who has the knowledge to deal with his issues, you either keep him separated from the family, and live with a ticking time bomb, or have him put down.

Definately don't pass the buck! I would not want to take the chance of serious injury. What are you waiting for? This dog should not be around other people at all, even if you and your son manage to get a grip on him.

If you've managed to rule out health issues as the cause for the sudden change with your dog, then it sounds to me like hes trying to reestablish the pack order.

when i got this dog, i was married, my ex doesn't want to take him.... i'm not sure what i'll do at this point.

How soon after the divorce/seperation did this behaviour start? Vetgroomer, Crestie and Nattie all have excelent ideas. I wish you the best and hope your able to get things under control.

Your dog is just now becoming an adult. He is trying to establish himself as your boss. He is already sure that your son is below him in the pecking order.Please get professional help quickly. A behaviorist will come to your home and assess the situation. The remedy will take consistent hard work to reestablish yourself as the alpha and it will include many things, such as not allowing you dog on your bed, ever. I have a routine for feeding to keep things in line at my house. It involves obeying commands before eating. Also, waiting at the door when told.(me first) These things are just to reinforce my leadership. Everything must be done consistently especially until leadership is established. Gone are the days of sitting somewhere else if the dog doesn't get out of the chair when you enter the room. And no growling about it either. You have a lot of work ahead of you, I wish you luck.

You need to get control on that dog NOW!! If the dog is already bitting your son things might get worse. (well they could get worse) Not saying that they 100 percent that they will. I would keep your son away from the dog till you get some order and control over the dog. Try taking him to some obidence classes and take your son with them. How old is your son?

Wow, you don't give near enough information for someone to say that the dog is trying to be 'alpha'! Not only is that often NOT the case it could cause you to react totally inappropriately to the dog, making it worse. The dog may be afraid or bothered by the boy. Little kids are often very scary to dogs, they don't move, smell or behave like regular people. Do a search for the dogs and storks website which helps people deal with dogs and kids.

Find a trainer but don't just buy into the 'trying to be dominant' line. It might be the case, but if not you can just make matters worse. It should go without saying that kids and dogs should never be left alone together and kids should NEVER be expected to do as they are told around dogs, they often don't.

I think Sammygirls son is 16. Unless she has more than one.