Rescue Beagle Biting and Growling

Question
Hi,

I adopted a 2-3 yr old male Beagle from a local Beagle rescue 4 weeks ago. The rescue group thought he would be a great match with my family because we were looking for a dog who would get along well with our 12 yr old Beagle and with our children (ages 2.5 and 4.5 yrs).

The dog is usually very sweet, gentle and submissive to both my husband and me. However, he doesn't show any interest in the children and even runs away from them when they get close to him. He did bite each of them on two separate occasions (and drew blood). In both cases I believe it was because the children were near him and made sudden movements that startled him. I assume the dog was frightened and reacted. Additionally, he sometimes growls at the children and other people), when he's in bed. I'm not sure what to make of the growling, but given his recent biting it's a bit unnerving when the growls are directed at the children.

The dog also did threaten to bite me this morning when I tried to stop him from licking an allergy hot spot on his tail.

The rescue groups are suggesting I consult with a dog trainer/behaviorist for fear/aggression training.

Can you please let me know your thoughts on the dog's behavior and if you think his behavior can be helped with the guidance of a trainer? Our biggest concern is him biting the children.

Thanks for your advice!

Regards,
Christine

Answer
Please forgive my delay in answering. YES YES YES the rescue organization is 100% right on with their advice. This new addition came with his own set of issues and perhaps this is why he was given away. It does not sound as if he has ever had a human ALPHA to show him the ropes. The fact that he has already drawn blood on the two kids is very concerning. There is no such thing as an evil dog but there is such a thing as an unbalanced dog. Most dogs bite our of fear or dominance. This IS something that a trainer who is experienced with aggression can eliminate. Be very careful in choosing one, this is not something a regular obedience trainer would be suited for, you must ask if they work with aggressive dogs and I would ask for references you can check out. That being said, the right person can make a huge difference in getting this straightened out and getting your new guy to settle into the pack correctly. In the meantime I would not allow the children to handle, touch or feed the dog and never leave the dog alone with them because you can't monitor what or how they will approach it. You are correct in that they may have startled him. Small children such as yours are a fearful dogs nightmare because they do move quickly, make shrills noises and do not approach dogs in a safe manner (obviously because they are too young to know better). So the trainer has to work on building confidence in the dog, calming the dog and teaching it that life can be good. They will also train all of you! There is definately hope if you are willing to spend the money and time for this boy to live a happy and calm life...