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skymama

Dogs who bite

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My friend has 3 dogs, one of which is an aggressive mixed breed she got from the pound. Yesterday she told me that some family members were visiting her, and she let the dog in the house to eat. She said she warned her adult nephew that he was sitting on the couch which was the "dog's territory" and that he should move. He didn't, the dog tried to get on the couch and he pushed it away with his hand. The dog bit him on his leg which caused him to have an open wound but not requiring stitches. There was also a 10 year old child in the house at the same time.

My first question to her was asking her when she was getting rid of the dog, since she already said the dog is aggressive and now it bit someone. She said she'd never get rid of it. I asked if it was more important than her family, and she said yes. She also considered it the nephew's fault anyway since she warned him that he was sitting in the dog's "territory". I don't agree with any of it, and I also think the dog is poorly trained if it thinks it has a right to have "territory" so much that it would bite someone. She also can't have the dog around her other dogs because it goes after them also. What do you dog people think? Would you get rid of your pet if it had these tendencies?
She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

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It is very obvious that that dog is running the house hold....If she doesnt want to get rid of the dog that is fine, however it should not be allowed around people in situations like that.

I would not tolerate that behaviour from a dog. My dogs are known seat hogs...you get up they will steal your seat, cause it's warm:ph34r:...but when you come back, tell them to move, they do no question.

There are serious pack order issues there, the dog will strike again, and will continue. As far as im concerned, the dog should have been left outside of that situation till all people were gone....bare minimum.

Has the dog ever bit the owner?
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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training, training, training - people are just ignorant when it comes to animals.

The dog is a pack animal - if you aren't in charge he or she is. Your friend is clueless and the dog will never learn proper behaviour and either the entire household will run around the dog or it will just escalate until something has to be done about it.

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training, training, training - people are just ignorant when it comes to animals.



A lot of the problem is most dogs that come from a pound already have been shown and allowed bad behaviour. Depending on the age of the dog. Sometimes you can correct it sometimes you cant.

I agree, as this dog is running the pack. that will cause major issues in the long run as it has already shown agressive tendencys. However if this animal has bitten the owner, then there are ver serious issues at hand...usually non-correctable...you know the saying dont bite the hand that feeds you.....>:(

edited to add....I used to work for a humane society...animal care assistant....on staff. Canine evaluations.
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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We had a dog that was agressive like that. He had bitten my wife once when she got in the middle of him and another dog playing . Then we had our first child. The dog was suprisingly good around her. Then one day when she was about 1 1/2. She tried to pick up one of his toys that he was playing with and he made a snarling snap at her. I wanted to get rid of the dog but my wife wouldn't have it. Then we found out we were having our second child and very soon after there was a very similar incident to the first this time he actually bit her, although she was not injured.
After this we tried very hard to give the dog away but could not find any one to take him. We were then told by the vet that the only choice we had was to put him to sleep. He said if we gave him away and he bit someone that we could eaisly have been held liable. This was a very hard decision to make but my wife finally agreed. We put him to sleep. We both had a very hard time doing this and we still miss him. But I know that this was the right decision. As my Daughters are more important to me than anything and I know That I could not live with myself if something happened to them, that I could have prevented.

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As a dog lover and used to be dog owner, this situation troubles me. If she knew the aggressiveness of the dog, it should have been left outside or away from visitors. It could have been a child it bit. If someone told me to move because of the dog, I would question it, then move. I can understand her not wanting to get rid of the dog, because it is "family", but she really needs to rethink this and maybe keep the dog away from visitors or she could be facing a much more serious problem. A dog needs to know who is in charge and obey his master's commands.

Jan


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Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings.

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training, training, training - people are just ignorant when it comes to animals.

The dog is a pack animal - if you aren't in charge he or she is. Your friend is clueless and the dog will never learn proper behaviour and either the entire household will run around the dog or it will just escalate until something has to be done about it.



It is called conditioning...using treats for good behavior and "bad dog" or putting him in a small room by himself for a while, away from toys and family.
My mom's toy poodle is highly territorial and literally does not listen to anyone in the house, except to me and my bro. My brother let's him get away with murder, I on the other hand, let him know when he is being a "bad dog" and tell him...It takes work, but you must train house pets to obey and most behaviors can be controlled or, in the case of my mom's poodle, he gets put in a bedroom when guests are in the house.

From my experience, owners who do not discipline have unruly animals who bite and chew on anything. It is the owner's responsibility to train it and monitor the behavior. Get rid of the dog, no, I believe the owner needs to be trained about how to train the dog. There are tons of programs out there...tell them to speak to their vet...Cheers...B|
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Fly the friendly skies...^_^...})ii({...^_~...

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I would never let it get to that point. I agree that training is the key. If she knew there was still a potential for a problem, she should have left the dog outside. If the animal is untrainable, the animal is history.
Lou
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. . . now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb - Dark Helmet

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IMO Leaving a agressive dog outside when folks are visiting may not be the answer. What happens if the dog escapes?

How big is the dog?

We had to put down a 2 yr old St Bernard we had as a pup it wasn't a pound dog when we bought him but we weren't able to see both parents just mom.

He was socialized but as he grew larger he started to show signs of very agressive behavior even after we had him nutered:| etc. We were in denial:(

Had a close call when he escaped from the house once and chased after a little kid who tried to protect herself by getting on the hood of the car. The dog wasn't interested in her ankles he wanted her throat.

A little time later the big puppy growled at his daddy while getting his tummy rubbed. The vet wanted to put the dog on sedatives instead of putting him down.

We decided to take him to the humane society and have him put down. While at the Society a guy looking for a pet wanted the dog, The wife asked if he had kids he said yes she said no.

Putting down a member of the family is extreme, it hurts, but what if???? It's about being responsiable:(

R.I.P.

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There is nothing wrong with that dog.



There is nothing wrong with any dog, short of heath reasons, such as rabies. That said, many of these dogs are allowed to progress to the point of dominance. If left unchecked, it could become a very bad situation. This is a good example. The dog needs remedial training, and it needs it NOW. Hopefully it's not too late, for both the dog and the owners.
It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

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this may sound harsh..:o.. but.......
:| there are many many people who have a higher regard for their dog(s) than they do for people.... ... I don't get it..:S... the dog can do no wrong... in their eyes....[:/]
Man's best friend??? hmmmm... a persons best friend should be some other PERSON....shouldn't it?????.. dog....a gravy train "reprocessing center".
( i hope this doesn't constitute a personal attack,,,but it's how I feel about certain dogs and certain dog owners:|)

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To answer questions, I can't remember if the dog has bitten my friend, but I want to say it has bitten someone before, I just can't remember who. The dog is about knee-high and I think is around 2-3 years old. When I told my friend that the dogs were running the house instead of her, she replied that eveyone knows that is true, like it was no big deal. :S
She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

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When I told my friend that the dogs were running the house instead of her, she replied that eveyone knows that is true, like it was no big deal.



Ugh that is not good :( The dog is going to do serious damage and she is fully liable too....>:(
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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to hell with it
you guys will probably be very upset to read this but its the way I see things.

IF a dog that I owned were to bite me or anyone close to me or friends it would be dead within minutes of biting. A 45 in the back off the head solves its problem for good. I have no tolerance for dogs being aggresive towards anyone that is known to them. Strangers is a different matter. Dogs are not people they are animals.

I have owned several dogs and have never had to shoot anyone of them. I have had to put down an injured puppy before.

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I really have a problem with people who have pets and really do not know a damn thing about them.

Dogs are pack animals. They understand a pack structure. They do not care how high they are in the pack they just want to know where their place is.

This requires training. Otherwise, they will start at the bottom and work their way up until someone resists them or they will start at the top and work down till they win over someone. Either way they are looking for their place in the pack so they can learn their function. A dog should not ever have a place over a person in a home. Kids especially.

In this instance the people in question do not live in the home but the woman should have enough control to prevent this kind of behaviour. The dog thinks it runs the home. And whether she warned the person or not, she is responsible for allowing it to happen. She should lock the dog up when company is coming. What if she had never had a chance to warn a child and the child just sat on the dogs territory and got bit before she could stop it?

I have been to too many homes with dogs where the dog clearly thinks it is higher ranking than a child or a spouse. And in many cases it is aggressive enough to be dangerous to those it sees itself as head of. And I am not talking about the big dogs either.

This woman clearly does not know how to manage dogs and should not have them. Of course that is just my opinion and it always stinks.

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You make valid points in your posts. I have encountered quite a few dogs and households like you describe. When threatened by a dog, I NEVER back down, and I don't care whos house it is. There is order in the pack, and I present myself as the dominant one to every dog I come across. You would be amazed at how many dogs this very thing has turned back to 'good'. One of these days I may end up with more than I can chew (No Rots yet), but a dog will not push me.

the owners MUST take this stance. If they do not.......~sigh~ Say good bye to the dog eventually, as well as (possibly) their entire income (lawsuit).
It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

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I have always been around dogs my entire life. I used to train them, even attack train. I have gone against some nasty mean SOB's that most people are terrified of and I will not back down. I demonstrate that I am the Alpha male and they will try to keep their position until they realize I will not back down. Only twice has this resulted in a bite and I still would not back down. (I used sleeve when approaching them). In those instance I had to hurt the dog back but it established who was in charge. Someday I might find myself against a dog that scares me to the point I say no freakin way but that has not happened yet.

People make dogs dangerous by their lack of knowledge or by their abusive behaviors. Even the "aggressive" Dobies, Rotties, Pit Bulls, etc are trained to be aggressive in this way.


As a side note, I have had two of the breeds and my brother raises show Dobies and neither of us has ever had a problem with these breeds. They have gotten a bad rap. They are great breeds and really good with children. They just have to know their place.


Oh and only because you mentioned them . . . Rotties are push overs. They love to play. I wrestled with mine on the floor all the time. Love them dogs. My favorite breed.

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I really just wanted to reply to what everyone has said about this. I can't agree more with the recommendations for remedial training, both for the dog and the owner. Everything that has been said about pack behavior should be taken to heart. The owner isn't doing the dog (or herself, ultimately) any favors by allowing him to behave this way.

If she's unable to retrain herself and her thinking about her animals, perhaps someone in her household can make her see the light and either turn the dog over to an experienced trainer or have him put down. My eyes water just to write about this, but I had to have my very beautiful and loving dog put down a little over a year ago. He had a great personality, but poor breeding, and as he aged, and his hips deteriorated, he became unpredictable and snapped at a few people. I knew where this was headed and had to make the right choice for him, and for my friends and family, and anyone he may have come across. I know that it's horrible, but sometimes it's truly the most humane and responsible thing to do.:(


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People make dogs dangerous by their lack of knowledge or by their abusive behaviors.



This is 100% correct. It says it all. Lack of knowledge is what lands most dogs in the shelter in the first place. People do not take the time to learn about the dogs, or the breeds in general. Before I got my Shiba I did a TON of research on them and training. I was very aware of what was needed to work with them. I managed to put a NA and NAJ Agility title on her before I had to retire her early because of Hip and knee problems (rescued dog). The same went for my husky, I did the research, he was a rescue from the humane society. I was chosen out of 5 people to get this dog because of my history with the shiba and knowledge of dogs that run. He was 9 months old, never house broken, didnt know how to play with people or other dogs. He kept running away out of the back yard, and the previous owners just didnt pick him up the last time. He is now the most lovable and sweet dog...loves to play ROPE :ph34r: dumb as a brick, but still a big teddy bear that runs all day. :)
Each and every breed has there needs and behaviors, and each and every dog individually has its way of being. Not much different then people, what works with one dog will not work with the next. I had to train each dog differently, and I have to deal with them differently. Its all about communication. ....... OK getting off soap box.

And yes, this dog either should be removed from the situation, or just removed. Without a complete history I cannot make that judgment. I do however agree that she (the owner) is not running the pack at all.
She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

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Each and every breed has there needs and behaviors, and each and every dog individually has its way of being. Not much different then people, what works with one dog will not work with the next. I had to train each dog differently, and I have to deal with them differently.




Absolutley true. Especially when it comes to so called "hyperactive" breeds like Dalmations. Each breed has a different design and the design determines what kind of exercise program, grooming, or feed patterns. And although there are certain things that will be the same between dogs of the same breed. They each have distinctively different personalities. Kinda like raising kids.;)

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Good reply, and great work. I just wanted to add this:

It's not that any particular breed scares me, the Rot was an example of size. My friends have a Rot and she's a baby. Now, when you run across the one that was trained to fight, or has just plain taken over, I still won't back down, but a full grown Rot, with the right training, could take me down. That's the iffy part of the equation. I'm not afraid, but I'm not superman either. That's where the cattle prod comes in.
It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

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A 45 in the back off the head solves its problem for good. I have no tolerance for dogs being aggressive



Amen Brother.
I was thinking the same thing.
In fact If a dog was to bite me I would kill it on the spot and sue the owner even if the owner was family.

I grew up with dogs all my life, from pure breds to pound rejects.

Train your dogs and keep them on a leash and off of the furniture.

Nick

Nick D

The key to Immortality is- first living a life worth remembering”

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I happen to love my dogs:
Malmute:)Irish Wolfhound (repeatedly lunges for throats with grip but not to break skin=gone)*took for mother too soon/per breeder[:/]
Dalmation (agressive,kills or tries to: all other animals & attempts toward small children and infants=#1)-> 1 less dog in this World 1st animal kill with in 30 mins of being home, 16 hrs for all problems to manifest. *inbred by Amish puppy mill, got from pound.B|>:(
Beagle(15" breed/larger):P
Welsh Corgi:)If a dog took command of an area in my house other than his crate (which is no bite=ok area either)
I would be the one to extinguish the animal.
It is the ower's responsibility to be in command of their animal and that's the law.
I hope the best for you and not to be near the dog in question.:)
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