Scared to leave our dog for a week

[Batya33]

1 minute ago, Alex39 said:

I apologize. I'm not taking this lightly. What I tried to explain is he isn't some vicious dog who is just going to attack you on the street. He would lick you and be so happy to see you. I think there is a big difference between dogs who go around growling and biting for no reason. Our dog does it for a specific reason. We've has him around kids, adults, holidays, and other dogs. He has never attacked or hurt them. 

You're not an expert and it's not a science. So you're willing to risk someone being bitten or attacked based on your anecdotal experiences.  I think there's zero difference when you're considering asking someone else to care for him for that length of time. 

The only difference is that when people come over he won't growl and bite all the time and if you are with that dog and supervising at all time or your parents are then there's a lower risk of your dog biting or attacking someone else and also you can tell the person in advance -since you don't take this lightly -right? - that if they want to come over understand that the dog jumps and licks and might bite under certain circumstances.  

That way the person can decide and or you can decide to put him in another room.  There is no way I would ever be around a dog like you described or let my child.  The dog who bit me had never bitten before.  But once he did there were measures taken from then on.  

[Jaunty]

7 minutes ago, Alex39 said:

He doesn't have an extensive bite history. He bit me. And I think he bit my brother once, because my brother was trying to grab something from his mouth.

You said:

1 hour ago, Alex39 said:

And if you try to grab him, by the collar or his head, he'll bite you.

 

1 hour ago, Alex39 said:

He ferociously jumped off the couch and bit my forearm, barking and attacking my arm. He wouldn't let go. Then I got him off me. He went and grabbed my other forearm and bit that too. I have wounds,

 

1 hour ago, Alex39 said:

But if he grabs a paper towel off the counter and you go to grab it from him, he'll bite and growl.

 

1 hour ago, Alex39 said:

He has territory protection obsession.

That's extensive.   

The "remote" incident alone would be enough to render your dog unadoptable if he were to end up in a shelter.  He'd be euthanized.  I know this is not happening - but you and your family need to know what you are actually dealing with.  

[Alex39]

I agree with you all. I think my parents are blind because he acts really cute and sweet mostly all the time. But he has some bad habits- the barking, the craziness outside, the biting when he wants what he wants or is scared etc. My mom said she is committed to getting him better training and is calling one today. 

We were going to do a meet up at my friends house. So we could put the dogs together, have ours at her house. My friend has never met him. But my friend said she doesn't even think that's necessary and she thinks we're way too nervous. She's confident they will be fine. And thinks she can watch him with her dogs with no issue andwe don't need a meet up. 

 

[Seraphim]

The lack of boundaries with people that is very extensive in your family has spilled into lack of boundaries with this animal. For them to be successful in keeping this dog trained, they have to address their own issues as well.

[spinstermanquee]

The only AKC-papered dog I've ever owned, and the first and last dog I ever bought, turned out to be a puppy mill (most likely inbred) dog.  He was never quite right.  We obedience trained him to sit, stay, down, frisbee, etc.  He developed food jealousy/resource guarding by growling - we tried various strategies, including feeding him by hand - we could not resolve it.  The first incidents of nipping was at 6 months (he bit the director of HR at my company picnic - skin broke but no blood - still).  We immediately took him to the vet, and the vet encouraged us to keep working with him, even though she also said "aggression is the only thing you cannot train out of a dog."  Because it was the first incident, we elected the training option.  I used strategies gleaned from research and books, also did not help. 

He jawed our daughter's face one day when she was wrestling with a friend.  We couldn't be sure about that because of muzzle grabbing behavior - some dogs use their mouths gently (they learn as sharp-toothed puppies how to control their bite so when they are duller-toothed adults they use appropriate pressure depending on the task) to guide a hand or even to gently play.  But we don't hand play in our house, we stick to "dog teeth should NEVER touch human skin."

One day he growled at me in my car.  Over time, I began to feel desperate - my husband was so attached he was having a hard time with it and kept making excuses for the dog.  All I could see was a ticking time bomb.  We were two weeks in our new home, new neighborhood and a friend with a toddler came to visit.  We were all walking into the house - toddler followed by dog and I was walking past the two to open the door, when dog bit the toddler unprovoked.  Later that same day, my daughter had just made a new friend that came to visit.  When she reached for the door to leave, dog bit her arm.  That was the last straw.    Does not matter he did not draw blood.  He bit two kids in one day - bomb went off.

It was a heartbreaking but necessary decision. We discussed all the options and in the end we went to the vet and she did the necessary.  I had to call the kids' parents to let them know how we addressed the issue.

The above story happened over the course of two years and not without a LOT of work to establish a proper relationship with the dog (yes we are only amateur trainers but we are consistent and consistently successful, except with this one).  It was not our first or last dog.  None of the other dogs exhibited such behavior.  I really do think he had a loose wire in there.  Ever since then when we fill out adoption paperwork and they ask the question, "is there anything that would cause you to give up the dog/give it back," my response is "aggression."

So good luck.  It could be just bad habits and inconsistent treatment.  All family members have to use the same words for the same commands, and treat the dog the same way.  Keep an eye on it, hopefully your situation will have a much happier ending than ours did.

[boltnrun]

2 hours ago, Alex39 said:

I agree with you all. I think my parents are blind because he acts really cute and sweet mostly all the time. But he has some bad habits- the barking, the craziness outside, the biting when he wants what he wants or is scared etc. My mom said she is committed to getting him better training and is calling one today. 

We were going to do a meet up at my friends house. So we could put the dogs together, have ours at her house. My friend has never met him. But my friend said she doesn't even think that's necessary and she thinks we're way too nervous. She's confident they will be fine. And thinks she can watch him with her dogs with no issue andwe don't need a meet up. 

 

A meetup with you and your parents present will not be the same dynamic as the dog being cared for by strangers.  Even if the dog has "met" these people before.  I hope your parents will stop with rewarding bad behavior and that they're willing to shell out for medical expenses and a potential lawsuit if the dog bites someone.  I'm betting that would cost a lot more than dog training.

[tattoobunnie]

All dogs can be trained.  Never heard that Rover.com rule.  There are plenty of people who dump dogs in the middle of nowhere that post here.  So, I wouldn't listen to everyone who doesn't own or plan to own dogs, or still thinking being the leader of the pack is a thing; that training theory has been completely debunked.   Being resource guarding does not make this dog unable to be watched by others.  People who actually worked with dogs for a living know how to handle different personalities whether reactive on a leash or resource guarding.  So, some of the posts here are wow, talk about a way to make the OP sound like a POS dog owner.

I've been bit by the nicest dog in the world; I tried to break up a fight by my A-hole dog was causing with my bare hands instead of just using water.  The dog accidently bit me, and I had to get stitches, and that dog is still awesome.  Nothing wrong with the dog.

And to those who wonder if my dog was trained...she's had over $4K worth of training...she just wasn't having it with this rescue, and she has never bit me.

[Alex39]

2 hours ago, tattoobunnie said:

All dogs can be trained.  Never heard that Rover.com rule.  There are plenty of people who dump dogs in the middle of nowhere that post here.  So, I wouldn't listen to everyone who doesn't own or plan to own dogs, or still thinking being the leader of the pack is a thing; that training theory has been completely debunked.   Being resource guarding does not make this dog unable to be watched by others.  People who actually worked with dogs for a living know how to handle different personalities whether reactive on a leash or resource guarding.  So, some of the posts here are wow, talk about a way to make the OP sound like a POS dog owner.

I've been bit by the nicest dog in the world; I tried to break up a fight by my A-hole dog was causing with my bare hands instead of just using water.  The dog accidently bit me, and I had to get stitches, and that dog is still awesome.  Nothing wrong with the dog.

And to those who wonder if my dog was trained...she's had over $4K worth of training...she just wasn't having it with this rescue, and she has never bit me.

Thank you so much for your opinion. I was guessing people here posting don't have dogs. 

Our dog has had thousands in training too. He isn't just some wild thing. We have a schedule with him, and times where he goes in crate, and we feed him without issue. He does seem to have anxiety. We don't know why. He just does. We love him endlessly. As you should your pet. And we have gotten him the best vet care and training. We plan on getting him more training soon before our trip. So he will have months more of training. 

[Seraphim]

I have had dogs . 

[Cherylyn]

Instead of leaving the dog with a friend, there are veterinary hospitals which also dog sits for those on vacation.  They take them out for walks, there are 24 hour cameras so you can check on your dog and you can disclose the biting issue. 

I wouldn't leave the dog with a friend because should the dog bite, not only is it physically risky and injurious for your friend, you are liable for injuries AND compensation.  You do not want legal repercussions later. 

[Alex39]

1 hour ago, Seraphim said:

I have had dogs . 

I appreciate those who had posted who have experienced with dogs. I think non-dog lovers sometimes don't understand how dogs can be. 

[boltnrun]

3 hours ago, Alex39 said:

I was guessing people here posting don't have dogs. 

What is this assertion based on?

In fact, several of the replies were from people who clearly stated they are or have been dog owners. Do you believe they weren't being truthful?

[Jaunty]

6 hours ago, tattoobunnie said:

All dogs can be trained.  Never heard that Rover.com rule.  There are plenty of people who dump dogs in the middle of nowhere that post here.  So, I wouldn't listen to everyone who doesn't own or plan to own dogs, or still thinking being the leader of the pack is a thing; that training theory has been completely debunked.   Being resource guarding does not make this dog unable to be watched by others.  People who actually worked with dogs for a living know how to handle different personalities whether reactive on a leash or resource guarding. 

I've been professionally training dogs for more than 20 years, and also breed dogs from time to time.  Right now we own 13 dogs.   

I agree that the "alpha theory" has been soundly debunked, but  we still need to make sure that our dogs know who is in charge in their households and that all the good things they get are at the pleasure of the people in charge.   

Most dogs have natural, or learned while still with their mother and littermates,  bite inhibition.  

Some dogs have bad temperaments and others legitimately have a screw loose.   There is something awry with how they're wired and they CANNOT be trained out of their aggressive (or neurotic sometimes) behavior. Saying that "all dogs can be trained" is like saying that all people who are mentally ill or have a personality disorder can be "trained" out of it.  It's not true.   

Often this runs in families and in breeds. Certain breeds with strong prey or "herding" drive can be more prone to it because these drives can be misdirected.  Alex's family's dog is an Aussie and they are often listed in the top 10 of breeds likely to bite.   Most Aussies have not been bred to work but they still might have retained some of that instinct, which includes a lower bite inhibition (because sometimes livestock needs to be bitten to move)  and also a propensity for biting to be triggered by movement.

Resource guarding is 100% unacceptable behavior for a pet dog. It's not uncommon, or necessarily serious, but  as soon as the dog shows it, it needs to be addressed with ZERO tolerance. Ideally this happens when the dog is still a little puppy.  This dog has already crossed the threshold into biting.  It has received positive reinforcement for resource guarding and now it's moved on to biting when someone does something that bugs it.   That works out great for the dog, because the annoying person stops doing whatever made the dog mad. 

I am not suggesting that their dog has something wrong with it that makes it untrainable.  But I am quite sure that this dog is very likely to bite again unless it has a very significant change of program at home backed up by some in depth training.

 

[catfeeder]

12 hours ago, Alex39 said:

My friend has never met him. But my friend said she doesn't even think that's necessary and she thinks we're way too nervous. She's confident they will be fine. And thinks she can watch him with her dogs with no issue andwe don't need a meet up. 

While it's great that your friend is confident, had you informed her of the recent attack by your dog?

It's one thing for a dog to bite reflexively when startled while sleeping, it's an entirely different thing for the dog to not only hold on, but also go back for your other limb. That's pure aggression.

I'd be more than concerned about leaving the dog with a family. While potential liability alone would curb me on that, I couldn't live with myself if someone were to be harmed. That's too much of a wild card for me. I'd opt for a professional with full disclosure about the recent attack. If such a situation were not available, I'd postpone my trip.

Understand that dog training isn't like a car wash where we can run the animal to sessions, leave it there, and bring it home to stellar behavior. Training is participatory FOR THE OWNERS.

[spinstermanquee]

6 hours ago, Jaunty said:

Most dogs have natural, or learned while still with their mother and littermates,  bite inhibition.  

Some dogs have bad temperaments and others legitimately have a screw loose.

Certain breeds with strong prey or "herding" drive can be more prone to it because these drives can be misdirected.

I am not suggesting that their dog has something wrong with it that makes it untrainable.

Thank you Jaunty, for sharing your expertise with us all.  My experience is shepherd-specific with Germans.  As for Aussies, I have read they have high energy and also need a job, and I've seen they make great Frisbee dogs 🙂  Here's hoping Alex's pooch can be brought into line and not be destructive in/to the family.

After that one dog 20+ years ago I am happy to say we never had another like it.  But since then, we also we alternate between adopting adults and seniors (no.more.puppies.we.are.old) while we carefully screen for child and other animal interactions.

[Batya33]

9 hours ago, Alex39 said:

I appreciate those who had posted who have experienced with dogs. I think non-dog lovers sometimes don't understand how dogs can be. 

I am not a dog lover.  I care about animals including dogs.  I don't want a dog as a pet. I do want a cat as a pet again when we can take on that level of responsibility and love and care.  We grew up with much loved cats.

I understand why others do and espeically those who consider their dogs part of the family (I've seen a number of troubling examples of pandemic puppies being rehomed -I bet many here on this forum also have seen this happening). I just helped a friend through the hardest time of having to put her dog down and another is now going through the same.  Tragic.

I don't understand dog owners -not all!! - who don't properly train and/or supervise their dogs with the result that the dog bites people.  Especially as a victim on a number of occasions -as I describe above. 

I don't think the issue is understanding how a dog can be- it's the issue of understanding how a dog owner whose dog bites people can fathom leaving that dog with a person in their home as you are describing. 

And that doesn't require me to know anything about dogs. I know a lot about certain people who act in ways that put others at great risk of physical harm because I'm a victim. I've encountered several dog owners who permit their dogs to bite and attack and chase people and who don't follow leash laws. 

It's not about understanding dogs or whether a person is a dog owner or lover.  It's simply about being a human being with basic respect for the safety of other human beings. You don't need to be a human "lover" to treat other humans properly in this sort of situation.  

I will let the dog owners speak up as the OP seems to regard them as more relevant than non-dog owners (which they are totally as far as training and I repeat that but I wrote that above - I do not know that because I am not a dog owner/never had to train a dog or any other animal really other than my cat to an extent) than victims of dog attacks. 

I agree with all who recommended training, it looks like -yes of course your dog is trainable! -not leaving your dog with this particular dog sitter, the alternatives and especially the opinions that you are not appreciating the risks of what you are potentially subjecting others to and the consequences.

Oh and as far as your original question - I can totally see why you are scared to leave your dog while on vacation in the situation you described.  I understand also that you are concerned your dog will be mistreated. I've certainly felt the same about a mom when faced with certain choices of whether to hire a certain sitter/send my child to a certain camp/activity.  

[Seraphim]

1 hour ago, Batya33 said:

I am not a dog lover.  I care about animals including dogs.  I don't want a dog as a pet. I do want a cat as a pet again when we can take on that level of responsibility and love and care.  We grew up with much loved cats.

I understand why others do and espeically those who consider their dogs part of the family (I've seen a number of troubling examples of pandemic puppies being rehomed -I bet many here on this forum also have seen this happening). I just helped a friend through the hardest time of having to put her dog down and another is now going through the same.  Tragic.

I don't understand dog owners -not all!! - who don't properly train and/or supervise their dogs with the result that the dog bites people.  Especially as a victim on a number of occasions -as I describe above. 

I don't think the issue is understanding how a dog can be- it's the issue of understanding how a dog owner whose dog bites people can fathom leaving that dog with a person in their home as you are describing. 

And that doesn't require me to know anything about dogs. I know a lot about certain people who act in ways that put others at great risk of physical harm because I'm a victim. I've encountered several dog owners who permit their dogs to bite and attack and chase people and who don't follow leash laws. 

It's not about understanding dogs or whether a person is a dog owner or lover.  It's simply about being a human being with basic respect for the safety of other human beings. You don't need to be a human "lover" to treat other humans properly in this sort of situation.  

I will let the dog owners speak up as the OP seems to regard them as more relevant than non-dog owners (which they are totally as far as training and I repeat that but I wrote that above - I do not know that because I am not a dog owner/never had to train a dog or any other animal really other than my cat to an extent) than victims of dog attacks. 

I agree with all who recommended training, it looks like -yes of course your dog is trainable! -not leaving your dog with this particular dog sitter, the alternatives and especially the opinions that you are not appreciating the risks of what you are potentially subjecting others to and the consequences.

Oh and as far as your original question - I can totally see why you are scared to leave your dog while on vacation in the situation you described.  I understand also that you are concerned your dog will be mistreated. I've certainly felt the same about a mom when faced with certain choices of whether to hire a certain sitter/send my child to a certain camp/activity.  

I agree, it is not most of the time the dog that is the issue, but people . I too have been attacked by dogs, one time as a child protecting my own dog from attack and I needed stitches and had a lot of punctures. My mom was attacked as a toddler and had part of her face torn off by her uncle’s dog. She needed several surgeries. In adulthood she was attacked by a Shepherd who was a trained guard dog when picking up my brother’s papers for his paper route. We both are afraid of them to some degree but love all animals. I do prefer cats myself due to their more independent nature. 

[Batya33]

1 minute ago, Seraphim said:

I agree, it is not most of the time the dog that is the issue but people . I too have been attacked by dogs, one time as a child protecting my own dog from attack and I needed stitches and had a lot of punctures. My mom was attacked as a toddler and had part of her face torn off by her uncle’s dog. She needed several surgeries. In adulthood she was attacked by a Shepherd who was a trained guard dog when picking up my brother’s papers for his paper route. We both are afraid of them to some degree but love all animals. I do prefer cats myself due to their more independent nature. 

I love certain animals I feel a connection to.  I care about all animals and humans but I don't love all humans either -those I feel that sort of connection to yes.  I won't go to homes where the dog is a biter/aggressive etc nor will I ask for the dog to be put in a separate room as I understand that's not appropriate to ask.  (Although I used to be asked to get a sitter in order to socialize with certain people who preferred a specific social situation -and I did when that was possible -and I abided by no kids at formal events of course!).  That is what informed my opinion here, in part as well as basic respect and common sense as I wrote above.

[tattoobunnie]

The third dog trainer we met with over the summer who have positive reviews and decades of experience to work with our youngest dog, since our previous one moved to the Midwest, thought it was great to keep hitting our dog as a redirection from barking at other dogs behind a gate.  Of course, it didn't stop her, and she learned nothing.  We never called him back again.  Let me rephrase, some dogs may have issues that cannot be addressed or must be treated with medication, or rehomed without other dogs presents or whatever reason, but a dog resource guarding, and the one the OP is posting about is not one of them.

There are many pet owners who believe in leaving dogs outside no matter what the condition is, chained, or dump them as soon as they have a kid, or want to remove the dog's teeth because they got bit before.  So the way I look at it is, the OP is nervous about leaving her pup behind for a week.  I am saying the dog will be fine in good hands.

And yes, even if a dog once bit someone, I would still watch them.  Just like my groomers, they never turn a dog away.

[Cherylyn]

20 hours ago, Alex39 said:

I appreciate those who had posted who have experienced with dogs. I think non-dog lovers sometimes don't understand how dogs can be. 

I agree with @Jaunty.  We tried to home 3 dogs through rescues and adoptions.  Despite training, these dogs flunked horribly.  Many times,  you cannot control genetics no matter how much you wish for it. 

First dog was a mutt.  The owner decided to give away her dog because her elderly dog required more attention.  She came to my house and interviewed my husband, sons and me.  This dog had severe separation anxiety and depression.  No matter what we did, all attempts to rehabilitate this dog were to no avail.  Also, while this dog was fine with me, she despised and distrusted men and boys!  She bit my husband and sons multiple times.  My husband promptly returned the dog to its disgruntled, frustrated owner. 

The second dog was from an animal shelter several counties away.  At first, this dog was OK.  Several days later, the dog and I walked to my son's elementary school and we waited underneath a tree until the school dismissal bell rang.  While waiting for my son, this dog lunged toward babies in strollers much to the horror of their mothers and me! 😲 😠  It was all I could do to reign the dog in as it pulled me all the way to my car (SUV).  This dog was super strong and chased a neighborhood boy up a fence with its gnarly exposed teeth and blood curdling, incessant bark.  My family and I didn't know what to do with this dog.  Therefore, my husband took a photo and advertised this dog on a bulletin board at his workplace's coffee / break room.  There were thorough details regarding this dog's aggressive temperament.  As luck would have it, a colleague inquired about the dog and was in search of a K9 type police guard dog for his widowed mother who had a large yard and resided in a remote area near a forest.   We gladly relinquished this dog to its new dog owner immediately.

The third dog was bought from out of state and flown to an airport within my area.  The dog was fine for 3 of us but viciously chased my 13 year old son!  The dog's fangs protruded, growled and barked as if it was ready to kill my son in the most violent manner.  This dog was very scary!  😡 We had to make sure the dog was in its kennel every time my son exited his bedroom.  The dog and my son had to be separated the entire weekend.  The dog was placed in its kennel and promptly boarded on an immediate flight back to an out of state.  We demanded and received a refund.

Exasperated, we decided to be more conservative at this point.  After thorough investigations, we bought our late, beloved Golden Retriever from a breeder.  She was expensive but gave us the priceless joy to be her owner.  Her temperament was carefully bred to be calm, affectionate (didn't lick), gentle, extremely loyal, devoted, supremely intelligent, not a barker (except when strangers rang my doorbell), trained to be of 'Guide Dog' for the disabled caliber, eager to please and the best dog I had ever owned.  I praise her more than humans!  Her temperament was divine.  She wasn't naughty nor sneaky either.  We trusted her whether at home or away.  She never destroyed anything.  She never bit anyone.  To this day, my husband and I often fondly and poignantly reminisce of what an awesome dog she was.  We gave her a great life.  She had two walks per day, kept immaculately clean and brushed daily.  We took her everywhere with us.  She absolutely adored our children and she was amazing.  We had a device which threw her tennis ball afar and she tirelessly retrieved if from large grassy fields near our area.  She was a very good girl.  She set the bar very high and broke the mold.  We miss her a lot.  Thank goodness, we finally got it right with her.

We boarded her at doggy day care type kennel business once and while her stay was OK there, we preferred a home environment whenever we were out of town.  Fortunately, my local in-laws took care of our late Golden Retriever whenever we were on vacation. 

This was my experience with dogs. 

[LootieTootie]

Have two Aussies here and they're like day and night. One is full of sass and energy and the other is sweet and mellow. However, because of their breed as working dogs, they need to be stimulated a lot in order not to "act out."  If you don't keep them busy, they get bored and they do what they like (which isn't good for most people). And when they get in to the habit of doing what they like, it becomes a character trait, and it might not be a good character trait. My older Aussie has a terrible character trait of barking at people at the dog park waiting for someone to pick up his ball to play fetch with him (not me or his dad). We didn't nip it when he was a puppy because "oh he's just a little guy and its so cute." Now it's just darn annoying and embarrassing because you can hear him miles away and the only dog barking at the dog park.

My take on your dog is that he should not be around anyone and any dog. It's just a lawsuit waiting to happen, and not to mention, may possibly mean the dog might be euthanized (depending on some states and local jurisdiction).

There are training ranch where you can have the dog stay and get trained at the ranch for a month, and still visit your dog. I would recommend you guys do that if you have the funds and the love to make sure your dog gets the proper training they need and to make it even better, on a ranch with acres to run. a dream for an Aussie.

[Jaunty]

I had a dog of my own breeding; I'd owned her mother all her life.

Wren was a good dog, easy to train, and we did a lot together - including flying across the country, through airport security and a lot of handling.  She was well raised and socialized in all kinds of environments.

When she was 3 I bred her.  When her pups were a week old, a stranger working in my house went in the room and picked up a puppy - Wren bit him.  I think that's understandable.

After the pups were weaned, she nailed a kid who ran fast in front of her.  These dogs are working border collies and are sometimes triggered by random movement.  Not an excuse, but after that I kept her away from people.

We were at a competition at a ranch.  I had her on a 4' lead and was walking off the field by ourselves, on the way to the truck.  A woman ran up, dropped to her knees, and kissed Wren (who was a very cute dog).  Wren ripped her face badly. Almost got her eyeball.  It was horrible.

It took 3 plastic surgeries to repair the woman's face.  I lost my homeowner's insurance, which had paid for it.  Interestingly, it was reported by the hospital to the sheriff's office, as is required by law.  I had to quarantine Wren for a period of time in case of rabies, but I was not in any trouble legally, having done my due diligence by having her away from people and on a lead.  Also there is a "right to farm" statute in that county and working dogs are allowed to be on farms and ranches, and not expected to be friendly pets.

I decided to have Wren euthanized.  My family and I could deal with her, but she was only 3 years old.  I didn't think that I could definitely manage her perfectly for more than 10 years; something else was bound to happen.  It was a horrible situation.

I'd kept a pup from her litter.  He was not interested in working so I placed him as a pet with close friends of mine. Gus was a lovely puppy but when he reached the age of 4, he bit his owner, who was dancing.  Later he had another incident.  In another year, he ended up biting the owner's husband in the face and would not release.  He ended up breaking the man's nose.  They had him put down.

As I have said, I have a lot of experience with dogs and have raised many many puppies -this family had something wrong.  Interestingly, I ended up with Wren's sister a year after all of this, following the death of her owner.  Her name was Brynn and she was a saint.  She lived to be 16.5 years old and died in the sun on our front lawn.  

 

 

 

 

[mylolita]

To all the dog owners out here, is this true regarding training?

My husband, who grew up with many dogs, two being guard dogs (his Dad owned a large car garage in the 80s and would leave a guard dog which, was also the family dog, there some nights) said that while he had puppies, to train them, they would often randomly take away their food, or toy, or blanket, then give it back after a short while, to get the dog used to sharing and realising nothing is "theirs?" 

My husband also told me that dogs who are aggressively possessive over their food or toys or anything should be carefully watched, and that it is not a good sign?

I'm not a dog owner, but I am wary of all dogs. All dogs have the ability to bite, some due to their size have the ability for real harm. My mother in law has a daft spoilt pure breed cockapoo and I would never leave even this small breed alone with our kids. She's great natured but still. 

If you are leaving this dog with anyone, kennel or friend, you have to be very honest and tell them exactly what has happened, the biting and the aggression, so they know. It would be terrible to not say anything and then a horrible accident happen to someone, or worse, a child visiting while your dog was staying with someone else.

Dogs shouldn't be biting you or giving you aggressive behaviour - this is a liability, this type of behaviour. It's very hard, I understand, once a dog is up and older, to then start to train and reverse what should have been taught when they were a pup?

x

[spinstermanquee]

6 hours ago, Jaunty said:

A woman ran up, dropped to her knees, and kissed Wren (who was a very cute dog).  Wren ripped her face badly. Almost got her eyeball.  It was horrible.

^^ This is why I do not approach/touch a dog I don't know.  I speak to the handler first.  Even if the dog is reported friendly and fine i would not put my face into theirs.  Nose to nose can be threatening to any breed - especially after running/charging at the dog - and I bet she put her hands on Wren's head/face too.  Dogs aren't babies.  So sad this happened...

[spinstermanquee]

2 hours ago, mylolita said:

Dogs shouldn't be biting you or giving you aggressive behaviour - this is a liability, this type of behaviour. It's very hard, I understand, once a dog is up and older, to then start to train and reverse what should have been taught when they were a pup?

IMHO, dogs can learn up until they die.  I had shepherds that I was teaching new things at 7 years old... nuisance behaviors like barking, digging, chewing can be dealt with.  From the experience I had with that one dog, and what I've been told by vets, aggression is a bad sign.  And yes, it's a huge liability as evidenced by Jaunty's share.

Now again, IMHO since I am not a professional:  Resource guarding I would say is trainable - when they block access to a toy or food - but when accompanied by growling and biting to guard that resource then I'm not keeping that dog.

Having said all that, I watched several episodes of the Dog Whisperer and he had some success training out food aggression and biting, but he also got bit in one episode.  Being TV it's possible he got bit more than they televised...