My daughter's family just got a dog, not working out [View all]
They have young children and got a larger shepherd type dog. The dog is not a year old and almost as big as the children and definitely knows how to leverage body weight. After losing their previous dogs to old age, my daughter and son-in-law researched the kind of dog they wanted and needed, and got this one from a rescue. They've had the dog for a week, and there are red flags popping up. The rescue doesn't seem to have described the dog accurately, behavior-wise. Pup is supposed to be ok alone, and so far, isn't. Supposedly not aggressive, but keeps jumping on the kids and has nipped them in play, so they don't want to be around the pup. Supposedly good around other animals and is not. It has only been a week. Pup is obedient to me, and other adults in the picture, but I am afraid the kids will get hurt, or the other animals will be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I haven't had my own dog for a long time, but always around other peoples' dogs, and this type of dog isn't what I'd pick for myself. I've interacted with the pup 2 days so far, and we're talking boundless energy and big puppy! I think a week is long enough to see that it isn't going to work out, between work schedules, the pup not protecting the kids, but seeing them as other puppies or chew toys. If my grand kids and the other pets weren't in the house, I'd say give the pup every chance. But with the kids and the pets, I don't have that outlook. We watch our grand kids a lot at their home and ours, so we have been and will be pet watchers as long as they have pets.
How long would you give a new dog? I don't have a say in what happens, and this is a new situation for me--all my dogs were strays that worked out. It is easy to make me a nervous wreck and I don't want to let my fears color what they decide to do. It is sad that this dog might not be the right dog after all. Thanks 
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