Why is my 13-year-old dog aggressive towards my grandchildren?

Question

Hello please could you help me I've got a 13yrs old dog that keeps growling and going for my grandchildren please could you help me. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 183 lbs

C. Rathjens, DVM · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to hear that you're dealing with this scary, and sad, situation. Firstly, I would never allow her to be around the kids, even while supervised. She's being clear that she's uncomfortable with it and the next step will likely be biting if her growling doesn't get her out of the situation. Secondly, at her age, I would be most concerned about pain (arthritis pain, etc) or maybe a change in mental status such as dementia, so I'd recommend starting with a vet visit to look for a medical cause. If it's just the grandchildren she struggles with, and the vet can't find any pain, you may not need to do anything beyond keeping them apart. If she's also growling at you and the vet can't find a medical cause, it will be time to work with a behaviorist.

Why is my 13-year-old dog aggressive towards my grandchildren?

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