[stevechaos]

Hey everybody, first inquiry, but I'm looking forward to the feedback.
My female is an only dog, but I have a house full of children. I've only had her about a month and she's about 2 years old. She's been an angel up until these last two weeks.
She has never shown any people or animal aggression, and does not seem to have any sort of domination complex. She's not allowed on the furniture, she sleeps in her own bed, and is a socialized, inside dog. She loves everyone it would seem, but she's made two misteps about a week apart. The first of anything negative she's done so far, but enough to raise my alarm.
Last week she was allowed on up on the couch to sit with us while we watched a movie. My (at times overbearing) older son tried to put his arms around her and giver her a hug, at which time she let out a hearty growl. We were completely taken aback, and she was from that point on completely banned from the furniture. I know my son can be annoying at times, but he's done the same thing to her a hundred times and she's NEVER reacted like that. In fact she usually reciprocates by licking him to death. I figured that she was stressed or annoyed and just needed her space, so I decided to keep an eye on her and see i the behavior was repeated.
She did well until last night. She was laying under the kitchen table so that she could lay by my feet, my wife was sitting on the other side and my 2 year old son was running around being loud and obnoxious. He walked up to the table and she started growling. I immediately called out her name, her ears went back and she stood down. I took my son to the other room and the dog and I went on a walk. Was she startled because she felt trapped and he was being loud? That's what I'm thinking, but that what I WANT to think.
She has been great with the whole family up until these two incidents. The previous owner said she was very docile around people, and was very playful around other dogs. That's exactly what I've seen to until these two things occured. I have had no other qualms with her, but this is a major one. I would never have thought that she had any type of aggression, and she has not seemed to ever have any problems with any sort of domination trip either. You can stick your hand in her food as she's eating and she'll stop eating. She will not walk out of any doors until everyone else is out. She has never attempted to challenge anyones authority over her either.
I'm at a loss here. I had my staffy's for many years and never had this issue, and they were BOTH dog aggressive to any dog outside their pack.
So is this an issue, or are these flukes brought about by circumstance?

 

[dixieland]

Has she been taken to the vet recently to make sure she's ok and not in any kind of pain?She may have something going on with her internally that you wouldn't notice and it is giving her some pain and making her cranky.

 

[stevechaos]

Has she been taken to the vet recently to make sure she's ok and not in any kind of pain?She may have something going on with her internally that you wouldn't notice and it is giving her some pain and making her cranky.

Unfortunately no. From my research so far, that is my next step of action. The prior owner had taken her in for her shots about a month before I got her, but that has been it.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think she might be in heat. Could that cause any type of angst? I know she's not fixed, and I'm weighing the options on having it done. I've heard that she's too old, and it might CAUSE her to be aggressive.
She's also my first female dog...

 

[ashes]

You may want to get her checked out but if she's two years old it could be aggression coming up now. Although these dogs aren't supposed to be HA but bad breeding can cause that among other things. I once had a pit bull who did become HA after she turned 2. It started with growling nothing more than that but it sounded like she meant business. After she turned 2 bathing her became an issue I always bathed her often and she began to growl then towel drying started to aggravate her and she would do some nasty growls. She did come from bad breeding and we did take her to vert and nothing was wrong with her as far as the heat thing that never affected her. It could be dominance since both times she's near you.

 

[Pitbull Palace]

Sounds like my dog ROCKY who is 11 now. It started between 2-3 yrs old and started in the Exact same situation. i let him up on the couch, hugged him, and he growled . I kicked him right off and as i pushed him down he growled again. He did that for atleast 5 yrs in simalure situations until he started growling at everything we do to him that he doesnt want to now that he's Old. He Never snapped at us, never stood up to me, But growled whenever he didnt like what you were doing to him or makeing him do. To me He isn't Agressive i don't think (to People). i think it's how he knows how to communicate. Because we always yell "NO GROWLING" he now growls and Shakes cause he's scared he's in trouble. i rescued this dog from a bad situation at 6wks old, so i know he was Bred badly. He is Kinda Slow and Retarded also.
I would say watch her, Keep the kids clear of her until you find out whats going on and make sure there Empty threats or that she just wants to be left alone. It my be that the Kids and Wildness is just to Much 24/7 for her. make a rule that the kids can not aproch her alone and to chill out near her, give her a Safe place away from them, BEDROOM/ECT,,where she has a bed to get away when she needs. My old boy says hello to the kids in the morning, Watches them get tucked in at night and then wants nothing to do with them threwout the day, he hides in the bedroom on his bed all day unless hes outside.
As far as Fixing, im NO EXPERT, But ive fixed all my females around 2 yrs old and NEVER had a Problem, infact i say its a GREAT idea to do so !!

GOOD LUCK.

 

[Xiahko]

This makes me a bit nervous. Beia will growl at kids from time to time.
But if they come up to her she will either let them pet her,or she will cower away.
It's only sometimes though.....

I do say take her to the vet.

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

Hey everybody, first inquiry, but I'm looking forward to the feedback.
My female is an only dog, but I have a house full of children. I've only had her about a month and she's about 2 years old. She's been an angel up until these last two weeks.
She has never shown any people or animal aggression, and does not seem to have any sort of domination complex. She's not allowed on the furniture, she sleeps in her own bed, and is a socialized, inside dog. She loves everyone it would seem, but she's made two misteps about a week apart. The first of anything negative she's done so far, but enough to raise my alarm.
Last week she was allowed on up on the couch to sit with us while we watched a movie. My (at times overbearing) older son tried to put his arms around her and giver her a hug, at which time she let out a hearty growl. We were completely taken aback, and she was from that point on completely banned from the furniture. I know my son can be annoying at times, but he's done the same thing to her a hundred times and she's NEVER reacted like that. In fact she usually reciprocates by licking him to death. I figured that she was stressed or annoyed and just needed her space, so I decided to keep an eye on her and see i the behavior was repeated.
She did well until last night. She was laying under the kitchen table so that she could lay by my feet, my wife was sitting on the other side and my 2 year old son was running around being loud and obnoxious. He walked up to the table and she started growling. I immediately called out her name, her ears went back and she stood down. I took my son to the other room and the dog and I went on a walk. Was she startled because she felt trapped and he was being loud? That's what I'm thinking, but that what I WANT to think.
She has been great with the whole family up until these two incidents. The previous owner said she was very docile around people, and was very playful around other dogs. That's exactly what I've seen to until these two things occured. I have had no other qualms with her, but this is a major one. I would never have thought that she had any type of aggression, and she has not seemed to ever have any problems with any sort of domination trip either. You can stick your hand in her food as she's eating and she'll stop eating. She will not walk out of any doors until everyone else is out. She has never attempted to challenge anyones authority over her either.
I'm at a loss here. I had my staffy's for many years and never had this issue, and they were BOTH dog aggressive to any dog outside their pack.
So is this an issue, or are these flukes brought about by circumstance?

If she doesn't have papers and you aren't planning on doing anything with her then spaying her would be the better option. Hormones can cause ill affects in both male and female dogs and aggression is one of them. If she is starting to show aggression to your kids then I would seek a professional knowledgeable trainer of pit bulls. You do not want an unstable dog around your kids and you really don't know what she has been thru the past two years of her life since you have only had her a month.

 

[stevechaos]

Thanks for all the great replies guys. Seems like the mystery remains though.
I rescued her from a bad situation as well. Pretty sure the previous owners were using her as a puppy factory. She's pure bred and has papers, but she came into my care with 0 confidence.
It was closer to two months ago actually when I got her. Times flies you know? So she's actually done good for a long while. As time goes on she has also started to build confidence I believe. She's nowhere near as broken as when I first picked her up.
I also believe she was abused by her prior owners. She has an irratonal fear of brooms, so I'm guessing that's what she was hit with. It's only brooms though, mops and averything else are fine, pick up a broom and she'll either go slinking off of lay down out of fear where she stands. That too is getting better.
She has made immense progress since she's been in my care, and I think she's the quickest learner I've ever seen. Everything I've tried ot teach her she's learned in about 2 days max, which amazes me.
To the poster that said to make sure she has her own space, she does. She has a bed in our room beside our bed. But she only wants to go in there when we're in bed. The rest of the time she wants to be around us. She's got free run of the whole house besides the kids room, so she could always leave the situation if she wants to.
I'm working with the kids as to how to interact with and be around not just her but dogs in general. My oldest daughter is the only one that was ever around my staffy's, and she knows how to behave with bull dogs. The rest are still learning.
I will be getting her into the vet as soon as I can get a day off of work to take her, which will hopefully be really soon. I really want to get her spayed, but I keep hearing that it can and does cause agression with older females. You guys haven't had any problems with it, so maybe it's all hype. As much as I would like to have some little ones running around, I don't think it would be in her best interest, and plus if she does have a defect I don't want it getting passed on. She's been through enough already.

 

[MY MIKADO]

You say you have children so I would like to know does your girl have a crate that she go to to get away from it all. Did she have a household of children at her first owners home? Since you have only had her a month it can take that ong for the true personality of your dog to show up. I have doen rescue for many m nay years and what you see right away when you bring a dog into the household isnt always what you get. Once they start to feel comfortable their true colours will show up.

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

Thanks for all the great replies guys. Seems like the mystery remains though.
I rescued her from a bad situation as well. Pretty sure the previous owners were using her as a puppy factory. She's pure bred and has papers, but she came into my care with 0 confidence.
It was closer to two months ago actually when I got her. Times flies you know? So she's actually done good for a long while. As time goes on she has also started to build confidence I believe. She's nowhere near as broken as when I first picked her up.
I also believe she was abused by her prior owners. She has an irratonal fear of brooms, so I'm guessing that's what she was hit with. It's only brooms though, mops and averything else are fine, pick up a broom and she'll either go slinking off of lay down out of fear where she stands. That too is getting better.
She has made immense progress since she's been in my care, and I think she's the quickest learner I've ever seen. Everything I've tried ot teach her she's learned in about 2 days max, which amazes me.
To the poster that said to make sure she has her own space, she does. She has a bed in our room beside our bed. But she only wants to go in there when we're in bed. The rest of the time she wants to be around us. She's got free run of the whole house besides the kids room, so she could always leave the situation if she wants to.
I'm working with the kids as to how to interact with and be around not just her but dogs in general. My oldest daughter is the only one that was ever around my staffy's, and she knows how to behave with bull dogs. The rest are still learning.
I will be getting her into the vet as soon as I can get a day off of work to take her, which will hopefully be really soon. I really want to get her spayed, but I keep hearing that it can and does cause agression with older females. You guys haven't had any problems with it, so maybe it's all hype. As much as I would like to have some little ones running around, I don't think it would be in her best interest, and plus if she does have a defect I don't want it getting passed on. She's been through enough already.

Im going out on a limb here....but it sounds like you maybe in a little denial about the problem of growling at your kids. I would highly suggest a crate as that is what we meant by "own space". You should definitely get her spayed...we don't need anymore pits in the world papered or not. Plus your dog should be proven in confirmation, weight pull, etc. Has she already had litters? And she is only two? Poor girl. I understand you rescued her but the growling at your kids throws a huge red flag up for me. If you don't get it under control you may have an accident waiting to happen on your hands.

 

[Pitbull Palace]

Thanks for all the great replies guys. Seems like the mystery remains though.
I rescued her from a bad situation as well. Pretty sure the previous owners were using her as a puppy factory. She's pure bred and has papers, but she came into my care with 0 confidence.
It was closer to two months ago actually when I got her. Times flies you know? So she's actually done good for a long while. As time goes on she has also started to build confidence I believe. She's nowhere near as broken as when I first picked her up.
I also believe she was abused by her prior owners. She has an irratonal fear of brooms, so I'm guessing that's what she was hit with. It's only brooms though, mops and averything else are fine, pick up a broom and she'll either go slinking off of lay down out of fear where she stands. That too is getting better.
She has made immense progress since she's been in my care, and I think she's the quickest learner I've ever seen. Everything I've tried ot teach her she's learned in about 2 days max, which amazes me.
To the poster that said to make sure she has her own space, she does. She has a bed in our room beside our bed. But she only wants to go in there when we're in bed. The rest of the time she wants to be around us. She's got free run of the whole house besides the kids room, so she could always leave the situation if she wants to.
I'm working with the kids as to how to interact with and be around not just her but dogs in general. My oldest daughter is the only one that was ever around my staffy's, and she knows how to behave with bull dogs. The rest are still learning.
I will be getting her into the vet as soon as I can get a day off of work to take her, which will hopefully be really soon. I really want to get her spayed, but I keep hearing that it can and does cause agression with older females. You guys haven't had any problems with it, so maybe it's all hype. As much as I would like to have some little ones running around, I don't think it would be in her best interest, and plus if she does have a defect I don't want it getting passed on. She's been through enough already.

Rojjer that, I'd fix her, I have Yet to see a female become aggresive AFTER spaying Myself.
My Nervous nelly would stick around at first and growl always wanting to be near us but at the same time Torturing himself because he was staying in situations that made him nervous,lol..So i had to get a gate and PUT him in another room.After a Couple weeks He would THEN ASK me to let him in there. At first ofcouse he didnt like it, but he didnt know what was good for him, It was a weird situation. We have come to the comclusion from everything he does and the ways he acts, " HE's Slow". Not that your is or what works for me will work for you but im throwin it out there ....
I Started feeling bad that he spent alot of time alone, SO i bought one of those Plastic 48" CIRCLE pens that you can set up in any shape. i think there for outside, Anyway, Ive blocked off a Whole Large corner of our family room so that he is around the family. HE loves It.
Your dogs still young so my situation is different, He Grumpy and 11yrs old, so hahahah..But anyway your story sounded like mine 5 yrs ago so i was Interested, lol..sorry for the Long stories, hahahahah

 

[stevechaos]

Im going out on a limb here....but it sounds like you maybe in a little denial about the problem of growling at your kids. I would highly suggest a crate as that is what we meant by "own space". You should definitely get her spayed...we don't need anymore pits in the world papered or not. Plus your dog should be proven in confirmation, weight pull, etc. Has she already had litters? And she is only two? Poor girl. I understand you rescued her but the growling at your kids throws a huge red flag up for me. If you don't get it under control you may have an accident waiting to happen on your hands.

No, it did for me as well, hence the reason for the posting about it here. I see it as a huge problem actually. There's not many feelings in the world that are worse than not being able to trust your own dog. I plan on getting it under control, but doesn't that mean that I first need to understand why it happened?
Well, she's on watch right now. I never let the kids around her unsupervised before, and now I know I have them ignoring her and not forcing themselves upon her.
I know that if this continues and I can't sort it out that there is only one option really, hence the reason I am looking for help.

Rojjer that, I'd fix her, I have Yet to see a female become aggresive AFTER spaying Myself.
My Nervous nelly would stick around at first and growl always wanting to be near us but at the same time Torturing himself because he was staying in situations that made him nervous,lol..So i had to get a gate and PUT him in another room.After a Couple weeks He would THEN ASK me to let him in there. At first ofcouse he didnt like it, but he didnt know what was good for him, It was a weird situation. We have come to the comclusion from everything he does and the ways he acts, " HE's Slow". Not that your is or what works for me will work for you but im throwin it out there ....
I Started feeling bad that he spent alot of time alone, SO i bought one of those Plastic 48" CIRCLE pens that you can set up in any shape. i think there for outside, Anyway, Ive blocked off a Whole Large corner of our family room so that he is around the family. HE loves It.
Your dogs still young so my situation is different, He Grumpy and 11yrs old, so hahahah..But anyway your story sounded like mine 5 yrs ago so i was Interested, lol..sorry for the Long stories, hahahahah

Not a bad idea about the pen, and don't worry, I don't mind long stories. I open for ANY advice really.

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

No, it did for me as well, hence the reason for the posting about it here. I see it as a huge problem actually. There's not many feelings in the world that are worse than not being able to trust your own dog. I plan on getting it under control, but doesn't that mean that I first need to understand why it happened?
Well, she's on watch right now. I never let the kids around her unsupervised before, and now I know I have them ignoring her and not forcing themselves upon her.
I know that if this continues and I can't sort it out that there is only one option really, hence the reason I am looking for help.

Not a bad idea about the pen, and don't worry, I don't mind long stories. I open for ANY advice really.

Oh yes I totally understand and its good that you found us here for help I think the first thing in trying to understand why it happened is going back to her early years as a pup and what type of treatment she had or abuse for that matter. You did mention that you rescued her from a bad situation. Did the people you took her from have any children? Maybe she was mistreated by kids in her previous home

 

[stevechaos]

Oh yes I totally understand and its good that you found us here for help I think the first thing in trying to understand why it happened is going back to her early years as a pup and what type of treatment she had or abuse for that matter. You did mention that you rescued her from a bad situation. Did the people you took her from have any children? Maybe she was mistreated by kids in her previous home

They did have children and that is a possibility, but she doesn't seem fearful of children. In fact when the kids are outside playing and she's inside she'll go to the back door and stand there looking forelorn until someone lets her out to play with them. She loves to run around with them, play fetch with them, etc. She has a football that is her favorite toy. I trained her to sit when I pick it up, I give it a toss and then tell her to go get it. Her butt doesn't leave the ground until she hears "go get it". She'll go snatch it, and bring it back. With the kids, she does it exactly the same, except they don't have to give her the commands. She even seems to dial it down a bit. I throw it she goes bounding off through the yard, gets it, an runs like a mad woman back to me. With the kids she runs to get it, then trots back and drops it at their feet.
She knows kids and it seems like for the most part she respects them and their small stature. My youngest son is 2, and he's never even been knocked down by her. She deliberately slows down to avoid bumping him.
I hope you see where I'm going with this; that's why I am having trouble understanding this. It's so random really. She loves the kids. Wants to play with them every chance she gets. She listens, she's a good dog and has done nothing bad except for those 2 incidents. It makes no sense!

 

[stevechaos]

Im going out on a limb here....but it sounds like you maybe in a little denial about the problem of growling at your kids. I would highly suggest a crate as that is what we meant by "own space". You should definitely get her spayed...we don't need anymore pits in the world papered or not. Plus your dog should be proven in confirmation, weight pull, etc. Has she already had litters? And she is only two? Poor girl. I understand you rescued her but the growling at your kids throws a huge red flag up for me. If you don't get it under control you may have an accident waiting to happen on your hands.

AH, I noticed I missed the post about the crate earlier. No she doesn't currently have one, but is getting one as soon as I can find one that's big enough for her.
Also, what do you mean by "proven in conformation, weight pull, etc."?

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

AH, I noticed I missed the post about the crate earlier. No she doesn't currently have one, but is getting one as soon as I can find one that's big enough for her.
Also, what do you mean by "proven in conformation, weight pull, etc."?

Confirmation meaning that you should show your dog or do some activity so they can prove to be breed worthy. They also need to be health checked to see if they are carriers of any defects such as hip dysplasia. Basically, you shouldn't breed just to breed and you should always breed responsibly to better the breed

 

[performanceknls]

Unfortunately no. From my research so far, that is my next step of action. The prior owner had taken her in for her shots about a month before I got her, but that has been it.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think she might be in heat. Could that cause any type of angst? I know she's not fixed, and I'm weighing the options on having it done. I've heard that she's too old, and it might CAUSE her to be aggressive.
She's also my first female dog...

Sounds like a temperament issue find a good trainer and have her evaluated for aggression. It could be fear aggression, dominance, or she is just not right in the head. Growling can and will turn into a bite if pushed and you need to protect your children. It is not proper temperament for an APBT or any dog to growl at your children. If it turns out to be a problem with the dog I would have her put down. You do not want someone else to be at risk by placing her. This is a hard decision I know but have trainer evaluate her for your children's sake.

Someone also mentioned spaying her, that will not fix her growling at your kids. Spaying has no correlation with her temperament. Now an intact female can be hormonal when in season but that still doe not include growling at kids. I have been a dog trainer for about 15 years now and I see this all the time. It is a temperament issue and honestly not one I would have with kids. Yes you can make sure it is not a pain or medical issue but you would see it happen more and with you as well if it was a medical issue. I read someone said that they have never seen aggression come out after spaying. That is totally false again spaying a dog does not change the temperament of a dog but can cut out some hormonal issues. Most of dogs are intact and would NEVER growl at my son because they have sounds temperaments. I did read someone said you are a in a bit of denial and that I think it true. You have a serious problem and I would have a trainer evaluate the dog. Just hearing about it I would say put the dog down but there could be more to the story and why an evaluation is very important.

 

[stevechaos]

Confirmation meaning that you should show your dog or do some activity so they can prove to be breed worthy. They also need to be health checked to see if they are carriers of any defects such as hip dysplasia. Basically, you shouldn't breed just to breed and you should always breed responsibly to better the breed

Ah, that's what I thought, but no, I have no intention to breed her. Like I said, she's been through enough already. I'm thinking about working with her on weight training just to giver her an outlet for her energy.

Sounds like a temperament issue find a good trainer and have her evaluated for aggression. It could be fear aggression, dominance, or she is just not right in the head. Growling can and will turn into a bite if pushed and you need to protect your children. It is not proper temperament for an APBT or any dog to growl at your children. If it turns out to be a problem with the dog I would have her put down. You do not want someone else to be at risk by placing her. This is a hard decision I know but have trainer evaluate her for your children's sake.

Yeah, having her put down was what I meant by my only option. I wouldn't pass her off to someone else, especially since she isn't fixed. I'm trying to find someone to do an eval on her currently. Made that decision before I even posted my first post here. Same thing about the vett check.
It's really a shame if it is something. Like I said, she's been perfect otherwise.
What are some other signs that she may have a temperment issue? Just curious in case I've overlooked something.
Dominance is something I've been curious about as well. I though I had done everything I could to ensure that she knows her place. She's not allowed anywhere that would make her feel like she's over anywhere. She's fed after everyone else, she's the last to enter a room, etc...but I can't say how her former owners treated her in that respect. I have ensured said things, but she may not have been dominated before. Most owners I've known have not been very Alpha towards their animals....
Looks like you added another paragraph while I was typing my reply. I'll reiterate; I'm not in denial. I'm simply trying to understand. My first reaction was that it's a defect, and a very serious one. But I am at times impulsive and read into things more than they should be. But the concensus is that I was initially correct. Not the kind of thing any owner wants to hear mind you, but it was exactly my initial reaction.

 

[performanceknls]

There could be some dominance but i would have to see her in person it is hard to just give suggestions over the internet each dog can display it a bit different. There are probably other signs but you have not identified them and why getting a good trainer to look at her is so important. Each dog is different and it is hard to give a list over the internet you really need to watch the dog in person.

 

[stevechaos]

There could be some dominance but i would have to see her in person it is hard to just give suggestions over the internet each dog can display it a bit different. There are probably other signs but you have not identified them and why getting a good trainer to look at her is so important. Each dog is different and it is hard to give a list over the internet you really need to watch the dog in person.

Gotcha.
Do you have any suggestions of how to go about finding someone who can evaluate her?