Dog snarling at child

Question
QUESTION: My sister-in-law has a 8-year-old female heeler mix.  Jasmine has always had a lot of energy and always has to be the alpha over other dogs.  She desperately wants to please people but in my opinion is not exercised enough to get rid of her extra energy.  When I was visiting at for Christmas, I witnessed this dog walking up to SIL's 4-year-old child and growling and snarling at him.  The child did nothing to the dog, was not holding food or a dog toy/treat.  Throughout the evening I saw Jasmine growl at him any time he came near and several times walk directly up to the boy and growl and snarl.  

I'm very concerned that this situation is going to end badly for everyone involved.  My SIL didn't seem to think it was a problem, but I completely disagree.  Aside from keeping dog and child apart and always supervised, do you have any suggestions on ways to start changing Jasmine's behavior?

Thanks,
Kris

ANSWER: "Thanks" to some old-school dog education (Unfortunately allowed to be broadcasting via TV across America, by actors who claim to be trainers) there's a big misunderstanding about the terms "Alpha" and "Dominant".

Most dogs are dominant - it's that way to secure "Survival of the pack" since the modern, domesticated canine still shows the genetics of the wild canine's Hierarchy orders.

Jasmine isn't an Alpha. Alpha's are calm, settled, conflict avoided but yet assertive. They are established and confidant.

Heelers and Heeler mixes are very strong-drive cattle dogs. Of all the herding breeds (Besides the Kelpie) I found Heeler females not to be underestimated.

Jasmine was putting the kid "In line", establishing her higher-pack status, which isn't a good thing to witness. The child doesn't have to do anything to the dog to receive such treatment, it was meant to dominate, to remind the kid of it's place in the pack. A 4-year-old can't and shouldn't do anything about that, it is 100% the parents = owner of the dog's responsibility to make it clear who's truly in charge: The human, adult owner (Owners).

Jasmines' running this household, being dominant without having Alpha qualities = which usually strikes disaster when nobody expects it. "Accident" and "She never done this before" are the comments you get to hear. It's no accident, and she's done it before -- over and over again, just broken up into segments, babysteps before the big Kaboom.

Usually I get calls that the female Heeler is trying to kill the senior dog of the home. ACDs are usually extremely loyal to their human family and rather give their life to safe just one of them, if not all.

I'm suspecting that Jasmines' not properly trained, that she experiences no boundaries and that her owners do everything to elevate this dog onto a very dangerous level.

Do you know if the dog's allowed on the couch? Where does she sleep.. bedrooms?

In order to exercise an active working breed it doesn't always require a 2 mile run, or fetch for hours. Often a strong, powerful obedience work-out, which exercises body, mind and spirit, will wear a dog out in less than 30 minutes.


Do you know if Jasmine's spayed?


DogNanny 911

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the great feedback.  Yes, Jasmine is spayed. She is also overweight and has some arthritis in her hips. As far as I know she's not allowed on the couch but she does have a bed of her own in the bedroom.  I doubt if she is allowed on the bed, but don't know for sure.  I do know that the dog has been around the child his whole life.  The dogs were there before the kid.  

I was interested in your comment about female Heelers trying to kill the older male in the home...this has happened at their house.  They have an older (not sure of age - 10?) nutered male full Heeler who is deaf.  Jasmine has attacked him several times.  To what extent, I'm not sure, but bad enough to require vet visits.  She has also attacked my whippet at the dog park.  That attack brought to light that Jasmine is also very toy possessive and didn't like that other dogs ran with her at "her" ball (dog park ball).  

Overall I think Jasmine is a sweet dog that needs to be an only dog and get way more attention and exercise that she does currently.  She has been to obedience school, but does not get consistant reinforcement at home (also not sure how well the training took with the owner). She really wants to please people and tries to be "good."  When I go to visit, a little attention and positive reinforcement goes a long way to getting her to keep her paws on the ground.

I just don't know what to suggest to SIL to help with this problem.  I have advised getting help from a pro dog behaviorist/trainer with little success/enthusiasm from SIL.  Barring that, I suggested no unsupervised contact between dog and child.  Any other suggestions?

Thanks again,
Kris


Answer
This breed is very devoted to it's family. While snarling at the kid is definitely extremely concerning, I believe she was "Just" talking dog, meaning she reminded the kid of it's status within the pack.

That clearly shows that the parents failed to elevate the child. Simple steps like NEVER allowing a dog in a child's room/bed or when a kid's on the couch, or while eating (Often new parents let the dogs sit by a highchair, for the dog to pick up the stuff the baby may drop, not and never DURING the child eating) which gives the dog wrong information about where the kid's to be placed in the family/pack.

Heelers are very pack oriented. It's extremely important to maintain where they're supposed to be within, boundaries must be set, too.

I don't EVER understand how parents can be so careless. IF something happens two innocent individuals would be effected:
The innocent child, bitten, possible scared physically and mentally for life AND the dog, possible having to go into guaranty at a shelter for a week or so, laying on ice cold concrete, possible getting ill, traumatized and even more confused and worst: Being put asleep because the owners just don't get it.

This dog shows all the signs of not every being put into her pack position either - leading to confusion, not knowing how to act right because she, the dog, doesn't seem to have a leader, no hierarchy order to go by - but that's exactly what is needed for a dog to be HAPPY!!

It has nothing to do with suppressing a dog, to "Boss it around". TLC can cause a lot of damage, especially to the dog's behavior, psych and confidence.