why doenst my dog like kids????

Odd you should bring this topic in at this moment in time. A short while ago I was out and about and was talking with one of the neighbors. She has a schnauzer and as we talked a small family (they were all under 5 feet tall) came along and with them was a little boy. My neighbor pulled the leash on the dog short, explaining to me how the dog did not like children and growls at them. I suppose what I am getting at here, is that dogs, similar to human beings, do not always like children. It happens. Who knows, maybe the child was wearing a piece of clothing that the dog didn't like the color of or which had been washed in a detergent which the dog found offensive. Maybe the child was bathed in a soap the dog found irksome. Has it happened with other children?

Why doesn't my dog like children?

Who can say . . . how have you been cooking them?

If it were my dog, I wouldn't say the problem is, "Why doesn't my dog like children?" I'd say the problem is, "How can I keep my dog from harming a child."

Perhaps at some point in the past he was teased or abused by a child. Nonetheless if he savages a child, you and the dog are both in major trouble.

German Shepherds are large, opinionated dogs and you have a start on control with obedience training. I'd get the advice of a professional dog trainer on teaching your dog to control his aggression when around children.

That was a bit uncharacteristic for Setanta to say something like that. Not only because he is the owner of at least two ferocious dogs, that I'm aware of, and would thus seem to be sobered by such a situation, but also because of his perpetually stoic nature.

Must be one of those strange A2K days.

THe dog needs to be socialized with kids. My dog, a boxer, used to bark after and lunge at children, especially when they ran and acted like, er, children. She got used to them and by the end of her life, she couldn't move, she'd let my niece and nephew lay on top of her quite happily.

Your dog needs to meet children and get used to them in a controlled environment. The kids need to be prepped to be calm and quiet, no fast moving near the dog. Then, after a little while, let the dog sniff and let the kids pet. As the dog gets used to kids, he should be able to be with them without this scary reaction. If not, you need to think long and hard about what that means. Some dogs never get used to kids.

thanks everyone!!! i was hoping that maybe it was just because he was never around children. i will take the proper precautions if kids are around. i couldnt imagine if a dog i owned hurt a child. i will also talk to a trainer....i want kids someday!!!!

Keep the dog ON LEASH to start, please..........

The chid is possesed by an evil spirit or has been subsumed by an alien life force.

Dogs know sh*t like that.