To rehome puppy?

[MarsBars123]

Our 6 month old puppy bit our friends 6 year old daughter today.

We were having a meal and gave him his food afterwards. She walked behind him while he was eating and he spun around and bit her, he didn't draw blood but her hand was red.

I am in total shock, he has never done anything like this before, should we rehome him straight away? I'm really confused.

Flatbread - Thanks flatbread. The vet was great, we have two who work down there, one is also a behaviourist but she's not in until Wednesday so the other woman kindly took 5 minutes to speak to me. I think it will be fine, she says it's common for dogs to need re-training at this age. Thanks for your support and advice

Having read D0oins posts on here before it sounds as if you are way way off with your remarks about unsocialised dogs.
Maybe getting your facts first before assuming you know what you are talking about would be better?

You on the other hand are quite vocal about the fact that you are happy to disciple your dogs in such a manner.
Personally it would amaze me to think anyone believes this is ok but as you are not the one posting here to say your dogs have bitten someone, I have no earthly reason to assume your dogs are anything other than happy and well behaved.

I have just seen to many dog owners so utterly invested in this pack theory and dominating their dogs, and also seen the problems it has caused that I cannot agree with it.

Questioning whether OP is telling the truth is way out of line.

I think you're the only one who's behaved so badly as to have had a post deleted on this thread Flatbread.

Of course there is a hierarchy in our household and a clear understanding of who controls resources. And nor is any aggressive resource guarding allowed.

This is not pack theory. It is common sense. But not that common amongst the frothing dog owners on this thread, apparently.

If you think you can control every interaction your dog has, the poor thing is leading a very limited existence. Most of the dogs I know are free to wander around, sniff up a good bone, gnaw it in a public place and not worry if a toddler or another child is in close vicinity. This is because they are not aggressive about food or any other resource.

I am surprised how under-socialised so many dogs seem to be, nervous and growling around food and owners pandering to it. Thinking the solution is to give the dog private space, rather than teach it to be comfortable and non-stressed around others. They are irresponsible owners, IMO.

But we aren't talking about wandering around outside and eating a bone (which my poor unsocialised dogs are not allowed to do as I would prefer they didn't eat bones they find outside which are generally cooked chicken bones and very dangerous.

We are talking about a puppy, eating in his own his own house,from his own bowl and a child unexpectedly comes up behind him and startles him. A child that does not live in his house.
He was startled.

And it is extremley irresponsible not to give your dog a safe place in its own home. Dogs get sick, tired, fed up of lots of people around them and need a safe place to go to where they know no one will follow them.

I'm surprised you don't agree with this, having such happy well adjusted dogs. I'm surprised you think it's ok for a dog, who wants a bit of quiet to be denied that and instead be followed around by any child who fancies pulling their tail.

But I've seen and fostered dogs that have been disciplined into submission and are not allowed to have any feelings, that are smacked of they growl because they are hurt or sick.

Yes, that's a much better life.

My dogs aren't stressed so they don't need a hiding place. If a child pulls their tail and they don't like it, they have four acres of garden to go and hide in. But they never do, it is too much fun hanging around humans to go anywhere else.

If a dog is food aggressive at home, it will be food aggressive outside. It is simply common sense.

I will say this again, if your dog needs to protect its food from others, need to eat alone, it is stressed. It is not good for the dog or others around it.

I am wondering what socialising your dog has to do with resource guarding?

Mine are all very happily socialised and will run around the beach happily with both children, adults and unknown dogs. I don't feed them a dish of kibble down there. I normally wait until we get home.

They will all let me approach them while they are eating. They will all let me get close enough to add to their bowl while they are eating. They will all ignore a child walking past them while they eating. They will all give, drop and leave on command. None of them snatch food.

I have not trained them to be happy about having a child sticking their hands in their bowl, no. Why would I? Children in my house are supervised around dogs and food. There is no need to train for something that will never happen.

My dogs are left in peace to eat. That does not mean I can't handle them while they are eating.

Ok so your dogs never need a safe place?

Well done, you have disciplined them into submission.

I'm sure they are never stressed, they wouldn't dare be.

Anyway, OP. No harm was done and you got a good clear sign that your pup needs some intervention and maybe your home needs some rearranging. Hope you get the help you need from the behaviourist and enjoy your dog.

Wow after reading all of that I'm amazed!

OP you have had some very good advice on here goldship and mchappy but it seems if it ain't from flatbread you ain't listening.

And flatbread shame on you for hitting your dogs! No wonder they are so "well behaved" you have "tapped" out their personalities.

And just to add dogs are animals with a brain you cannot control them and if you think you can your a fool!

Peace

Yolo, bet you have nervous, stressed dogs and that is just their 'personality. Lol

Mine are happy and engaging, not scared of human or animal interactions. We are just back from a long walk by the river, the dogs swam and chased sticks and bought them back at our feet, for the next throw. Very well behaved indeed. Some other walkers stopped by smiling to admire them and told us we have lovely dogs.

Had a picnic. Dogs ate their food calmly, no issues. They don't need to eat in a fixed spot with noone around like some other neurotic animals.

So all in all, a fun day for our dogs. Hope yours are enjoying their isolation and 'private space' to express their nervous and stressed personalities, eh?

Flatbread, everyone disagrees with most of what you post on most threads. Has it never occurred to you that maybe we are the ones who are right and you are wrong?

No d0oin, we know nothing. All the people all over the world that have well behaved dogs, who have rescue dogs that needed a lot of work,who actually think dogs should not be tormented by every child that feels like pulling its tail,who think dogs have just as much right to have their own safe place like everyone else, who don't have to smack their dogs in order to discipline them- we are all wrong.

Your dog bringing back a stick is not an indicator that you are a good dog owner or that your dogs are stress free.
However, being happy to admit you feel the need to smack your dogs, and let people pull on its tail or ears indicates that 1) your dogs are not as stress free, and happy as you like to think and 2) they probably wouldn't dare to be any other way in case you smack them.

I admit I don't know much about training dogs but there must be better ways than tormenting them by pulling their tails and waking them up when theyre sleeping

Yes flatbread my poor dogs, I'll just go and give back my handling ribbons oh and their good citizen awards. (silver so ya boo sucks to you)
My gosh my poor doggies I'll let them out of their horrid cages as they are so stressed while tucking into their tripe.

"lol"

Ooh can I go completley off subject and say I am so proud of little dog who is now training for his bronze.

It's going to be a while before he actually gets it, but after a few dreadful months weeks, he has finally remembered all the good stuff sort of and I am very very happy.

me: What do you do when a doggy is eating?
5yo: What do you mean? Eating hotdogs? Tell them to sit. Scruffy knows Meerkat. I like Meerkat. Have you got any hotdogs?
me: No, not treats. What do you if they are eating from their bowl?
5yo: You don't do noffing. You leave them alone.
me: And if you wanted to get past while they were eating?
5yo: You say "Excuse me" to Scruffy and he moves his bum bum out of your way. You shouldn't never push him or touch him while is eating. You shouldn't never push him ever.

I've just tested her "Excuse me" theory and he actually does move. I have no idea who taught him this. Dd2 claims to have taught him, maybe she did

I also asked her how you should teach your dog to allow someone to pull their tail. She replied "Why would you do that? You shouldn't never hurt the doggies. I am going to tell the police man of you if you hurt our doggy, mammy"

Yay tantrums good luck!!!

Thanks yolo

My dd will be ever so proud, she has worked so hard with him

Now, he's just got to carry on remembering.....we hope :)

My dog certainly needs a safe place inside. She is very polite to everyone, extremely sweet and doesn't even growl at the cat if he comes sniffing around her bowl.

However, this time of year she turns into a lump of unpredictable quivering jelly because of the DEATH BALLOONS! Huge horrible hot air balloons fill the skies and threaten her with death rays and torture! I can actually hear two of them right now.
While these monstrous demons hover above, my dog will do anything to get inside and safe. Even if they are tiny in the sky, she will panic, scratch the door, leap tall building and chew her way out of the fence.

So during the balloon fiesta, she is treated with kid gloves and we all give her the space and safety she needs. Because I have no idea what she would do if she thought a balloon was going to actually make contact (or land in the yard, as has happened).

And OP I'm sure your faith in your puppy has been shaken by What has happened but it really is going to be ok. Look at this as an opportunity to reassess your training and a way to move forward.

Take on board peoples ideas and advice and find what works for you, your family and your puppy.

But please don't run back to the rehoming question everytime something isn't perfect. A dog is for life luv

Peace

Lol, keep training for your awards. My dogs are happy having an active social life and hanging out with people.

Last weekend we had people over with their family and dogs. Our dogs loved all the interaction. At the end of the meal, all the dogs, ours and the other three friend's dogs got the lamb fat and left over stew. Very desirable treats and not one of the six dogs being fed had resource guarding issues. Because they have been trained to be easy-going about food and eat around people, family, strangers etc

This weekend we are going to a friend's house. Same thing. Our dogs will come along. All the dogs and children will play create a nuisance and then we will eat and all the dogs will get to share the leftovers.

This type of ease around people and food has to be taught, through proper socialisation and training.

I know that if my dogs have a choice between being trained for 'good citizen awards' or hanging around playing with other dogs and children and getting yummy food in these parties....they would definitely choose the latter.

@ monsterchild aaawwwwwwwww poor baby! They are such funny things, one of mine is scared shitless of a gnome statue we see on one of our road walks!

I know that if my dogs have a choice between being trained for 'good citizen awards' or hanging around playing with other dogs and children and getting yummy food in these parties....they would definitely choose the latter.

Yolo that's worse then the balloons of death! Does pup get all anxious as you approach the gnomes den if terror yard?

every morning as the weather turns, my dog starts each day by going slowly outside and looking up for the balloons. If she doesn't see any, she'll got for a quick pee and run back in. If she sees any, she will only go out with a protective escort. She is also smart enough that by noon they are all gone, and she's perfectly happy to go out unescorted.