So please, if anyone can help me I will greatly appreciate it. I know inside in my heart that he is a nice dog and he can be saved by someone that can help him. Thank you for reading this message.
Karla
I don't have an answer but a question. Is the dog "fixed"? My son has a german shepard and his dog attacked his wife Twice! both times there was a nieghbor dog in heat and the dog hasn't been fixed. Could it be something along those lines?
Had he just been vaccinated? Mercury, aluminum, anti freeze, rotting animal tissue in vaccines often affects the brain. Vaccine damage can be treated. See a holistic vet who will treat with thuja and possibly other things. Google thuja on the internet and start your own treatment now. Purchase at better health food stores. do not touch tiny pellets with fingers. It should help. No more vaccines.
My 4 year old dachshund will get aggressive with me at times; but he's never done it with anyone else. I've learned to recognize when and under what circumstances he does it. When we have company and his sleeping and daily habits are changed. When he's out of his home for any length of time like when we visit a relative or on vacation. I've learned his habits so I just stay away from him under those circumstances and let him rest in his crate or in his favorite chair. He has never bitten either of my Grandkids but I'm always carefull when he's around them because I don't want to take a chance. He loves the kids. When he gets overactive or plays for what I think is too long I'll put him in his crate and out of the way. Most days it's just him and me. I take him to the pet store to visit and he's always good with strangers. He goes to doggie day camp at the pet store and he's never bitten anyone. If your dog is aggresive with noone other than you try to figure out the where/why etc. I'm no expert but I'd think most any dog would get aggressive under certain circumstances.
Be really careful. I was in this situation. We adopted a great dog who was fear aggressive. He was fine with us but would get scared and nippy around noisy children (even though I had children) and strangers. I did a lot of work to socialize him, but eventually he bit someone out of the blue (a single tooth went in) and that person took my home-owners insurance company to court. If it hadn't been the first reported bite, the insurance company wouldn't have covered him. I had to put the dog to sleep and pay a ton of money to have him quarantined first even though he had shots. It was a giant mess. A lady at works beloved dog attacked her 3 year old daughter while they were out of town because the sitter let the little girl get between the dog and his food. The little girl needed surgery and 80 stitches. There's no way to know if something like this WILL happen, but you need to decide if the risk is worth it. Once a dog bites it's easier for it to bite the next time.
I recommend talking to your vet to make sure there isn't a medical cause. If you're dedicated to keeping your dog, invest the money and go to a behaviorist (in person, not online). I wish I had. They're going to know a lot more of what your choices are, than any of us in a forum.
Before the dog does anymore bodily damage to you and others, take the dog to the vet for blood work and use a good muzzle that's easy to put on and take off for when the dog is around others to be on the safe side. If blood work comes back negative then see if you could get some of the dog's teeth pulled that cause the most bite damage if you can afford this and believe all else has failed before putting the dog down. IF the vet will consider doing this as a last resort, you can always feed the dog soft dog food. It's an expense, but if the dog is very healthy, young and playful I'd take it that much further.
Some dogs need plenty of exercise; does it get a lot of walks or do you take it to different places like the woods so it can sniff/smell? Lack of exercise is usually why a dog becomes aggressive as it's bored and frustrated being cooped up; especially a high energy type dog over the winter months.
I read that you can put a dog pack on a dog and load it down with some heavy items to help wear down the dog while he's walking and when the walk is over, the dog will be more relaxed. You might want to try this idea out too.
Your dog is allowed to be outdoors as long as it's on a leash or dog run confined so it cannot escape it's living quarters. You are still responsible should someone come onto your premise and the dog bites or a neighbor's child puts their hands through the fence if there is one and the dog attacks it. In this case it'll cost you more than $1000. fine but additional medical expenses and pain and suffering if you're sued.
Also, do a google search on the "alpha dog" type and learn what you can, to see if there's more noticeable signs in your dog that could make you say he is or isn't this type.
Does the dog sleep in the bed with you? Stop this right away and when the dog does act up, separate it from you for awhile. It needs to know that biting is not acceptable and also don't play tug of war games with the dog as this encourages aggression.
When a dog wins in the game with you; it already has figured out it's stronger and the leader. Make sure you are always coming out the winner.
Because you no longer can trust your dog completely then you need to be as cautious and careful with your dog as you can be. The surprise out of the blue w/o warning is stressful to the dog owner who has been attacked and you're living in a scary situation. Expect the unexpected. Pay attention to the look in the dog's eyes. You'll eventually see something there you overlooked before that is a for sure warning even though no growls or barks were heard. Jot down the full incident prior to the bite like what were you and dog doing. What kind of mood was he in before the biting began, Was it growing tired by the end of the day when heavy play started? Just anything you can think that might have triggered it. This may help to find the cause for his sudden change. Hope this helps.
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Last weekend my boyfriend went to give Shorty a kiss on his snout which he always does and Shorty bit him in the face, no warning what so ever. No growl or anything. I had to take him to the ER and he got 22 stitches. We then made the decision that he needed to be put down. I have a Cocker spaniel and they have gotten into a few fights with no one getting hurt thank the lord! He is so sweet other wise. He cuddles, he is super spoiled. We do not understand what is going on with him.
I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or advice they can give me. I am not going to take him to the pound. If we do get him put to sleep I want to make sure it is done the right way, in a humane way. I was wondering if there were any other options though. Maybe a place that takes aggressive pets and turns them around? He was our child and we are more heart broken then anything. Please help!
Heather from Alpharetta
Keep Shorty away from children. Don't even consider allowing him to be anywhere near kids. Buy some baby gates and separate him as you need to.
Do not ever "get in his face." Aggressive dogs, especially, consider this an aggressive move, and they can react before you have a chance to think. I know a man who literally had his nose bitten off by his own dog, when he tried to kiss the dog goodnight.
Some problems can be caused by genetics, and some can be caused by experiences, training or the lack of training, etc. Either way, you are in a tough position right now.
I have a couple of suggestions for where you can go for help.
First, there is an online group that might be helpful to you. It's a Yahoo group:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/agbeh
The abbreviation "agbeh" stands for aggressive behavior. You'll have to join Yahoo and sign up for the group, but it's free. Read and ask for advice.
Second, you really should call your vet and ask for a recommendation to a local certified trainer or behavior expert. You will have to pay for their services. OR, you can call a university and ask if they offer any free or low-cost services from an animal behaviorist.
I'm sure you already know the danger. Be very, very careful, and do NOT take chances, no matter what people tell you. Other people do not understand your dog. They might innocently bend down to pet him and get too close to his face, and suddenly get bitten.
If Shorty is not already neutered, you need to have that done. It might help with the aggression, but in any case, you do not want these genes to be passed on. We eventually had to make the decision to have our dog put down. We had him for seven years and the aggression was always present, but it became worse and worse. It was the hardest decision of my life, but I am glad I made it. Only you know what you should do in your case.
Prayers. Patty (03/27/2008)
By zballoongirl
There are thousands of wonderful, non-aggressive dogs that are dying daily in shelters across the country. If it was my dog, I know I would euthanize my beloved companion humanely just as you have written, in a vet's office. It's a difficult decision. But it's a dilemma that needs to be resolved quickly before any serious damage is done and Pit Bulls can do serious damage.
Hugs to you, your boyfriend, and Shorty. (03/27/2008)
Sometimes a Pit Bull will protect their prized possession, like a toy, you or even your boyfriend, and show aggression to people when that "prized possession" is in the house or room. When Shorty is barking, have that person leave the house (go out in the yard for a few minutes) then come back in. If he starts to bark again, stay outside for a few minutes. Repeat this exercise until he understands. When he obeys "reward" him with a pet. But if he barks before you try this exercise, don't pet him to comfort him. He thinks that when you pet him you're telling him "good dog". Ignore him when he barks or shows aggression! I hope that helped you a little, I have a few more tips. Go to my page and message me. I can help some more. Good luck with you and Shorty! (03/27/2008)
By heart4horses
I expect that when Shorty started growling at your boyfriend he was scolded. Shorty was giving warning signals, but was reprimanded for it and so learned to bite without warning. This happens a lot. I'm a dog trainer and have run into this problem a lot. Certainly growling should not have been allowed, but you have to be careful that you are correcting the cause of the behaviour and not scolding the dog for giving warning signals. Shorty should have been reminded of his appropriate place in the pack order (through various non-punishment based ways).
I expect if you think back there were other low level warning signals that Shorty was giving that were being ignored (i.e. tail position, stance, eye contact, etc.). Shorty was probably a bit confused about his place in the pack by being given privileges that were for higher pack members. If he thought that he was higher in the pack than the boyfriend, then Shorty probably felt he was within his rights to bite your boyfriend for what Shorty interpreted as your boyfriend being "out of line".
Humans need to understand that dogs see the world differently and show affection differently. Humans love to hug. Dogs dislike the hug (although some have learned to tolerate it). A hug to a dog is a sign of aggression or establishing dominance. When one dog puts his forelegs on top of another dog, it is a sign of dominance. If you watch a dog receiving a hug, you'll see that his ears turn out and down a bit as a sign of dislike. (Some dogs will try to wiggle out of it and some will growl and bite, but most dogs will start with low level signals.) Humans like to soothe a dog that is agitated, thinking that will calm him. However, the dog sees this as a reward for his behaviour and will repeat it and it will intensify.
There may have been other things that confused Shorty as to his proper place in the pack. But another problem that might be a factor is genetics. Especially with breeds that have been ruined by people who are not knowledgeable: backyard breeders and puppy mill operators that supply pet stores, and by people who are intentionally breeding for poor temperaments: dog fight ring breeders and drug dealers. Pit Bulls are getting a rotten reputation, and unfortunately, these genetic lines are difficult to get rid of and take many many generations to breed them out again. German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Dobermans have all gone through this. I can imagine another breed will take the Pit Bulls' place in a few years.
Again, I feel for your situation. You have a tough thing to do. I wish you the best. (03/27/2008)
By Oberhund
By Becky
I hope you can find a solution other than having to put him down. That's such a hard thing to have to do. I've had to do it twice; I know! God bless you. (03/27/2008)
By tedsmom
The behavioral change this dog now shows makes me think there is something else going on. First, I would take the dog to a vet for a full physical checkup. Then, if you are serious about keeping him, I would consult with an animal behaviorist to find out what you can do, if anything to desensitize him, and what you might be doing differently now that he bit that is causing him to repeat the behavior. Kissing dogs on the nose is perceived as a dominance issue. A lot of times, because dogs are so attuned to physical actions, we communicate things to them without realizing we are doing so. I have learned this the hard way myself.
Good luck. Diane (03/28/2008)
By munchkinmomx3
I have always had Pit Bulls backed by saying it is not their breed, but it is how they are raised. Sorry people that is not correct. I am not just talking about Pits. Any pet that has been bred to fight is going to have it somewhere in their genes.
There are so many people that replied to my posting telling me that euthanasia should be the last thing to think about and that he needs training. We were going to start training. Last night I spent 4 hours in the pet ER because Shorty attacked my Cocker spaniel, no warning nothing. Just like he did with my boyfriend last week.
So you people are telling me that I should just keep letting him bite, causing me to spend more time at the human ER and pet ER, Over $4000.00 in medical bills with in 3 weeks, watching them in pain as they are being stitched up, making sure they both are keeping their wounds clean and taking their medication? While I should sit here and be patient while he is going through training? We love Shorty so much and this is tearing us apart beyond belief, but something has got to give! (03/30/2008)
By Heather A heartbroken pet owner./p>
Some dogs are more submissive and it will take a lot to get them to act in an aggressive manner, but pushed to their limits, they will react to protect or defend. Some dogs will take very little stimulus to react aggressively. If a dog's parents had aggressive tendencies, then the odds are good that the dog will have inherited these traits. This does not mean that the dog will automatically act in an aggressive manner, it means that the tendency towards that behavior is higher.
To claim genetics is not a factor in aggression is to deny the evidence that dog fighters know and use to breed extremely aggressive dogs. It's sick, but they breed dogs to be so aggressive that they even attack their mother and litter mates while they are still in the whelping box. Many of these dogs will even attack their owners, if given a chance. These sick people then encourage and "train" aggressive behaviors in these dogs to prepare them for dog fights. So aggression is partly genetic and partly environment. (03/30/2008)
By jannieb
Deby (01/10/2010)
By YORKIEPOO
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Dog Has Started Acting Aggressively Towards Owner