At a loss. - Page 3

The OP seems to have left the building.

The dog was on one side of the room and the child on the other. The child said, Savannah is looking at me. I guess she just fixated on him and took off after him. He made it to the bathroom and slammed the door. It literally happened in the blink of an eye with no provocation by the child. I think she could just sense he was afraid of her. Also, yesterday, she was in her kennel and I had 4 little boys under the age of 5 at my home. She was so anxious she would lunge at anyone who came close to her cage. But the children were in other rooms. I asked them to not even pass her kennel. I think children just make her nervous. However, she has no issues whatsoever with our 5 year old.

I am in tears of thankfullness at all of the help you are providing. Thanks so much. We only have 1 child and she has been around children since she was born. I have spoken with the breeder and a trainer. I don't want her to live her life in a crate, medicated, or on a chain. It's no way for her to live. I'm going to follow up with the suggestions see what happens.

I hope it all works out in the end. I can tell you really like your dog and want to do the right thing. Good luck!

I know some people in SC who might be able to help. Where in SC are you. You can private message me your answer. Upper right corner under 'tools'.

Joan

There is no almost bite .. there is bite and don't bite. If the dog intended to bite a child or an adult they would be bitten. I have had people tell me that one of my dogs almost bit them because they growled. Believe me if a dog is intent on biting you it is unlikely you will not be bitten. If you have even seen or been in the middle of a dog fight there is no almost to it. Instead of giving up the dog give up the "visiting child" having any contact with the dog until you get a grip. Most " almost bites" are not an attempt to bite at all .. they are a warning. Dogs growl at each other all the time for a dozen different reasons and a growl does not mean aggression will follow. What a growl means is that the dog feels uncomfortable or wishes you would stop what you are doing .. which by the way is good advice unless you are willing to call their bluff. My dogs growl at me from time to time .. they have a sore foot and I touch it or accidentally hurt them. It depends on the persons relationship with the dog as to how the dog expresses unexpected fear or pain. Sometimes they whine or whimper and sometimes they growl. The aggression growl is a different growl from the "hey, stop doing that growl" that most people confuse with aggression.  Sounds like your dog is being protective when "her" child is playing with others.  Also there is the "I will bark until they go away" type aggression.  Dogs grow and mature just like children so just because your female has shown improper behavior once or twice does not make this behavior permanent.  Dogs try out different behaviors to see if they get the desired response and keep the ones that they find rewarding.  Most GSD know instictively not to harm children or puppies while some need guidance and even punishment for improper behavior toward subordinates.   Your dog needs help but can be taught that strange children are not "prey" items or a threat to her family. 

If this is a sudden change in her behavior, first thing to do is get the checked over, nose to tail, by your vet, and in particular request a tick panel and a complete thyroid antibody profile--and for the latter testing, you want either the one run by Hemopet, or the one run by Michigan State, not the basic Antech labs or an in-house version. Inappropriate aggression in a dog that had not previously had a problem in that regard is often the only sign a dog owner will get that their dog has developed a thyroid issue, or is/was infected with one of the tick-borne diseases such as Lyme, or hemoplasmosis [aka hemobartonellosis]; if the behavior is rooted in a physical problem, all the remedial training in the world isn't going to be effective in dealing with it.

Naturally, you need to take all of the logical precautions to prevent situations that place anyone--dog or human--at risk while you're having the medical end of things checked out, and once all the testing has been done and the results are in, you'll know whether you can rule out an organic source of these changes or if it's the result of something that can be treated...in dogs that develop aggression due to thyroid issues, owners often report seeing marked improvement in the dog's behavior after just a week or two of treatment, though that treatment will need to be lifelong in most instances of the condition.

And I'd seriously consider getting the dog acclimated to wearing a good muzzle, using positive reinforcement and going slowly with it, JUST IN CASE it's ever needed. I'm inclined to think that we probably all ought to incorporate muzzle acclimation into the things we teach our dogs to accept as routine, like nail trimming and coat brushing, because the worst time to teach a dog to wear one is when you need him or her to wear it immediately and for long periods of time, like may be necessary if one were to find themselves having to go to an emergency shelter after being evacuated from your home due to a natural disaster.