Dog help!

TJ1979

Crap. I think my 90 lb dog just snapped at E. He definitely growled, and his head moved in her direction. But I'm not 100% whether he was trying to get up and away from her, or if he was snapping.
He's a well trained and typically well behaved dog. But for the past month he's been a mess. Chewing up E's toys, tearing up his bed, making messes, and now this.
I know when I was in 3rd tri with E my other dog started really acting up. Do you think he knows I'm pregnant and things are about to get turned upside down again?
Or is he just growing up and becoming an ahole? (He's 3.)
WWYD?

pinkmickey24

I think he senses the change coming. Animals have a strange sense of knowing whats happening before we do.

Roxie5739

Ditto to PinkMickey. Just monitor closely and try to get some more exercise for the dog as he frustration can be a sign of boredom as well as jealousy. I walk my dog 2-3 times a day (70lb German Shep) just to keep her energy level down. My dog "knew" I was pregnant and acted differently, especially towards the end of my PG. As you have a LO already, your dog knows exactly what is coming. Watch E and the dog closely and you may need to separate for a bit. We have baby gates around our house to control the areas our dog has access to and she is inside 95% of the time

mcgeeva

I agree with roxie5739. Dog definitely senses changes but thank goodness this hasn't been since E was born or I would really be worried. You should check out 3tri board. There is a hugggge discussion we were having over there about someone's dog but their dog snaps at all kids.

Dstevens429

I don't know if u recall but I had an incident where my dog jumped on A in what appeared to be attacking. We couldn't stand to get rid of him or put him to sleep since we have had him as a puppy. We gated off our living room to protect A. We also have a trainer working with him now. It sounds like your dog feels the changes happening.  Hopefully it was a one time thing but I would tryand keep E away. Good luck dogs have a different way of expressing frustration which in my experience involves destructive behavior.  I was also told from a vet that sometimes destructive behavior could mean fur baby isnt feeling well. Good luck 

TJ1979

Now that mh has started running with him again, he's been doing a bit better. It's really hard to keep them separate, as my big boy is a giant baby. He will whine non stop if he can't get to us. He woul be even more destructive if we tried. We have started kenneling them again during the day which has helped with destruction around the house.
If he does bite E, I am positive mh will have him out of this house before I can even try to argue. Which would be really upsetting if he's only acting this way temporarily.
I will definitely keep a closer eye though. It's so sad though, they were always best buds. Now every time E sees him she says "no no!"

mcgeeva

Here TJ https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12236534/pets-and-bringing-home-baby-to-them#latest

TJ1979

Thanks @mcgeeva. At first I was thinking it didn't apply since baby has been home for a year and a half. But it was a good reminder that dogs and children are both unpredictable. They both need to be watched at all times, and no matter how well they have gotten along in the past, there is no telling when one ear tug might be too many. I need to work more on teaching E the proper way to treat puppies. And not just count on my "good dogs" to keep being infinitely patient.

imoverit

Definitely not just turning into an ahole. Lol. Prob feeling the change coming. Id just watch them together and try to give him space from E. my dogs growl at M if they feel like their space is invaded. Then I just give them lots more time outside away from the crazy chaos inside. . There was lots of great advice from that post mcgeeva mentioned.

Mrs.AmyDylan

We still walk our fur baby twice a day, same as pre-preg, during pregnancy. We let her greet daddy when he gets home from work first (as is the custom). We hold and snuggle her during J's naps and when J is down for the night and we are watching tv. 

You might meet with a dog trainer. Additionally, you just moved, taking away your dogs' "house". That might be more stressful to him than you realize. Hugs and good luck!

mdiblasi10

I'm sorry that happened. But you are right, supervision at all times is most important so that you can help E be gentle and remove your dog from the situation if need be. I recommend setting up an area for your dogs that is separated from E. Every living thing has a limit of what they can handle. Children are typically grabbing and pulling and that's no fun for a dog or cat.

The other important thing I wanted to mention was about the growling. A lot of people make the mistake of punishing their dog when they growl. Never punish a growl! It is their warning system. If a dog is afraid to growl, then they will go straight to a bite instead. Which is obviously much worse.

Good luck. Children and dogs can be the best of friends. We just have to be vigilant about keeping the interactions positive. We have a 190 lb Mastiff and two kitties, so it can be a lot of work on my part, but it's been worth it. Let me know if I can help TJ. I have some dog behavior/training background and am very passionate at helping others with pets

TJ1979

Thanks @mdiblasi. I think I really needed that reminder that no matter how awesome my dogs have been all this time, I can't expect that of them. I need to be vigilant all the time.
I do know not to punish a growl. Scout is a highly trained hunting dog, so we can always go back to his trainer if he needs a refresher. But I think it was me who needed a reminder this time. I'm just lucky it was a simple reminder, not something more significant.