# Need to rehome 8 year old white shepherd mix in Evansville, IN area



## Mbogosian

Hi all, we need to rehome our male GSD mix, Aksel. Unfortunately he had bit our son a couple of months ago, and we can no longer keep him. We aren’t exactly sure what he is mixed with, the rescue we got him from said husky or malamute but our vet thinks possible Akita. He is beautiful, is great with older kids, but not good with other dogs. He has a high prey drive and has a history with going after small dogs. He would be great with someone that knows his boundaries with older kids or someone who is alone. We had him with our purebred GSD who sadly passed last year, but not sure how he would do if he went to a home with another dog that he didn’t grow up with. We have another child who will be on the move soon and just cannot take the risk of him biting her or our son again. I am willing to discuss any more of his history in detail to someone who is serious about adopting him, and we will not adopt him out to anyone who will not give him a great home and who is not experienced with large dogs. Our local rescues will not take him and neither will the rescue we got him from, so we are on our own and would prefer to not have him put down at a shelter. Thank you!


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## Stevenzachsmom

You aren't going to like what I have to say - and I am sorry to have to say it. You have an older dog who has quite a few issues, including a bite history. Not many people are looking for a problem dog. There are too many nice/easy dogs out there that need homes. I agree with not taking him to a shelter to be put down. The kindest thing would probably be for you to take him to your vet and have him put down, while you can be with him. You have very limited options. I know you love him and this isn't what you want. But, you have two children who come first. They must be your priority.

I am sorry. HUGS!


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## CometDog

I can't adopt him but I went through something similar. I do know some questions that will need to be answered though, so just a heads up.

What exactly happened that he bit your son? Did it break skin or bruise? If it broke skin, how bad of a break? Scrapes, deep punctures? There are different types of bites and different reasons. Anyone considering him will definitely want to know. Good luck, sorry for your family and Aksel that you are all going through this.


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## CometDog

Other things to consider- in some states you don't relieve yourself of responsibility if you rehome a dog with a known bite history. Also, merely rehoming him to a home with no other dogs or small kids is still pretty risky. It is rare that anyne lives a type of life where they don't come in contact with little ones. Friends, family come over etc. They would have to be 100% committed to crating him without any exception at all. And forget about walks out in public. Kids will often run up to a "doggie" without permission, and quick as lightning. 

Again, most of advice given here will hinge on the nature and severity of the bite.


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## MineAreWorkingline

Stevenzachsmom said:


> You aren't going to like what I have to say - and I am sorry to have to say it. You have an older dog who has quite a few issues, including a bite history. Not many people are looking for a problem dog. There are too many nice/easy dogs out there that need homes. I agree with not taking him to a shelter to be put down. The kindest thing would probably be for you to take him to your vet and have him put down, while you can be with him. You have very limited options. I know you love him and this isn't what you want. But, you have two children who come first. They must be your priority.
> 
> I am sorry. HUGS!


This!

This is the kindest thing you can do.

Even if you found a home with a single adult, the chances of them living in a community without children, wildlife, cats and other dogs is slim to none. You have an obligation to ensure the safety of others.


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## Mbogosian

Thank you all for your input. Unfortunately I know that my feelings towards him, as much as I love him and have since we rescued him at 5 months old, cannot trump the safety of my own children. I was just hoping to find a couple or single person that was looking for an older dog to have as a companion, but I don’t think that is what is going to happen. It breaks my heart to think I would have to put him down, but at least it’s a decision we would make and not a rescue. His vet is fully aware of what has been going on, and the vet tech at the office helps care for him while we are out of town and has been helping me in searching for a place for him.

To answer some questions, he bit my son last year about a month before we lost our purebred, Chopper. We were ready to get rid of him then and started searching, and then Chopper suddenly passed and we didn’t have the heart to have our son go from two dogs to none, as he and Chopper were the very best of friends. Aksel got better in those 10 months that he was an only dog and didn’t give us any inclination that he would nip again. (The first time, our son was playing with him and Aksel laid down with the toy and our son grabbed it from him, did not break the skin, only scraped.) Our son is almost 4, but Aksel was near his food bowl (he has always been protective and we keep him separated while eating) and our son picked up a toy near him and he bit his hand, broke the skin and punctured it, causing it to bleed a few drops. I was not even 5 feet away. Obviously this is our last straw, and I’m trying to do the most humane thing for him as I do have love for this dog. I really appreciate your responses and I am definitely in a tight spot. My husband is all for putting him down, so it’s somethkng we need to discuss doing, as hard as it may be


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## CometDog

So...resource guarding both times. 

Here is the sticky wicket with these things. People who ARE qualified to deal with this will generally not be interested in a dog this age with this issue. People who do not understand the gravity of slipping up just once may be interested, but due to lack of experience. 

I honestly don't know what to tell you. I don't think knee jerk reaction to resource guarding should be to PTS...but you would need to find a very specific person to manage it. It would only take ONE time, one door accidentally left open. I assume from his mix he is a large dog?

I'm hoping others chime in so regardless of your decision you will feel that you tried. I needed to know that I had tried everything. I said no to plenty who offered...they weren't qualified. Those that were told me to do what I in my heart knew needed to be done. However, my dog was attacking unprovoked and quite suddenly over a year's time. Well, not unprovoked..unprovoked bites probably don't exist...but only HE knew why he was getting aggressive. It was a mystery to all the rest of us. Resource guarding isn't "unprovoked" though. It's an issue yes, and can be quite serious..but it has a known trigger.

Again, you are taking years of liability, if not legal at least moral. So you rehome him to someone who is single, no kids, no other dogs. One day his 3 year old nephew comes over and tries to take something from the dog... or his elderly neighbor is out walking her little dog...scenarios abound of situations where the right home would be safe, but that might not be enough. 

Sorry no easy answers here. How old is your dog?


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## LuvShepherds

This is the problem with mixes of unknown parentage. It could be genetic and no amount of training or handling will fix it. Dogs with a bite history of that type are almost impossible to place.


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## Mbogosian

He just turned 8 in February, and yes he is large, 75-80 pounds. He is beautiful, all white with shepherd ears and snout, thicker northern breed coat and curly tail, one light tan spot on his back

In these kinds of situations, do behaviorists do any good? Can this be classified as a behavior or is this just a part of him that will never change? He did some training with Chopper when we first got him and it was clear to us that he does not have the same intelligence or mind set of a GSD. He is more impulsive and really just is a completely different dog than Chopper was


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## WateryTart

MineAreWorkingline said:


> This!
> 
> This is the kindest thing you can do.
> 
> Even if you found a home with a single adult, the chances of them living in a community without children, wildlife, cats and other dogs is slim to none. You have an obligation to ensure the safety of others.


I cannot state how strongly I agree with this.

My husband and I don't have kids. Our friends don't bring their kids around that often (we tend to meet up elsewhere). We don't have young relatives who live near us, so we aren't babysitting nieces and nephews multiple times a month. In other words, in so many ways we would look ideal on paper.

But we live in a densely populated urban area with a lot of dogs, cats, and kids in the neighborhood. The only way to exercise our dog off leash is a dog park, where there are kids. What kind of life would that be for a big, athletic dog who had to be so tightly managed that he couldn't come into contact with any of those other beings? That's just a single example of MAWL's point, but I think she's spot on.

I think loving him to the end, and making sure that end is safe and not scary, is the most loving thing you can do for him. I'm so sorry; it's easy for us to say but just heartbreaking to have to think about when it's your dog.


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## Jenny720

I would get the dog evaluated by a professional. Don’t base your decsion on your dogs life on a forum. I have been to many reputable dog rescues who place dogs for adoption was not to be homes with older or no kids. Bide a wee was One of these adoption facilities is where we adopted and I was raised with dogs that fit our family. We adopted once a dog from this rescue that we were warned the dog was highly aggressive with other dogs. We later added a poodle and a collie pup to the family not to mention cats bunnies and birds nor strange dogs were isSues. so there is that. not that I recommend this dog be homed with a kid. I’m just saying there may be certain dynamics that just don’t work. I hate to say many dogs do bite or are capable of biting. It is why people must really need to do there homework when they get their family dog.


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## LuvShepherds

Mbogosian said:


> He just turned 8 in February, and yes he is large, 75-80 pounds. He is beautiful, all white with shepherd ears and snout, thicker northern breed coat and curly tail, one light tan spot on his back
> 
> In these kinds of situations, do behaviorists do any good? Can this be classified as a behavior or is this just a part of him that will never change? He did some training with Chopper when we first got him and it was clear to us that he does not have the same intelligence or mind set of a GSD. He is more impulsive and really just is a completely different dog than Chopper was


Who is going to take him while he works with a behaviorist? We don’t have enough information to know if he can be fixed or not. I had a biter who had to be managed all his life, but he never went after a family member or anyone he knew, only strangers. I would not have kept that dog with small children in the house,


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## Mbogosian

I’m mentioning a behaviorist just so I know that I’ve exhausted all of my options, and was just asking for input on whether someone had experience with working with one or not. Obviously if we decide to go that route, my husband and myself would take him or the behaviorist would come to our home to evaluate


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## Jenny720

I had very babies learning to walk and our first gsd was very arthritic gsd at times in pain. I separated them in my house as could not always watch them. He had never bit the kids but I do know he would not be happy if they fell or crawled on him so to prevent that or put him in a situation -I kept them separated. I’m sure and hope you can comfortably separate your dog - gated off room or enclosed room - from your son in while the dogs is evaluated and you can figure out your future plans.


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## sebrench

Re: keeping them seperate: If I'm understanding the timeline correctly your dog lived with your children without incident for about 3 years, then went another 10 months without another incident? What is your property like? Could you build an outdoor kennel with shelter, a secure run/fence and a locked door/gate? We live in a fairly secluded place on 5 acres, if it were me, I might just make him an outdoor dog and spend lots of time with him outside, and maybe bring him inside in the evenings/mornings when the kids were asleep. I realize this isn't the perfect life for a dog, but if you can keep your children (and other children) safe, maybe he could be managed that way. I'm sorry you have to make such a tough decision, but whatever happens, you have to put the safety of your kids first.


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## wolfy dog

OP, I went through a similar situation about 25 years ago. I had the dog put down. It still hurts to this day but it was the most responsible thing to do. Re-homing him with problems like these will put the dog at risk for abuse, neglect and loneliness in a new "home". Another thing to consider is that who will adopt a dog like this: hoarders who "rescue" everything that is still alive, no matter what, dog-fighting rings (I am sure he is a great candidate for them)?
Please be aware of impostors, flippers, who come across as a nice family but will sell him to whoever wants him for whatever purpose.
I agree with others that the kindest and safest thing to do is to let him go to the Rainbow bridge where he will be safe and free. You will be more relaxed and your kids safe
Thank you for asking us. I wish you strength and appreciate to put your kids' safety first. I think it is impossible to keep young children and the dog apart for 100%


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## Jenny720

Every situation/experience is different and can’t be compared to someone on here with their personal experience so go seek out professional advise.


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## Genalis_mom

I am new to this forum, but wanted to jump in with my own observations. 

This dog has bitten not once, but twice, and, the second bite was more severe than the first. Fortunately, neither bite was catastrophic. The next one very well may be catastrophic especially if the dog continues the pattern of biting children. As much as I hate it, I agree that the best route here is a calm and peaceful goodbye at the vet's office.

Even if you were to find the right home, with no children or pets, chances are that you are not going to find a family that is experienced enough to handle a "biter" and that endangers this dog, as well as countless other people.

Baby gates, outside kennels may seem appropriate from an emotional state, but baby gates fall and children open gates. If the dog is not safe to have around the children while you are supervising, the dog is just not safe to have around any children.

It is not fair to cage the dog up and separate him from his family........it could possibly make things worse and cause a higher level of aggression, imo. It's not fair to the child to have areas of his own home that are not safe for him to be in, and it's not fair for mom and dad to have to deal with that kind of worry all the time. Euthanasia is rough for any reason, but to have to put down a healthy dog just is rotten. I have had to do it, and it REALLY is awful. But, sometimes it is the most fair thing to do, for everyone involved.

I am so sorry that you are having to make such a decision. My heart goes out to you no matter what you decide.


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## Sabis mom

Jenny720 said:


> Every situation/experience is different and can’t be compared to someone on here with their personal experience so go seek out professional advise.


And emotion cannot be allowed to override common sense, not where safety is involved.
Reputable rescues do not take dogs with bite histories. Dogs advertised as no kids/no small animals tested poorly in those areas in the shelter or rescue, after intake. For liability reasons they cannot rehome dogs with known bite histories. 
As has been said before, in this thread and others, people who can handle this type of dog don't want them. People who want them should not have them.

Training is sometimes a good option but with a preschooler and a toddler in the house and a dog with no care if the adults are right there I would never risk it. 

This is a heart breaking decision, I feel for all involved. If it were my dog I would have it euthanized. Sooner then later, before it has the opportunity to do something that will negate all the fun and loving memories.


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## LuvShepherds

I worked with a behaviorist expecting to fix the dog, but he was not able to. I kept him and managed him, but as I said there were no small children in the home. This only my experience but it’s very difficult to find someone good. I went through a lot of trainers first. It was expensive. I could have bought a quality dog from a top breeder for less than I spent trying to fix my rescue. He never tried to bite a family member or a close friend. I could not invite anyone over unless I went through a very complex routine to soothe him and convince him he was safe. Then we had the opposite problems when he liked someone, he would not leave them alone. I could not completely train that out of him either. Are you prepared to spend a lot of money and time and maybe still not fix your dog?


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## tim_s_adams

I'm shocked that not one single person has called the owner for mishandling the situation(s). Unfortunately, if the OP wants to take on a puppy, then live with it for, what was it, 6.5 yrs, without teaching it anything....and then let her 3 yr old son take the dog's toy which resulted in the first "incident" - which was not a bite but a warning - and even after that take no steps toward teaching both the dog and then kid not to do that, and then let this happen again near the dog's food bowl, while you - OP - "are 5 feet away"....I am at a loss in trying to figure out how this is the dog's fault!

But yeah, put it down...just please don't get another dog ever! Alternatively, you could actually teach the kid and the dog to interact without conflict...but again, that takes work...


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## Jenny720

Sabis mom-There are plenty rescues that there is a no with a no kid rule. Plenty. Plenty and highly touted respected whatever you want to call it. Older kids only, no toddlers etc.

Heck I know someone who adopted a dog from the north shore animal league who the dog was vetted to be a great family dog and the dog attacked her many times and they would not take the dog back. She had no choice once she try everything she could and had to put the dog down. I would not recommend them ever. I’m Getting off track. 

Not every dog likes kids not every dog was raised little kids and feel comfortable around them. Have you ever adopted from the pound I have there is no known history. Truly even from rescues is the history really well known. Parents should watch their kids near any adult dog especially if the dog is not raised around little kids - especially. I would not adopt a large adult dog and trust it with my three year old with a no bite history. Three year old really boys do not listen that well. It’s why I always opted for pups. I don’t see how anyone can stand their and tell someone to put a dog to sleep and not even know the entire story. There is always more to the story even if the op has no idea what is going on- sadly. This is what you get though on an open forum - op ask yourself if this is all really helpful or just procrastinating. Do NOT put your animal to sleep for any reason just because someone told you to on the internet- yikes! I’m sure you have many option there are great secure kennels while you talk to a professional.


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## Heartandsoul

I can only offer that I don't think that I could give my dog up to someone else. So the only thing that I could look at is either manage and bring in a behaviorist to help with management & training suggestions or euth. Knowing how protective I was when my kids were young, my choice would probably be to let him go in the most loving and peaceful way.

I'm sorry you are at this juncture.


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## KaiserAus

If my dog showed aggression towards my children I would get rid of the dog... no matter whose fault or lack of training or whatever... no dog should aggressively attack a child especially not one that has actually grown up around these children. Yes you can teach a 4yr old child to stay away from the dog, but what about the new little walker... a 1yr old.. not a chance would I risk anything happening to my child.
If there is no home for the dog to go to then unfortunately it has to be put to sleep. It may well be because of a lack of supervision or training or it may be none of those things, no matter the OP has to live with her decision whatever she decides... rather a dead dog than a dead child! And it won't take much of a bite to kill a 1 yr old.


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## tim_s_adams

No dog comes without risk, or without a commitment for work! It doesn't matter whether you buy a puppy from a reputable breeder, or if you rescue an older dog or puppy. You have to "teach" the dog/puppy what is, and is not, acceptable! 

Or...I guess it is possible, to just let things go and then put the dog down because it didn't somehow intuitively figure out what was and what was not okay....

To me, this is not at all the dog's fault (given what we've been told). But I have a strong ZERO tolerance for dog-kid aggression. So, if the OP took reasonable steps to correct this behavior and it didn't take, OK, put him down. But if no steps to actually teach the dog were taken, I think it's wrong... Just my opinion...doesn't mean I'm right. But the dog and the kid both should have been schooled after the first incident, and the second should never have happened....


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## Sabis mom

Jenny720 said:


> Sabis mom-There are plenty rescues that there is a no with a no kid rule. Plenty. Plenty and highly touted respected whatever you want to call it. Older kids only, no toddlers etc.
> 
> Heck I know someone who adopted a dog from the north shore animal league who the dog was vetted to be a great family dog and the dog attacked her many times and they would not take the dog back. She had no choice once she try everything she could and had to put the dog down. I would not recommend them ever. I’m Getting off track.
> 
> Not every dog likes kids not every dog was raised little kids and feel comfortable around them. Have you ever adopted from the pound I have there is no known history. Truly even from rescues is the history really well known. Parents should watch their kids near any adult dog especially if the dog is not raised around little kids - especially. I would not adopt a large adult dog and trust it with my three year old with a no bite history. Three year old really boys do not listen that well. It’s why I always opted for pups. I don’t see how anyone can stand their and tell someone to put a dog to sleep and not even know the entire story. There is always more to the story even if the op has no idea what is going on- sadly. This is what you get though on an open forum - op ask yourself if this is all really helpful or just procrastinating. Do NOT put your animal to sleep for any reason just because someone told you to on the internet- yikes! I’m sure you have many option there are great secure kennels while you talk to a professional.



Oh my.
These people did not adopt an adult dog, they have had this dog since it was young. 
Asking if I have ever adopted a dog? Funny. No actually. Mostly I had them dumped in boxes on my doorstep, tied to my fence or left in my yard. In one case tossed over my fence. Usually I keep the unadoptable ones, like Shadow. I ran a privately funded rescue, for German Shepherds, and here is a sad truth most of us learn. You can't save them all. 
Here is another truth for you, it's pretty cold to take a dog from the only home and family it knows and dump it.
And here is another truth, most people value their children.

Locking this dog in a kennel will not work. Why? Because as most of us adults know, toddlers and young children stick their fingers EVERYWHERE! And move like Ninja's.

Look, I appreciate the desire to do something but you bickering isn't helping the OP. And again reputable rescues don't take bitters. It's why people lie.


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## tim_s_adams

With all due respect, this dog was never taught boundaries. He needs a "come to Jesus" moment to learn that aggression toward children will not be tolerated, and I think he'll be just fine. What about this story leads people to believe this dog is anything other than a normal dog? Did I miss something?

OP, put him down if you must for your children's safety, but it wasn't the dog who failed....

Sorry if that comes across as harsh, but I honestly believe that, and thought you'd prefer honesty...


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## Jenny720

Sabis mom said:


> Jenny720 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sabis mom-There are plenty rescues that there is a no with a no kid rule. Plenty. Plenty and highly touted respected whatever you want to call it. Older kids only, no toddlers etc.
> 
> Heck I know someone who adopted a dog from the north shore animal league who the dog was vetted to be a great family dog and the dog attacked her many times and they would not take the dog back. She had no choice once she try everything she could and had to put the dog down. I would not recommend them ever. I’m Getting off track.
> 
> Not every dog likes kids not every dog was raised little kids and feel comfortable around them. Have you ever adopted from the pound I have there is no known history. Truly even from rescues is the history really well known. Parents should watch their kids near any adult dog especially if the dog is not raised around little kids - especially. I would not adopt a large adult dog and trust it with my three year old with a no bite history. Three year old really boys do not listen that well. It’s why I always opted for pups. I don’t see how anyone can stand their and tell someone to put a dog to sleep and not even know the entire story. There is always more to the story even if the op has no idea what is going on- sadly. This is what you get though on an open forum - op ask yourself if this is all really helpful or just procrastinating. Do NOT put your animal to sleep for any reason just because someone told you to on the internet- yikes! I’m sure you have many option there are great secure kennels while you talk to a professional.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh my.
> These people did not adopt an adult dog, they have had this dog since it was young.
> Asking if I have ever adopted a dog? Funny. No actually. Mostly I had them dumped in boxes on my doorstep, tied to my fence or left in my yard. In one case tossed over my fence. Usually I keep the unadoptable ones, like Shadow. I ran a privately funded rescue, for German Shepherds, and here is a sad truth most of us learn. You can't save them all.
> Here is another truth for you, it's pretty cold to take a dog from the only home and family it knows and dump it.
> And here is another truth, most people value their children.
> 
> Locking this dog in a kennel will not work. Why? Because as most of us adults know, toddlers and young children stick their fingers EVERYWHERE! And move like Ninja's.
> 
> Look, I appreciate the desire to do something but you bickering isn't helping the OP. And again reputable rescues don't take bitters. It's why people lie.
Click to expand...

I’m not bickering you are. I’m also being really nice and sparing you many truths. I’m not asking you to appreciate anything rather it be I don’t appreciate people attemptin to pass their failures down to the op. No we can’t save them all but the owner should do herself a favor and exhaust other options from a trainer rather then on the internet. Lol! Okay so she adopted this dog as a puppy and which is 8 years old now. And she should put the dog to sleep automatically??? I also am not telling her to lock her dog forever- Either! I don’t see nothing wrong with the owner seeking professional advise. If the veterinarian felt they could find a dog a home why not investigate that option also.? Surely if the dog was uncontrollable the vet I would imagine would suggest putting the dog down since they must know the dogs history better than anyone here.


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## KaiserAus

tim_s_adams said:


> With all due respect, this dog was never taught boundaries. He needs a "come to Jesus" moment to learn that aggression toward children will not be tolerated, and I think he'll be just fine. What about this story leads people to believe this dog is anything other than a normal dog? Did I miss something?
> 
> OP, put him down if you must for your children's safety, but it wasn't the dog who failed....
> 
> Sorry if that comes across as harsh, but I honestly believe that, and thought you'd prefer honesty...


Maybe he was never taught, maybe he rules the roost and there are no rules. They could get a trainer in, they could work hard at it but at no point would the family ever be able to relax and trust the dog around the children... why would you even risk it?

But you're making assumptions here... how do you know from the little that the OP has posted that the dog has never been taught boundries. For it to have lived with the child for 4 years with no previous incidents might actually provide evidence that up until recently it behaved around the child.


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## tim_s_adams

Well let me elaborate... The OP acquired this puppy at 5 months of age. The dog lived with her and her family - without incident - until a year ago, so 6.5 years! Then her 3 yr old son attempted to take a toy away from a 7 yr old dog - who, of course, never showed a single sign of being a resource guarder ever before (hopefully you're getting my sarcasm here) - and got nipped, but without breaking the skin at all. The OP's reaction, they tried to rehome the dog until their other dog died and then changed their mind and kept him - but notice, no mention of training, no mention of working on the issue, only thing said is, over the next 10 months he seemed to get better.

Fast forward to the second incident, what could possibly go wrong letting a 4 yr old child try to take a toy near an adult dog with a resource guarding history while near his food bowl? No way that kid could get bit right? So the dog does as expected, with the OP within 5 feet, and now is condemned as an aggressive dog. It doesn't take a huge leap of faith to have predicted this outcome. And frankly, it falls on the human in charge to make sure these kinds of situations are avoided. Now, put him down? Or now teach him?


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## Shane'sDad

tim_s_adams said:


> Well let me elaborate... The OP acquired this puppy at 5 months of age. The dog lived with her and her family - without incident - until a year ago, so 6.5 years! Then her 3 yr old son attempted to take a toy away from a 7 yr old dog - who, of course, never showed a single sign of being a resource guarder ever before (hopefully you're getting my sarcasm here) - and got nipped, but without breaking the skin at all. The OP's reaction, they tried to rehome the dog until their other dog died and then changed their mind and kept him - but notice, no mention of training, no mention of working on the issue, only thing said is, over the next 10 months he seemed to get better.
> 
> Fast forward to the second incident, what could possibly go wrong letting a 4 yr old child try to take a toy near an adult dog with a resource guarding history while near his food bowl? No way that kid could get bit right? So the dog does as expected, with the OP within 5 feet, and now is condemned as an aggressive dog. It doesn't take a huge leap of faith to have predicted this outcome. And frankly, it falls on the human in charge to make sure these kinds of situations are avoided. Now, put him down? Or now teach him?


 Tim...I hadn't responded here... because of this recent thread...*Contemplating putting our GS down*....and the way I believe it turned out. This thread was headed down the same path IMO....It was painfully obvious to me there was a lack of leadership and boundaries were never set for the CHILD and the dog. This hasn't happened over night--someone watched the signs unfold before their eyes and hoped it would go away...it didn't---so who likely pays the price ??.....the dog... I've said before and now once again---Good Parenting Skills & Good Dog Owners go hand in hand. I'm very very afraid that a trainer....even a Very Good trainer will not be able to turn this couple around and make them leaders capable of setting boundaries...I really hope I'm wrong but I'm fearful it's just too late in the game....and once again this dog who can't speak for itself...may pay the price


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## Mbogosian

Thank you to everyone for your responses, even the ones that make it seem like I am an irresponsible pet owner. I know not everyone knows the story completely, but I will say that this dog was adopted as a puppy from a GSD rescue. He has had training, was raised in a loving home with another dog who was also at the training, with a trainer that breeds Belgian Malinois and GSDs that are protection and police dogs. We worked with him and our other dog together as a couple way before we had children. We do our homework and have extensively trained him at home. Are we experts? Not by a long shot. Did we raise a purebred GSD that never ONCE got aggressive but in fact loved us more than imaginable? Yes. We teach our children boundaries and the dog has set boundaries as well. We protect him out in public with a muzzle. We do NOT let him run the house, nor do we let our son do whatever he wants to the dog. He has never climbed on, pulled, sat on, laid on, or disrespected either one of our dogs. He and our purebred were extremely close and wished the same for Aksel. Aksel is exercised, he gets love, he gets training, he is comfortable, he leads a good life. Please do not for one second think that I am not blaming myself for this, because I am. I feel like a failed owner, so you aren’t telling me anything I don’t know. Yes, for the first few years of his life he was our “child” and once a week he got to go be socialized immensely for hours at a time with his house mate and other dogs. He showed aggression towards other dogs there (not unprovoked and was corrected immediately.) The first incident with the toy... he was PLAYING with our son. Happy, running, allowing our son to throw the toy with him. The one second he lays down and my son thinks it’s ok to throw the toy again, he nips. After about 5-10 minutes of letting him pick the toy up after commanding him to drop it. Our son is a CHILD, but by no means does that mean he doesn’t respect dogs. It also doesn’t mean he won’t make mistakes at all either. Yes, that was our first warning sign but we have continued to work with Aksel on boundaries and not being aggressive. Our son knows to steer clear from while he’s laying down, while he’s eating. Aksel does not typically lay down where our children are because I’m proactive in not letting that happen. The second time, yes, I was right there and I did not realize (I was nursing my baby, sorry for tending to my child’s needs first) that Aksel had walked back into the room and that our son picked up his own toy, not the dogs, a couple of feet from the dogs food bowl. He was immediately removed from the situation and put outside while tended to my sons hand and has been muzzled around the children ever since. I want to keep Aksel safe, I want to keep my children safe. I am constantly on edge of where the dog is in relation to the children and I understand that maybe I slacked the last few months after having another child with his training and boundaries. He has never been left alone in a room with my children, muzzled or not. I will not be a statistic of inexperienced or neglectful parents or dog owners that allow their children to do whatever they want to a dog or allow the dog to be alone with the children. But I am human, and yes I make mistakes. But to say the dog is innocent is just not true in this case. He has been seen by professionals except for a behaviorist, hence why I’m even wondering if he would even be able to be “rehabilitated”. I know his triggers, I know his body language. He is my dog and I know him better than he probably knows himself. 

At this point, we are not sure what we will do yet, but I thank you all for your input. I am again going to discuss my options with our vet since he knows all of the history and is a professional and GSD owner himself. I appreciate the criticism and the advice


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## CometDog

Don't let the criticism get to you. In reality, in life, kids are not robots anymore than dogs are. If a 4 year old was capable of always remembering to not go near a family dog that is eating, hey why not let him cross the street alone at age 4 too? Because you told him to look both ways, right??? 

That is exactly WHY rehoming a dog with these tendencies is so difficult and dare I say a "no no". We are human, and it is rare to find someone who is never around kids, small animals, etc. It takes one time, one forgotten gate, one door left open. 

If I were you, if it is in the family purse, consult a behaviorist I would listen to the behaviorist and if you decide to keep him understand the risk you are assuming. Don't put that risk on someone else who may have him a few months then let their guard down, assuming "your kid must have done something because he is such a nice dog"..until they are proven tragically wrong.

In other words, this is on you. If there is risk to be assumed, it is yours and yours alone. If he needs to be euthanized, be there for him at the end. Personally, that size dog, I would not risk my kids. And when you talk about separating a dog, muzzling him around family..quality of life has to be considered as well.


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## Jax08

I have to wonder if the first NIP was indeed resource guarding or even aggression. Or was it a dog anticipating the play and grabbing the toy prematurely. I've had several bruises on my hands from exactly thst.

Get a trainer in the house to evaluate this dog before you put any more labels on him. No more playing with the babies. All feeding occurs in a closed and latched crate.

I don't think this dog is getting a fair shake from your description of events and not a single one of us is there to actually make an educated opinion. It's your dog. You'll do what you feel you need to. But if this were my dog, I couldn't sleep very well if I didn't have a trainer come into the house and give me a professional opinion.


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## Mbogosian

When he nipped the first time, he made an audible noise, half bark. I wish it was anticipation of playing, but it wasn’t. I have the number for the behaviorist and will be calling them to have them evaluate him to see if this is just his breeding or if it can be rectified. I do not want to put him down unnecessarily, hence why I came here for advice from other GSD owners. Comet, you have been extremely understanding and helpful, so thank you for that


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## CometDog

Jax08 said:


> I have to wonder if the first NIP was indeed resource guarding or even aggression. Or was it a dog anticipating the play and grabbing the toy prematurely. I've had several bruises on my hands from exactly thst.
> 
> Get a trainer in the house to evaluate this dog before you put any more labels on him. No more playing with the babies. All feeding occurs in a closed and latched crate.
> 
> I don't think this dog is getting a fair shake from your description of events and not a single one of us is there to actually make an educated opinion. It's your dog. You'll do what you feel you need to. But if this were my dog, I couldn't sleep very well if I didn't have a trainer come into the house and give me a professional opinion.


Exhausting every option medical and training/behaviorist related was what really helped me when I was faced with it. It was still tragic and heartbreaking but at least I could sleep at night. This could be fixable, it could not be fixable. Let an expert with eyes on it tell you. The only thing I will stand by, going from a forum story without seeing the dog, is don't rehome a dog that has gone after small dogs and has bitten kids.


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## Nurse Bishop

CometDog said:


> I can't adopt him but I went through something similar. I do know some questions that will need to be answered though, so just a heads up.
> 
> What exactly happened that he bit your son? Did it break skin or bruise? If it broke skin, how bad of a break? Scrapes, deep punctures? There are different types of bites and different reasons. Anyone considering him will definitely want to know. Good luck, sorry for your family and Aksel that you are all going through this.


Regardless of how severely, he has already bitten a child. And now an additional child will be crawling around. To my mind, ANY dog that lays teeth on a child, even for pulling their tail, is a ticking time bomb. No one would want a dog like this. Do you realize how quickly an Akita GSD cross could kill a baby?.


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## Mbogosian

I feel like I should add that rehoming him is now off the table


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## CometDog

Mbogosian said:


> I feel like I should add that rehoming him is now off the table


Keep us posted, and very good luck to you with the behaviorist. It is very admirable the effort you are putting in to this, and the responsibility you are taking.


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## Jenny720

Yes keep us posted, wishing you all the best and glad you are seeking a professional trainer to evaluate Askel.


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## Sabis mom

I would just like to add that if this dog is in fact part Akita as his vet suspects, that needs to be taken into account by anyone involved in handling or training him. As a breed they are notorious for aggression and responsible Akita breeders are exceptionally selective about where they place pups, with good reason.


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## Sunsilver

Mbogosian said:


> When he nipped the first time, he made an audible noise, half bark. I wish it was anticipation of playing, but it wasn’t. I have the number for the behaviorist and will be calling them to have them evaluate him to see if this is just his breeding or if it can be rectified. I do not want to put him down unnecessarily, hence why I came here for advice from other GSD owners. Comet, you have been extremely understanding and helpful, so thank you for that


What you're describing is typical of a dog that's resource guarding. 

Two things make me think MAYBE this can be fixed: One, you've had the dog for 8 years now, and he has never, from what I gather, shown aggression before. And two, the injury was just a nip. If he were a seriously aggressive dog, the injuries would have been much more serious.

I had a female that didn't like kids. Fortunately, we didn't HAVE kids, and she was fine with us. Still, we worried. I talked to a trainer about it, and she said, "What your dog is doing is like a mother disciplining her pups. If she were a seriously aggressive dog, we'd be talking a trip to the hospital, and major stitches. (This was after our neighbour's daughter had been nipped on the face for trying to hug her. The nip left a red mark on her skin, and drew a drop or two of blood from her lip.)

The down side of this is I've dealt with Akitas. I worked for someone who bred them. One of them, the stud dog, was very mellow and laid back. There were two sisters that were seriously dog aggressive, and nearly killed a corgi when the dog accidentally got out of its kennel. Another pair of Akitas had to be separated when one of them began to resource guard its food.

None of them were aggressive towards humans, though. But some dogs (see above) are fine with adults and aggressive towards children.


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