Dogs can be wonderful pets with children in the house. But when your dog suddenly becomes aggressive towards the children, it can be a bit frightening and overwhelming on how to handle the situation.
The main reason this may have occurred is that the dog has lost respect for your child’s “pack leader” role in the house. This can occur when your child has been aggressive with the dog, has treated it like a toy, behaved overly excited in the dog’s presence, or has not respected the dog’s space.
Once your dog has shown aggressive behavior toward your child, your child’s safety has become an issue as a full blown dog attack is imminent. Immediately isolate the dog from your child and never leave your child unsupervised in the presence of the dog.
If the dog has been very docile and suddenly becomes hostile toward the children for no apparent reason, have the dog immediately examined by a veterinarian for a possible illness.
Regardless of the dog’s reason for the aggression, you should seek the help of a professional dog trainer to properly retrain the dog to act appropriately around your children. Ask your dog’s vet for a recommendation of local dog trainers that don’t encourage physical punishment as part of the training as this type of instruction could just make matters worse. Involve the children in the training process so the dog will understand its social place with your family.
Have you been a victim of a dog attack in Prince William County, Virginia? If so, contact Parrish Law Firm, PLLC for a FREE dog bite case consultation. You can also get your Free report An Insider’s Guide to Dog Bite Claims in Virginia for helpful tips about your dog bite injury claim.
Sources:
- eHow – How to Treat Dog Aggression Toward Children
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