A 50-year-old man and his 3-month-old granddaughter were fatally mauled by dogs in Tullahoma, Tennessee, authorities said.

The Tullahoma Police Department is investigating the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding the attack, according to local reporting. The incident was first posted on Dec. 4, 2025, at 06:18 PM CST and the report was updated on Dec. 5, 2025, at 10:01 AM CST.

Officials have identified the event as a dog attack resulting in two deaths, and the Tullahoma Police Department is handling the inquiry, the reporting said. Craig Northcott, 14th Judicial District Attorney General, is named among officials referenced in the coverage.

A professional dog trainer interviewed in the reporting explained one behavioral phenomenon that can underlie attacks on infants. “First reason we typically see attacks on infants from dogs is a phenomenon called prey drift,” said Brian Ferguson, Professional dog trainer. He added, “It’s essentially when dogs have overstimulation and excitement drifts, causing something to click and they start seeing that infant as a prey object.” This concept aligns with common behavioral warning signs of aggressive dogs, which may include becoming very still and rigid, growling, and lunging. For more on this, see common behavioral warning signs of aggressive dogs.

Ferguson also described urgent actions he recommends in the event of an attack. “You should use ‘any means’ to get the dog off and get away,” he said, and in extreme circumstances he advised, “In the worst case, he recommends choking the dog until they can’t breathe to stop them.” He emphasized that understanding dog behavior can be crucial for preventing such attacks, and owners can reduce risks by properly training and socializing their dogs from a young age.

Local outlets carried accounts of the deaths and the trainer interview; one such local report is available from Fox17. Reporting also referenced expert discussion of dog behavior that aligns with broader research into warning signs and triggers for aggressive episodes in animals (see, for example, work summarized by Nature). Each year in the United States, dogs bite an estimated 4.5 million people, with roughly 370,000 requiring emergency department care, underscoring the seriousness of the issue. Dog attacks resulting in serious injury or death occur frequently in the United States.

The Tullahoma Police Department remains the lead investigative agency in the case, focusing on the cause of death and the circumstances that led to the attack, the reporting said. Officials have not yet publicly announced further procedural steps or potential legal actions arising from the investigation.

Community and emergency response details were outlined in the initial accounts of the incident; authorities emphasized the investigation into how the attack unfolded. The reporting timeline notes the original story posting on Dec. 4, 2025, followed by an update on Dec. 5, 2025.

The deaths have prompted local attention to the investigation and the behavioral factors experts cited in explaining infant-directed attacks. Brian Ferguson’s comments were presented in the coverage to help explain one possible behavioral mechanism that can lead to sudden, violent episodes involving domestic dogs, as well as the critical importance of recognizing early signs of aggression.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.