puppy biting

Question
Hi Delores,

My 5 month old springer spaniel puppy just bit my 10 year old son on the face(puncture wounds).  We did not see the incident but know that my son had a lollipop in his hand.  We have never played aggressively with her and her puppy nipping has been minimal.  She is dominant with my children, but not with my husband and I.  Do you have any advise for us?  Some of her other behaviors are seperation anxiety (shreds her betting when she's crated), and still has accidents in the house 1-2 per week.

Answer
It's very very typical for a dog this age to see the adults as pack leaders and the kids as "other puppies".

Don't panic.  Probably what happened was the dog was lunging for the candy.

I'd strongly advise a trainer who'll teach the kids (and you) how to stop this behavior in it's tracks.  At her age this isn't difficult
and it will also help with housetraining and anxiety.

Ask your vet (or a friend who's knowledgeable) to recommend a trainer.
Do it NOW or this can escalate.

I'd also like to know if she's displayed any aggression/dominance at all in other situations?

At ten your son is quite capable of learning how to deal with her
and will be a great lesson in how "love is not enough".  So get a professional in.  It shouldn't take very long at all at her age.
Delores