Rescue dog bit a child when eating. What to do about fear aggression?

Question

I have had my dog since July. I got him when he was 3 or 4 months old he is a rescue dog. His old home was abusive. Well he is a very sweet boy but yesterday he bit my little cousin in the face because he was waiting for food and she came up behind her and scared him. She is okay. Well I spanked him on the butt and put him outside. Well I brought him back inside after she left well he then growled at my friend. What do I do? Or what do you think the problem is?? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | unneutered | 85 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to hear that this happened! How upsetting for you and your cousin. The situation you describe - a child coming up behind a dog and startling it, particularly when food is involved - is an extremely common trigger for bites. Any dog will bite if it feels scared or threatened. Our responsibility as adults is to make sure that these situations don't happen. For safety reasons, I would recommend keeping Max separated from any visiting children from now on to prevent this from happening again. Also, in the future, please don't hit him or scold him for reacting this way - the aggressive behavior was prompted by fear, so punishment will only make him more tense and defensive around kids in the future. This is likely why he growled at your friend once he was back in the house - he was stressed and upset, and already "on-edge" from everything that had happened before. If you want to try and work on this issue through training, I would strongly recommend getting help from a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Max in person and help you put together a detailed plan for him. Training for aggression issues is generally focused on teaching the dog to associate good things with whatever he is currently afraid of (such as children, visitors, etc.), and should not involve punishment of any kind. Management is also extremely important to ensure that everyone stays safe, for dogs with any history of biting. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Rescue dog bit a child when eating. What to do about fear aggression?

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