Dear Carol, Thank you for your response. Quite honestly I was a bit hesitant to even mention aggressive behavior for I know it is highly subjective. My husband and I adopted a dog, pre-marriage and children. He is a Black Lab/Great Dane mix. He was the only member of our household, besides the two of us, for three years. He was wonderful when we brought my daughter home from the hospital and continued to be a wonderful, loyal, adoring, protective pet until my daughter was about 18 months. She had already been walking for 6 months when the first incidence of "aggression" occurred. My daughter was playing as she always did with him when he snapped at her making contact with her face and nearly missing her eye. My husband and I were sitting each within a foot of the dog and my daughter as we always did when they interacted. I had friends tell me,"That dog would be out of my house already. That's it!" We kept the dog for a little while longer but separated the dog from my daughter which caused him to shy away from her with hair on end every time she came near her. We were so confused and distraught over what to do. He had been loyal and loving for three years+ but the safety of my children comes first above all else and he was placed in another household with out children.
The other instance of aggression was with a dog belonging to my parents. I grew up with an Airedale Terrier, among other large dogs, and my parents adopted a rescue Airedale about two years ago. I realize that Rescues are very special cases each one independent of itself. The Airedale had obvious experienced some terrible hardship and abuse in his life that did not present itself until my sister, aged 25, or my daughter, aged 12 months, walked into the house. He would corner my sister in small rooms. He would growl and snarl at my daughter. Unfortunately all one had to do was to look into this poor dog's eyes to see his anger. I warned my mother of the feeling he gave me the very first time I met him. He was taken back into Airedale Rescue hands. My parents have since had a wonderful experience with another Airedale Rescue. My reasons for joining this mailing list other than to learn as much as I can about Berners and their owners, are to prevent myself from making mistakes I may or may not have made in the past and to find a suitable family pet in which to exchange a loving, loyal, adoring, protective relationship with. Thanks you, Aishling ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol Kracht" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Aishling Peterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 2:00 PM Subject: Re: newcomer with questions > We could probably help you out a bit better as a group if you could share > your aggressive dog problems of the past- this is a highly subjective issue > especially where small children are concerned so it helps to have some > details- Thanks! Carol in CA > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Aishling Peterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 9:50 AM > Subject: newcomer with questions > > > Hello, > I am a newcomer to berner-l in an effort to learn more about a breed that I > hope one day to introduce as part of my family. > > We have two small children and are just about to move from Southern CA to my > home state of RI. It is our plan to bring a dog, as a family pet, into our > home in the next 18 months or so. We have had problems with aggressive dogs > in our home in the past. We need to make sure that our family is ready and > the breed of dog is compatible with children and that we are suitable owners > for the specific breed of dog. > > I would love to hear from Berner owners with young children (under the age > of 3). > I would also like to know what Berner owners who live in climates that > experience hot summer heat do to make their dogs comfortable. > > Thank you and I look forward to all that I can learn about your experiences. > > Aishling P. > Carlsbad, CA >
