Help Needed! Bulldog growls and snaps at children

[minifarmmom]

I'm in need of help with my 3 year old male bulldog. We have a few behavior problems but my most important one is the behavior towards our children. He growls and snaps at my 1 year old if he even comes near him. I'll give you a little background:

Our bulldog has never really liked children. Our oldest (5) knows not to hug or get too physical with our bulldog because he will growl and snap at him. Our youngest (1) cannot even get close to our bulldog without him growling and sometimes snapping. We have never let our youngest hug, pull, grab, etc. because we know he is sensitive. We keep our bulldog separated from the kids during the day via a gate. If our youngest goes near the gate, our bulldog will growl and snap. We would love for our bulldog to be around us during the day but he is now constantly locked up in the kitchen behind the gate. I feel bad, but I cannot risk him being aggressive towards our child.

I am having a hard time finding a trainer in our area (we live in a small town in the country). From research online, we now know not to punish our bulldog for growling because that is his warning. We would like to be able to send our dog to a dog training camp but we also can't fork out thousands of dollars. How can we fix this? My biggest fear is our bulldog biting our child. As of now, we are trying more of a positive approach with him. When our child is near him, tell him he's a good dog and give praise. Any advice? I know the best advice is to find a trainer and yes we are looking, but what can we do NOW and at home?

Thank you

 

[MRP90]

Some people may disagree with me. Sounds like he wants to be in charge, and is teritorial.
My female is also an Alfa and I correct her with a corrective collar that has vibrate. Using shock on a bulldog could kill, so vibrate gets my bulldog's attention.
When he starts to growl it could be territorial so you should start the training with you. Tell him no if he persist the vibrate will break him out of his trans.

 

[tyree213]

This is a dangerous situation, an accident waiting to happen. Honestly with me, if I weren't able to get him the training he needs no question I would have to contact a local rescue that maybe has some better resources or can put him in an environment where he can thrive. Kids will be kids and when a dog is showing that kind of aggression anything can trigger a bite. Its not worth your kids getting hurt or the dog being put down for his issues. Maybe a home without children is best. The type of training hes going to require is going to be pricey and not guaranteed that it will even fix his issues.

 

[Texas Carol]

Agree with [MENTION=7173]tyree213[/MENTION]...dangerous for all concerned, just not worth the possibilities or
living with the tension constantly in the atmosphere. I especially agree that no one is
thriving.

Please consider a bulldog rescue where they will properly evaluate him & place him.

 

[1Chumly]

This is a really tough situation for you as I am sure you love your dog. I agree with with the posts above. I think it will probably be a case of 'not if but when' someone gets bitten. You cannot watch them every second of the day as hard as you may try. As awful and dangerous as it could be for your child, it will have been a situation that could have been avoided and ultimately it will be your dog that is going to pay the price. I would very seriously look for a bulldog rescue that will place him in a good home without children and also where he is not penned up all the time. If your children were older then I think training would maybe help but they are young and it can happen in a split second. Please don't take that risk. Good luck.

 

[ddnene]

WOW this is a heartbreaking situation…

Your children's well being HAS to come first, that being said IMO if he can NOT change his behavior I would definitely remove him from your home via a rescue. Children are unpredictable, and you can't have eyes on them 24/7… I feel like this is an accident waiting to happen.

First of all, have you had him evaluated by a vet? We are dealing w/aggression issues w/my male bulldog… and come to find out he has a severe anal gland infection. Is your bulldog neutered? Sometimes aggression issues arise because of hormones… I would start out at the vets, and see what they advice. I'm honestly not against using a corrective collar if the circumstances is needed… BUT I honestly think you need to figure out if this is a medical or a true territorial issue first.

 

[harveyspecter]

This is a really tough situation for you as I am sure you love your dog. I agree with with the posts above. I think it will probably be a case of 'not if but when' someone gets bitten. You cannot watch them every second of the day as hard as you may try. As awful and dangerous as it could be for your child, it will have been a situation that could have been avoided and ultimately it will be your dog that is going to pay the price. I would very seriously look for a bulldog rescue that will place him in a good home without children and also where he is not penned up all the time. If your children were older then I think training would maybe help but they are young and it can happen in a split second. Please don't take that risk. Good luck.

beautifully worded and to the point.

 

[harveyspecter]

WOW this is a heartbreaking situation…

Your children's well being HAS to come first, that being said IMO if he can NOT change his behavior I would definitely remove him from your home via a rescue. Children are unpredictable, and you can't have eyes on them 24/7… I feel like this is an accident waiting to happen.

First of all, have you had him evaluated by a vet? We are dealing w/aggression issues w/my male bulldog… and come to find out he has a severe anal gland infection. Is your bulldog neutered? Sometimes aggression issues arise because of hormones… I would start out at the vets, and see what they advice. I'm honestly not against using a corrective collar if the circumstances is needed… BUT I honestly think you need to figure out if this is a medical or a true territorial issue first.

 

[2BullyMama]

So sorry you are going through all this, it seems you bully may either be intolerant of children or have a health issue that has not yet been identified.. I agree with the gang, as much as this may not be what you want to do, it may be what you need to do for the safety of all involved. training is possible, but it will be a long road and ALL humans in the house would have to be on the same page and consistent with the training otherwise it will no hold, as Ollie will know who he can walk all over and the inconsistency will not help him balance out.

Your best choice, would be to find a new home for Oliie... I'm sorry, but he will most likely bite one of you and at this point he as a chance at being trained and in a home without his dislikes, once he bites, his chances of a new home go down dramatically


if you are dead set on trying to fix the issue, start by having a full vet exam done, thyroid, x-rays, see if he is in pain or his thyroid levels are off. Use 'nothing in life is free' and humans in house hate to use it. it is easy! Then call around and find a trainer or behaviorist willing to come to you.,.. sending away will not fix the problem as the problem you have is in the home/environment.

 

[minibull]

Hope you are able to find and correct a medical cause. I'm no expert on dog behavior but we have two bulldogs who fight. We are going to try spay and neuter but if that doesn't work we will have to re-home one of them. It has been a roller coaster for us. Their jaws are very, very strong and once they bite they do not easily let go. Your dog could do a great deal of damage to a toddler's face, neck, or limb (to the point of infecting the bone and/or injuring vascular structures enough to require amputation). Sending prayers and hope that you're able to find a treat the cause of his behavior.