DDog tried to bite. Rehome or PTS?

[TetleysSurpassesYorkshireTea]

Hi, I have a 10 month old Maltese-Westie cross.

Today, after his bath, I tried to remove some dirt from his face and he tried to bite me. He is normally very placid after a bath, and I had him wrapped in a towel having a cuddle. He had let me wash his face in the bath, but as soon as he saw my hand approach his eye, he tried to bite. He has tried to do the same thing before in similar circumstances, when being groomed.

DDog does have a history of nipping ankles and hands, and we have redirected to toys or said a firm "no". We have also gently pushed him away or distracted by getting him to sit and calm down.

I do feel DDog's behaviour is deteriorating. We have contacted the Behaviourist, based at the vet, about the nipping and have followed her advice, but DDog still tries to attack feet and hands, often in an attempt to play, and despite our best efforts.

DDog has also become very barky. Again the Behaviourist advised us how to deal with this, which I thought was going pretty well, but he has now started barking and growling at people just passing the house.

It sounds silly, as he is only a Maltese, but his nips really hurt.

I have an 8 year old daughter who cannot cope with th1r barking or nipping due to Aspergers. I am worried that the dog will try to bite her when she pushes him away from licking her fave etc.

It seems as if in the past few weeks, the behviour has deteriorated more.

Does anyone have any advice re what the best thing to do in this circumstances?

We were looling at rehoming anyway due to the barking and its adverse affects on my daughter. I have contacted Maltese Rescue and have arranged for the lady to call me back.

Do I try to rehome or PTS? Any advice would be great.

[BiteyShark]

Please don't try and justify the PTS. Do the right thing and rehome the dog.

[starcrossedseahorse]

OP re-home your puppy please. You said that you were going to so what has changed exactly?

TBH I am wondering if this is genuine at all as no genuine vet would come out with that load of rubbish.

[BiteyShark]

I agree with Wolfie, I think the dog is real but would be very surprised at such a vet.

[starcrossedseahorse]

OP just needs to re-home in that case. That pup deserves better.

[fleshmarketclose]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/3414793-Rehoming-my-beloved-boy-Only-11-months-How?msgid=82379711

It looks like OP has been considering rehoming for a while and now has something to justify it tbh.

[starcrossedseahorse]

How very interesting. I am now even more convinced that this puppy should go to a new home before he is much older.

OP, please do the right thing.

[missbattenburg]

Interestingly, a month ago this dog was bombproof and has the best temperament of any dog I have ever known. He loves everyone and even wants to play with the local cats

[AgathaF]

Also interesting is that 1 month ago he was 11 months old. Now, one month later, he is 10 months old.
I actually hope this is a troll.

[ExcitedForChristmas18]

I hope it is aswell..I'm going to be looking at all women with bloody Maltese puppies now! This thread is just so upsetting.
We need more laws in the UK regarding ownership of pets.
If you ever get rid of an animal, just because you can't be bothered with it..you should never be allowed one again!

[Kardashianlove]

Reading this and your other thread, although your circumstances have changed, it does sound as though you haven’t really thought the whole dog thing through properly (which is sadly so common and why there are so many dogs in rescue centres).
I understand your DDs diagnosis was after you got the dog but there must have been signs of her sensory issues before then. It must be hard for her to cope with the dogs licking and barking but surely you had an idea she was sensitive to loud unpredictable noises and you know that dogs bark! Also, there must have been signs of her tactile issues that would indicate she may find a dog/puppy licking/pawing her distressing.
As a completely separate issue, if this was completely unpredictable to you, then seeking help from an OT may be beneficial as being able to predict possible sensory issues for your DD will help massively in the long term in helping to cope with her ASD and teaching her to cope.

You were considering rehoming the dog a month ago then decided to keep him, now you are considering rehoming again. It just seems really unfair on the dog and your DD as veing indecisive will make it harder for you to be committed to the dog.

The fairest thing is to make a decision either way. If you decide to rehome do so as soon as possible. This is best for the dog and your DD. If you decide to keep the dog, invest a lot of time in proper research and training. Decide whether you are able to commit properly to this as well as meeting the needs of your DD. Remember teenagers with ASD can struggle much more in puberty, making sensory issues worse. When there is a lot more in general life to cope with, sensory tolerance is reduced. So things like going to secondary school, exams, issues with friends, etc can then mean she may have lower sensory tolerance to noise/licking and may find barking even more distressing than she does now. (Or you could do lots of therapy with her and find her sensory processing issues improve massively). There is no way to know for sure but the more you research, the better able you will be to make the right decision.

[TetleysSurpassesYorkshireTea]

I have only read the last few entries. Anyone who thinks I am a troll, please be my guest and report.

I am real. DDog is real, vet is real.

DDog was born on 26.1.2018. Is that 10 or 11 months?

I am not trying to get rid of my dog and looking for any excuse, as someone who believes they have a better insight into my brain than me, maintains.

I am trying to do the best for my DD and DDog in very stressful circumstances, in the face of a recent diagnosis for DD, my marriage breakdown, and a flare of my disability.

Anyone doubting me, I couldn't care less, but saying there must have been signs of my DDs sensory issues before I got DDog, how fucking dare you!

My daughter has always adored dogs. I thought a DDog may help her. Her sensory issues have worsened due to a class change and the marriage split. She now cannot cope. Is that ok with posters here or do you want to see her referral letters? Her diagnosis is pretty recent. Is that ok too?

I am absolutely horrified at the utter lack of understanding, compassion and empathy by some of the more vociferous posters here.

I am utterly shocked at the gleeful venom shown by some of the posters here. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

[missbattenburg]

OP, a month ago your dog's temperament was perfect and it was your daughter that was struggling. Within a month he has tried to bite to the point you think it would be best to pts. In light of your most recent update I wonder just how much of this incredible level of stress the dog is picking up on.

Objectively, this dog:

• is living in a house that is experiencing very high levels of stress and disruption
• with a daughter who struggles to cope with normal dog behaviour
• is not getting the right level of exercise and interaction
• is experiencing normal teenage hormonal fluctuations

These are all things you have pointed out yourself. I actually think it would be a miracle dog who could withstand all that and not act out. Yours seems to have had a complete u-turn, in terms of behaviour from the perfect dog to one who vet and owner think should be pts. This rapid turnaround of behaviour suggests he is struggling to cope in the environment he is in.

The fact that neither your vet nor behaviourist has put all this together and realised it could be informing the bite, suggest they are not being told the full picture or are particularly bad at their jobs. 'Rage syndrome' is idiopathic aggression - aggression for which there is no understandable cause. From the circumstance you have described there is a very understandable cause.

Rehome via a breed specific rescue and give this dog a chance to live with someone who understands dogs and has the time/energy/health/resources to cope with him.

[Kardashianlove]

saying there must have been signs of my DDs sensory issues before I got DDog, how fucking dare you!
It would be very unusual for a 7/8 year old (with ASD) to have no sensory issues prior to this age and then suddenly develop noise and tactile sensitivity. But yes, like you say they can worsen due to other stress factors. Which is something to consider moving forward, is your DD able to cope with a dog long term as other things are likeky to happen in the future to make her sensory issues worse.
Is it fair on your DD and the dog for you to try to manage both her and the dog.

It may be best to rehome the dog and use that time and money you would have spent on the dog to invest in sensory intergration therapy for your DD. There is a massive amount you can do to improve sensory processing difficulties.
Predicting things that will cause sensory overload (such as having a dog that will bark and lick) will help massively.

My daughter has always adored dogs. I thought a DDog may help her. But adoring dogs and being able to cope with a dogs behaviour in your home full time are two totally different things.

It’s done now though, we all make poor decisions from time to time and you are obviously very upset by it. The best thing you can do is learn from it and try to now make the best decision for your DD and the dog. But try to decide soon, the worst thing you can do is keep them dog then in another month or so decide to rehome.

[doodledott]

@TetleysSurpassesYorkshireTea how often do you bath DDog, OP?

[RLOU30]

It is you who should be ashamed , OP.

I suggest you never even get so much as a goldfish in the future.

Best wishes to the puppy in finding it’s new forever home. Please god 🤞🏻

[BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo]

This thread is really upsetting your poor poor dog, you have been advised time and time again to re home, but for some unexplicable reason you want the dog PTS, a dog like you have would be re homed in a heartbeat, there is absolutely no need for all this attention seeking angst, none at all, bottom line you don’t want the dog, if you have any ounce of compassion for that poor creature get it to a rescue centre tomorrow and give it a half decent chance of finding a loving home. As for you being horrified at the lack of compassion you are receiving from this thread that is exactly how many posters feel about you and your lack of compassion and it’s not gleeful venom people are showing it’s horror about this situation you have created which could be resolved by surrendering your dog to a decent rescue centre. Never more have I hoped that a thread is not real than this one.

[RCohle]

OP I appreciate you are going through a difficult time and are getting a bit of a pasting here.

However telling posters that they lack compassion and empathy because they have been blunt on an Internet forum when you were seriously considering having a healthy dog killed shows a shocking lack of self awareness.

Your dog has clearly not been able to receive the attention he needs given your personal circumstances. Please have him rehomed.

[WendyWoofer]

I am trying to do the best for my DD and DDog in very stressful circumstances, in the face of a recent diagnosis for DD, my marriage breakdown, and a flare of my disability

It seems your dog is the bottom of the pile in the attention stakes.

Your circumstances, at present, are not in a dogs best interest. There is no fucking need for the puppy to be PTS! Just be fair to the dog and give him to a breed specific rehoming centre, where he will be rehomed and have a decent quality of life.

[BiteyShark]

We are showing compassion. Compassion for a dog who just needs to be rehomed rather than being PTS for something understandable. My dog is the most placid dog in the world, has undergone more bloody nasty procedures in his short life than I have. BUT when I have to manhandle him I am fully aware that he may bite as he is scared and sometimes in pain. If he did I certainly would not be thinking of PTS as it's normal just as it is for me to cry/pull away or scream get off me if I am being restrained and thought someone (even my closest person) was going to cause me pain.

We are all saying rehome because we think it is best for everyone. I am doubting the vet because I can'timagine my vet diagnosing 'rage syndrome' if I came in and told them he tried to nip when restrained and I was going for his face. Mine also struggles at the groomers because he is frightened of being manhandled which is a normal response and good groomers recognise this and work with the dogs to condition them to tolerate it over time.

Whatever you think of 'us' you do need to rehome and I am not sure why you keep veering from rehome to not when you was honestly thinking PTS at the beginning of this thread.

[fieryginger]

I've never had a dog and don't really like them (several bad experiences over the years, usually due to rubbish owners), but I'd consider rehoming asap. It sounds like puppy behaviour but you do not want to let it become the norm for him.

If you can get him to an experienced breed owner, sooner rather than later, hopefully, this behaviour can be addressed.

I see no need for him to be pts at 10 months old.

I'd move quickly though. Good luck.

[starcrossedseahorse]

What BettyBoo said.

Please, please re-home this little dog OP. It is a bad fit all round. All you have to do is get him in to a rescue and they will do the rest.

[TetleysSurpassesYorkshireTea]

For those who are.outraged at the vet querying a neurological condition with pup, this is due to what I told her re the attempted bite, and also what the Behaviourist has queried due to her witnessing some sudden, unprovoked, behavioural changes in DDog.I.e. going from utterly placid and bomb proof to really OTT behaviour. This started about a month ago and I got the Behaviourist out the week after. They have done several extended home visits and given us a toolkit of advice to use.

For those querying the vet's credentials and neurological insight, the vet herself isn't a specialist but has colleagues who are. It is an animal hospital we take DDog to, as we are lucky enough to live very close to one.

The vet said 1) Check no underlying cause for biting in terms of pain, 2) She would speak to the Behaviourist, 3) IF DDog started to bite more often, that PLUS other changes PLUS more tests to be conducted, but if it is some rage syndrome, then in that case PTS is fairest.

The reason I am not rehoming instantly is because Maltese breed rescue don't work like that! I have to wait for the lady and her colleagues up and down the country to find DDog a new home. He will be rehomed direct from me to his new forever home. They don't have dogs go to foster anymore as they think it is fairer for dogs to only get attached to the new owner, rather than an interim family. I agree with that, DDog would be heartbroken at being pushed from pillar to post.

So DDog stays with me until his forever home is found. If I "rehome straight away" as some have suggested, it couldn't be through breed rescue. It would have to be via another rescue, and poor DDog would go mad in a cage waiting for new owners. I cannot do that to him. I wont let him feel abandoned. I will rehome him as breed rescue advise to a family who are experienced dog owners, are able to give him the exercise he needs long term (I physically cannot continue long term to walk for 90 mins across two walks per day), and will give him all the input he needs.

I thought taking this approach was the right one, but am now doubting whether breed rescue are correct, as so many here are saying to rehome straight away.

Plus, the reason why the vet is saying she thinks that pup is not a cross, is that some of his behaviours, which the Breed Club/Rescue lady said weren't typical Maltese behaviours, can be according to the vet. Vet really doesn't think he is a cross, due to body shape etc. We can have a DNA test to find out but I don't see a practical reason to do this, and am loathe to put DDog through unnecessary tests which fundamentally serve no purpose.

Those who have implied or outright said I am a troll on this thread, have been reported.

[starcrossedseahorse]

Good to wait for the breed rescue. Hopefully they will come up with a home very soon as this is clearly a bad situation for all concerned.

You are doing the right thing by re-homing.

[Wolfiefan]

You have an untrained and possibly under exercised dog. Your story is completely inconsistent.
If it’s a pedigree you will have papers. If it’s a cross you won’t.
It’s likely a puppy farmed dog with little socialisation before you got it. You’ve not done training or worked to prevent/avoid undesirable behaviours.
This isn’t rage syndrome. It’s you not doing the job of dog owner with any competency.