My dog has bitten again. Advice please.

[mumnosbest]

Please don't judge, I am not an experienced dog owner and have probably made several mistakes but want to do the best for my dog and my family.

I have a 2yr old JRT/German Sheppherd X. He is very smart, loyal but a real live wire. A year ago, he got out and when he came back my mother held his color to bring him inside but he bit her hand. It was a deep bite but we put it down to him being young and wanting to be out. I did take him to the vets and had him checked over. There were no physical reasons for his aggression and the vet said he was just young and asserting himself. We have been quite wary ever since and he is strong willed, posessive and gives warning growls. He also doesn't like a lot of fussing which my children know.

Last night my DS had a friend stop over. I shut the dog in the kitchen (where he always sleeps) and took my younger children up to bed. Shortly after I heard a snarl and a scream. The boys had gone to get a drink and the friend had put his face to the open crate door to fuss the dog (my dog does know the boy). Sorry if I'm rambling but my dog bit the boy's cheek. He then lay back down as if nothing had happened. I have reported all this and no further action has been taken, however I'm left with a dog that I cannot trust or keep.

I don't know what to do next. Is it possible to rehome a dog like this? Where would I even start? I honestly feel he would make a loyal pet to someone more experienced and confident and without children. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA

[Booboostwo]

ZOMBIE and why didn’t you even read the update?!!!

[AsahiGo]

ahhh ok lol. fingers crossed then!

[missbattenburg]

cross post

[missbattenburg]

Old thread @asahigo - this little dog went to a new home three and a bit years ago where (hopefully) he's still enjoying himself

[AsahiGo]

haaa just noticed what an old thread this is - nvm!

[AsahiGo]

First of all I feel for you!

I haven't read all the posts yet so I'll do that and come back!

[slp72]

Hi. I know this was quite a while ago but can I ask what you did with your dog in the end, did you manage to rehome him? Thank you x

[PooDogMillionaire]

Absolute fucking madness on this thread!

Genuinely shocked one poster could only muster 'poor dog'.

Another, 'number one rule never ever approach a dogs crate'. We have three dogs and if anyone risked getting bitten in the face for approaching the dog's crate the dog would be out on its ear.

[greatscott81]

sorry - just saw this was an old story! great news!

[greatscott81]

This is not a dangerous dog - it's a badly handled dog. You have brought a working dog into a home, which has, I'm afraid to say, limited knowledge of how to handle it. The dog needs behavioural lessons - and the vet should have advised that on your visit. The incidents you have mentioned are calling cards for most untrained dogs - being grabbed by a collar and being backed into a crate. That said, I would be livid if my child went a friend's house and was bitten by a dog so you either need to re-home or take to a dog trainer immediately.

[Tableandchairs1234]

Brilliant news!

[Floralnomad]

Excellent !

[Dieu]

Great news and thanks for the update! A happy ending for him ... and peace of mind for you. Result!

[mumnosbest]

I wanted to update all those who gave me really useful advice a few months ago. It took a couple of months and looked hopeless at some points but we finally managed to find a rehoming centre that could help. They were great and very professional, assessing my dog at home and agreeing that in the right home and with training my dog could have a future. Just before Christmas he was moved to a foster home and they loved him so much they have decided to keep him. They are experienced owners in an all adult house and my dog looks really happy in pictures I have seen.

In short a happy ending for my pooch and a little bit of hope for anyone in a similar situation.

[BertrandRussell]

"No, being pts is not the worst thing if the welfare of the animal is at stake. I wonder how many people think it would be better for some people to be put out of their misery too because no-one has listened to them and can't cope with their issues?"

The welfare of the animal is at stake. The chances of finding a home for a dog that has bitten twice are vanishingly small. The energy that is put into trying (and often failing) to sort out a single dog would be much better put into finding homes for the insane numbers of non biting dogs that are stuck in rescue centres.

[Greyhorses]

I also wasn't calling for PTS but I don't think it's fair to pass this problem on unless it is to someone qualified to deal with it and most rescues are not. I visit lots of rescues with my job and lots are run by very kind but very inexperienced people and assisted by volunteers with hardly any experience of dog behaviour. The op needs to hear the reality of the suitation. Fear aggression is often the worst to 'fix'.

I have a potentially fear aggressive dog. I Manage her within an inch of her life, have spent hours and hours on training and also spent a lot of money on behaviourists to help her as its my problem nobody else's.
If she did manage to injure someone despite this I would have her PTS in my arms surrounded by family knowing she was loved and safe and not dump her somewhere without being certain of her fate.

[MonsterDeCookie]

Honestly, the dog has to go and in reality I think PTS is the more humane option. A dog that is that anxiety ridden already will not regime easily. We have a dog and he's a bomb proof as they come with kids but it takes very careful section of the dog and then knowledgable training. My SD (10) tripped and fell on our dog while he was asleep and came down hard on his muzzle. All he did was shoot up and shake off and yawn. Kids are clumsy unpredictable things and need to be near dogs with a fairly high tolerance of accidents. The bites you describe are no where near acceptable. Sorry.

[Shriek]

my ddogs will all snap at air blown on their jowls/noses, they are not being aggressive, and i think extremely different from the set of circumstances that OP outlined initially, and went all linked together provides a pattern of behaviour.

I definitely agree that PTS is not the worst thing. a ddog spending its life in anxiety and feeling threatened needing to be aggressive/excessive time in kennels - basically poor quality of life, is no different mentally from physically.

If OP can know that ddog has gone to the appropriate rehome, with the right support and remain responsible for that,etc. but I wouldn't personally, because i have seen first hand and heard of the rehome after rehome after rehome very very sad.

Are we saying ddogs are the same as humans?? but ha! yes, some people certainly would wish they could be 'put out of their misery' either for mental or physical disease. there are many fighting for voluntary euthanasia!

I think you have to be very careful who you hand your ddog over to otherwise there is no guarantee of anything, and better would be to have a skilled behaviourist come to you (as no, only a few seem to have them on hand at rescue centres).

Good luck OP - this is such a tough call for the ddog you love and want the best for.

[mudandmayhem01]

I'm not sure if animal human comparisons are very helpful, some animals are bred for meat, we don't do this to people. A pig is generally considered to be of similar intelligence level to a dog. I eat bacon and i love my dog am I hypocrite, almost certainly.

[EasyToEatTiger]

No, being pts is not the worst thing if the welfare of the animal is at stake. I wonder how many people think it would be better for some people to be put out of their misery too because no-one has listened to them and can't cope with their issues?

I think this dog has not been listened to, OP and you need to get your training in order and seek advice before you give up. I have rehomed a couple of dogs off the internet. Both have had issues which I have been through hell and high water to sort out, but once a dog comes to live with us, it stays unless it absolutely can't.

[BertrandRussell]

I do think that things would be so much better if we could all agree that being PTS is not the worst thing that can happen to a dog. I have a friend who is always posting pictures of dogs that have been in "no kill" centres for years appealing for homes for them. it makes me so angry.

[tabulahrasa]

"I am finding the divide in opinion interesting. For those suggesting the dog be PTS would you also suggest these dogs be PTS?"

It depends...on whether the dog in those situations will be in the same or similar situations again without the owner doing anything to prevent it.

I wasn't calling for him to be PTS, but if the OP feels incapable of keeping and working with him and if an appropriate rescue space can't be found then being PTS is a viable option and a much kinder one than for example spending the rest of his life in kennels or bouncing from private rehome to private rehome while getting more and more problematic and distressed each time.

[insertimaginativeusername]

Thanks Bertrand, was genuinely interested in opinion.

If you take out the circumstances though, they all sound quite nasty.

A dog bit a child on the nose

A dog bit a stranger without warning

A dog snarled when being cared for

I can't recall exactly how many times I annoyed the dog but I would imagine I probably did miss the warning signs.

Each dog was otherwise very placid.

My point is I wonder if the child was honest in this case or was worried about being told off so said "I only put my face up to it"

[BertrandRussell]

"I am finding the divide in opinion interesting. For those suggesting the dog be PTS would you also suggest these dogs be PTS?

1. Nipped me as a child after I repeatedly blew in her face because I found her nose twitching funny
   

Depends what you mean by repeatedly. Depends whether she tried to move away. Depends whether she "warned" you. If she went straight to bite then yes

1. Bit a stranger for attempting to stroke the dog by putting their hand over the garden gate
   

*Depends on circumstances. Possibly. Possibly not.

1. Snarled & snapped while having a thick thorn pulled from the toes/pad
   

Of course not