# Need to find a home



## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

I dont know where to put this but i know all of you are good people on here and i thought you could help me out. I'm devasted. My GSD was aggressive with my 1 year old and i feel i have no choice but to rehome him. I dont know what to do. Words cannot describe how much this dog means to me. He's my best friend, my heart and soul. I only want the best for him. Please help.


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## rooandtree (May 13, 2012)

if you have to rehome and the breeder dosent want him back then def contact your local shepherd rescue to make sure he finds a great home


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Contact your breeder first.

It will depend on 'how aggressive' and the circumstance as to whether a gsd rescue will even 'touch' him. 

However, they may do him as a courtesy listing to a home with NO children. Again, depending on what happened between your child and him, will depend on whether they will even consider him.

And PLEASE be truthful with anyone interested in him, I would also contact your vet's office see if they know anyone looking for an older dog.

For right now, I am going to move this thread to agression only because maybe someone can HELP you with what happened.

Please come back and describe exactly what happened with your child , hopefully someone can give you some help and ideas which may allow you to keep him.

For now, NO contact between dog and child. Good luck


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Where are you located? We will be able to give you better advice on re-homing options if we know your city/state.

I also encourage you to share some details of the incident. Not only will this also help members advise you on re-homing but, more importantly, may help you better understand if it is indeed aggression that you observed.... A lot of people can read aggression into dog behavior when aggression was, in fact, not the driver of that behavior.


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

What happened was i was sitting on the couch watching tv, i wasnt paying attention. Jager(GSD) was standing beside the couch and my son was on the other side of him, i guess pulling his hair(like he normally does) then all of a sudden jager starts growling and mouthing his head. My son has a couple marks on his head from his teeth. I'm located in ironton, missouri.


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

jager said:


> What happened was i was sitting on the couch watching tv, i wasnt paying attention. Jager(GSD) was standing beside the couch and my son was on the other side of him, i guess pulling his hair(like he normally does) then all of a sudden jager starts growling and mouthing his head. My son has a couple marks on his head from his teeth. I'm located in ironton, missouri.


Well, I have to ask, why on earth do you let your one year old pull his hair??
You know that has to hurt! Would you let your child pull _*your*_hair?


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

PatchonGSD said:


> Well, I have to ask, why on earth do you let your one year old pull his hair??
> You know that has to hurt! Would you let your child pull _*your*_hair?


Please, let's not judge the OP. Her dog is a year old. I am going to assume that there have been countless interactions between her child and the dog over that time that led the OP to feel safe with the two of them being together. I don't fault her for that at all!

Let's focus on helping the OP assess the situation and determine next steps. From what she described, I am really not sure. It could have been a pain-based reflex or it could be an indicator for too low a pain threshold to have in a house with children. 

I hope others who have raised dogs with young children will chime in here as I am not an expert in that area at all!


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## rooandtree (May 13, 2012)

jager said:


> , i guess pulling his hair(like he normally does) then all of a sudden jager starts growling and mouthing his head.


 ok so your not 100% sure what the baby did but it could of been hair pulling...can i ask did the dog growl and then do one big bite..or did he growl a few times and one bite...or growl and a few bites...im not sure what you mean by mouthing his head...was it something like he would of done in play with another dog? or was it more like a attack? or more of a reflex...im not blaming you in any way...im just trying to get the whole picture as i have had small children and dogs too


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

If your baby is ok, and there are just teethmarks (from having head in mouth), I wouldn't say he's super aggressive. If he'd been really aggressive your son would be in really bad shape.

Your dog probably should be re-homed. You have a lot on your hands with a new baby and perhaps don't have a lot of experience with the breed.

Call your vet and any other leads on finding him a home.

I would not characterize him as "aggressive" based on the description of the incident. Your dog probably just had a reflex to a hurt, and being a young dog, didn't contain his reaction as well as an older dog used to the pulling and tugging of a baby.

I hope he ends up in a good home.

Can you share more about the dog? Breeding etc...."


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

LifeofRiley said:


> Please, let's not judge the OP. Her dog is a year old. I am going to assume that there have been countless interactions between her child and the dog over that time that led the OP to feel safe with the two of them being together. I don't fault her for that at all!
> 
> Let's focus on helping the OP assess the situation and determine next steps. From what she described, I am really not sure. It could have been a pain-based reflex or it could be an indicator for too low a pain threshold to have in a house with children.
> 
> I hope others who have raised dogs with young children will chime in here as I am not an expert in that area at all!


I am not "judging" her. OP stated that his/her child was "probably" pulling the dogs hair, "as he usually does." There are SO MANY cases of "little Sammie Joe was pulling on/pinching/scratching/jumping on/etc "fido" and "fido" finally had enough so "fido" reacted with a warning growl or pinch and now "fido" has to go!" Thousands of great dogs end up on the streets, in shelters, or passed from home to home because of situations like this. Its common sense/dog ownership 101. You dont allow children to do something to your dog that you wouldnt want done to you. Its mind boggling how much this sort of things happens.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Patchon - absolutely agree. I am one who was brought up by parents, relatives and at a time when people would ask what someone did to the dog to make them bite. 

However - right now - think of it as triage - get a handle of the situation, dog's age, who might be able to help, then, because the gate is being closed after the horses get out, after everything is settled, we can talk to the OP about prevention around other dogs (because kids generalize - if I can do this to my dog, I can do it to anyone's dog). So priority is not on that right now - or not in this thread - feel free to start another about that topic - and we need to focus on helping the OP's dog. 

Thank you!


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## mamadean (Jul 24, 2012)

*I too know the heartbreak*

Jager, I'm going thru a similar situation, not with a baby, but with my 10 month old GSD attacking my other little dogs. Its hard to think of rehoming your dog, that you love dearly. But your baby is your Baby. I never ever leave my grandson who is 5 alone in the room with any dog. Never know what could happen. Good luck to you. I know first hand the heartbreak, I have a dicision to make myself, but am trying everything to stop her aggression. I absolutely wouldn't chance more aggression towards a child.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

zyppi said:


> If your baby is ok, and there are just teethmarks (from having head in mouth), I wouldn't say he's super aggressive. If he'd been really aggressive your son would be in really bad shape.
> 
> Your dog probably should be re-homed. You have a lot on your hands with a new baby and perhaps don't have a lot of experience with the breed.
> 
> ...


Great post, I was thinking along the same line. Glad the child wasn't seriously injured & I think the op has her hands full. The dog should still be able to be placed in a good home.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

How old is the dog, and why was it OK to repeatedly let the baby pull on him? At that age babies pull hard! I remember my sons doing this to me and it was scream worthy pain.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

I can't blame you about looking into rehoming your pup. If I had a baby, and realized I couldn't trust my pup around him, I would be considering the same thing.

While you are looking at your options, keep the dog and baby _completely separated_. Use gates, closed doors, crates, leashes; whatever it takes to keep the separation.

Is your pup a rescue or from a breeder? If a breeder, was there a contract? If a contract, it should state in it that the dog would be returned to them if you are unable to keep it or care for it. If not from a breeder, locate a GSD rescue, and as others have stated, be honest about the circumstances. What your baby was doing, and the dog's reaction.

If you choose to attempt to keep the dog. First thing, have the dog in for a FULL exam, include a thyroid test. Have the vet go over his body in detail looking for anything out of the ordinary. Next get a behaviorist on board who has as one of their specialty of integrating baby and dog, along with aggression.

You didn't say how old your GSD is. How much training has he had? How much exercise each day? How has the interaction before this been between your dog and baby? What is your dog's normal temperament daily? These are all questions that will probably be asked which ever direction you choose to go, so please be thinking about them.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Sunflowers said:


> How old is the dog, and why was it OK to repeatedly let the baby pull on him? At that age babies pull hard! I remember my sons doing this to me and it was scream worthy pain.





JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> Patchon - absolutely agree. I am one who was brought up by parents, relatives and at a time when people would ask what someone did to the dog to make them bite.
> 
> However - right now - think of it as triage - get a handle of the situation, dog's age, who might be able to help, then, because the gate is being closed after the horses get out, after everything is settled, we can talk to the OP about prevention around other dogs (because kids generalize - if I can do this to my dog, I can do it to anyone's dog). So priority is not on that right now - or not in this thread - feel free to start another about that topic - and we need to focus on helping the OP's dog.
> 
> Thank you!


Hey, everyone, let's see if we can focus on the dog and then later do the education part. 

Believe me, this is the method that works best in terms of helping the dog.


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## m1953 (May 7, 2012)

I am far from an expert but we had three young under five children at one time back in the 80's and our sheperd was so protective of them, I did not worry at all.. That being said when they are as young as one we had to be very watchful of both the baby and the dog. Little kids can learn at that age the word NO land not allow them to pull on the dog in anyway. What your dog did, does not sound like true aggression but myself or anyone else could not say for sure unless we were there..It sounds like your dog was simply saying back off little person. Talk to your vet and get his or her opinion..


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Oops, I realize that I confused the dog's age with your son's age. How old is your dog?

I also think that some additional information on the dog's typical behavior and temperament will help in assessing the situation.

Please know that I am not asking these questions to open you up for judgement. I can tell from your initial post that you love your dog. I, and others here, are really trying to help you in your decision and to point you in the direction of good resources whatever that may be! 

If you decide that re-homing is your best option, please look into GSD and all-breed rescues in your area. Most will do a courtesy posting so that the dog can stay at your home until a suitable new home is found. I think that arrangement would work well for you as knowing where the dog was going might be a solace to you. 

If you decide to keep the dog for further evaluation, take some of the other posters' advice in terms of separation and supervised interaction. 

I really do wish you the best and hope that the experience of others will help you in your decision.

Please PM if you any questions!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
he would be gone immediately.



PatchonGSD said:


> Well, I have to ask, why on earth do you let your one year old pull his hair??
> You know that has to hurt! Would you let your child pull _*your*_hair?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

You should rehome and not replace the dog until your child is older. When my children were babies they weren't near the dog (not a GSD) except in extremely well supervised situations. We waited to get a GSD until they were old enough to understand how to behave around that breed. Even then, the breeder insisted on meeting all of us, plus friends of my children, and watched them all interact before letting us take a dog home. 

I would contact your local GSD rescue, explain the situation, and see what they say. They may even have other suggestions or options for you. At one time I was going to rehome one of my dogs (a rescue that we weren't completely sure we were going to keep) and the rescue organization gave us ideas and a different perspective on how to deal with the dog.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


Gone where? PLEASE people do not make universal statements without an understanding of the context or the emotions involved. Even if the dog does need to re-homed, this will not happen overnight unless the owner had a complete disregard for her dog's well-being. Ughh... I hate statements like this.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


C'mon, the kid's not even hurt. The dog gave a warning exactly like an adult dog would give to a puppy. I agree OP has their hands full and probably doesn't need to supervise dog and baby right now, but this doesn't sound like an aggressive dog. It sounds like a dog that got sick of being pulled on by the baby and finally gave a warning.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

LifeofRiley said:


> Please, let's not judge the OP. Her dog is a year old.
> 
> I hope others who have raised dogs with young children will chime in here as I am not an expert in that area at all!


I read the OP to understand that the baby was a year old, not the dog. If I remember correctly from other posts, the dog is 3-ish?

I have raised two children with dogs, and have always stressed prevention of behaviors above all else. I wouldn't have allowed either of my children to pull hair, as a rule. That being said, it happens. Children do those types of things. I would have addressed it with the child, though, and not the dog. 

Kiki, my old Lab/Rottie girl, was wonderful with children. But even she had her limits. One afternoon my youngest son (who was about 2.5 years old at the time) followed her under the kitchen table and sat on her. She growled, got up and moved. Son followed her and did it again. She growled and bit him. Not severely, but it was a definite warning. Who was at fault? My husband was at fault, because he didn't step in and stop my son from pestering the dog. It was a teachable moment for my son, who never did it again. I wasn't home, and I like to think I would have been tuned in enough to redirect my son when I saw her move under the table. But who knows? I might have been just as wrapped up in the visitors as my husband, and it would have happened with me there.

My point is that the OP's situation doesn't sound like an aggressive dog that can't be trusted around children. He sounds like a dog that had hit his limit and he did what he could to regain his comfort zone. When children and dogs are in the same room, or have the potential to be in the same room, it is up to us to supervise closely. Like my husband should have been doing with my son and my dog. And perhaps as the OP should have been doing in this case.

I wouldn't necessarily think that rehoming is the only option. Unless there were other behavioral issues that included aggressive and/or fearful behavior, I would chalk it up to not being as vigilant as the dog and child need me to be, so I would change my behavior and become more vigilant. And I would teach the child what is appropriate behavior ("No, Jake, we don't sit on the puppy! We love the puppy by petting her and when she gets up and walks away we leave her ALONE because that means she wants to be by herself now").

OP, I wish you luck. Do what is right for your home. Rehoming might be the right thing to do, but it doesn't have to be the only option.
Sheilah


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


I have 4 children and you betcha they can pull hard enough to hurt people and animals.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

There is something more here then a baby just pulling the dogs hair, did the baby step on him and kinda push him? Is your dog injured anywhere that he might be protecting himself? Was there food around? Is the weather hot and miserable, etc...there are tons of different reasons why this could have happened. Do I think the dog is aggressive? Nope, not by a long shot, the dog had a big opportunity to do major damage and it didn't. Would I let any kid pull on a dog's hair, ears,etc? Nope, but like someone else said it happens. I had a dog one time that was laying on the couch, my son's friend(they were about 3) was jumping on the couch(which I didn't allow to begin with) and jumped right on the dog sleeping on the couch, the dog chose to growl and run the other way...never attempted to go after the little one. That is the kind of dog that people want around their kids. I think more details are needed to describe what exactly happened


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him.


A one year old can certainly pull hair hard enough to hurt. I have been on the receiving end of a hair pull by an infant, and they are actually pretty strong in that area and it can really hurt.
Sheilah


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## NWHeather (Oct 29, 2010)

sit said:


> I read the OP to understand that the baby was a year old, not the dog. If I remember correctly from other posts, the dog is 3-ish?
> 
> I have raised two children with dogs, and have always stressed prevention of behaviors above all else. I wouldn't have allowed either of my children to pull hair, as a rule. That being said, it happens. Children do those types of things. I would have addressed it with the child, though, and not the dog.
> 
> ...


I agree with this 100%.
Both of my dogs are pretty good with kids, even though I don't have any myself. They have been around all of my neices & nephews, several times. My female growled & snapped (did *not* make contact) at one of my neices a couple years ago, when she kept wanting to love on her. Rory kept moving away from her, & my brother told my neice to leave Rory alone. My neice went back over to Rory again, & Rory growled & snapped. It scared my neice, but she was not at all hurt. 
My brother told my neice "I told you to leave her alone, she didn't want you bugging her". The same neice has been around the dogs a number of times since, without any problems.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


Have you ever had your hair pulled by a baby? They pull _hard_ and _twist_. Don't let their small size fool you, they have some serious power in those little fingers. 

When my niece was 3, she continually wanted to yank on my cat, who was about 10 at the time. The cat, a very docile sweet thing, had been through 2 kids already and was very tolerant, but no matter how many times we told our niece no and took her away and redirected her, she still did it. 

One day, she went under the table after the cat and yanked on his tail. 

It was the last straw for poor Max. He yowled, then scratched her right under her eye. 

She never did it again. 

Max is still here.

Just read this post:


NWHeather said:


> My brother told my neice "I told you to leave her alone, she didn't want you bugging her". The same neice has been around the dogs a number of times since, without any problems.


That is exactly what my sister-in-law said. "Serves her right for tormenting the cat." We were glad the cat didn't get her in the eye, though.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i'm talking about what i would do if my dog bit my 1 yr old.
there's nothing universal about what i said. when i said "gone" i mean
out of the house, taken to a rescue, taken to the PSPCA. the dog
bit the OP's child. i think i completely understand how the OP feels.
getting rid of the dog could happen instantly. the OP's childs welfare
is more important than the dog.



doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.





LifeofRiley said:


> Gone where? PLEASE people do not make universal statements without an understanding of the context or the emotions involved. Even if the dog does need to re-homed, this will not happen overnight unless the owner had a complete disregard for her dog's well-being. Ughh... I hate statements like this.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if my cat scratched one of my children i wouldn't get rid of him.
i don't think a cat is going to scratch a child unless the child is
doing something to it. a dog is different. i wouldn't trust my dog
if he bit my child. for me there's no debate. i'm getting rid of my dog
if he bit my child. i'd rather feel bad and shed tears over rehoming
my dog as opposed to feeling bad and shedding tears because my dog
bit my child. children come first whether they're right or wrong
when interacting with the dog.



Sunflowers said:


> Have you ever had your hair pulled by a baby? They pull _hard_ and _twist_. Don't let their small size fool you, they have some serious power in those little fingers.
> 
> When my niece was 3, she continually wanted to yank on my cat, who was about 10 at the time. The cat, a very docile sweet thing, had been through 2 kids already and was very tolerant, but no matter how many times we told our niece no and took her away and redirected her, she still did it.
> 
> ...


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Here are some resources that may help as you slow down and take a breath:

https://www.dreamdogproductions.com/livingwithkidsanddogs/learn.html

Family Paws-New parent classes dog and baby

01 Children Need to Learn about Dogs - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

Help Dogs and Kids Be Comfortable Together: Dog Bite Prevention Week May 20-26, 2012 | Karen Pryor Clickertraining

ASPCA - Virtual Pet Behaviorist - Teaching Your Dog How to Behave Around Children


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Actually, now that others have shared some stories, I realize I do have some relevant experience when it comes to kids and pets. My last dog was the definition of kid-friendly... he was the absolute favorite of all the neighborhood kids and spent a lot of time with my SO's daughter. He was fawned over, ridden on, dressed up... you name it, he loved it! 

However, when he got older, his rear legs became very weak and he had arthritis in his front legs. I repeatedly told my young nephews not to lean on, grab, or otherwise handle him roughly. Well, one of my nephews kept grabbing at his rear end and my dog growled.... It was the first time in 13 years I had ever heard him growl. I sat my nephew down and had a long discussion with him about how to be respectful of elders. I did not blame my dog at all! 

Flash forward to my current dog. My nephew, now 5, was over at my house. He was in full kid mode. He was play marching and came down full force on my dog's front paw - he saw the dog there and there is a part of me that knows that he knew he should have changed course but, back to the story.... My dog screeched and then mouthed his arm. The mouthing was just that - mouthing - the dog did not apply any pressure. But, the screech followed by the mouthing got my nephew's attention. Now, at last, he seems to be careful about how he treats dogs.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> i'm talking about what i would do if my dog bit my 1 yr old.
> there's nothing universal about what i said. when i said "gone" i mean
> out of the house, taken to a rescue, taken to the PSPCA. the dog
> bit the OP's child. i think i completely understand how the OP feels.
> ...


Going only on what was said in the OP, it doesn't sound like the dog bit down on the child. Ive seen my own dogs warn each other with an open growling mouth and no serious contact. I don't know for sure thats what happened, but it appears that the dog may have shown at least "some" restraint. I think the op is doing the right thing by finding him a new home.


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> i'm talking about what i would do if my dog bit my 1 yr old.
> there's nothing universal about what i said. when i said "gone" i mean
> out of the house, taken to a rescue, taken to the PSPCA. the dog
> bit the OP's child. i think i completely understand how the OP feels.
> ...


Some dogs are definently more "child proof" than others. I chose to buy a PUPPY when my child was almost 3 to avoid this problem. In my years of experience, I wouldn't want to try to determine if an adult was "ok" with kids by trial and error. My last GSD was also raised with babies... 3 in a row. Most GSDs will not bat an eye at a 1 year old kid tugging on them. I wouldn't have a dog in the house I couldn't trust to be forgiving to a child, and I will not allow a child to torment a pet either. My rescue was under STRICT supervision until we knew him well, but my child was old enough to be somewhat respectful of a dog as well. I once brought home a Pekinese mix that was ditched in a grocery store parking lot. Seemed like a nice dog.. but had NO tolerance for kids. I'd had him about a week, my 5 year old crawled up to the dog when he was laying on the couch, gently reached up and started petting him behind the ear, and that dog exploded and bit him in the face, for no apparent reason. I was paying VERY close attention when this took place. The dog didn't have a toy, the child didn't do ANYTHING wrong whatsoever. That dog was crated for the night, and at the pound 1st thing in the morning. I don't care WHY the dog bit him. I'm not dealing with it. If he hadn't been a 10 lb dog, my kid coulda been killed.... non negotiable. Dog gone.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

for me the dog could be the most Schutzhundest of the Schuzthunds,
he could be the most lappy of the lap dogs, he could be the perfect
dog, he could be the never ever did anything wrong dog. once he
nips my child (maybe growl at my child) he's gone and i'm giving this
bag of kibble to take with you.



Emoore said:


> C'mon, the kid's not even hurt. The dog gave a warning exactly like an adult dog would give to a puppy. I agree OP has their hands full and probably doesn't need to supervise dog and baby right now, but this doesn't sound like an aggressive dog. It sounds like a dog that got sick of being pulled on by the baby and finally gave a warning.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

I feel for you with this decision. It would be so hard for me. I have had dogs my whole life and when my kids were young, I just always felt that they should not be alone with the dog. I know a 1 yr old pulling hair HURTS! They just don't let go because they don't know. I can remember lashing out when my kids pulled my hair! No, I didn't bite them.... 
I have a 3 yr old grandson and 9 yr old grand daughter. Stella adores the 9 yr old and I still make sure I am there to supervise. And forget about letting the 3 yr old near Stella. If he hurt Stella I wouldn't fault her for a reaction. (I am not talking about an extreme attack or anything of course) It doesn't sound like a real attack to me. Stella is 13 months and will mouth my hand if I accidentally hurt her....of course she gets corrected and is so sorry after. Even my mellow, you can do anything to me newfie/lab will turn and look like he is going to snap, if something hurts him. He always catches himself though, but he has had years of training and is just naturally tolerant of people and pain.
I guess what this long winded post is trying to say is....every situation is different, every dog is different. A one yr old child is a lot of work and takes a lot of supervision. I will not babysit my grandson alone if I know I have to watch him and Stella by myself. Waaaaaay too much stress and work at this time of my life!


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## m1953 (May 7, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> for me the dog could be the most Schutzhundest of the Schuzthunds,
> he could be the most lappy of the lap dogs, he could be the perfect
> dog, he could be the never ever did anything wrong dog. once he
> nips my child (maybe growl at my child) he's gone and i'm giving this
> bag of kibble to take with you.


I would agree except for the fact that all that was said was the dog mouth his head. That is a long way from actually biting. Was blood drawn? That was never said. It's a big difference .. Yea there were a couple of teeth marks but again to what degree. 
I am just asking for all the information and not arguing for or against. I don't believe were given all the information. 
I still say is this is a one time incident(again, was never said in by the poster) and there was no actual bite, the dog could have just been saying back off little buddy.. I was so happy to have my sheperd around when my kids where little because she was so incredably protective of them, I never worried..
Really more information is needed here than any one of us were given.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> for me the dog could be the most Schutzhundest of the Schuzthunds,
> he could be the most lappy of the lap dogs, he could be the perfect
> dog, he could be the never ever did anything wrong dog. once he
> nips my child (maybe growl at my child) he's gone and i'm giving this
> bag of kibble to take with you.


Doggiedad... I thought I knew you :crazy: I disagree with your assessment of this situation... and, I would hope that you would only consider the above if you felt the dog was truly aggressive and uncontrollable. 

And, to be clear, I am not at all against people re-homing a dog. But, there are ways to do this that are better for the dog and the owner than others. 

I find your posts on this thread cold-hearted... something to be expected from someone who only sees a dog as yet another one of their disposable, material possessions. I expected more from you.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Perhaps if the OP comes back, he can see the various suggestions made for the situation he is dealing with now.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Twyla said:


> Perhaps if the OP comes back, he can see the various suggestions made for the situation he is dealing with now.


Agreed! 

To the OP, even if you do not want to share additional details to the entire board, please "Private Message" those who you would like additional information from. I think MaggieRoseLee, Twyla, Jakoda would be great resources for you. I would also be happy to do research on rescues and network with rescues on your behalf if that is what you decide. 

Again, best of luck, I know this is a very difficult time for you.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

JeanKBBMMMAAN would also be a great person to talk to!


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

op, sounds like you were not supervising well. that being said, i am guilty of this as well. the truth is my kids , now 19 and 21, were born when my wife and i had two gsd dogs. my gsd were perfect kid friendly baby sitters. i would often do chores or not really pay attention to to dogs and kids. maybe foolish on my part, but i never had any fear or doubt in my mind that children were completely safe. you have a few options here, trainer, keep the dog separated from child ect... sorry you have to make this type of choice, but you also need to know your child is very safe. wish i had some really good advice for you, but i am not sure what i would do.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you're right you don't know me but now you know who comes first 
(the child).



LifeofRiley said:


> Doggiedad... I thought I knew you :crazy: I disagree with your assessment of this situation... and, I would hope that you would only consider the above if you felt the dog was truly aggressive and uncontrollable.
> 
> And, to be clear, I am not at all against people re-homing a dog. But, there are ways to do this that are better for the dog and the owner than others.
> 
> ...


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

the OP said the dog growled then mouthed the childs head.
for me, don't growl and mouth my childs head and leave a
couple of teeth marks.



m1953 said:


> >>>>I would agree except for the fact that all that was said was the dog mouth his head. That is a long way from actually biting. <<<<
> 
> 
> Was blood drawn? That was never said. It's a big difference ..
> ...


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> if my cat scratched one of my children i wouldn't get rid of him.
> i don't think a cat is going to scratch a child unless the child is
> doing something to it. a dog is different. i wouldn't trust my dog
> if he bit my child. for me there's no debate. i'm getting rid of my dog
> ...


FYI, a cat scratch or bite can do lots of damage and be very dangerous. As far as a cat scratching because something was done to it, the same applies to most dogs. I grew up with the thinking "if the dog bites you, what did you do to the dog?" and I still believe that for the most part. Some kids just don't learn and keep aggravating and pushing the dog. What is the dog suppose to do if the owner is not doing anything? If a person has dogs/cats and kids, it is very important for the kids to learn how to treat a pet. It was an absolute NO NO for mine to pull, tug, aggravate a dog...its called respect. With all of that being said I believe that kids that grow up with pets and this knowledge have the best experiences when they are younger. I believe all kids should have a dog, more so then a cat. They can actually learn lots from interacting with a dog the right way, starting with respect. I'm very guilty of letting my dogs play with the kids while I'm cooking, cleaning, etc. NEVER have any of my dogs bit, growled, or went after a child in my home and because I know this would be very odd behavior, then my first question would be "What did you do to the dog"?


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

I just woke up and i'm trying to go through all of these posts. 

Okay, What i THINK really happened, and i know my dog VERY well, is because of jealousy. Jager was standing in front of me, between me and my son and he just attacked for no reason. 

Maybe my son was pulling his hair or whatever but he's done so MANY times before and it's never bothered jager. 

Jager is a very jealous and possessive dog when it comes to me. 

I was just distracted for one second and it happened.

Jager is 4 years old, my son is the only baby he has ever been around.

What do i mean by mouthing? well obviously he didnt try to take a big bite, he was just trying to tell my son to back off or he could have done alot more damage.

Someone asked if blood was drawn and yes there was a tiny bit from where one of his teeth raked against his head.

Today i'm taking jager to a good friend of mine to stay.

I'm going to try and go through these posts and answer your questions.


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## Felix's Proud Mammy (Jul 10, 2012)

Something I've noticed with Felix my 2 y/o GSD (may help you out a bit):
I've got 2 little brothers ages 5 and 9 (I'm adopted) and a niece, 17 months. Felix is very bothered by the boys because they are very rowdy. He has a tendancy to try to "herd" them and has pulled shirts and "mouthed" arms/legs to get them off of high surfaces or off of swings he's deemed "unsafe". I've told the boys several times that if they pester him or act wildly that this will happen. They're full aware but they do it anyway because they don't mind it. Sometimes he does hurt them (unintentional--his canines are quite a bit longer than the average GSDs) and they'll come to me crying and have said "Felix bit me but it's okay because he didn't mean to he thought we were playing or we scared him". NOW with my niece it's a completly different story. She doesn't pull hair or anything... simply pats him on the head sometimes and will intentionally put her fist in Felix's mouth because she gets tickled when he VERY gently "mouths" her hand. She LOVES it! He's also grabbed her little arm once to move her away from another dog that we later found out had aggression issues. He's just following his herding instinct in both situations and the kids know this and love it. Like I said, i've explained to them WHY he does it. He's also very protective and possessive of Mommy but I hold no candle to Brynna (my niece) and he is GLUED to her side the entire time she's here. HTH!


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> the OP said the dog growled then mouthed the childs head.
> for me, don't growl and mouth my childs head and leave a
> couple of teeth marks.


I'm in full agreement with you. I would never take the chance that next time might be worse.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


Yup, same here. I have zero tolerance for that kind of behavior towards children. Dogs that live with children, some might say unfotunately, simply have to have the temperament to be more tolerant. If they can't be then they need to be rehomed to a situation in which no kids live. 

It sounds like this was a warning on the dogs part, but IMHO it's good that the parents are heeding that warning and rehoming the dog. It's a BABY, a 1 year old BABY. They are going to tug and pull hair, ears, tail unless you keep them 100% seperate. My 2 year old son is REALLY good with our dogs but still smacks them sometimes too hard when he's trying to pet them and still tries to drape himself over their backs when they are standing or laying around, still sometimes wants to have a closer look at their tail. We are really cautious and very careful to talk to our son, but at 2 he really only barely understands the concept of "gentle." At 1, they can NOT understand that concept. so if there is a dog around the child, it has to be able to tolerate some mild behavior. Sorry but HAIR PULLING from a 1 yr old doesn't mean the dog should bite. It had the option to get up and walk away. Dogs withstand much more than hair pulling in other situations and don't bite the handler or handlers children.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jager - where are you located at? Do you have pictures? Is he neutered? UTD on vaccines? Does he have any obedience training?

These are things that need to be listed in order to help find him a new home. Have you contacted any rescues to see if they will courtesy post him on petfinder for you?


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

I agree with doggiedad. 

He's not being cold. He is being proactive and protecting a loved one, who is a helpless baby.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

jager said:


> I just woke up and i'm trying to go through all of these posts.
> 
> Okay, What i THINK really happened, and i know my dog VERY well, is because of jealousy. Jager was standing in front of me, between me and my son and he just attacked for no reason.
> 
> ...


In case this post got lost in everyone's back and forth.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax08 said:


> Jager - where are you located at? Do you have pictures? Is he neutered? UTD on vaccines? Does he have any obedience training?
> 
> These are things that need to be listed in order to help find him a new home. Have you contacted any rescues to see if they will courtesy post him on petfinder for you?


And this one...maybe you just need to start a new thread that is focused on the dog.


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


Have you had a 1 yo pull your hair? It absolutely DOES hurt. And if it was a regular occurrence then I can see the dog getting fed up. The dog has probably given a warning a number of times, but obviously to no avail. The OP states she was watching TV and NOT PAYING ATTENTION. 
Then the OP goes on in another post to state the dog "just attacked for no reason". If you're not paying attention, how do you know there was no reason? 
My bet is that the dog has probably given many warnings and no one was paying attention closely enough to address it at the time. 
Believe me, I've been there with toddlers in the house and the chance to relax and watch TV for a minute is priceless, but if you're going to zone out a bit, then either make sure the dog is secured or the child is. 
The dog could have done much worse, so obviously he has bite inhibition, which is great. He is probably better off living in a house without toddlers.


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


LOL do you have kids? A 1 year OLD can absolutely pull hair hard enough to hurt a GSD. Especially if they grab hair in a sensitive area.


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

And for the record, and maybe its something the OP should consider, I would *appreciate* a dog that had the mind to only give a warning growl/nip/pinch after being repeatedly pestered and maybe even hurt by the child instead of a full on bite. Not all dogs would do the same, and it sounds like the OP actually has a really good dog.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Jager, I am happy you found a solution that works for your family and your dog!


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> you're right you don't know me but now you know who comes first
> (the child).


Doggiedad, I know that I don't know you  I only added that because I recently replied to one of your posts by saying, "I always enjoy your posts." :laugh:

And, I typically do enjoy your perspective! As I mentioned in that other thread I read here more than I post. So, I guess you start to form a picture of people over time. Sorry if I offended you.


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## cowgirlteach (Mar 17, 2012)

I really don't think the pulling hair comments are helping the OP decide what to do about his dog.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

cowgirlteach said:


> I really don't think the pulling hair comments are helping the OP decide what to do about his dog.


The dog is already at a friend's home.


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## apenn0006 (Jun 22, 2012)

I read a really good article a while back that I think may be beneficial if not reassuring to you in this situation. I hope it helps with your decision. This is an excerpt taken from Dr. Ian Dunbar's book on "After You Get your Puppy" on bite inhibition.


Puppies bite—and thank goodness they do. Puppy biting is a normal, natural, and necessary puppy behavior. Puppy playbiting is the means by which dogs develop bite inhibition and a soft mouth. The more your puppy bites and receives appropriate feedback, the safer his jaws will be in adulthood. It is the puppy that does not mouth and bite as a youngster whose adult bites are more likely to cause serious damage. The puppy's penchant for biting results in numerous playbites. Although his needle-sharp teeth make them painful, his weak jaws seldom cause serious harm. The developing puppy should learn that his bites can hurt long before he develops jaws strong enough to inflict injury. The greater the pup's opportunity to play-bite with people, other dogs, and other animals, the better his bite inhibition will be as an adult. For puppies that do not grow up with the benefit of regular interaction with other dogs and other animals, the responsibility of teaching bite inhibition lies with the owner. After diligently working on all the puppy socialization and handling exercises described in Chapter Four, your dog will be unlikely to want to bite because he likes people. However, should your dog snap or bite because he has been frightened or hurt, one hopes that he causes little if any damage because he developed good bite inhibition during puppyhood. While it is difficult to socialize a dog and prepare him for every potentially scary eventuality, it is easy to ensure that as a puppy he develops reliable bite inhibition.

Even when provoked to bite, a dog with well-established bite inhibition seldom breaks the skin. As long as a dog's bite causes little or no damage, behavioral rehabilitation is comparatively easy. But when your dog inflicts deep puncture wounds as an adult, rehabilitation is much more complicated, time-consuming, and potentially dangerous.
Good bite inhibition is the most important quality of any companion dog. Moreover, a dog must develop bite inhibition during puppyhood, before he is four-and-a-half months old.

Good bite inhibition does not mean that your dog will never snap, lunge, nip, or bite. Good bite inhibition means that should the dog snap and lunge, his teeth will seldom make skin contact and should the dog's teeth ever make skin contact, the inhibited "bite" will cause little, if any, damage.

Case Histories
No matter how well you try to socialize your dog and teach him to enjoy the company and actions of people, the unforeseen and unpredictable happens. Here are a just a few case histories:
• A friend of the owner unintentionally slammed a car door on a dog's tail.
• A woman wearing high heels unintentionally stepped on her sleeping Rottweiler's thigh.
• An owner grabbed his Jack Russell by the collar.
• A groomer was combing out a Wheaten's matted coat.
• A veterinarian was fixing a Bernese Mountain Dog's dislocated elbow.
• A visitor tripped and flew headlong to butt heads with an Airedale chewing his bone.
• A three-year-old child (who shall remain nameless) wearing a Superman cape jumped from a coffee table and landed on the ribcage of a sleeping Malamute.

The Rottweiler and Bernese both screamed. The Bernese lay perfectly still and did not attempt to bite. All the other dogs Grrrrwuffffed and quickly turned their muzzles towards the person. The Malamute got up and left the room. Both the Rottweiler and Jack Russell snapped and lunged, but neither made skin contact. The Wheaten took hold of the groomer's arm and squeezed gently. The Airedale nicked the visitor's cheek. All of these dogs were pretty friendly most of the time, but what is crucially important is that they had all developed stellar biteinhibition in puppyhood. Despite extreme fright or pain, bite
inhibition instantly clicked in (within 0.04 seconds) to check the bite. Consequently, none of these dogs caused any damage and all were successfully rehabilitated.

The dog with the trapped tail mutilated the person's arm with multiple deep bites. This dog was a breed most people consider to be extremely friendly and had been taken on numerous visits to schools and hospitals. Indeed, the dog was extremely friendly, but she had no bite inhibition. During puppyhood, she did not play with other dogs much, and her puppy biting behavior was infrequent and gentle. Because the dog had never displayed any signs of unfriendliness as an adult, there was no warning that she might bite. And because she had never snapped or bitten before, there was no warning that her bite
would be serious. For a dog that is likely to spend a lot of time around people, being well-socialized but having poor bite inhibition is a dangerous combination.
Some people might feel that a dog is justified to bite in selfdefense. But that is not what really happened in any of the above instances. In each case, the dog may have felt he/she was under attack, but in reality the dog bit a person who had no intention of hurting him/her. Whether you agree with this or not, the fact remains that we humans have been socialized not to attack our hairdressers, dentists, doctors, friends, and acquaintances when they unintentionally hurt us. Likewise, it is extremely easy, and essential, to train our dogs not to attack groomers, veterinarians, family, friends, and visitors.
The Bad News and Good News
About Dog Bites
It is always upsetting when a dog growls, snaps, nips, or bites. But in the vast majority of
bite cases, lack of injury provides reassuring proof that the dog has good bite inhibition. The dog may bite due to lack of socialization, but he does not do any damage because he has good bite inhibition. It is reassuring for owners to know that if ever their dog were provoked and pushed to the limit, he would be strongly inhibited from hurting anyone. For example, if tormented by a child, the dog would only growl and snap and
would not even make skin contact. Customarily, dogs with good bite inhibition may be involved in numerous incidents before their snaps even touch the skin and certainly
before their bites break the skin. Thus the owner has numerous warnings and ample time
for rehabilitative socialization. Surprisingly though, many owners do not heed the warnings. Please do pay attention to what your dog is trying to tell you and seek help
immediately. The prognosis is good.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

OP - if you find this post in all the others....

Do you still need to find a home for him? Is your friend keeping him or just fostering him? Could you please provide your location and more information about the dog?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> i guess pulling his hair(like he normally does)


Dogs often don't like, and should not have to tolerate this from kids.

Family Paws-New parent classes dog and baby

Please peruse this site for hints and information on how to teach your kids to properly interact with your dog.


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

op, i applaud your solution. can't take chances.


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> Jager - where are you located at? Do you have pictures? Is he neutered? UTD on vaccines? Does he have any obedience training?
> 
> These are things that need to be listed in order to help find him a new home. Have you contacted any rescues to see if they will courtesy post him on petfinder for you?


im in southeast missouri. he's intact. i have pics. yes he's UTD. he doesnt have any obedience training.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Have you contacted any rescues to see if they will courtesy post him?


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> OP - if you find this post in all the others....
> 
> Do you still need to find a home for him? Is your friend keeping him or just fostering him? Could you please provide your location and more information about the dog?


My friend is just fostering him for a little while. I was gone all day yesterday, it was a 2 hour drive to get him down there.

I live in southeast missouri. He is kind of a handful, pulls really hard when he's on a leash. He doesn't like strangers, even though he has never bit anyone before. 

Doesn't like male dogs. He will kill small animals. 

He's a very good guard dog.

He needs an experienced owner who will put the time and effort into him.

He used to be a more well behaved dog but that was when i devoted all of my time to him. 

He loves car rides.

He has charged someone before, but like i said, never bitten.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

yes i have kids. i have a 360 month old and a 336 month old and i had
dreads to the middle of my back. :laugh:



PatchonGSD said:


> LOL do you have kids? A 1 year OLD can absolutely pull hair hard enough to hurt a GSD. Especially if they grab hair in a sensitive area.


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> Have you contacted any rescues to see if they will courtesy post him?


How exactly does a rescue work? I would be scared they would place him with someone that had no idea what they were doing.


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## billsharp (May 3, 2011)

OP should rehome the dog, not bc he is a bad dog, but bc OP and family aren't ready for a dog yet.

OP should tell all comers that the dog reacted sharply and briefly to being tormented by a 1 year old. She used the word "mouthed" here, and IF IT IS ACCURATE she should use it again when describing what happened. (I tend to think it is based on the minimal harm done, like when a mother dog nips its pups when they bite too hard on her ears.) Let the prospective owners reach their own conclusion regarding whether this is too much "aggression" for them.

I will not rant or lecture the OP-- BUT, OP, you owe this dog every effort and expense to ensure it reaches a good and loving home. Don't just dump it with a rescue somewhere and make it someone else's problem.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

A good rescue will have the dog in foster for at least 2 weeks, preferably a month, to evaluate the dog.

Personally, with your dog, I would ask if they could courtesy post him and then YOU weed through the applicants and do the reference checks. Given your description of him, I would hesitate to say a rescue would take him. But they can help "advertise" for you.

Please do NOT advertise on craigslist. And make sure you do reference checks and a home visit.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> A good rescue will have the dog in foster for at least 2 weeks, preferably a month, to evaluate the dog.
> 
> Personally, with your dog, I would ask if they could courtesy post him and then YOU weed through the applicants and do the reference checks. Given your description of him, I would hesitate to say a rescue would take him. But they can help "advertise" for you.
> 
> Please do NOT advertise on craigslist. And make sure you do reference checks and a home visit.


To the OP, Jax provided great information and advice. I would add that you should not limit your rescue search to all-GSD rescues - there are all-breed rescues and no-kill shelters that might also courtesy post while the dog is being fostered by your friend. 

Also, don't worry if there is not a rescue in your immediate area, look up ones that are in the closest major metropolitan area to you. St. Louis, I know, has GSD rescues. Rescues will post for dogs outside their immediate area and will often transport dogs to more adoptable areas if they are admitted into the rescue. 

I guess, what I am saying is that you shouldn't feel like you don't have options. If your friend does not want to keep him, there are places that can help!!! Don't give up on finding your dog a good home!


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Here are some GSD rescues to contact that will likely service your area:

Serendipity German Shepherd Dog Rescue
Central IL GSD Rescue
Mississippi Valley German Shepherd Dog Rescue, Inc

Even if they can't help, they can likely point you toward other resources!


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

where could i get an adoption contract?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

jager said:


> where could i get an adoption contract?


Google...templates for dog adoptions.


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## sparra (Jun 27, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> first of all i doubt a 1 yr old can pull a GSD's hair hard enough
> to hurt him. the 1 yr old should be able to pull the dogs hair
> and the dog shouldn't react. if my dog did something like that
> he would be gone immediately.


Good post!!

Never ceases to amaze me how many people think that a dog is in its rights to bite a small child because of a bit of hair pulling. 
Bring down criminals...check, take bullets.....check, scare off intruders....check, protect the flock from attacks....check, tolerate 1yr old pulling hair..........:crazy:


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

llombardo said:


> Google...templates for dog adoptions.



How exactly would that work? Would i have the new owner sign a copy and keep it and i keep a copy?


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

I would contact those rescues first to see if they can give you some local help. They may be able to give you some input, may have adopters who are already approved who might be interested in a male like yours, etc. 

Also please have him neutered - the rescues may be able to help you link up with a vet for that or Spay Neuter Assistance Program: The Humane Solution to Pet Overpopulation. or HSMO Veterinary Medical Centers - Affordable Spay and Neuter Services or Dogs Deserve Freedom: Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinics ~ Missouri 

This is a rescue in New England, but they have a ton of info on placing your own dog: Placing Your Own and Screening Applicants As Potential Homes


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

I've contacted a couple rescues, waiting to hear back.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

jager said:


> How exactly would that work? Would i have the new owner sign a copy and keep it and i keep a copy?


I'm not sure how it would work considering you are not a rescue, breeder, or shelter...I don't know how legal it would be or what you would have to do to make a legal binding contract. That is another possible question to ask once someone calls you back. I personally do not like being in the position you are in, because unless you can read people really well you don't know what kind of place your dog is going to. That is why lots of people are suggesting rescues, they have a process and literally have seen it all. Good Luck.


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## rooandtree (May 13, 2012)

the way my rescue works that i volunteer for..we would take your dog and place in foster home and then would only let a home adopt him that has no children and can devote alot of time with him...if he was my foster i would have him at least month to see how he is and what type training etc he would need..we also have great volunteers that work with aggression etc....the way we find homes is..people put in applications..we do reference checks,vet checks. Then we do home visits. We ask alot of questions and we work with the people to find the perfect match dog for them. And the foster mom/dad gets final say on if the person is the right match for thier foster dog. Be honest with rescue..let them know it seems your dog was jealous of baby. I wish we would closer and i could help but im sure most german shepherd rescues work the same way


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## jager (Nov 13, 2011)

llombardo said:


> I'm not sure how it would work considering you are not a rescue, breeder, or shelter...I don't know how legal it would be or what you would have to do to make a legal binding contract. That is another possible question to ask once someone calls you back. I personally do not like being in the position you are in, because unless you can read people really well you don't know what kind of place your dog is going to. That is why lots of people are suggesting rescues, they have a process and literally have seen it all. Good Luck.


Yeahhh, i didn't really think i would be able to do the contract thing, oh well=/. Not much i can do about that. 

Can i post my dog in the non-urgent section or is that only for shelter dogs?

I'm so frustrated today, i feel like crying, this is so hard on me. I just wish i could find someone that would love a dog like him.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

My heart goes out to you. This is the hardest thing you'll ever have to do, but it's the right decision. A good rescue organization will take the time to foster, evaluate and place your dog in a home where he can get the attention he needs and solid training. I've been following this and when you said he pulls on the leash, would kill a small animal and that you don't have the time to work with this, you don't have any other options. Loving your dog as you do, you have to do what is best for him, which is placing him elsewhere. It's going to hurt and you're going to miss him terribly. Your child comes first ahead of the dog.


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