New day same problem

Okay, I'm still having the problem with my dog growling at my daughter.

Suja...

I wouldn't expect magical results anyway. Much too short a period of time
to expect results.

I've been watching closely. This is fear not aggression. The poor dog
sits there and shakes. She watches very move my daughter makes.

Suja...

Please get some in-person help from a qualified behaviorist or trainer.
There is such a thing as 'fear aggression', and in the end, if your dog ends
up biting your child, you're not really going to care why. Fear issues
often take time and committment to work out, and it would help you greatly
to have someone who knows what they're doing to guide you through it.

When she growls I tell her no in a firm voice and then my daughter will

TaraG...

Ok, while I'm not a fan of correcting fear, it probably at least serves to
redirect your dog's attention off of the object of fear and back on to you
enough to maintain composure.

go over and pet her, which the dog ( Molly ) lets her do. But as soom

shelly...

First, stop correcting the dog. If she *is* scared, then you are
making the problem worse. Second, you really need to get in-person
help with this problem.

as my daughter walks away Molly will do one or two things. She either
sits and watches her fearfully or she will run after her and it looks
like she is trying to grab her pant leg. I have never let her follow

TaraG...

Sure. That's exactly what I would expect when you've "rewarded" her
willingness to listen to you (by responding to the "no") byu sending her
even further into fear than she already was.

threw on this, because I'm not a 100% sure she isn't trying to nip at
her. So I'm not a 100% sure what she is trying to do.

TaraG...

She's overreacting because you are putting her directly into situations that
she can't handle yet. Stop that.

I am a 100% sure my daughter has done nothing to her.

TaraG...

Irrelevant. This dog is afraid. Period. Whether or not you understand the
cause is a separate issue.

I swear it is like everyday my daughter is a new person to her. Ever
see 50 first dates?
Picture that.

TaraG...

No. Its not that she doesn't recognize her. Its that every time your dog is
confronted with the situation, she's dumped into the deep end of a swimming
pool that she was already scared of.

I don't know if I've already recommended this book to you, but get "The
Cautious Caninje" by Patricia McConnell as soon as humanly possible before
you inadvertantly teach this dog to actually bite your child.

Some hints would be helpful.

Handsome Jack Morrison...

There's only one hint that you really need to heed. Get some
professional help, and do it ASAP.

Until then, keep your daughter away from the dog as much as possible.

Until someone can actually *observe* what's going on in your
household, with your daughter, with your dog, etc., it's impossible to
assess this problem intelligently.

Please, do not attempt to deal with this situation without
professional help. Your vet can usually aim you in the right
direction.

Is having my daughter pet her wrong? Oh and we've had her feeding her

TaraG...

Yes. Totally.

and waliing he which is a joke because Molly just digs in and it's more
of a drag session then a walk session.

Amy Dahl...

In-person help from a trainer or behaviorist experienced
with aggression issues is your best bet.

I thought your original description sounded like resource
guarding, and supported Mary Healey's recommendation
that you read Jean Donaldson's book, "Mine!"

This latest sounds more like fear of your daughter. In this
case forced closeness to your daughter is likely wrong.

Recommended protocols for handling the two types of
aggression would be completely different. It is difficult to
identify a dog from a description, much more so to correctly
identify a behavior problem. This is why in-person help
is so important.

There is a reasonably good introduction to aggression issues
in Jean Donaldson's other book, "The Culture Clash," and
she describes a desensitization procedure in one of her books,
but I can't remember which. This might be good background
reading--but I wouldn't expect an inexperienced person to solve
a problem like this using books. Please seek out in-person
help. Some shelters have behaviorists on staff; if yours doesn't,
they or one of the local vets may be able to recommend someone.

Amy Dahl

TaraG...

Then stop that immediately.

The only things I would have your daughter do right now are
1) totally and completely ignore the dog. She shouldn't try to pet her, try
to talk to her, and definitely shouldn't try to walk her right now.
2) have your daughter carry around fresh, yummy boiled meats. She should NOT
give these directly to the dog, but instead should just drop them*away* from
her in the dog's presence. The rule about not talking to, touching, or
interacting with the dog still holds, though. Your daughter is simply
tossing mind blowing treats in the vague direction of the dog....preferably
this is mainly only done when the dog is really hungry.
3) take it much more slowly than you are.

diddy...

spot on advice

shelly...

Stop doing that, too. Dragging the dog around is not doing anyone,
especially the dog, any favors.

karsan...

Many times a dog has been hurt or abused. I walk my dog and he trusts

shelly...

Was there any indication that this dog was hurt or abused? I don't
think there's any way to know that, unless you have absolute proof.
Fearfulness can be a result of poor or non-existent socialization
or genetics.

me and he looks at me with love.