dog aggression towards the kids

The first thing I'll suggest is that you keep the kids away from the dog while she's eating.

I'd strongly suggest taking this dog to training....and take some of the older kids with you.

I agree with Glen.

 Teach everyone in the home to leave the dog be while she is eating, that is very important for the kids. You can start working with her on resource guarding, (try a book called Mine) and you can also start some hand feeding where you give her little bits of her food from your hand instead of from her bowl, but the kids should leave her be at feeding time always.

 I can go up to either of my dogs and remove anything, be it their bowls or their bones and have worked with them since puppyhood to make sure they know and allow that, yet even so I inform my kids to always leave the dogs alone when they are eating or chewing a bone.

This sounds like your puppy is engaging in a common behavior called resource guarding.  I would immediately buy "Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs" (as previously suggested) and in the meantime impose a STRICT no bothering to dog while eating/chewing rule for all the children.  Once you have read the book and are implementing the protocol set out in the book, I would make sure to implement it with each of your children.  For everyone's safety - don't let this escalate - it doesn't get better on its own...

She is not just aggressive at feeding time, she is also aggressive with her toys and the kids toys.  I don't want the kids to walk around scared of her  at home, they are scared to even take one of their shoes from her because she growls at them so viciously. I don't want to have to find her a new home but I got the puppy with the intentions of adding a playmate for the kids and instead she has become a source of fear. 

schleide

This sounds like your puppy is engaging in a common behavior called resource guarding.  I would immediately buy "Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs" (as previously suggested) and in the meantime impose a STRICT no bothering to dog while eating/chewing rule for all the children.  Once you have read the book and are implementing the protocol set out in the book, I would make sure to implement it with each of your children.  For everyone's safety - don't let this escalate - it doesn't get better on its own...

This is the best advice you will get all day!  And, the dog is a resource guarder.  Resources that dogs guard can be anything the dog considers important, such as food, toys, space, you, another dog, a piece of tissue paper.  Doesn't matter, the protocol for dealing with this is virtually the same and the book should help.  You should be able to get it on amazon, but I know you can get it at dogwise.com, too.  Good luck.  And, please, for safety's sake, do not have food and children in the same room with this dog.  Five months is a very trainable age, so my advice is get going on this quickly.  If you haven't already, she belongs in a positive training class where you can learn to teach her some helpful skills like "leave it", "stay", "come", all of which give you extra tools in teaching her that it is the humans that own the resources, and that you are just sharing them with her.  The idea is to do it nicely, without any physical correction, and without continuing to grab things away from her (I teach my own dogs to "trade" what they have for a tidbit - that way, they learn the word, but they also don't think I'm the nasty human that always wants their stuff.

I will get the book and the puppy and the kids are scheduled to begin a puppy training class within a week.  The puppy listens to my wife and I on all commands and has learned to obey us at all times but does not obey the children.  However, she listens to them more than 50% of the time on "sit " stay" and "come", its the aggression with the food and toys that concern us. 

It sounds a bit like everyone has expected the pup to fit right in and know not to take the kids toys, the kids shoes.  I found with MY kids that having a pup in the house was a surefire way to get them to keep their stuff picked up.  If it's on the floor and readily available the pup has no reason to think that it isn't hers.  Oh sure, you can tell the pup time and time again but they don't really "get" that it isn't theirs.  I always found that one of the big extras of having a pup around was that my slobbish kids were a whole lot better about keeping their stuff put away!  Gosh I  enjoyed that!

Small children in particular are harder for a pup to comprehend.  They are smaller than the adults, they are much more like littermates in their size, their vocalization, and the way they run and scream.  So resource guarding from THEM is almost more natural in that the pup doesn't see them as anything other than giant playmates.

The book is awesome and everyone will benefit from classes.  I'd venture to guess that this isn't a mean pup, but rather one who hasn't been taught the ropes and is just managing her own way.  You'll get a handle on this....you're actively seeking help and open to suggestions and those are good things.  I hope that you'll stick around the forum and share her progress with us.

cjh82181

I will get the book and the puppy and the kids are scheduled to begin a puppy training class within a week.  The puppy listens to my wife and I on all commands and has learned to obey us at all times but does not obey the children.  However, she listens to them more than 50% of the time on "sit " stay" and "come", its the aggression with the food and toys that concern us. 

If the pup is obeying you, and not the kids, it could be because you are raising your voice to control the pup - you all should be able to give commands in a whisper and have puppy do as she is asked.  So, have the adults tone themselves down, and the kids can speak in their normal tone (inside voice).  Children should not be disciplining the puppy at all.  Two more GREAT books for parents (dogwise.com):

"Living With Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind" - Coleen Pelar

"Raising Puppies and Kids Together - A Guide for Parents" - Pia Sylvani and Linda Eckhardt 

As a pit bull owner I will say you have a huge chance for success, Staffies especially make exceptional family dogs. Also keep in mind this breed of dog needs a extreme leadership role in her life. The above posts are on point andteaching your children respect for all dogs, their things and giving them their space is a win/win situtation. If I may make some additional suggestions......

I like to think that my dogs would never lash out in particular situations however I setting them up for success is always helpful. If this was a extreme case of food aggression (which if not managed it will soon be) I would suggest hand feeding her everyday for at least two weeks every bit of her food. It may sound extreme but well worth it if you fear her biting a child. Secondly make her sit and wait while your preparing her food, as you begin to lower it to thje groudn she should NEVER be allowed to advance to her bowl until you say so. Ultimately you should be able to prepare her food, set it down and walk away without her nearing her food bowl. She should only go to her bowl when you say so. So practice putting her into a sit position, setting her bowl down and when she starts to get up.....pick the bowl up and start over. She'll get the hang of it. If she dosnt know her commands that is a major sign that her new training classes are defintly overdue, lol. My poor girl will sit in the kitchen for 15 minutes if I forget to give her the ok, lol!

Please exscuse my bluntness but when you hear all of those horrible pit bull attacks on the news it is a direct result of the owner's care for the dog. If your dog chose to bite your child for sticking his or her hand in its bowl it sure wouldnt be the dogs fault but she would defintly get the blame. You picked this beautiful creature probably because you admire the strength and willfulness of the breed so if you dont provide her with enough exercsie, stimualtion and direction dont be surprised when she uses that will and strength against you.

Lastly....google NILF program and make it your bible. It has truly been a godsend for me! Some fo it may sound harsh and uneccessary but as she gets older she will get bolder.

good post Auroralove!

As a pit bull owner I will say you have a huge chance for success, Staffies especially make exceptional family dogs.

 Absolutely spot on!  These dogs, while sometimes not good with other dogs, are exceptional with people. 

Also keep in mind this breed of dog needs a extreme leadership role in her life. The above posts are on point andteaching your children respect for all dogs, their things and giving them their space is a win/win situtation. If I may make some additional suggestions......
I like to think that my dogs would never lash out in particular situations however I setting them up for success is always helpful. If this was a extreme case of food aggression (which if not managed it will soon be) I would suggest hand feeding her everyday for at least two weeks every bit of her food. It may sound extreme but well worth it if you fear her biting a child.

This is also an excellent idea, and one that I recommend to owners - it's also a technique used by police trainers, who need their dogs to view them in the same way - as the source of all things good.

Secondly make her sit and wait while your preparing her food, as you begin to lower it to thje groudn she should NEVER be allowed to advance to her bowl until you say so. Ultimately you should be able to prepare her food, set it down and walk away without her nearing her food bowl. She should only go to her bowl when you say so. So practice putting her into a sit position, setting her bowl down and when she starts to get up.....pick the bowl up and start over. She'll get the hang of it.

This is an excellent way to teach "wait".  You can use the word, & give a hand signal so that she associates the word with waiting until the bowl hits the floor before advancing.  I like to also use a release word, such as "free" and actually give the dog permission to come forward to get the food.

If she dosnt know her commands that is a major sign that her new training classes are defintly overdue, lol. My poor girl will sit in the kitchen for 15 minutes if I forget to give her the ok, lol!

Yup, great point.  And, I have a hound that does the same LOL.  

Please exscuse my bluntness but when you hear all of those horrible pit bull attacks on the news it is a direct result of the owner's care for the dog.

And the fact that owners forget that these dogs can turn dog aggressive without warning.  That is not to say that a dog-aggressive dog will turn human aggressive.  Not the same thing. 

 
If your dog chose to bite your child for sticking his or her hand in its bowl it sure wouldnt be the dogs fault but she would defintly get the blame.

This is why failure to train puts so many dogs at risk.  It really sounds as though you want to do the right thing, and are willing to learn and do.  That could very well make all the difference for your dog's future - she can be one of the lucky ones:-)

 
You picked this beautiful creature probably because you admire the strength and willfulness of the breed so if you dont provide her with enough exercsie, stimualtion and direction dont be surprised when she uses that will and strength against you.

Training is also great mental stimulation, and these are working dogs that want something to do.  Left to its own devices, any working or sporting dog can get into trouble figuring out its own "occupation".  

Lastly....google NILF program and make it your bible. It has truly been a godsend for me! Some fo it may sound harsh and uneccessary but as she gets older she will get bolder.

What I usually advise is that people with such breeds do a puppy class, and an advanced class right in a row.  Then, do a refresher when the dog is about 8-10 months old (age of sexual maturity), and again at age 15-24 months (age of social maturity).  Most of the people who take that advice are more successful at managing a powerful working type dog.   NILIF just means "nothing in life is free" and you teach your dog some skills that enable you to have the dog "ask permission" or "earn" it's privileges. 

Just wanted to chime in a note of support.  My BF's pit is the first in either of our personal dog-ownership history, and everything Aurora pointed out is true.  Ours is constantly trying to shuffle for a power position, and without guidance, can get away with it.  Our pit tends to bully the other dogs since there are no children here, but she is put "down" by her ACD companion... which means my sweet, soft Dobe is her next target.  We went camping last weekend and it became clear that this new situation stressed her, and brought out her resource guarding instincts.  (She guarded food and proximity to people.)  The timing couldn't be more perfect, though, because she started official pro training this week.

Your training class will be invaluable in teaching you a language to use w/your pittie to establish her place.  Your pup is young and you are in a great position to get this nipped in the bud and learn the skills to manage her as she grows into a fantastic companion.  Please return to this thread and let us know how she is doing!!!!  Best wishes to everyone!