# My German Sheppard attacked my Pug



## ilovemygermansheperd (Jun 27, 2011)

I left home Saturday and returned Sunday finding that my 12 month old German Sheppard killed my 10 month small pug. The Pug would always growl and played rough with the Sheppard, take away treats or food from him. The two dogs would sleep and play together all the time; however two weeks ago everything started to change the Sheppard would attack the pug this of course without hurting him and the pug would freeze. My husband told me that the pug had bites by his arm which he thinks it might have been close to his heart. My question and concern is that I’m scared for my 3 year old son, since he would always pull on both of my dogs tails, ears and they never did anything to him but with this happening I don’t know what to expect…


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

ilovemygermansheperd said:


> I’m scared for my 3 year old son, since he would always pull on both of my dogs tails, ears and they never did anything to him but with this happening I don’t know what to expect…


Just an FYI- because you will get called out on it- it's spelled "Shepherd." More importantly- teach your kid some dog manners. That would help ensure his safety.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Your dog gave you every warning that something was going to happen to the pug and you didn't pay attention to him. That's why this tragic accident happened. 

There's no reason to think anything is going to happen to your son especially as you should never leave him alone with your dog in the first place. You should be teaching your son how to behave around the dog and that includes not pulling on his ears and tail.


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## blehmannwa (Jan 11, 2011)

Did you leave the dogs loose? Were they being supervised? Who was in charge? If you left two pups alone overnight with the run of the house, there is no way to know what happened. Was it an attack, was it play gone wrong, was it stress from outside stimuli?

I don't have enough info. to make any helpful comments, judgements or suggestions.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Normally dog aggression does not translate to people aggression. Your Shepherd has been giving signals to the pug for a while now that he is not willing to accept his treatment of him, but the pug continued, and, probably without meaning to kill him, the shepherd wanted to put him in his place. Too late now, but for future reference, when you see the pack dynamics changing this way as a younger dog starts getting older, time to separate them and always supervise them.

Same with your child - Shepherds are big and strong and can easily hurt a small child without meaning to do it. Your dog should not be forced to put up with having his ears and tail pulled, and your child should be always supervised to prevent any unfortunate accident. 

So I wouldn't worry that your dog will "turn" on the child for no reason. I would worry of an accident happening because of lack of supervision. Never have the two together without someone watching them, and start teaching the toddler what is okay dog interaction, and what is not.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

dogs that attack/kill other dogs are not necessarily going to transfer that behavior to a human. 

I'm really sorry this happened, but it sounds like you had some previous warning signals and should have taken them more seriously. Leaving a BIG dog like a gsd and a small dog like a pug together unsupervised is not a good idea at all. 

You should also try to teach your 3 year old it's not nice to pull dogs tails, ears..while YOUR dog may be tolerant of the behavior, what if he (your child) did this to another dog and they weren't so tolerant? 

Honestly, it sounds like a terrible thing to have happened, but there is a difference in dog to dog relations vs dog to human relations. 

I'm sorry for your loss


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I am very sorry to hear of the loss of your pug. However it is never a good idea to allow a 10 month old dog and a 12 month old dog alone unsupervised for any amount of time. I have a 5 or 6 year old mini doxie and a 20 month old German Shepherd. They never play unsupervised. My GSD is far too large to play unsupervised. He can fit the entire mini doxie's head in his mouth. It just takes play to get too rough and something awful can happen - just as in your case. 

You should never ever leave your 3 year old child alone with any pet.


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## cshepherd9 (Feb 11, 2010)

I agree, the dogs gave you signs there were problems. If you couldn't be there to supervise then they should have been separated while you were away. I am sorry about your pug. 
Also, do not leave your dog, or any dog, with a child unsupervised. Kids need to be taught how to behave around dogs. Although some dogs can handle a kid jumping on it, pulling ears, tails, etc., most dogs don't like it.


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## MarleyGSD (Sep 29, 2010)

i'm very sorry for the loss of your pug. Hugs going out to you and your family.

With your pug always growling, taking treats and food from the shepherd, it seems he was displaying dominant (and maybe even aggressive) behavior, just my opinion. I think the issue should have been addressed when those things started going on. Things were allowed to go too far. I'm trying to tread lightly because i'm sure you are very upset right now...

I would not under any circumstances let you child tug on ears, tails, etc. I think the shepherd was provoked and probably gave his fair share of warnings to the pug to stop with all the shenanigans. Not too sure more advice as far as for your kid, others can help with that.

Again, im sorry for the situation you are in.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

I am very sorry this happened to your pug. It is too late now to say that the dogs should not have been left alone together - especially since there were signs of problems. Not being there, it is impossible to know exactly what happened. The pug could have been the aggressor and the shepherd took up for himself, or it could have been rough play that got out of hand. 

Even if it was determined that your shepherd is dog aggressive, that does not translate to people aggression. My German Shepherd has been dog aggressive her entire life, but adores people - especially children. She has no aggression whatsoever towards kids.

That being said - You should never leave a young child and dog together unattended. ALWAYS supervise. Also - Teach your child not to pull the dogs' tail. He needs to learn to be gentle and respectful of the dog. My dog would tolerate the tail pulling, but I still would not allow it.

I am very sorry for your loss. If you do not have a crate, please invest in one. Keep the shepherd crated when you are unable to supervise.


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## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

You left Saturday, returned Sunday, was anybody HOME to keep an eye on your pets? Did you not crate one or the other?


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Agree with everyone else. It also would be a good idea to take an OB class and practice NILF training at home.


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

WarrantsWifey said:


> You left Saturday, returned Sunday, was anybody HOME to keep an eye on your pets? Did you not crate one or the other?


That was my first thought too. I don't think we have ever left our 14 month old home alone for more than 4 hours. We sacrifice many long or overnight outings to be with our dog. Still if I had to leave overnight, I would board my dog with our breeder or Vet.

For readers with GSD puppies, please know as they mature their personalities change, just like other breeds. Some can become more possessive, protective, defensive, etc. Just because they were easy going, tolerant and loved everyone at 6 months does not mean they will act that way at 12 months.


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## Stevensondrive (Jul 20, 2010)

this post was put up 2 days ago and still no response from OP. it really smells like a troll.


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## MustLoveGSDs (Oct 31, 2008)

I don't think OP is a troll, a lot of people _are _this naive with their pets. 


I agree with others that dog aggression is not the same as human aggression and does not mean it will lead to the other behavior, BUT obviously this is not a case of a DA dog, this is a dog who gave a lot of warning signs and when his owner failed him he took matters into his own hands and finally attacked. The same thing will happen if the kid is not trained to leave the dog alone. Be it another animal or a human, a dog has its limits and will react if pushed past his thresholds. I see this heading down a very dangerous path if the OP does not buck up and be a responsible pet and child owner.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Short of real physical harm, a mature family GSD should be willing to put up with almost anything from little kids (esp. their own family) just like they would ordinarilly with small puppies, i.e. the "puppy exemption". Or at worst just move away from the little ones.

Obviously they can be pushed too far but short of real harm, that's one opinion.

I have seen our little toddler (just starting to walk) grab our then 2.5 yo female GSD by her tonge and all she did was make some wierd noise for the few seconds it took to get over to them! And he also would grab her fur on her shoulders to hold himself up and she just stood there waiting for him. And we have numerous pictures of him crawling over her, back and forth over and over. When she tired of this game she would wait till he was off her and get up and move to another area.

That to me is how a normal adult GSD should treat her/his family kids esp.


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## MustLoveGSDs (Oct 31, 2008)

This is not a mature adult GSD in question and personally, I wouldn't want to wait around and see what happens. I cringe when people talk about their child sitting, riding, crawling on the dog....it's the same people that are surprised when their dog ends up having enough and bites the kid and they tell the media "but sasha would never hurt a fly!" Obviously it's difficult to catch every single thing with a child but it sounds like you guys find it cute since you are taking the time to snap photos. Call me overprotective but I'd rather be safe than sorry, it takes a split second for a dog to issue a warning snap and for small animals and children that can have bad consequences. Owners of powerful breeds such as the GSD should carry a bit more responsibility on their shoulders, especially with children around. If no child was ever bitten by the family dog for annoying it then you'd have a good argument.

Older dogs don't just put up with the antics of puppies, they do teach them behavioral lessons and bite inhibition by issuing corrections.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

MustLoveGSDs said:


> This is not a mature adult GSD in question and personally, I wouldn't want to wait around and see what happens. I cringe when people talk about their child sitting, riding, crawling on the dog....it's the same people that are surprised when their dog ends up having enough and bites the kid and they tell the media "but sasha would never hurt a fly!" Obviously it's difficult to catch every single thing with a child but it sounds like *you guys find it cute* *(actually very much so, thanks. We also have a picture of this same GSD carrying around a kitten that she met that day in her mouth!)* since you are taking the time to snap photos. Call me overprotective but I'd rather be safe than sorry, *it takes a split second for a dog to issue a warning snap *and for small animals and children that can have bad consequences. Owners of powerful breeds such as the GSD *should* *carry a bit more responsibility* on their shoulders, especially with children around. *If no child was ever bitten by the family dog for annoying it* then you'd have a good argument.
> Older dogs don't just put up with the antics of puppies, they do teach them behavioral lessons and bite inhibition by issuing corrections.


mustlove, Obviously you and everyone else, of course, have the right to trust, or not trust your own dog however you see fit. I don't know your dog so don't know whether you should trust them with your child (do you have any or ever had?) - that is up to you.

I know my dogs and thus am able to make that determination. I personally would not feel too good about any adult GSD who I did not trust around my kids.

BTW, have you ever seen an adult GSD "Correct" a small puppy as you describe? I haven't, as all of the ones that I have seen around small puppies have been extremely tolerant and forgiving of the little ones. Ever hear of "the Puppy Exemption"? Are there some adults who would not be so tolerant? Of course - so maybe I have just been fortunate to see mostly good ones in my 40 years in GSD's.

From what you describe about your GSD's, I am not sure that I would want to meet them; and esp. not bring my child around your dogs. So if they are not trustworthy around kids, then you have obviously made your point about them very well. 

"..*should* *carry a bit more responsibility* " - Not sure I understood exactly what you mean by this? Responsibility for what? Not letting them play with their own family children?

And "*If no child was ever bitten by the family dog for annoying it..* " - that is exactly my point! This should never happen in a normal adult GSD and normal behavior of children. 

Kids need to be taught how to act with their and other dogs. 

Also, would you let your kids seriously hurt each other or their friends? I would guess not - so why not teach the kids not to hurt the dog at the same time? We did, and it seemed to work out pretty good - neither one ever hurt the other.

I wonder, do you trust your dog enough to allow your him/her around other people at all, as long as they are old enough?

Let's hope that not everyone feels the same as you do about your GSD's - they have a bad enough reputation in some folks minds already.

I would not leave a young child alone with a dog, but then the young ones shouldn't be left alone at all anyway, should they? But to worry about my dog deliberately hurting my child - I would not have such a dog in my house; but everyone has to make decisions like this themselves.

Just my thoughts on my expectations of an a normal adult GSD. Guess maybe I have somewhat higher expectations than someone like yourself does. And that is fine - to each his own.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Back to the OP!


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## neiltus (Mar 10, 2011)

whats a troll


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

A troll is someone who starts a thread to get a rise out of people. Just wants to instigate trouble. They post a time or two and then sit back and watch the fireworks.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

I agree with Codmaster completely. You MUST know your own dog. My dog came from a shelter at the age of 2. My kids were 2, 6, and 10. I did not leave them alone unattended. We all got used to each other and I learned to know and trust my new dog. Before long, I was insisting that the dog be with the kids at ALL times. Not only did I trust my dog with my life, I trusted her with the life of my kids. I always said, "I would not want to be the one who messed with her kids." And....my dog HATED other dogs. Extremely dog aggressive. That had nothing to do with the kids. Kids are not dogs. 

I agree the kids should be respectful of the dog. Even so, things happen and I have found the dog to be very forgiving. 

My dog is now 13 and my kids are 13, 17 and 21. I still trust the old dog completely. She sleeps so soundly now days. The vet says to be careful, she might bite me, if I startle her. Not much chance of that. I'm not an idiot who is going to stick my face in hers when I wake her up. Besides, her reaction time it just way too slow. I doubt she would even move fast enough to crack me in the face with her head. LOL!

As for the OP, we don't even know if the shepherd was being aggressive when the pug was killed.


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## MustLoveGSDs (Oct 31, 2008)

codmaster said:


> mustlove, Obviously you and everyone else, of course, have the right to trust, or not trust your own dog however you see fit. I don't know your dog so don't know whether you should trust them with your child (do you have any or ever had?) - that is up to you.


No children here, however they are exposed to them often as we attend a lot of dog events and adoption events.



codmaster said:


> I know my dogs and thus am able to make that determination. I personally would not feel too good about any adult GSD who I did not trust around my kids.


No one should have to live with a dog that they do not feel comfortable having around their family.



codmaster said:


> BTW, have you ever seen an adult GSD "Correct" a small puppy as you describe? I haven't, as all of the ones that I have seen around small puppies have been extremely tolerant and forgiving of the little ones. Ever hear of "the Puppy Exemption"? Are there some adults who would not be so tolerant? Of course - so maybe I have just been fortunate to see mostly good ones in my 40 years in GSD's.


It is not uncommon for adult dogs to teach younger ones some manners, in any breed.



codmaster said:


> From what you describe about your GSD's, I am not sure that I would want to meet them; and esp. not bring my child around your dogs. So if they are not trustworthy around kids, then you have obviously made your point about them very well.


I haven't made one mention about my personal dogs or their personalities in this thread so I don't know how you gathered a point being made about them in this thread. You are making some pretty big assumptions there. For the record, these are a couple of photos the previous owner sent to me before I adopted my GSD. She was living with 6 grandkids and was getting beaten up a lot by the unruly children.



















yep, my dogs are blood thirsty baby killers, lol












codmaster said:


> "..*should* *carry a bit more responsibility* " - Not sure I understood exactly what you mean by this? Responsibility for what? Not letting them play with their own family children?


That would be silly and you have totally taken my text and twisted it. Responsibility as in teaching the child how to behave around the dog and not poking,prodding, riding, crawling, and pulling at it.




codmaster said:


> I wonder, do you trust your dog enough to allow your him/her around other people at all, as long as they are old enough?


Absolutely, my dogs are exposed and socialized very well to all types, sizes, colors, ages, and genders of people. Now this sounds like a personal jab because you disagree with my views, correct me if I am wrong. Not to bombard the thread with many photos, but my dogs are excellent in public and around other people...





























my husky even came first in a kissing contest....













codmaster said:


> Let's hope that not everyone feels the same as you do about your GSD's - they have a bad enough reputation in some folks minds already.


What feeling would that be? Again, a huge assumption and a very asinine thing to say.



codmaster said:


> I would not leave a young child alone with a dog, but then the young ones shouldn't be left alone at all anyway, should they? But to worry about my dog deliberately hurting my child - I would not have such a dog in my house; but everyone has to make decisions like this themselves.


I totally agree with that.



codmaster said:


> Just my thoughts on my expectations of an a normal adult GSD. Guess maybe I have somewhat higher expectations than someone like yourself does. And that is fine - to each his own.


Someone like myself? Again with the asinine remark and assumptions. Because I do not agree with it being safe for a child to be allowed to crawl, sit, and roll all over a dog does not mean I have low expectations of my pets. You seem to want to live in a rose colored GSD world where no adult GSD can do no wrong when it comes to children and their antics. That would be great but I have _realistic_ expectations and I understand that a dog is still an animal and animals should be respected because they have teeth and they know how to use them. I am sorry you totally misconstrued my responses in this thread and took it very personally. It is not my intention to get in a scuffle with anyone, it is healthy debate and I am expressing my views and insight as anyone is allowed to do. I do not think I have been disrespectful or out of line with my responses.


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

Guys, you're feeding the troll.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> I agree with Codmaster completely. You MUST know your own dog. My dog came from a shelter at the age of 2. My kids were 2, 6, and 10. I did not leave them alone unattended. We all got used to each other and I learned to know and trust my new dog. Before long, I was insisting that the dog be with the kids at ALL times. Not only did I trust my dog with my life, I trusted her with the life of my kids. I always said, "I would not want to be the one who messed with her kids." And....my dog HATED other dogs. Extremely dog aggressive. That had nothing to do with the kids. Kids are not dogs.
> 
> I agree the kids should be respectful of the dog. Even so, things happen and I have found the dog to be very forgiving.
> 
> ...


Thanks! Sounds like your dog is great with the kids as they should be!

I would also trust my kids life with our dog with no hesitation - she had in fact proven herself a couple of times over the years.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

MustLoveGSDs said:


> No children here, however they are exposed to them often as we attend a lot of dog events and adoption events.
> No one should have to live with a dog that they do not feel comfortable having around their family.
> It is not uncommon for adult dogs to teach younger ones some manners, in any breed.
> I haven't made one mention about my personal dogs or their personalities in this thread so I don't know how you gathered a point being made about them in this thread. You are making some pretty big assumptions there. For the record, these are a couple of photos the previous owner sent to me before I adopted my GSD. She was living with 6 grandkids and was getting beaten up a lot by the unruly children.
> ...


Please read my post - I was explaining only how I expect *MY GSD to act around kids and puppies for that matter;* not what every *adult GSD will act like*, just what they *SHOULD* act like. 

You might have different expectations/assumptions/beliefs of what adult GSD's should be like. Your prerogative, of course!

That's it!


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## MustLoveGSDs (Oct 31, 2008)

Ok then, I apologize for being offended but it is only because you insinuated my dogs are human aggressive because I don't let kids climb on them. I work really hard at making sure they have a clean and pristine public image, ESPECIALLY due to their breeds. I am very involved in GSD and Doberman rescue and I deal with idiots and irresponsible owners of these breeds more than I'd care to. I would never put my dogs in a position to become another negative headline or statistic. My Dobe is 18 months and has his CGC, we are currently training for the BH. I have therapy plans for my GSD who has a superb patient and loving temperament with people.


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## loliukas (Dec 6, 2015)

*This is too sad.*

This is heart breaking, that poor little pug. If you ever have new puppies (I hope NEVER) the first thing is that they need to play nice with each other, and be supervised specifically when it comes to treats, foods, and sometimes toys, until you're 100% sure. They need obedience from you just like your child does. What should have been done was 1st your pug should have been trained that he cannot come and just take the other dogs treats because that is annoying and the other dog is much bigger and stronger. Otherwise give treats to them in separate rooms. 2nd bite marks, (since you said close to the heart) that pretty much means it wasn't just little scratches, after you saw them you should have never left them alone together, I wouldn’t because it would break my heart to see a dog in pain, also I would monitor the pugs activities if he is being annoying again or any suspicious behavior from the German Shepherd such as aggressiveness.

As well it sounds like you don’t really care about the dogs anyway since you let your son torture them. Children should be taught to love animals and take care of them. I know no matter how much you tell your child to be nice to a dog they still sometimes annoy them, and that is ok if it is only from time to time. Dogs can sense children and their innocence that is why usually they tolerate being pulled on ears, tails and etc. but there is always a limit. 

This is too sad.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

This thread is over 4 years old.


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