kid fear

Question
hello cathy,
my 11 year old son and i have recently adopted a rescue dane/pit mix. she was (and still is quite) very timid. though after the first few weeks she has started to (low) growl at him and shy away from his attention. i am not sure how to fix this behavior. i realize that i cant fully explain this in such a quick email but if you have any questions i'm willing to comply in any way.
thank you for your time,
eden bainbridge

Answer
Hello Eden,  My first suggestion is to have your son become the primary caregiver for your dog.  By this I mean your son should be feeding him and giving him water.  Letting him outside etc.   I would not recommend your son walk the dog at this point.   If your son is seen as a provider, it will help the dog warm up to him.

I know how boys can be, running and playing and if this is the case in your household, it could be scaring the dog.  I would recommend that your son try to remain as calm as possible around the dog at this point.  

Your son should avoid direct eye contact with the dog as this can be seen (by the dog) as a threat.   If the dog is laying on the floor, your son should sit close to the dog and talk gently.  Possibly set a treat close to the dog.   

The growling is a concern -- so be careful with this.  A dog can and will bite in fear so you don't want him to feel cornered.   

Take baby steps so he can learn your son is an ok person.  

Please take a few moments to go to:  http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/dog_tips.php      and read some of the articles on fear.   You'll find lots of useful information on this site on many other topics as well.