help gsd bites/grabs childrens leg when i pick them up or play with them

[john_]

hi new to here think this is right place to post this

when i picked my daughter up yesterday my gsd tried to bite/grab her leg didnt seem aggresive so i told him to get on his bed but today we all went to the park all playing when he started trying to bite/grab my sons leg so picked my son up and he was trying even more and would not obey my command to sit until i shouted. my gsd is nearly 18 months never jumps up at the children hardley bothers them wen they play he is very gentle and loves a fuss only these two occasions has anything happend. im worried as my children are only 2yrs and 3yrs old what do i do my partner has told me to start thinking of rehoming him but i dont want that he is more than just my pet he goes everywhere with me he is like my shadow an it will break my heart to have to give him up but my childrens well being is more important to me. is this a sign of him turning aggresive? can he be taught to stop this?

[clearcreekranch]

How much formal obedience training have you done?

[john_]

Originally Posted by clearcreekranch

How much formal obedience training have you done?

a fair bit that is the 1st time i have ever had to raise my voice for him to listen

[Bundash]

If you could offer some details into you and your pups history together and also your daily exercise and training routine it would be helpful to better understand the scope of the issue.
Also how much interaction do your children and pup get?
It may be something as simple as over excitement/wanting attention or more in-depth such as resource guarding.

I understand your partner’s immediacy and concern but also sympathize for you and the dog. The situation is probably not worthy of giving up the dog . True aggression would be rare, there is probably a much more logical and fixable explanation for this freak behavior.

[Jax's Mom]

I'm no expert, but it sounds to me like a natural instinct to grab at fast moving things.
Perhaps as your kids are getting bigger, quicker and more mobile, they're becoming more "fun" to play with. Before, if they were just bumbling around, they weren't as interesting, but now if they're running or flailing their arms and legs, and especially when you pick them up, they could resemble toys or playmates

[ponyfarm]

Sounds like he wants to play and was over stimulated. I would make him wear a training collar during similiar times and give him a correction and a verbal "AUGHT". Make him sit. Be consistent. He does not sound aggressive to me.

[Elaine]

Flailing screaming kid legs are a huge attractant to a lot of dogs and not at all unusual for dogs to want to grab them. It's very normal, but not acceptable behavior. I would have corrected my dog immediately for this and then you need to keep this in mind and reduce the opportunity of this happening the next time by teaching the kids not to run around when the dog is present.

[billsharp]

Sounds like a form of resource guarding to me--the resource being your attention and affection. My shepherd (6mths old) becomes very "concerned" when I hug a family member or pet another dog, and we're trying to teach her that it's ok for me to like things other than her.

In your case, with the ages of your kids, you should take the advice given and consult a good trainer to nip this in the bud.

[KendraLovey]

All very good advice so far. I have had a very similar problem with my GSD. My step daughter is almost 3 and only with us every other weekend. So, at first he was really sketchy around her. He nipped at her once while playing and running around outside and once he put his mouth around her side while I was playing with her. My understanding was that he was trying to play but is nervous and stressed around her so it caused nervous energy and he didnt no what to do with it. People advised me that small nips are obviously bad but it could be much worse if he just let the nervous energy build up and really snapped one day.

What I have done to prevent it from happening again-

Until he is comfortable around her and he knows his limits we do not all play together inside or out.
I have Ella give him treats and she feeds him with me when she is there.
I do not let them be alone together.
Also, if in a split second Ella decides to run up to him in the house before I can get to her or unexpectedly reaches out and grabs his face, I do not panic or let myself grab her or yell. I just hold my breath-act cool-slowly walk over like it's no big deal and redirect the situation. I do not let him know I'm nervous because it could cause a bad reaction out of him.

Ultimately you do not want to set him up for failure. You know your dog and your kids better than any of us so its best for you to figure out what the limits need to be. Both your children and your dog should be under your control. So you set the boundaries. I can tell you though that over time it gets better

[KendraLovey]

Oh and one more thought/comment:

He has never hurt her on purpose or intentionally. He has knocked her down in a random run through the house and he has poked her in the eye with his nose. lol. But just be able to recognize the reason for your dogs acting out and try your best to prevent/redirect it