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AIBU?

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Original poster

To rehome puppy?

395 replies

MarsBars123 · 07/10/2012 18:49

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.

OP posts:
McHappyPants2012 · 07/10/2012 22:24

And don't say luck, because it is not.

Dogs eat in peace, no one is allowed to disturb them. They have work hard for their meal ( well in the few months it was hunting season) nobody goes hunting now as the law changed, but the same applys now

kid · 07/10/2012 22:24

My puppy bit DS on the face, drew blood and we had to take him to hospital, but it never entered my head that we should get rid of puppy as he was still young and learning. Plus. DS had jumped off the settee on to the puppy while he was eating a chew.

Luckily DS was not scarred as the bite was inside his mouth. We made sure DS understood not to jump on the dog again and we also got DS to feed puppy. While puppy was eating, we would remove the food bowl, touch the contents and then return it to the puppy. We also got DS to do this under supervision and all was fine.
Puppy never bit DS or anyone else again and DS is not scared of dogs.

Original poster
MarsBars123 · 07/10/2012 22:26

GoldShip - it suggests that he needs more food aggression training and also needs a close eye kept on him at all times. He is never left alone with our youngest DC anyway as he is too young to understand how to behave around the dog.

What does it suggest to you Goldship?

OP posts:
McHappyPants2012 · 07/10/2012 22:26

Protected meal times is when a patient is not disturbed at all when eating, no nurses, doctors, NA, cleaner, occupational therapist, physio, porters or any other HCW is allowed to disturb a patient while eating.

daisydotandgertie · 07/10/2012 22:26

It is clear your PUPPY was very stressed by the situation it was in and reacted badly. A qualified behaviourist will be best placed to resolve the situation.

Such a young dog should not have been left to eat in a stressful situation - it really was asking for trouble; nor should this episode be the thing that defines the rest of its life.

We are not discussing a fully grown, adult dog but a 6 month old puppy which cannot possibly be fully equipped to deal with every situation life will throw at it. As an owner, it is your responsibility to ensure your puppy is not set up for a fall; that it is never in a situation it is not equipped to handle. The pups reaction is not desirable and it needs never to happen again BUT it was in many ways predictable and caused but the stress it felt.

Very few vets are equipped to offer good behavioural advice, and the
RSPCA would be hopeless/useless. Take advantage of the offers up thread and help your pup work through this problem.

One thing I am not clear on is has your puppy shown food possessive agression before you started fannying around with hands in his bowl? Has it happened before?

And you have no reason or excuse to rehome him. Not without demonstrating some committment and appreciation of the value of his life by trying to resolve the problem which was caused by poor judgement and lack of attention to the situation he was struggling in.

McHappyPants2012 · 07/10/2012 22:27

Unless they need feeding

Flatbread · 07/10/2012 22:28

Mars,

I think you are doing the right thing. Keep training the dog so it does not become possessive around food.

If you have good friends who can help you, I would suggest you get them to hold a piece of food to the puppy and say sit or stay and then give the puppy the food as a reward. Stay is a good one, as it teaches the dog to wait for the food, instead of grabbing it.

Let them touch the puppy, hold it, and if it is calm, another treat as a reward. Let the puppy meet as many new people, dogs and situations as you can, because when they are young, you can really socialise them well.

I have pulled my puppy's tail gently, and rewarded her for a calm response. I have picked her up when she is sleeping and caressed her, so she is easy-going about being disturbed when asleep.

And it is all so that when random children come to play with her, I have done what I can to make her comfortable in those interactions. She loves children and would be heartbroken if she didn't get to play.

And my little puppy (just a month older than yours) is great with children as well.

To me, it is part of my job as a responsible owner. But others who always leash their dog and never give it any freedom to engage with others, will tell you it is a terrible thing to do.

Original poster
MarsBars123 · 07/10/2012 22:31

Flatbread -

He spends a lot of time with other dogs and we often have people in and out of the house. At first this made him nervous but now he loves it when we have visitors and is just a really happy dog which is why it came as such a shock to everyone!

You sound like a great dog owner fwiw Grin

OP posts:
midori1999 · 07/10/2012 22:32

What has whether you use a lead got to do with this?! even more Confused now...

Original poster
MarsBars123 · 07/10/2012 22:33

Just to clarify he got nervous around new people when he was very young, 9-12 weeks kind of age, since then he loves being around people, seemingly the more the better!

OP posts:
GoldShip · 07/10/2012 22:33

Wrong answer OP. And I'm not going to bother explaining because you just aren't willing to accept that ultimately, you could have stopped this by giving your dog some respect and space

I find this really upsetting actually. Poor animals being 'trained' to suit humans every situation because people just aren't willing to change slightly. It's all take and no give.

A quiet room on its own is all this dog needs, yet you don't seem to think this.

GoldShip · 07/10/2012 22:35

have pulled my puppy's tail gently, and rewarded her for a calm response. I have picked her up when she is sleeping and caressed her, so she is easy-going about being disturbed when asleep

While I accept it must be lovely for you to have such a tolerant dog, why can't PEOPLE be taught that dogs have boundaries instead of what's supposed to be the lesser animal having to be the tolerant one?

Original poster
MarsBars123 · 07/10/2012 22:35

GoldShip - Well it's not the same answer as yours but I don't think that necessarily makes it wrong.

OP posts:
GoldShip · 07/10/2012 22:38

Funny that mars, because I've had dogs and puppies all my life and not one has lashed out. None have had this 'food aggression training'
You've had a puppy and it has.

You came on here for advice that you aren't willing to take. What's the point.

McHappyPants2012 · 07/10/2012 22:43

Goldship I have a brick wall feel free to bang your head against it

GoldShip · 07/10/2012 22:43

Can I take a run up? :o

McHappyPants2012 · 07/10/2012 22:45

Go for it pmsl

Flatbread · 07/10/2012 22:45

Because, Gold, I don't control the world. I can just teach my dog how to respond in a well-adjusted manner. And on the upside, because she knows how to interact, she gets to do all the things she enjoys - playing with children, getting caresses and attention from strangers in markets etc. Getting to go off-leash in restaurants and get delicious morsels under the table from us and other diners. Meet other dogs and have a good sniff and a tail wag. All the things she absolutely loves.

If she could talk human language, I am very sure this is what she would like -lots of freedom and interaction with humans and dogs. She doesn't want a private space, she could go to a quiet spot in the garden, she has four acres to hide in. She would cry if I locked her in the kitchen when guests come. She probably thinks they have come to play with her Smile

SundaeGirl · 07/10/2012 22:45

OP, god, ignore Goldship. Just ignore.

You, your children and your visitors should, IDEALLY, be able to put their hands in your dog's bowl while he's eating or take the bowl away or stroke his ears or whatever. He's at the bottom of the pecking order and he should give way to every single human. Definitely keep training in this regard and under no circumstance start giving him 'space' to eat - he mustn't become territorial over food or his bed, etc.

You sound a concerned responsible parent/pet owner, don't let crazy OTTness on here wind you up.

Flatbread · 07/10/2012 22:47

I think Mars is going about it the right way. This is probably just a sign that she needs to reinforce the training.

GoldShip · 07/10/2012 22:48

Flatbread - mine do all those things but I don't need to pull their tails or do any of this other controlling and slightly sadistic training to ensure this.

And I've never once had to hit them.

They're hardly the easiest of dogs either, great big boxers

topknob · 07/10/2012 22:50

Got to love the dog owners who allow their dog to approach the ones on lead !

topknob · 07/10/2012 22:51

and the ones that pull tails to get what they want from a dog ! No need for this treatment whatsoever.

GoldShip · 07/10/2012 22:53

Sundae girl - 'under no circumstances give him space'

Hahahahahhahaha.

Oh deary me.

Flatbread · 07/10/2012 22:53

Gold, yup, but then mine don't get nervous around guests and and eating food around strangers. Yours obviously get stressed and need 'private space'. Code word for badly adjusted dogs who cannot be trusted around others.