Aggressive dog and our baby is on the way

we had a 6 month old pup and a 4 year old rottweiler when our daughter was born, i completly understand your concern about the dogs, they are just as much your children as any human. while we didn't have any issues with the dogs fighting, our rotty had food aggression and was possesive of her things. we ended up placing her with my husbands uncle to avoid accidents, we didnt think she would purposefully hurt the baby, but big dogs can have big accidents. we were fortunate enough to have that option though.
 it has already been mentioned but i would definitly recommend voicing your concerns about the behavior and health of the dogs to the vet. i hate to put it this way, but at 12 years old your springer is at an age where her quality of life may be suffering, especially since she already has known medical conditions. i honestly can't see her temperment improving at this point in her life, i would  be a grumpy dog too. it is up to you to decide what is best for your dog, but i would say she should not be allowed near the baby at all, which at her age it seems an awful cruel thing to keep her apart from the family, but i really don't want to suggest to you what the only humane option i can think of is. i'm really sorry.
 
as for the lab mix, i would slowly introduce him/her to the baby. we didnt have any problem socializing our dog with our child and vice versa, our dog learned to respect the baby and our daughter grew up knowing what was and wasn't acceptable interactions with the dog, although he was a pup at the time so was much more impressionable. being your dog is 7 , like i said take it very slow, and don't be fearful of the dog hurting the baby as the dog may pick up on this and cause him/her to react in an undesirable manner. lab's and mixed breeds tend to IMO be very tolerant and laidback, my biggest suggestion would be to start socializing the dog with children that you know are comfortable and respectful of dogs right away so you have some idea of how the dog will react and know if and what you need to work on with him/her.
 
good luck, i hope everything turns out for your family, with the dogs and baby, also congratulations on your pregnancy, i am due on oct 30th so i am definitly feeling your pain and anxiety []
 

ORIGINAL: Angelique

ORIGINAL: wisewilddog

IMPO 99% of all dog problems are human created.

IMPO, I agree with you...and welcome! 

I have to say that I can't agree 100% with that comment.  Many problems are also due to health related conditions that the owner can not control.  The dog may act aggressive because it was in pain or could also be a neurological conditions that makes the dog act a little stranger than other dogs.  There is also that critical stage in a puppy's development that if the puppy is not socialized by that age it will never be able to function in that environment normally.  There has been much research put into animal behavior and it has been show that it is not always the owners fault. 

However, behavior can be controlled and it is the owner's responsibility to take control and treat any behavior that is not accepted that puts their dog and others at risk.  If a person can not properly train a dog themselves or diagnose the problem they should seek professional help.

What happened in the past is over and now the owner is seeking help.  There is no need to accuse the owner of being foolish, what was done is done, but now we need to guide the owner on what to do in the future.  When I worked for a vet and someone brought in a sick dog that should have been treated months ago I told myself "at least they are here now, that is more then they could have done.”  The owner already feels awful for what he/she has done, there is no reason to exasperate the problem, only thing to do now is fix it.

ORIGINAL: Xebby

ORIGINAL: Angelique

ORIGINAL: wisewilddog

IMPO 99% of all dog problems are human created.

IMPO, I agree with you...and welcome! 

I have to say that I can't agree 100% with that comment.  Many problems are also due to health related conditions that the owner can not control.  The dog may act aggressive because it was in pain or could also be a neurological conditions that makes the dog act a little stranger than other dogs.  There is also that critical stage in a puppy's development that if the puppy is not socialized by that age it will never be able to function in that environment normally.  There has been much research put into animal behavior and it has been show that it is not always the owners fault. 

And thats exactly why they said 99%, the other 1% is what you just said []

ORIGINAL: espencer


And thats exactly why they said 99%, the other 1% is what you just said []

Bingo!

ORIGINAL: Xebby

ORIGINAL: Angelique


I have to say that I can't agree 100% with that comment.  Many problems are also due to health related conditions that the owner can not control.  The dog may act aggressive because it was in pain or could also be a neurological conditions that makes the dog act a little stranger than other dogs.

There's the 1%.

There is also that critical stage in a puppy's development that if the puppy is not socialized by that age it will never be able to function in that environment normally.

That is simply NOT true and I would ask how you could possibly back that statement up.

There has been much research put into animal behavior and it has been show that it is not always the owners fault.

Other than physical or psychological issues, show me that research.

However, behavior can be controlled and it is the owner's responsibility to take control and treat any behavior that is not accepted that puts their dog and others at risk.  If a person can not properly train a dog themselves or diagnose the problem they should seek professional help.

Behavior can not only be controlled...it can be changed. I've proved it over and over through out my career.

What happened in the past is over and now the owner is seeking help.  There is no need to accuse the owner of being foolish, what was done is done, but now we need to guide the owner on what to do in the future.  When I worked for a vet and someone brought in a sick dog that should have been treated months ago I told myself "at least they are here now, that is more then they could have done.”  The owner already feels awful for what he/she has done, there is no reason to exasperate the problem, only thing to do now is fix it.

Of course we should try to help those who seek it, however...we shouldn't over look the fact that some people let things go to far or get to out of hand. And I'm sorry but I tend to feel for the dog who was being attacked over and over...not the human that let it happen OVER AND OVER.

People should realize also...that aggression issues should be dealt with inperson and by a professional...not...over the internet.

Shredding apart my post is not going to solve anything.  Why are you defending yourself and not helping the OP.  If you seem to be that knowledgeable then why do insist on critiquing others instead of posting your own input to help with this situation.  You say you don#%92t sugar coat anything but what you do is throw insult at others for whatever their experience is with dog.  Now that I#%92m posting this I fear that you will only come back and argue agents my thoughts on your opinions.  I do not want to take this personal but pleas stop ripping apart everyone#%92s thoughts and contribute to this thread.
 
If you feel that this problem should not be dealt with over the internet then there is no reason for you to add to the problem.  Most of what I stated is what I learned in my own experience, studies and from taking animal behavior classes from a psychology professor.  However you want to divide it 99%, 10% whatever percent it does not matter  the fact is there is more to the large picture then just throwing out numbers, the root cause of the problem needs to be found so it can be fixed for the animals sake.  We all have different methods for dealing with problems I wish you would respect them and be more open minded about what others have to say.

And here again we have yet another thread that is getting unpleasant.
 
Yes, this is an issue that needs to be addressed hands on, but THIS forum is a good place to start and to get ideas.  Or at least some hope that this can be fixed or managed or something.
 
Can we all try REALLY HARD to treat one another with respect, even if we don't agree??

I am very open to hear what others have to say but when someone tells me everything I learned in the past is wrong I can not help but defend myself and my research.  I worked hard to learn what I know as did all of us.  Yes I can be wrong from time to time but so can others.  I did not mean to make this nasty and I hope the OP realizes that we are all here to help her dogs.  I just wanted to say that we all have different views on different subject and hope we can come to an understanding and respect when it comes to our differences.

My response to the OP was based on my knowledge and experience in dealing with the situation today.  What wasn't part of my response was when the landscape change and a new born baby enters the picture.  I do not have experience with this other than knowing that babies trump dog.  I am glad that others pick up on that.

ORIGINAL: Xebby

Shredding apart my post is not going to solve anything.

??? shredding it apart? That's not what I was doing, I was simply touching on each point.

Why are you defending yourself and not helping the OP.

Defending myself? doing no such thing. You made statements...I commented on them.

If you seem to be that knowledgeable then why do insist on critiquing others instead of posting your own input to help with this situation.

Um...your statement was directed towards something I said...so I responded back to you. This is a forum...correct? and I did give input that would help. I said..."they should get professional help. Did you miss that part?

You say you don't sugar coat anything but what you do is throw insult at others for whatever their experience is with dog.

#1. I DID NOT say "I don't sugar coat anything"...that was someone else. #2. Could you please show the exact quote of where I "threw insults" at anyone.

Now that I'm posting this I fear that you will only come back and argue agents my thoughts on your opinions.  I do not want to take this personal but pleas stop ripping apart everyone's thoughts and contribute to this thread.

You fear??? And just what is it your doing? And show me "everyones thoughts" I'm ripping apart. If you don't like what I contribute to the thread...ignore it. But please don't make up stuff and accuse me of doing something I'm not, and don't tell me how to contribute...that's not your place.

If you feel that this problem should not be dealt with over the internet then there is no reason for you to add to the problem.

IMPO Bringing to light that someone shouldn't allow dog fights to go on for 3 YEARS is VERY important, and perhaps it will even wake someone up to what their doing. And if it does...would that not be VERY HELPFUL?

Most of what I stated is what I learned in my own experience, studies and from taking animal behavior classes from a psychology professor.  However you want to divide it 99%, 10% whatever percent it does not matter  the fact is there is more to the large picture then just throwing out numbers, the root cause of the problem needs to be found so it can be fixed for the animals sake.  We all have different methods for dealing with problems I wish you would respect them and be more open minded about what others have to say.

Yes...your right...there's way more to the picture, and I for one know that what you hear is wayyy different in most cases...than what you see. And IMPO it can be somewhat dangerous to give advise about a dogs aggression issues when you can't actually see what the real problem is..."the root cause". Again...can you show me where I was "disrespectful" as to what someones opinion was?

I do not want to comment anymore about this issue. 
 
All I can say is sorry if I may have felt uncomfortable about what you said and felt like I had to defend myself.  What I read and how I interpret what I saw maybe much different then what your intentions were when you first wrote them out.  Again I have to apologies for accusing you of things that I may not understand.

Ok folks..again, we are taking things personal.
 
Take a deep breath, consider the replies, yes, it is a dog forum and addressing many issues or replies in one post can be done in the above manner rather then making several different posts in a thread.
 
Lets cool down

ORIGINAL: Xebby

I do not want to comment anymore about this issue. 

All I can say is sorry if I may have felt uncomfortable about what you said and felt like I had to defend myself.  What I read and how I interpret what I saw maybe much different then what your intentions were when you first wrote them out.  Again I have to apologies for accusing you of things that I may not understand.

 
BRAVO!!!! And thank YOU!!!!!

ORIGINAL: DPU

My response to the OP was based on my knowledge and experience in dealing with the situation today.  What wasn't part of my response was when the landscape change and a new born baby enters the picture.  I do not have experience with this other than knowing that babies trump dog.  I am glad that others pick up on that.

Babies may trump dog, as you put it, but I think what makes dog owners uncomfortable is that it doesn't have to come to that. 
People of childbearing age should consider what kind of dog to adopt in the first place, and not add dogs to the pack without professional advice.  I wish people came to me first - there are great ways to intro dogs to babies, and there are things people should know before getting certain breeds and types of dogs.
I'll say it so everyone can hear it - plan your dog ownership around the place you expect to be in the ensuing fifteen + years, just in case your dog lives as long as mine.  And, when things go wrong - don't wait - get professional help.

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

ORIGINAL: DPU

My response to the OP was based on my knowledge and experience in dealing with the situation today.  What wasn't part of my response was when the landscape change and a new born baby enters the picture.  I do not have experience with this other than knowing that babies trump dog.  I am glad that others pick up on that.

Babies may trump dog, as you put it, but I think what makes dog owners uncomfortable is that it doesn't have to come to that. 
People of childbearing age should consider what kind of dog to adopt in the first place, and not add dogs to the pack without professional advice.  I wish people came to me first - there are great ways to intro dogs to babies, and there are things people should know before getting certain breeds and types of dogs.
I'll say it so everyone can hear it - plan your dog ownership around the place you expect to be in the ensuing fifteen + years, just in case your dog lives as long as mine.  And, when things go wrong - don't wait - get professional help.

Correct me if I'm wrong...but that just sounds...BRILLIANT!

Can anyone really say...that's asking to much?