Dog snapped at daughter, totally unprovoked

BarbarAnna · 2021-01-30T22:47:02+00:00

Our rescue lurcher snapped at my eldest daughter tonight. We have had him about 18 months. He snapped at her once before but she approached him when we had a bone so we put it down to resource guarding. He growled at my youngest daughter the other day, but I thought he may have been asleep when she approached him. But tonight, I was watching. He was wide awake and my daughter went up to him to give him a gentle stroke to say goodnight. Out of the blue he growled and very quickly followed up with a snap. The girls are older and very sensible. They adore him and he seemed very close to them. He sought them out this afternoon, to go and sit near them and this is typical behaviour for him. We just don’t know what to do. My youngest was sobbing and terrified. My eldest defended him as she loves him so much, but I saw this with my own eyes. Me and my husband are devastated. He can be reactive on the lead on walks but otherwise is a gentle, loving boy. What are our options? Please help and he kind.

NoSquirrels · 30/01/2021 22:52

Get him to the vet to be checked over. If it’s uncharacteristic and has happened a couple of times recently then he could be in pain.

SirVixofVixHall · 30/01/2021 22:53

I agree, Vet. He could have something like a sore ear, or tooth, or pain somewhere else.

Original poster

BarbarAnna · 30/01/2021 22:54

Thank you. That is our thinking too. He has a sore ear but he has had that on and off forever. He is very vocal if he is uncomfortable with it, and she did not touch his ear (she knows not to).

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Bunnybigears · 30/01/2021 22:57

If he is normally tolerant of them doing this then yes a trip to the vets may be in order to check there is nothing causing him pain. How old is he, he could be starting to have dog dementia. Our previous rescue dog, since departed, had dog dementia and we had to put in place a rule where we only stroked her if she approached us we didn't seek her out for strokes etc otherwise she would growl and snap.

Original poster

BarbarAnna · 30/01/2021 22:58

We don’t know how old he is but estimate about 4 I guess.

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Username7521 · 30/01/2021 22:58

This happened to us. Took him to the vet and the dog had hurt his hip and was in pain.

Took a good four week do meds and resting to get it right. And he’s got better. But still isn’t 100%.

We got a trainer in and we need to positive reenforce train it out of him. He’s getting better every day.

This isn’t a quick fix but totally worth it.

EveryoneRevealsThemselves · 30/01/2021 22:58

Another one saying definitely get a full vet check up. A dog in pain can behave defensively like this.
What’s wrong with his ear?

Original poster

BarbarAnna · 30/01/2021 23:01

He has had black gunk in his ear forever. After various investigations and tests, they have concluded yeast due to an intolerance. He is on an exclusion diet, and he seems better and very happy on it. I did clear out his ear earlier which he tolerated, with some grumbling. We are hoping it is sorting itself out. We have pretty much tried everything to get to the exclusion diet stage.

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Original poster

BarbarAnna · 30/01/2021 23:04

Thanks all. Will try and get him checked over ASAP. Thanks for those with similar stories. I need some hope that this will turn out ok.

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Imiss2019 · 30/01/2021 23:05

Definitely worth a vet check. Where was he laying? Sofa? Bed? Have a rescue lurcher who’s a lovely gentle thing but both my teens know that he doesn’t like to be approached and stroked in the evening if he’s on the sofa or my bed. He’s never snapped but gives a barely audible grr but it’s definitely a piss off signal and if they don’t take notice a lip curl will follow.
He’s also lead reactive and a bit of a sensitive whoopsie all round. I adore him but he’s certainly not bomb proof but as long as people respect he’s boundaries he’s fine.
Sorry to hear your daughter is shaken up though

Imiss2019 · 30/01/2021 23:06

Mine also has a sore gunky ear at the moment!

Original poster

BarbarAnna · 30/01/2021 23:07

Thanks. Yes he was on the sofa. He (and we!) thought they had gone to bed, when they came bounding down. They went around giving us all cuddles and he was awake and alert. But I guess possibly grumpy. Really interesting that yours is similar @Imiss2019 thanks again for all responses.

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LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 30/01/2021 23:11

If they rushed into the room they could have startled him. Could he be over-tired, as in extra long walk today or something like that? But my first guess would be pain. My lab x has arthritis, he is the most gentle loving dog during the day but after 9pm at night his is so grumpy and growly. We know it's pain (which obviously we are managing as best we can) but we also know to give him a wide berth.

Insisting he sleeps in his bed rather than on a couch helps - not because we believe in 'he thinks he's in charge if he's on the couch' but because in his bed we all know to leave him alone and the space is more clearly remarked.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 30/01/2021 23:11

*demarked, not remarked

unbotheredbutbewildered · 30/01/2021 23:13

I hate to disagree with the room but the most likely reason is probably also the most obvious... he didn’t want to be touched and wanted to be alone.

At the end of the day, as much as we like to think otherwise, dogs are animals and governed by instinct. If they want to be left alone they will indicate that. If they want to be patted then they tend to go for pats. You’ve already said in the post that he sought your kids out for cuddles earlier.

I think he just wanted to be left alone. Sorry, OP but this isn’t a ‘quick fix’ issue I don’t think and maybe something you’ll need to live with.

Imiss2019 · 30/01/2021 23:17

Ahh obviously all of them are different and you should get him checked but yep evening on the sofa with me interrupted by kids coming in, hugging me and being a bit noisy wouldnt cause him to snap but he certainly wouldn't want to be stroked and my automatic reaction would be “leave the dog”
I’m making him sound like a liability and he really isn’t he’s just a grumpy bastard in the evening (possibly resource guarding me a bit too) and I just want them to respect his signals.

I think as I have older teens, who are old enough to act as required and we don’t have small children visit it’s not something I worry too much about.

minsmum · 30/01/2021 23:20

When I was a child the only time my dog ever snapped was the one time he had an ear infection, the pain can be excruciating

Flyingwiththecanons · 30/01/2021 23:30

My dog bit my husband on the face when he leant over his head to pet him when he had an ear infection. The vet gave him tramadol and all sorts of other pain medication along with antibiotics and he got better but the pain is unbearable for them.

We've managed to cure our dogs ear infection now with ear stuff by stinky stuff. He's so much happier

Veterinari · 31/01/2021 07:36

You need to teach your kids to call the dog to them not to invade his space. He won't want to be touched all the time. And especially not when he has a chronically painful condition.

Does he have a safe space he can go to for peace and quiet thats off limits to them ?

Are you actively supervising at all times?

www.familypaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/5-types-Supervision-HR.compressed.pdf

www.robinkbennett.com/2013/08/19/why-supervising-dogs-and-kids-doesnt-work/

www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/keeping-your-family-dog-and-visiting-children-safe

Have you read up on distancing behaviours and safe child-dog interactions?

drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/kids-and-dogs-how-kids-should-and-should-not-interact-with-dogs/

www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/factsheets-downloads/bds%20parents%20leaflet.pdf

Original poster

BarbarAnna · 31/01/2021 08:50

Thanks all. Some really useful insights. I will read all the links. Thank you @veterinari Having slept on it, I am inclined to agree that them bounding in, later than they normally would, probably startled him. He has many beds where he can go and take himself. Funnily enough, we have noticed that in the evenings when it is just me and DH, he sits on the sofa with us for a while, then seems to get the hump and take himself off to a different sofa or his bed. So I think he must be grouchy in the evening like others have said.

I think his ear was hurting quite a lot yesterday, as when we took his coat off after his walk, he had a right old whinge (typical sight hound drama whineging). He did growl first and I don’t think his snap made contact, so I need to talk to them about backing straight off if he growls again. He is very good at asking for fuss if he wants it, so I will talk to the girls about this also.

His ear is a nightmare. We have tried so many things, he now won’t let us go near him to put drops in. He has had loads of different drops and washes, stinky stuff, steroid injections, it has been washed out, analysed. He does seem to have been better on his new diet, but his ear was full of gunk yesterday. I am not sure whether his system is sorting itself out. I removed the stuff I could see around the flap. I suspect this must have made it sore so I am going to leave it well alone.

Thanks once again all for taking the time to reply.

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Original poster

BarbarAnna · 31/01/2021 08:52

Just as a footnote, the kids are nearly teenagers. I was actively supervising. He goes to daycare a couple of days a week and the lady who runs it is a qualified behaviourist that I have known many years. She has no concerns about him at all.

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Veterinari · 31/01/2021 08:54

@BarbarAnna

Thanks all. Some really useful insights. I will read all the links. Thank you *@veterinari* Having slept on it, I am inclined to agree that them bounding in, later than they normally would, probably startled him. He has many beds where he can go and take himself. Funnily enough, we have noticed that in the evenings when it is just me and DH, he sits on the sofa with us for a while, then seems to get the hump and take himself off to a different sofa or his bed. So I think he must be grouchy in the evening like others have said.

I think his ear was hurting quite a lot yesterday, as when we took his coat off after his walk, he had a right old whinge (typical sight hound drama whineging). He did growl first and I don’t think his snap made contact, so I need to talk to them about backing straight off if he growls again. He is very good at asking for fuss if he wants it, so I will talk to the girls about this also.

His ear is a nightmare. We have tried so many things, he now won’t let us go near him to put drops in. He has had loads of different drops and washes, stinky stuff, steroid injections, it has been washed out, analysed. He does seem to have been better on his new diet, but his ear was full of gunk yesterday. I am not sure whether his system is sorting itself out. I removed the stuff I could see around the flap. I suspect this must have made it sore so I am going to leave it well alone.

Thanks once again all for taking the time to reply.

It's probably worth getting a dermatology referral for the ear.

Don't use stinky stuff or other random 'treatments'

Ear disease is progressive and very painful.

He may well have an underlying allergy, or need regular lifetime management with steroid ear washes.

Oreservoir · 31/01/2021 09:01

The only time my 7 year old dog has ever bitten was at the vets. She had hurt her paw and the vet was examining it.
I stupidly tried to stroke her as I felt sorry and she bit my thumb.
After treating the dog the vet then proceeded to wash my thumb with antibacterial solution and then dress it.
My dh finds it hilarious that I was treated by a vet. Luckily I wasn't charged.
Not sure what they would have put on the bill!

Original poster

BarbarAnna · 31/01/2021 10:00

We are awaiting a dermatology referral.

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SirVixofVixHall · 31/01/2021 10:17

The reason I particularly mentioned ears, is that in my experience, with separate very easy going dogs, that has been the thing that has made them growl, lip curl or air snap.
Ears can hurt horribly, and can be noise sensitive, also the dog can anticipate the ear being touched and react.
To me it sounds as though his ear was more sensitive and painful from being cleaned , probably everything a bit louder, and he wanted to be left alone to sleep.