3 year old Aussie bit my baby

Question
We have a three year old female aussie.  She has never bit myself or my husband before.  Never bit a stranger or guest in our home either.  She is a little territorial she does bark and growl at guests and people walking by on the street.  We also have a four year old Lab mix and they roughhouse and play bite each other.  Overall a very sweet and loving dog.

Last night my child was sitting on the couch and Berry (our aussie) walked by her, turned around and open mouth bit her on the forehead.  She has never displayed aggressive behavior towards our child before.  She did not break the skin, but our little girl was scared and cried for a few minutes.

So I am curious where to go from here.  Do you believe this was an isolated incident, or is there a possibility it could happen again?  What are some actions that I can take in order to prevent it from ever happening again?

Answer
The good news is that your dog has great bite inhibition.  However, no one can guarantee you that this will not happen again.  The steps you should take involve training the dog (really well, so that you could issue "leave it" or "come" before the dog even gets near the child and get the proper response from the dog).  Also, never leave a child alone in the company of ANY dog.  Don't allow dogs on couches or beds - that's the child's domain.  And, conversely, don't allow children on the floor with the dogs.  Putting kids and dogs on the same level is how face bites often occur.  Respect that the dog is trying to issue a warning, and keep kids from pestering the dog, or invading their space while they are resting, eating, etc. Training helps your dog understand where she fits in the family (really important for dogs at adolescence and again at the age of social maturity).  Some dogs, however, view toys, space, couches, you, food, etc. as THEIR resources, and will snarl, growl or bite to protect them - if that's what you think happened, you may need to think about having this dog go to an adult only home.
There's a good book on this subject called "Living With Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind".  If it turns out that you cannot keep your dog, please do seek help from Aussie rescue in your area BEFORE she breaks skin.
Without seeing this incident, I don't know how serious it really was, and I'm not telling you that you cannot successfully keep your dog, but I would definitely suggest you consult with a good behaviorist (or positive trainer) in your area for a good diagnosis of the situation.  If you are in the US, you can find one at the Animal Behavior Society or IAABC web pages.  
Aussies are great dogs, but they belong in Aussie savvy homes with people who can manage them and give them a job to do.  If you can't or don't want to put in a lot of time training, this is not a Lab in colored clothing, so best to stick with more docile dogs in families with kids if you don't really know the breed.


Thank you for the positive rating, and for being conscientious about wanting to use the resources. Please let me know if you need further help.