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my yr old on occasions has been barked at and scratched

Sent to Pet Experts January 4 2006 at 6:28 AM
   

my 4 yr old on 2 occasions has been barked at and scratched in head and face by ny 4 yr pld rottie female both times he either played to roughly or tripped over her abdomen the first time he was yanking on her collar 2nd time he was running around her and kicked her in the belly the first was a scratch across the face with teeth the 2nd was a laceration (not needing stiches) on his scalp are these precursors of an inevitable attack or is she not respecting my son and being submissive? by the way my 6 yr old has never had these problems with her but he also doesn't play with her as much as his brother please help I'm on the verge of giving her away because I'm afraid she will really hurt my son or worse. R.Kidd

Optional Information:
Age: 4; Female; Breed: german rottweiler

Already Tried:
never thought my doggie could be like some horror stories of rotties never had this problem before 6-7 mos ago have tried making dog respond only to my son's commands and making here submit by rolling over showing him her belly then him placing his hands on her throat

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $25
Answer
January 4 2006 at 6:42 AM (13 minutes and 52 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
You are asking your dog to take daily abuse and just put up with this.
I think your son needs training as well as the dog needing training work and a safe place to go that your son will not abuse her while she rests there. You can set up a crate for her or pick a room and make that her space that no one can bother her when she is there.
You should have your vet check her out as she may be irritable due to arthritis pain or another health issue.
The work you are doing with the dog rolling over and the child grabbing her throat are very likely to make all this much worse and its not teaching the child to be gentle with the dog.
I do think if nothing changes you are heading for a real disaster as the dog is going to be hurt one time to many and retaliate in a clearer manner to get respect from the child as the 'warnings' have not worked.
You may want to work with a trainer to get some family help on this. www.apdt.com may help you find a local trainer to work with.
You might ask yourself how many hours of your son's rough play and handling you would cope with before telling him to stop and making him stop if he didn't. If your son kicks you in the stomach or hurts you how good would your temper control be? The only way the dog has to say stop that you are hurting me is with its actions. If your son doesn't listen she's just going to say it 'louder'. So yes the next time could be worse and even the sweetest dog in the world of any breed might not put up with abuse forever.
Hope this helps you!


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NancyH -- Pet Health Care, Rescue,Train,Breed -- 99% Positive Feedback on 7174 Pet Accepts
30+yrs pet vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior & training, responsible breeding, small animal care
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January 4 2006 at 6:53 AM (10 minutes and 48 seconds later)
         
Reply to Nancy Holmes's Post: WHAT TYPE OF SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR TRAINING MY SON TO PLAY "RIGHT" WITH OUR DOG AND ARE THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE DOG BEING AS SUBMISSIVE AS POSSIBLE TO MY SON LIKE SITTING OR DOWN WHEN COMMAND IS GIVEN BY HIM
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Answer
January 4 2006 at 6:59 AM (6 minutes and 44 seconds later)
         
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At this point I would not try anything on your own to try and put your son 'in charge' of this dog.
Safe games for children and dogs to play can include fetch games. But I think you need in person training help to evaluate the situation before proceeding. A good behaviorist can evaluate the dog, your home situation etc. and devise a training plan if they feel one will work.
I would not ever leave the dog and your son alone together unsupervised by an adult and I would not expect the dog to be submissive to a child that young. The dog knows the kid isn't big enough or strong enough to be her boss and if you are not there to enforce things they could easily get out of hand.
If you need to keep a close eye on her you can tether her to you so you will know where she is or use a crate to confine her when you can't watch her that your son is not allowed to go near.
While I have great empathy for the dog in this tough situation I also do not want you to risk your child. Neither of them are really at fault here. Both could learn to behave better but I think outside help will be needed.
A good book resource for you is the book Child Proofing Your Dog by Kilcommons and Wilson but you need to make sure child and dog are both safe from each other while you get help on this.

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NancyH -- Pet Health Care, Rescue,Train,Breed -- 99% Positive Feedback on 7174 Pet Accepts
30+yrs pet vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior & training, responsible breeding, small animal care
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January 4 2006 at 7:00 AM (45 seconds later)
         
BELIEVE ME I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PARENTS WHO SEE HALOS OVER MY LIL ANGELS HEADS!
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