Aussie dog with an attitude

[Bonnie]

We took in a rescued Aussie back in March of 2003. This dog was perfect and we studied up all the things that we may encounter and the first month (the honeymoon period) was perfect and we were so impressed at how good he was. Then about a month ago we had our daughter and her daughter (3 yrs) over for the weekend and the little one had been playing with the Aussie most of the previous day under supervsion and then that next day she leaned down to pick up his toy to play and he grabbed out with a shrp voice and caught her in her face. Many stitches later and now she will be scared , we still have him. He really is a great dog, very dedicated etc. Thats the problem though now. He has gotten way too dedicated and protective of his toys and even got into a fight while we were exercising him off lease. He got into with another husky (we have a husky too and I think Rusty was just trying to protect Rocky) We are wondering what else we can do other than scold him , put his haltie on, and then not give him play time and keep him from all children. We live in southern ca and Im a pet sitter so have taken care of many types of dogs and have had many dogs of my own but never had one this protective. He's an extremly strong dog too. I would like anyones input on this. Hes two years old and was found running away and placed in a foster home and then us. So we don't know his history other than he has been trained for the most part. We nver thought an Aussie would be agressive in this way. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

[PixelQ]

Hard questions.

I had a dog bite before, not a small child but an adult. He was queensland and lab mix.

He was very protective of his home. After he bit I never had him off leash again, unless there were no other dogs or people in sight. I never had him around small children ( supervised or unsupervised). He was a great dog. He was my baby. I'll tell you , I loved that dog.

But, I also had to realize that what he did was unforgiveable. It caused me a lot of trouble.

I kept that dog until he died. He never bit again.

I have grandchildren to consider now. When they come over, I keep the dogs away from them. The dogs are not used to children. It's just my husband and myself. Everyone seems happy. Besides my dogs are big and the kids aren't around dogs at their home and they have no idea how to behave around dogs.

[Bonnie]

thank you for your advise. we are keeping him away from the grandchildren right now and other dogs. we may look into a behavior training for him down the way. thanks again.

[DogExpert]

This is another kind of aggression of dogs. It needs to be treated straight away incase of any other injuries that could be caused. Have you been to the vet yet? They can also help on aggressive dogs, I would suggest a trainer like you said if your vet cannot give you the right information.

[Bonnie]

Just want to let everyone know its now Oct. and almost 7 months since we got our Aussie. The vet gave him a through check up and he is perfect in everyway. We have changed his diet to more natural foods and are training him with alot of treats (he now sits and lays down when another dog approaches, but if that other dog makes any kind of fast or aggressive movement he will let them know not to come closer even if we say the word treat) As for the children Its been 6 months since I have seen my granddaughter but in another week my daughter is bring her down to stay here and we have told them the dog will not be allowed near her at all. We are very cautious and keep him away from all children now. Thanks for everyones advise, and we will continue working with him but being cautious right along with that. We are now Aussie rescue reps and do transporting out of shelters to foster homes. very rewarding and now we know what to look for in behaviors.

[fullhouse9873]

Congrats! Keep up the training - sounds like it's starting to pay off. It's a lot of work - but it's worth it.

[hilliary]

#211. Keep in mind that Aussies are from the herding group. Now, think like an Aussie. The toys are its herd. It was probably protecting its herd, but biting is never ok. Maybe you should let the grandchild approach the dog (with dog on leash) and let the child pet it so maybe she will overcome the fear. Also give the dog treats while the grandchild is around. One thing I would look into is getting a behavior specialist.