Advice regarding my dog and my daughter.

[RockabillyLove]

My daughter, Scarlet-Rose, is 2.
She loves animals, and has a real gift with them, too.
She can really push an animal's limit of tolerance and they won't act against her. She respects all animals and cares for them equally.
So I never really worried about her and my animals, because they all get on like best friends.

I personally own British Bulldog triplets that take immense pleasure in solidly ignoring my hubby, a cat, and another dog, who is the centre of my issue at the moment.

Raum is a Neopolitan Mastiff, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound and St Bernard cross.
His back is waist height to a full grown man, he weighs more than my hubby, when he's on his back legs he can rest his paws on my father in law's shoulders and easily see over his head.
The St Bernard part was his grandfather, who was the biggest {by non-overweight, normal body mass} St Bernard on record.
His father is the Great Dane, who is in the current Guiness World Records for being the tallest dog on record.
Needless to say, he's a monster.

And as soon as Scarlet-Rose was born, she became his world.

If he can't see or smell her, he assumes she's in danger.
Windows, doors, fences...gone. He'll barge through them like matchsticks if he hears her crying.
When we go out walking together, which is often, since he needs regular exercise, if anyone so much as looks at her, he'll give them a warning growl and steps in front of her pram to block it.

Just this morning we were outside the fish and chip shop, I was on the pay phone, and Scarlet was in her pram with Raum lying at my feet.
An old, harmless man stopped to compliment Scarlet's hair {it's long, red, and wavy, and old people seem to love it}, and as he reached a hand out to touch it, Raum leapt to his feet and gave a huge, snarling bark that would have made the entire combined forces of the world's armies run for cover.

Now, I knew that Raum would grow up to be one hell of a dog.
More of a horse than a dog.
So I spent lots of time training him.
I can easily say that he is perfectly trained.
He would never show any sign of violence towards anyone unless I gave him one of the hand and body signals we learned in security dog training.
He will allow anyone to do anything to him and will take it, but as soon as I give that signal, he's either defensive or aggressive, depending on what I tell him to be.
So I was utterly shocked at this!

I think his obsession with Scarlet has gone a bit far.
If he was human and they were adults I'd say they were soulmates!
He's in love with her!

When anyone, even family members, enter the house he instantly assumes a defensive position over Scarlet.
If she gets within eye shot of the visitor, he'll pick her up by the scruff of her clothing and carry or nudge her into a 'safe' room.
Only her father or I can get near her if Raum is with her.

If she's in the bath he'll sit next to it and watch her. If she stands up or moves to get out of the bath he'll start barking and tug on my arm to alert me.
When she's outside he spends most of his time chasing birds because they're at a 'threatening' distance, or herding the bulldogs out of the way so that she doesn't play with them instead of him.

Overall, he's the ultimate babysitter.
I can take her outside, do my gardening, and know that with every step she takes, he's there, waiting to grab her shirt in his teeth and pull her out of harm's way.

So now that I've said all that, what should I do about it?
My dad's instant suggestion was to sell him off, but I didn't consider that.

Is there really any harm in how he's acting around her?
I know that maybe we could brush up on the security training a bit, so that's he a bit better around stranger, and maybe I could get him to wear a muzzle when we go outside?
We got a custom muzzle made for him a while ago, because his jaws are too big for the muzzles you find in pet stores.
But he could easily hurt someone quiet badly just by leaping on them with his whole weight.

So any suggestions on how to dilute his love affair?
Or should I just let it run it's course, not do anything about it?
He's not really a danger to anyone, as he's too well trained to hurt them, but he forgets his training once there's a stranger near her...

[koreangelxp]

thats really scary... cuz i mean people are going to come up to you and your daughter and tell her how pretty or cute she is... and if your dog is there and he just happens to hurt the other person... you could have a HUGE lawsuit against you... and you could end up paying all the persons hospital bills and he could be put down because he is a threat to other people... so its something you really have to think about.

[kaoticbaby]

on one hand, this is kind of adorable.
on the other, it's kind of scary.

is there a reason why you have to take him out with her to the store, etc.? if you can cut the amount of time he's in public with her, maybe you could feel a little bit better.

[greywolf]

Originally Posted by kaoticbaby

on one hand, this is kind of adorable.
on the other, it's kind of scary.

is there a reason why you have to take him out with her to the store, etc.? if you can cut the amount of time he's in public with her, maybe you could feel a little bit better.

I kind of thought it was adorable too. Because you read those stories about all these dogs doing great things, and then I look at my dog and he's not great. Well, I think he's great. But he's really just average. -.-

Perhaps more obedience training? Maybe take him to one of those obedience schools where you can talk with a trainer and have them help you? However you sound very informed about dog training so I don't think anything I say will be something that you don't already know.

[agent]

She's his pack. And on one hand that is cute, on the other that means that all the training you've given him won't amount to much if something happens and someone could get really hurt.

You have to start training it out of him.

[afonselaca]

He forgets his training when strangers are around so he is not to be trusted until you have complete control again.

[BeStrongBeHappy]

I don't think it is a 'love affair' in the traditional sense.... He is seeing her as a 'puppy' in his pack and is protecting her. He probably sees himself as the 'alpha' dog in your pack and hence it is his job to do this. In a dog's world, it is not normal for other stray dogs to be allowed to manhandle their puppies. So seeing a stranger reach out to stroke your daughter's hair was seen as a no-no in the dog world.

I think as your daughter grows up, he will become less possessive, especially as she becomes older and less vulnerable and in need of protecton (in the dog's mind). Right now she is the exact size of a young (big dog) puppy, so he's seeing her as one.

How old is Raum? Dogs that size rarely live past 7 or 8 so it is a 'problem' that will be solved in few years. I would manage it by not taking him out in public with strangers which is where any aggression problems might occur. You should also have a place outside where you can put him if you have people over to visit in the house, where he can't get out of, a kennel or the basement is you have one. Then if you have people over he's separated from them, and you don't take him out with Scarlett so the problem meetups are avoided.

He seems to be showing 'guarding' behavior, which can be dealt with. Before getting rid of him, I'd consult a professional trainer for an evaluation on how to manage this. There may be strategies to reduce the dog's anxiety and guarding behavior that a trainer can teach you. This is not an uncommon problem with dogs who are loyal to their human family, so there are ways around it.

[EQD]

I'd just stick a muzzle on him when you are in public. and limit the time and possesiveness he has over her. seperate them, dont let him guard her as much.
It is nice to have a dog who understands what it means to protect their owner, but not to this extent.
so seek a trainer if this persists, until then keep a close eye and muzzle him in public. dogs have a mind of their own, a dog that size can really do some serious damage to a kid or a person that he thinks is trying to harm your child.

[avman]

Sounds like the dog is doing the most logical thing he can think of. He's protecting a member of his pack. He's not aggressive just for the sake of being aggressive. It's a protective instinct.

I'd recommend taking him to a professional trainer and seeing how to modify his behaviors so he's not so dangerous. As some posters have mentioned, the dog's good intentions could turn out to have tragic consequences someday if this isn't taken care of immediately.

[girl friend]

I think it needs to be stopped asap! No half measures, no compromises. Sell him if you have to and get a golden retriever or something if you want a loyal companion. Im not thinking about strangers, or your family or friends.. i'm thinking about your daughters psyche. experiences now will affect her for her whole life. After her relationship with you, her relationship with this animal will affect her relationships with everyone in the future, romantic partners, friends, etc. What is she learning from this dog? To be possessive? that she should feel guilty after trying to play with someone else? that all her behaviours are constantly spied on and reported. that she can never be alone, never have privacy. how do you know she will one day not come to fear this dog? resent even. I don't think its healthy. enrole her in kindegarden or something if you want her to have a playmate or need a babysitter. letting a dog raise her is.. ludicrous.