# 12 month golden and wow!



## Fisher 2010 (Aug 19, 2011)

Last month our golden attacked our son when a he took a rock from his mouth. My husband ran to get the dog off of him. (85lbs) He had 4 puncture wounds and needed 4 stiches to his hand. His behavior up until then has been excellent and he gets out for walks 2-3 times a day. (1-2 hrs) My son takes him daily and has re-gained his trust as he was taking him prior to this attack every day. Normally you could take things away from him with no concerns. We just had him neutered at 12 months and it has now been 10 days. He has been acting out by biting the kids on their hands and this is starting to scare them and make them feel uncomfortable. They attempt to calm him down, but he has been crazy hyper lately. After 3 walks today (total 2 1/2 hrs) he just began running in circles and very hyper. Is this normal? What do you suggest to do when he is nipping at the kids? (13yrs old and 14 yrs old) When I step in, he then goes for me, but if my husband is around he then completely lays down. Normally I have no issues, only when he starts doing this with the kids. I am guessing he is feeding off the energy we are projecting and feels like he is in charge?


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Hopefully some of our forum trainers will chime in but I would suggest that YOU hand feed your dog for a while. As in every morsel your dog eats comes from your hand. Once you are comfortable let your son do the same.


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## rhondas (Sep 10, 2010)

It is not normal for a dog to suddenly attack anyone and then continue biting to the extent that your children are afraid of him.

You need to get your dog thoroughly checked by your vet to rule out any physical problems. Once anything physical is ruled out you should get him evaluated by a vet behavorist to determine the plan of action and training required.


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## Fisher 2010 (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks and this is great advice. It makes sense! We do not blame the dog and we have also set boundaries with the kids, no matter how young or old. re: when to leave the dog alone etc,. Our son has been a trooper and we are proud of how he has handled the situation going forward. We need to and want to make this work, so we will do whatever it takes to get all of us on board with training and understanding our dog. Golden's are amazing pets and we feel blessed to have him in our lives.


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## Fisher 2010 (Aug 19, 2011)

After the situation, we did see the vet as ironically he was also set to be neutered. The dog appears fine, and the attack they feel was based on what was being taken away at the time and that we need to inform the kids of when to leave the dog alone. As for the recent nipping, we will for sure seek additional help as it appears as though the dog is more submissive with them. Neutering addressed the sexual desire, but we need to still correct this behavior as it will not go away on its own. If anything it can become worse. Thanks!


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