Q: I have an Australian/German Shepherd mix that we have had since he was 7 weeks old. He went through training when he was 7 months old with a private trainer. At that time he had trouble with nipping and bucking authority, but we got it under control. He was great with the children after that, even letting the baby take toys and food out of his mouth. He has been great with the kids and loved playing with them.

Unfortunately, our family was in a car accident 7 weeks ago. I was injured pretty badly and my husband was killed. Although I am the one who feeds and waters the dog, of the two of us, he was the one who loved on him the most. The kids always have played with and loved him all along. The problem is that just in the past week he has turned aggressive. He started with growling at the kids. I always corrected him immediately. Last night he bit my 6-year old son and today he snapped at the baby and bit me twice. All three times he was trying to avoid being put outside while we left the house. He cannot be trusted alone inside. He tears up papers and stuffed animals. The last time I had to get a rope and lasso him to get him outside. He was snarling and snapping so much I couldn't get near his training collar. When I finally got him out, I just left him there because I've been afraid to let him back in and be around the children.

This whole thing is breaking my heart. The children have already lost their father. I don't want them to have to lose their dog as well. I don't have a clue what to do! Please help!

A: Oh, I am so sorry for what you and your family are going through. Your post doesn't mention the dog's age and I'm wondering if he could be having a problem with hip dysplasia. It's common in both the breeds that went into him. Regardless of the reason for his biting your child and the aggression toward you, I don't think you're going to be able to control this dog adequately now.

I expect he wants to be inside with the family, perhaps even more so now that your husband is gone. He may want to do his part to protect his loved ones. In a dog pack that means getting the others in line so they will get behind him when there is a threat. He goes to the front, willing to give his life for the pack if necessary. The pack leader will snarl and snap at the underlings in order to keep them in their places so he can protect them. It's possible that's what you are seeing.

If this is what is going on, to turn things around you would need to find a really good trainer, someone who can coach you in positive methods and turn you into an ace dog handler. This is a lot of dog you have and now there's big trouble, to boot. It would be a very big responsibility for you to take on.

In most cases where a child has been bitten and others seriously threatened, including you, I would advise the owner to give up the dog. Since he's a mix and an adult, that likely means euthanasia. Sometimes in the case of a responsibly-bred purebred dog, there is a breeder who can take the dog back, but I don't expect this guy has that to fall back on. If you decide to euthanize the dog, it will be a responsible choice, for which no one should fault you. The safety of the children always has to come first.

Considering it's such a crisis with his behavior at the moment, can you call your vet and see if either he can board the dog until you decide what to do, or if he can recommend a local trainer or behavior specialist who could take the dog for now? This would give you some additional input in the form of evaluation of the dog's behavior and temperament by others and a reputable trainer or behavior specialist will also want a thorough veterinary evaluation.

I would not hold out high hopes for being able to trust the dog with your children again. You may decide the best thing to do is get another dog--a carefully chosen, gentle adult dog--so it can be a house dog and be there with the family for companionship and comfort. The kids are probably backing away from this dog already, not feeling they can trust him anymore.

Only an expert in person can give an educated opinion as to whether you can rehabilitate the dog or not. There could even be some healing for you in that process. However, it could also be very risky business. I think the first thing to do is call your vet and find out what resources are available in your area. If the trainer who worked with the dog before is available, that would also be a good person to call. Let me know how things go--God bless you and your children.