Need help ASAP

[Firewalker1]

I have 2 dogs, my boy Boone (half lab half coonhound), he is my hunting dog, he is a year and a half, we have had him since he was 8 weeks. We took on another dog to our family last November a 1.5yr coonhound named parker, he is now 2.5yrs. He is an absolute sweetheart other than being loud. The boys got along amazingly until about 3 months ago when my son walker was born. Now my younger dog Boone is starting to attack Parker when he gets near my wife or son, he is also starting to get aggressive toward people when my wife and baby are around. I think he is trying to be the alpha and idk how to break it. He has gone after parker 3 or 4 times now and last time he almost got my wife hand.
She is threatening to get rid of Boone if i don't break him of it, that would absolutely tear my heart out.

My question to you all is really do you have any advice that can help me, Boone is so energetic that he can be hard to train but I'm ready to try anything.

 

[ilovesprig]

Tough one.............I think I'd depart from Parker..........If Boone shows aggression to the baby, he would go as well.......2 cents

ps......Had to do this once with a cocker spaniel (wife's dog) who bit my daughter when she was a baby.

 

[Bonejour]

Have you checked the Internet? Sounds like a long shot though, because if he's already getting aggressive toward people, your liability goes way up. Besides, your wife or boy could be injured accidentally if he goes after someone. Bummer.

 

[Firewalker1]

I talked to a trainer yesterday and she said that it's very common for one dog to get aggressive when a baby comes along because their routine is destroyed and they don't get out as much. Happens especially to high energy dogs like labs. She told me it should be fixable by doing a lot of training and making sure he gets a ton of exercise. My parents had a lab puppy that got aggressive toward people when I was born and my dad wasn't there (same as my dog) and they said that she grew out of it pretty quickly. I'm going to start by getting him out of the house at least once a day and do a lot more training. Someone told me to train him to not go near my son without my permission, which sounds good but idk if that could make things worse or not.

 

[Bonejour]

That sounds like a worthwhile plan. Look forward to follow up.

 

[Firewalker1]

In also keeping his e collar on from the moment I let him out if his kennel in the morning till he goes back in.

 

[invisible man]

pretty easy solution to me if you have a baby and your dogs tripping the dogs got to go. I would keep the coon hound and dump the aggressive lab sorry makes the most sense to me

 

[Gspman]

This as most can be fixed dogs can be trained and rehabilitated and people can be trained. But the dogs must have immediate boundaries.

 

[bloodlover]

No question about it get rid of the dog if it shows aggression towards baby. It only takes one second for a dog to kill a young child. I love my dogs with all my heart but our responsibility as a father comes first.

 

[bloodlover]

If he were pure lab i bet you u wouldnt have a problem at all my labs treat my daughter like shes there pup.

 

[stikbrandon]

Cut his nuts off. Keep him away from your family and find him a home man

 

[Firewalker1]

He's never been aggressive or even shown argression to my wife or kid, just my other dog and people when they have come too close to my wife and kid when we are out. It's only select few people though. He had his nuts chopped before we got him. The last time he nipped at my other dog my wife was petting him and giving him a treat when the other one walked up, I was later informed. We have known for a little while that they get weird about their food and have to feed them in separate areas. It definitely sounds way worse than it is he's only nipped at my other dog 4-5 times since we got him.

 

[bloodlover]

Dogs biting each other is way different then it snapping at your kid. Is it biting at your kid. If it is or just playing is up to u to decide. We c an all comment but if we cant see it its hard to tell. If your dog is putting your child in danger then you need to make the decision to get rid of the dog. If hes just acting a little jelous then try and make a little extra time for him. I dont believe a jelous dog or a mean dog has anything to do with training. If he d acting out then hes having a hard time adjusting to not being the baby anymore.

 

[Firewalker1]

No he hasn't snapped at anyone in our family. I think he's having a hard time adjusting because it's not all about him anymore. The times he's snapped at our other dog has been when food was involved or when our other dog has come "too close to our son" is what it seems like. We took him out twice yesterday and today and he seems way more laid back. Also doing a lot of sit, stay, lay down, and all that with him. I was watching him today from inside (they are both outside dogs) and he was trying to get our coonhound to play with him for a long time but our hound is super lazy and wants to lounge all day, I could see him get frustrated. Idk if that is where a lot of this is also stemming from.
Even only in two days the amount of training we have been doing with him is paying off. Definitely going to continue working with them both. Like blood lover said, it seems like he's having a hard time not being the baby. If he did ever put my wife or son in danger he would be gone in a second but he adors both of them to pieces, we do not let them near our son without us right there, and we don't allow him to come close enough to even sniff him.
Thank you everyone for your input

 

[kylemg0009]

Before giving him up, I would invest some time and money with some training. I attend obedience, protection and service dog classes on a weekly basis and have learned a ton. Boone sounds dog aggressive, and that can be fixed. Giving permission to your dog to do certain things is a great start. I have a 5month lab now and we have done tons of training and permission drills (shes my girlfriends dogs). Feel free to contact Tom Tackett at Tackett Service Dogs. He is located in Orange, CA. You can do training there or board your dog and have them train it for a week or two. They work wonders with dogs! website is www.tackettservicedogs.com

 

[MJB]

Sounds like your on the right course lots of exercise and get those nuts off it will help......I can't believe everyone saying get rid of him. When you get a dog you make a commitment to the dog just be the pack leader and things will come together.

 

[Gspman]

Sounds like your on the right course lots of exercise and get those nuts off it will help......I can't believe everyone saying get rid of him. When you get a dog you make a commitment to the dog just be the pack leader and things will come together.

I fully agree. As I said the vast majority of dogs can be rehabilitated.

 

[SluiceCoot]

I wouldn't keep an e-collar on him all day. That's improper use of the collar. It sounds weird but I break my dog's behavior by grabbing him, pinning him on his back and holding him there until he submits. I might get in his face and yell at him or give him a little bite on joweles and growl at him. And I don't let him up until he submits to me as pack leader. I've just resorted to smacking him as well but I don't think it's as effective. You must use punishment within seconds of the unwanted behavior or else the dog won't make the connection.

 

[Firewalker1]

He is an entirely different dog now. I have been taking them both to a dog park every morning and I couldn't believe the difference it made just in a few days. He listens way better, has not shown a single bit of aggression, and its gotten to the point where I hardly even use the collar anymore. Along with the dog park we have been doing a ton of sit, stay, lay down, and other small training stuff. One of the other big ones is making him wait to enter a room or go through a gate until the wife and I go first then give him permission.
He got his nuts chopped when he was 6 weeks (2 weeks before we got him) so that was not he issue, I honestly think he was just feeling neglected and had a ton of energy built up that he needed to get out. Theres only been a few days that I have felt the need to put the collar on him at the dog park, must have been the full moon or something because all the dogs were acting up lol.

 

[Gspman]

That's Awesome!!!! I'm so glad when people don't give up on good dogs. I bet it has also brought you your wife and your dogs closer as well. Your children will also see that and learn good leadership. Stay at it. It's never over.