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Canine Behavior/toddler aggression and dogs
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Question
I have an 9m old english bulldog-she good with everyone except TODDLERS-she growls and tries to jump up and nip them!It is horrible.she has never been around toddlers but this can't continue. Can you help us help her? She is a great dog otherwise but she is an alpha dog without a doubt.
Hi, Sherrie,
Thanks for the question.
It sounds to me like a fairly typical case of a dog with some levels of internal tension being around other beings (the toddlers) who both attract her desire to play, and make her nervous. There is nothing "alpha" about this (although you should know that all the behaviors that we've been taught indicate dominance, are actually indicators of stress and anxiety: http://tinyurl.com/2q2esp ; there's no "alpha wolf" in nature.)
Does your dog like to play? How much hard vigorous play time does your dog get with you every day? Do you ever play fetch and tug-of-war with her? How much play time does she get with other dogs on a regular basis? Do you ever scold and punish her for any behavioral infractions? Does she have her own "den," meaning a crate or cozy corner where she can be by herself and not be bothered by people when she's tired and wants to relax? The answers to these questions would help me better understand your dog, and how to fix this behavior.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
LCK
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Lee Charles Kelley
Expertise
I've been training dogs in New York City for nearly 20 years. My training approach and philosophy are based on the way police dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and detection dogs are trained--through the prey drive, inherited from the wolf. It's true that there's been a shift away from using the "wolf model" in dog training recently, and to some extent, there's a good reason. That's because trainers have been using the wrong model, the one that says you have to be the "alpha" or the pack leader in order to control your dog's behavior. This simply isn't true. In wild wolves there is no dominance hierarchy, no "alpha" wolf, and no pack leader (not in the traditional sense). The pack instinct only exists to enable wolves to hunt large prey by working in harmony. (Wolves who live near garbage dumps, for example, and who don't hunt together, don't form packs.) So if wolves don't have an instinct to "follow the pack leader" or "obey the alpha wolf," how could dogs have inherited it from them?
Years ago, before I became a dog trainer, I noticed that the happiest, most obedient, and best-behaved dogs I met weren't the ones who'd been to a dog trainer or behaviorist; they were the dogs whose owners always had Frisbees and tennis balls on hand. And while it might seem that my approach would only be relevant to high-drive dogs who love fetch and tug-of-war, it isn't. Even something as seemingly unrelated as a housebreaking issue or greeting behavior are often the direct result of a dog's predatory energy not having an acceptable outlet.
All behavior is an expression of energy. So when a dog's energy isn't utilized in a way that feels satisfying to his or her instincts and emotions, that's when behavioral problems develop. Giving the dog an acceptable outlet for its energy will almost always bring the dog's behavior back into alignment with its instincts
Feel free to ask me questions about any training/behavioral issue.
LCK
Experience
20 years as a dog trainer. I'm also a bestselling author, writing a series of dog-related mystery novels for Avon.
Organizations
Dog Writers Association of America
Education/Credentials
Just a natural gift I have for understanding and training dogs
Past/Present Clients
Too numerous to mention.
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