Why is my dog growling at kids? How to make him happy again?

Question

How can I destress my dog? JC was always very friendly towards children and very welcoming. Recently, my sister with her 2 little daughters (age 3 and 1yrs old) moved in back to our family home. Up until now it was only me and mum living together. The little girls dominated the house and unfortunately also the dog. He became very quiet, isolated, scared of any noise and even growls near the girls. How can i bring back my old friendly, kind and full of joy pup? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 8 years and 3 months old | 8 lbs

Debi Matlack · Accepted Answer

I imagine he feels a little like his home has been invaded by aliens that are loud and boisterous. First of all, never, EVER allow the children and your dog to be together without your direct supervision. Some signs of trouble are obvious. If a dog shows his teeth or growls at a child, he’s clearly feeling uncomfortable and aggressive. But it’s unwise to wait until you see these behaviors. It’s much safer to learn to recognize your dog’s early, subtle warnings. The first sign that a dog is getting uncomfortable is often a “freeze,” a momentary pause. The freeze is sometimes accompanied by a hard stare or “hard eye.” When a dog is giving a hard eye, you can often see the whites of his eyes. If these warnings don’t deter a child, a dog may move on to showing teeth, snarling and growling. If the child doesn’t understand the dog’s warnings or finds them amusing and continues to annoy the dog, he may move on to the next level of warning, usually a snap. (Many people assume that a snap is an unsuccessful bite. But dogs have wonderful control of their mouths, and they move a lot faster than we do. If a dog means to bite, he generally will.) If the snap doesn’t repel the child, the dog may deliver an actual bite. Some dogs inhibit their bites and don’t injure the targets of their aggression. Others deliver harder bites, like the ones they’d likely deliver to puppies in need of some discipline. Unfortunately, a bite that would just pinch a furry puppy’s rolls of fat may cause serious damage if it lands on the face of a small child. When you’re not able to supervise the interaction between your dog and the children, it’s best to confine your dog to a safe area away from the kids. If you teach your dog to be comfortable in a crate, in an exercise pen or behind a baby gate, you can easily put him there when necessary. A crate can also provide a safe place for your dog to sleep, eat or chew on things without worrying about a child bothering him. Make sure that your child can’t access your dog’s confinement area. And teach your children how to behave properly around dogs. Don't let them touch his food, toys, or bedding, not to climb on him, or get in his face. With your supervision, teach the older child to give him treats, throw the ball for him if he likes fetch, and make her a part of good things happening in his life. Reinforce the knowledge with her that the dog is to be left alone at any other time, only when she is with you or your sister should she interact with him. Hopefully she can be taught this with too much excitement that will upset your dog. And make sure you spend plenty of one on one time with him. Take him for walks, off to the park or for a ride if he likes the car, spend time with him away from the noise and commotion of the children. It may be that he needs some time to decompress away from them, plus the extra activity may make him more tired and less nervous.

Why is my dog growling at kids? How to make him happy again?

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