Dog snapping

A visit to the vets to see if he is in pain would be my first bet.

I would be totally up front with my neighbour and explain your reluctance to take a toddler into the situation, particularly if you are a non+dog owner, who may find it difficult to “read” a dog.

Whitewave is right to suggest any change in behaviour of this type warrants a vet check to ensure the dog isn’t in pain.

Picking a dog up is not a good idea. She should stand up and call the dog which should follow her. Many dogs develop attention seeking behaviours - does it get enough exercise and stimulation?
I don’t think you’d be over reacting to keep your grandchildren away from this dog. A child of 2 will still be learning not to touch the dog or go near it.

Vet should be the first port of call. In the meantime I suggest small children should be kept away from the dog.

We had a labrador years ago.
Softest, sweetest dog ever who my dad used to walk during the day.
One day our dog bit him, just as dad was leaving our house.

When I looked, all down the side of our dogs face was pus oozing so took him straight to vet.

Turned out, as dad had left, he'd ruffled top of dogs head to say goodbye and inadvertently burst a cyst in dogs ear, hence being bitten.

Vets. For a 5 year old dog to suddenly be aggressive is not normal so vets first and no you’re not being unreasonable keeping young children away from this dog

You are not overreacting. If a dog can bite once it will bite again.

Please DONT take your grandchildren round to your friend if her dog is unhappy or snappy at the moment . Not fair on the dog or the children. And if dog is in pain or whatever and reacts and bites a child, he could be seized by police and or euthanised.

I would never put my dog in that position. Nor my grandchildren!

And as others have said, a visit to the vet is in order to see if he’s in pain. Or has someone, unbeknownst to your neighbour, hit or tormented the dog?

I wonder you needed to ask!

Of course you should never take a child of two near any household pet that cannot be trusted not to snap, scratch or bite.

Explain politely to your friend that you will be happy to visit on your own, but you cannot risk bringing a small child into a house where a normally placid dog has started snapping and even has bitten its owner.

Your grandchild would most likely be scared of dogs for life, if the dog snapped or bit, and it is not fair to the animal either, if the owner does not take steps to find out what is wrong.

Something is troubling the dog - a bad tooth, deafness or having had a fright of some sort. A visit to the vet is obviously indicated, so suggest it, if your friend has not already made an appointment.

You are being very realistic not wanting to expose GC to the dog. A sudden change in a dog's behaviour should ring alarm bells for uour neighbour and she seeks help from a Vet

I would definitely keep your DGC well away from this dog and explain why.
I was bitten on my hand by a friend's rescue dog, this summer.
The dog was on a lead abd I hadn't touched it.
The wound got infected so I had to have 2 courses of antibiotics.
Imagine if I had been a small child!

The dog was taken to the vet who told the owner she must muzzle it.

Surely you know the answer?

Shelflife

Vet should be the first port of call. In the meantime I suggest small children should be kept away from the dog.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I wouldn’t go anywhere near her house and dog with a two year old. I’m unsure that I’d go myself to be honest. I dislike badly behaved dogs intensely.

I had a yorkie that i gad to get removed as he kept snapping at my grandkids. Some dogs get jealous if others are receiving attention. I miss him but kids come first

The dog must be in pain.

Keep children away from the dog and explain to neighbour the dog is in pain and will bite as a reaction to being handled where it hurts.