Ask Alecia: My Dog Bit a Child!

Dear Alecia,

Our dog Maya, a 2-year old Bali dog, attacked a 6-year-old child this morning who was playing in our yard (his father is our gardener). She jumped up on him, arms on his shoulders, and bit his face and neck. Not a bad bite, but blood was drawn and clearly the kid was scared. The child was not bothering her; he was walking towards me and she jumped on him.

We have seen Maya have similar reactions to children and people who are scared of her when they come to our house. However, she has only sort of growled, lunged and given a warning bite to them (never broken the skin). We leash walk our dogs to the beach and let them run around daily. She has no problem when in public, these incidents only happen in our home or yard. They also happen with no provocation. She just seems to be unsettled by people who are fearful of her and children.

To add to this, my wife is pregnant and due to have our first baby in October. I am really worried about having a child around a dog that is aggressive with children. Maya has never been aggressive with wife or I, nor is she aggressive with anyone who is comfortable around her.

In your opinion, is this a fixable trait? Any tips on training her to not bite children? Is there anything we can do to fix this behavior? We love her a lot and she is a big part of our family. Thanks, Adam

Dear Adam,

I am sorry to hear about Maya’s latest incident of biting a child. I will be very honest here for the safety of the dog and all involved so that the situation is cleared up for good.

It is wonderful that you brought Maya back from Bali( I am assuming) but what it is sounding like here is that the boundaries for Maya have not been clear and she is taking a fearful role at being leader and then turning it into aggression which is not safe for her or anyone coming to your home.

What is Maya’s previous training? Puppy training? Leash training? What commands does she know and how does she adhere to them? Who leads the walk? How is Maya with other dogs?

While I am glad to hear it is only contained to your yard or home, this is not acceptable behavior as Maya is feeling she can take charge and should not under any circumstances be allowed to until clear and proper boundaries are established that it is your home and Maya takes her cues from you and your wife.

When it comes to biting, I draw a quick and fast line, especially when children are involved. In this case, I do believe there is foundational work that needs to be done, clear and consistent boundaries to be established and a skilled dog trainer to come to your home and work with you immediately to show you and your wife the places you need to shore up your leadership skills with her so that she will look to you for guidance rather than make the choices she has been making.

In bite cases I always recommend a trainer coming to your home, rather than me giving you advice as they will be able to correct things in a more efficient manner than me telling you in writing and anything being lost in translation.

I am happy to consult with you by phone on locating the best trainer in your area to work with you and I do hope that you chose this road as the short term cost will be well worth the long term gain of having a safe, reliable, respectful being, especially with a new born on the way. And remember Maya is only doing what she has been allowed to so having a positive reinforcement trainer come to you will be the best education for you to see how Maya could be misinterpreting situations.

Wishing you the best with Maya and your newest family member.

Alecia

Alecia Evans, HDT, Inventor

Alecia Evans is the inventor of The Walk In Sync™ Humane Dog Walking and Training System with her exclusive 5 Minute Manners Makeovers using the Walk In Sync™ Harness and Accu-Grip Leash, along with her Walk In Sync™ 3 Easy Steps to teach any human/dog duos to Walk In Sync in just minutes.

The former host of the award-winning GrassRoots Aspen TV Series, The Whole Animal-An Alternative Approach to Animal Care, Alecia takes a natural approach to dog training and health care. Her work has been featured on Fox and Friends, The Sandra Glosser Show, NY 1, and in Aspen Magazine, DogTipper.com, The New York Daily News and Woof Report.

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Paris Permenter

Paris Permenter is the award-winning co-author, with John Bigley, of over 30 pet and travel books including The Healthy Hound Cookbook and Texas with Dogs, both available through Simon and Schuster. Paris is also a member of the Dog Writers Association of America.

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