Help... dog keeps being agressive with my daughter

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Apologies in advance, this is going to be a long one...

We have a male 6 month old Miniature Schnauzer. Until very recently he has been a very good natured dog... gets on well with people and other dogs. Everyone always commented that is has a lovely temperament and what a confident and friendly dog he is. However, he has just started being aggressive with my 6 year old DD.

Although the dog has the run of the house while we are in (except for the bedrooms), he sleeps at night and eats in the utility room which is just off the kitchen. We have never experienced any problems with him before but about 10 days ago I was in the utility room with DD & Dog. DD was cuddling Dog on the mat by the door (in fairness was probably crowding him a bit, but he was used to that, as previously would put up with almost anything) when he suddenly turned on her and bit her hand. I smacked him on the bottom and then shut the door and locked him in there. Then about a week later a similar incident occurred, although this time he didn?t actually bite her. And since then he has been growling at her whenever she went into the utility room, he also cowered away from me on a couple of occasions when I have gone to stroke him while sitting on the mat by the door (the vets thinks this maybe because I smacked his bottom here). I took him to the vets just to check he was ok vet instantly said that he needed to be castrated as he was also demonstrating an inflated sense of confidence. So we booked him for the operation for Friday just gone.

So he has now been castrated... but then on Sunday DD and I were getting ready to feed Dog in the kitchen when suddenly he attacked DD, even more aggressively & frenzied than before ? he bit her on the stomach and was tugging at her dress growling very loudly (my husband heard him from outside). This time we abandoned the food and put him away in the utility room to cool off. Then abit later I was in the kitchen with Dog and when DD walked in he growled at her aggressively again.

I had thought it was food-guarding issues and so have been getting DD to walk into the utility room confidently and for her to give him his food (making him sit first), to show him that she is a ?provider? and he needs to do as she says. We?ve also been getting her to play tugging games with him and ensuring that she wins and then making him sit before she gives the toy back etc.

However, a moment ago we just had another incident and this time it was not food related. We?ve had a great day... DD & Dog have been getting on great together, playing and going for a walk etc ? both very happy in each other?s company. But just now we were all in the living room and DD started to stroke Dog and he started growling quietly at her, I then stroked him and he was fine and came and sat down by my feet. DD then stroked him again and he went for her ? he didn?t bite (mainly because he was lucky not to make contact) but he did scratch her leg and made a horrible aggressive noise. I have put him away in the utility room and don?t want to look at him again. Could he be being possessive of me?

I have called a dog trainer in to come for a home visit ? but does anyone have any opinions or words of advice. Am I wasting my time with him? I don?t want a lifetime of not trusting him with her.

only a trainer can tell you. when is the trainer coming? is it a trainer or a behaviourist? sending you good vibes, sorry couldnt be any help.

No words of advice I am sorry, but I am incredibly impressed with your dd repeatedly going bac towards him, I am not sure many children would have that much confidence! well done to her.

i really hope you get this sorted.

I'm going to startt by recommending that you contact a GOOD behaviourist...preferably one found through the APBC

FWIW these are my thoughts on the matter. It sounds like your DD may have inadvertantly hurt him at some time or he is uncomfortable with the attention she gives him...maybe he's overwhelmed by it or she's touching him in a way that he doesn't like. You say yourself she was possibly 'crowding' him a bit. The bite on the hand without a warning growl first is very unusual and would be indicative of him having been startled or hurt and reacting instinctively. Unfortunately, hitting him and locking him in the room will only have reinforced whatever negative feelings he was having about your DD as now, anytime she is near him, especially with you in close proximity, in his mind he is at risk of being shouted at/hit/locked away. So now he is growling as a defence mechanism to keep her away from him.

Dogs have limited communication tools and they can only use what's available to them. A growl that says 'leave me alone' should always be heeded as if it is not, the only other thing the dog has available is to bite. Growling does not mean your dog is aggressive.

IMO, you need to build positive associations between the dog and your DD with your present. And your DD needs to understand strict boudaries with him, i.e. not crowding him. However, I would strongly recommend you bring in a behaviourist as the dog and DD's behaviour really needs to be seen first hand to ensure you get the best possible help and advice.

Best of luck.

How scarey for you all. Hope it sorts itself out. i have a super behaviourist if you live in/near London.

Exactly what emc says above.
Behaviourist through the above association, some trainers are great others very old fashioned. Your vet isn't on the ball with behaviour stuff, you sort it first then castrate ordinarily AFAIK.

Is it worth consulting? Yes, but only if you are prepared to change/work at it as a fanily. Your dog sounds anxious and defensive, confident 6yr olds can exacerbate that as can smacking.

Good luck with it.

Thank you all. She is coming on Sunday (she is on holiday at the moment) but we've had a couple of long chats on the phone and she has said very similar things... that it is either negative assocation with DD or guarding of me. He also growled at my husband this evening too so I'm thinking it is more likely to be a guarding problem but we'll see what she says when she meets us all.

She has been recommended to the vet, (who in fairness to him was also going on other indications that the dog needed to be castrated - marking, humping etc.) and is a member of CAPBT.

Fingers crossed we sort this out as otherwise will we have no choose left but to rehome him if it continues.

Keep the dog away from your DD until you have advice from the trainer. There's a real risk this could escalate if not handled the right way. Absolutely do not physically punish the dog again.

She should spend some time going through the dog's history with you and get all the background before deciding why it's happening. It's impossible to say what's going on without doing that and the plan she gives you will depend on that information. You will need to be very careful about having your DD and the dog together for quite some time now.

Lots of wiser words here than I could come up with, but just wanted to add....in case it helps...our now-10 month old lab x started occasional guarding/snapping(not biting, though) at my dds when he was around 6-7 months old. We only had him from 5.5 months, so admittedly he wasn't yet very settled - but even so it felt like it was more of a developmental development - iyswim - rather than a rehoming one.
He was already castrated, so nothing to do with that, but he was definitely becoming adolescent and going through new 'stuff'. We focussed more intensely on general obedience training, clear boundaries, and constant vigilance and within 2 weeks he settled right down - doggy manners improved, and he's now grown up another notch and no more snapping. Everyone feels safe again.
I'd say 6 months is far too young to think in terms of 'life long' - he's not grown up yet, is still changing. Great you have a behaviourist coming to help, meantime I would only let dd around him with you there, and ask her to just stay back from him for now. I had to get almost as strict with my dds (8 and 5) as with the dog, for a while
Personally I would keep dd out of all food giving, not let her get down on the ground with him for cuddles etc, stay 'back' until you've had a chance to get to grips with whatever the behaviourist suggests...and up the general obedience training (clicker, or whatever works for you, loads of basics 'sit, stay, leave it,' over and over) while you wait for your meeting with behaviourist.

Good luck, I know how upsetting it is when one creature you love attacks another - and I hope it all works out as well for you as it seems to be doing for us.

Thank you. It?s great to hear that there is some hope that we can turn this round as it would break all our hearts to have to part with him. Until now he has been such a good natured little dog ? and still is most of the time, he just has these moments. Hopefully it is a development issue that can be resolved. I am aware it is often the fault of the owners ? so I am feeling abit of a failure at the moment for failing to bring him up properly so that he is not a risk to my family.

Really looking forward to seeing the behaviourist at the weekend, and hopefully she?ll be able to work out a suitable plan for us to follow. But in the meantime will take your advice and will be keeping them apart and stepping-up the training. Thanks for the support.

I misread this and thought the dog was 6 years ! He is just a baby and has a lot to learn.

First points:- he is not trying to dominate, he is not working on the pecking order and if your trainers says so , change trainer very quickly.

It takes several weeks for the hormones from castration to get out of his system (personally I would not have castrated at this point as lack of testosterone can actually make a dog more nervous) However if castration is going to make a difference it is too early to tell.

Does he growl everytime he sees your daughter or is it just on occasions. I would keep them separate at the moment.

If you behaviourist is not helpful there are many that can help you sort out this issue.

No he doesn't growl everytime he sees her... mostly he is happy to see her and be with her, its just on the odd occasion that he goes for her. I plan to separate them where possible until the situation has been assessed by the behaviourist on Sunday.

To look at the ball of fluff laying next to me it doesn't even seem possible, as he is so lovely most of the time. So I really hope with some specific guidance we can get over this bad patch.

No advice, but FWIW I don't think you've failed. You're willing to get help, take on board advice and work towards a solution. That sounds like a responsible, caring owner to me