Animal Welfare Professionals

My boyfriend has a 4 year old German Shepard, that’s been kept at his place. The dog is from a working blood line, with papers. Planning on moving in together with my son and our baby that’s Due in June. The problem is that this dog has bitten 3 people in the last 2 years. One time he was trying to protect me, yet the other two times he was unprovoked. I don’t trust him around my kids but He’s great with my boyfriend And his parents. WE are at a loss for options right now, besides having him put down. NEither of us want that. 

A dog who has bitten unprovoked is unreliable. The dog may not understand your relationship with your son. This is a dangerous dog to have around your children and your friends/relatives who you will want to visit. Please please please invest in a really good dog trainer BEFORE you move in. The trainer can assess whether they can help, and will be able to make a realistic judgement of the situation without emotional attachment. Don't forget that there is another option - rehoming him to a safe place where he can feel secure and not need to protect anyone.   I feel that female dogs are best with children. Good luck and many blessings.

Dog biting relates to many reasons, for example:

• Owners are threatened by somebody.
• Territorial behaviors at home. Alert the strangers who pass by or intrude the house by barking or biting.
• Be suffered from a sudden attack. It could happen if your children like to play with your dog.
• When you carry off his toy or food, he would recapture it by mild biting.

However, a well-trained dog would not bite anyone unprovoked. A working bloodline dog also requires basic obedience training if you want to raise him with your children. Dogs are gregarious and intelligent, they can understand our meaning and learn the obedience course quickly. If he is well-trained, he could finish some tasks for us, such as guarding the home. However, considering your dogs' age, I think you need much time to discipline him.  Here is a guide to obedience train your pup.

What's more, it's better to teach the kids not to provoke the dog, such as beating heavily and pulling the canine tail. A toddler baby and dog also can get along well. Check out this article.