My senior dog growls at my grandkids. How can I prevent bites?

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.

Hi there. I am so sorry about your situation. This is one of the worst things that can happen to a family pet. I have been there myself, and I know how difficult this type of decision can be. First, it is important to realize that this has always been somewhat of an issue. That it has suddenly gotten worse, with her old age, I always first check and make sure there aren't any health issues making the elderly petore uncomfortable and sensitive - arthritis, metabolic diseases, organ diseases, is she having trouble seeing, etc. In addition, it is important to realize that dogs, just like people, can become senile and/or suffer from dementia. This can stress them out a lot, and also make them hypersensitive to sounds, movements, and essentially anything sensory-related in the environment. In my opinion, when the mind goes it is one of the most difficult health issue of an elderly dog that we have to process. They may be physically fine, but mentally are just unable to function as they used to. This can cause bad habits to become magnified, like in your lady's case where she is snapping more often and even biting. This can of course become a dangerous situation as you have seen with needing stitches. Not to mention what could happen if a small child or animal were put in your position. I would set up a visit with her veterinarian. They can give you some alternative options before deciding on euthanasia, such as checking to see if she is sick in any way. From there, I think it's important to have a family meeting and decide if the benefits outweigh the risks of hee injuring someone else. In the meantime I would use caution if you have guests over and maybe keep her gated in her own area without anything she become possessive about. Also, be very certain her rabies vaccine is up to date. If she were to bite someone outside the family, you can have a lot of legal issues as a result. I can't imagine how hard this is for all of you. I think sitting down and having a very frank quality of life discussion, and discussing some alternatives with your veterinarian is the best way to go. There may or may not be much that can be done, but at least you will know 100% what your options are in your area before you have to make a very difficult decision.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your concern! Until you get to the bottom of this, for safety reasons, I recommend that Lily not be allowed around children. She should be put in another room that she can not get out of and kids can not get in. I recommend that you make an appointment with your Vet. At 8 1/2 years old she is approaching her senior years and new problems can crop up. Things like arthritis, UTI's and low thyroid. She could be painful or not feeling well but not showing you in the obvious ways. Bring urine and a fecal sample to the appointment. Ask your Vet to do senior blood work and evaluate her for arthritis. If her physical and blood work is normal then I recommend training and anti-anxiety medications. Sadly she never may be trustworthy with children. I wish you and Lily the best of luck!

The sudden temperament change can be due to stress from a new baby or maybe an indication of pain or a neurological problem such as tumor or dementia. You can talk with your vet about medicine for pain but with a new baby it is probably safest to not chance it and always keep them separate. If the medicines do not help and her behavior continues then I am afraid your only other option is considering euthanasia for everyone’s safety. I am so sorry you are faced with this!

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Benny. I am sorry to hear about his behavior changes. That is very upsetting. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. My first thought is that he could have a medical problem contributing to the change you are observing in him. For example, if a dog is painful from arthritis, an ear infection, periodontal disease or some other issue, he may act out aggressively. Another consideration is if he has dementia. This is common in older pets and is frequently observed at night. The veterinarian will thoroughly examine him and determine how best to help you both. In the meantime, be careful around him to keep yourself safe and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The development of aggression as a dog gets older is not something I would consider to be normal. This behavioral change could be due to canine cognitive dysfunction (think of this as doggy dementia) or potentially something more neurological (brain tumor or degenerative change to the brain). I would recommend having Buddy examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. There may be something systemic going on so having his blood tested would be a good idea. There are drugs that you can use for doggy dementia such as Selegiline. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.