Our rescue dog bit my daughter and I today.

[CaraVann]

3 months ago we rescued our dog, Bear.
He was born November 2020. Original owner got him at 7 weeks (I’ve worked out he was a Christmas dog!), it was also during lockdown, when the owner returned to work she crated him for 12 hours every day, she lived in a flat with no garden and never took Bear out, ever.
I believe the owner surrendered him to the rescue when he was about 12 months old.
The rescue worked hard on him as he was scared of the outside world and even putting a harness on him was hard work. They have done such great work with him but he will always be a very anxious dog, bless him.
He was adopted earlier this year, the couple had him for 3 months then gave him back. I was told by the rescue this was because they gave him a lickimat, he bit some of it off and swallowed a piece, he had to go to the vet to induce vomiting and apparently reverted back to his early days as the vets is one of his anxiety triggers and the couple couldn’t handle it, apparently.
So he was returned to the rescue, spent a few more months there and we adopted him early September.
He has been with us for 3 months.
We have had a few settling in issues with him but none of them major. The main things have been him weeding and pooing in the house, being scared of cars, scared of the vacuum cleaner, ripping things up (cushions/throws etc) and barking a lot for food/attention etc.
All these things have been ok to deal with as he has always been a happy and friendly dog, never shown aggression towards us, other people or other dogs.
He is so happy and bouncy that I often say he is like Tigger on speed!
I walk him at least twice a day, on the same field opposite my house.
As per the advice from the rescue and the behaviourist they use, we have kept his world small, just the local walks, just us family. We are a quiet family ( dc are 14 and 17), so no loud noises or lots of people coming and going.
All has been fine and he has been slowly settling into a good routine.
He was barking quite a bit in the evenings but for the last few weeks he has started to settle well and sits and snoozes on the sofa, in between dh and I, very cuddly and happy.
He has always been bouncy and happy and adores DH the most, he is definitely his favourite but seems to like us all.

However, today for some reason something changed.

Today he bit my dd and myself and I am not sure why.

The day started off well. Dh and I took him for a lovely walk over the field. We came home and he pottered around the house as usual then I popped out for a few hours. When I got home he was fine and greeted me happily as usual.
Dd came home from school and he sat next to her snoozing on the sofa, again, as usual.
Then dd touched his head, nothing abnormal there and he suddenly snapped and bit her on the hand. She was obviously shocked. I came in the room and sat with them both and stroked him. He seemed ok but looked a bit guilty. He then went for her again! Dd went upstairs to her room and we left him to settle.
A bit later (around half and hour) he came into the kitchen where I had been and I put my hand out gently to him (again, I’ve done this endless times and he has never shown any aggression towards me before this), he snarled/snapped suddenly and bit my thumb, drawing blood.
He now seems very wary of me for some reason, I don’t know why. He has always been so friendly and happy with us. I am quite shocked tbh as I can’t see what may have provoked this.
I don’t understand why he would do this after 3 months.
He had seemed fine all day, seems ok health wise.

Nothing today was out of routine other than DH was here this morning and didn’t go to work at 6.30am as usual, he is on sifts this winter and went to work at 1pm instead. But that is no different from the weekends when we all separately come and go.

Does anyone have any idea why he would turn on dd and I today?

That's shocking!

Dogs and sofas. Always seems to be a thing.

I’m in Essex harriethoyle, thank you. Although it may be worth taking her details. If I have no luck finding one in my area I’ll happily do some remote sessions.
Thank you Newuser82, I do need to treat this as a blip atm and hope and pray we can help remedy this. Everything was going brilliantly up until yesterday so I do live in hope. And DH is not a quitter so is refusing to give up on his ‘boy’.
It does appear that way LemonSwan, Bear will be getting his own ‘mini’ sofa for Xmas!

I'm glad that the news seems to point towards a physical issue that can likely be cured easier than a difficult behavioural one, although obviously not glad Bear is in pain & discomfort. Obviously going forward you'll have it in mind that he can bite when in pain.

Your vet will recommend a behaviourist.

Lovely news he will be getting his own sofa for christmas. I think he's a much loved dog.

Thank you PotatoScollop, It’s has been a sharp reminder that every day is a learning curve with a rescue. Hopefully, with this in mind, the meds for his ears and working with a behaviourist we can get Bear to a great place.

So glad to hear that you have planned a way forward and that Bear has been settled since the incident. I can tell how much you love him! He's lucky to have you.

Even non-rescue dogs can lash out when they have ear-infections - especially between sleep and waking. Fingers crossed for Bear.

Ah hope you can find a way forward. There is a very blanket view on dogs that have bitten (which I can obviously completely understand!) but to them it is a normal reaction under extreme stress or pain. I think sometimes people can be a bit black or white with it. I was nipped as a child - I'd been annoying one of our dogs when I was about 5 and following it round. Mum had told me to leave it alone but of course I persisted and it gave me a short sharp nip. I also got told off for irritating the dog when I'd been told to leave it and I was told exactly why! We were always raised that dogs were animals with animal reactions and we can't always assume they are on the same page.

I've been following your thread and really hope it is an ear infection which clears up quickly

Get him checked for pain.
I have 9 dogs, including the best boxer in the world, with the most wonderful temperament. He’s absolutely brilliant with kids and babies (he’s not used to either) people, strangers, cats and puppies and different dogs. He’s an absolute saint……but…if he’s in pain the first thing he’ll do is cry and bite you if you try and touch whatever hurts.

A while back he got his lip stuck in his bottom teeth, I had to wrap his head in a towel to free it, he bit he and my husband.

dogs can’t say ‘I feel crap, that hurts, ouch don’t touch that’ they just snap.
however wonderful a dog is, it’s still the wolf in your livingroom. Dogs like every other animal is driven by instinct, thousands and thousands of years of instinct, ingrained into their DNA. Biting is an instinct to many things.

As someone who shares their home with a rescue dog (she was 8 or 9 weeks old when she entered my life - and had already been abused), who is 6 years old this month, my advice is simple: don't expect a miracle "cure" for Bear, regardless of how well behaved he is capable of being. They lapse back into their patterns of behaviour caused by the abuse/trauma they suffered - and often you'll have no way of knowing, until they've skulked around or lashed out.

My dog, we think, was beaten with a riding crop. She is incredibly wary of sticks or anything that swishes through the air as a result. Whilst she's not bitten my 18 year old or myself (yet), we've gone 17 months without incident until my disability had a flare this week and I've had to use a crutch to get around. Normally my dog is my shadow - the last few days, she's slinking around the house looking traumatised. She knows that I won't hurt her... but she suspects the crutch might. We're giving her lots of space as a result, whilst praising her and making a fuss of her as we normally do, when she ventures near.

I've spent my whole life around dogs, though, so recognise enough of their body language "tells" if they're unsure/afraid/unwell/in pain. As a kid though, I had my fair share of "warning bites" (not hard enough to break the skin, just enough to say "back off!"). Bear's possible ear infection will hopefully be just a blip, and in a few years you'll look back and wonder at it.

You sound like a sensible, balanced person when it comes to dogs, @CaraVann. Bear is lucky to have you, instead of someone who'd either be getting rid of him (potentially lying to a rescue in order to do so) or having him euthanised, without trying to find the cause of his abnormal behaviour.

I am keeping everything crossed and hoping the antibiotics will clear the infection and we can start from where we left off. Right now, I will see this as a blip. As most of you with experience have said, it’s not plain sailing with a rescue, we’ve just hit a bumpy patch.
I really do not want to give up on him, none of us do. I totally understand why it would frighten someone if they were bitten, especially if they have small children, have little experience with dogs or have only had dogs from puppyhood. And of course, if a dog of mine was involved in some kind of frenzied attack then that is a completely different scenario which would need dealing with immediately.
I don’t have young children and we have no children who visit us and whilst my teen children are obviously my priority, they are old enough to know to leave Bear be atm until we can work to settle him and get him back into a good place.
It does sadden me so many people give up on dogs so quickly (the current overwhelming situation with all the UK’s rescue centre is a prime example of this, sadly) but I understand it’s scary when a dog snaps or bites, it certainly scared me (and luckily he didn’t leave too much of a mark on either of us) but I truly believe there was a reason for it and hopefully it’s something as simple as the ear infection.
Bear needs his space right now and he will get that from us and hopefully and slowly he will realise he is safe here….and loved.

@CaraVann youre a good egg OP and sound eminently sensible. You know your dog and your family, and sound like you have this in hand.

Ignore the twats on here, very best of luck to you and I hope Bear feels better soon

Thank you SarahSissions

I can see why he did this, I'm sorry it happened but you have to see it from a dogs point of view.
He always sleeps on the sofa, does he have a space he can go to where no one else goes? A covered crate with the door left open would be ideal.
Never disturb a sleeping dog, especially an anxious dog. I don't think he was "looking guilty", I think most likely he was anxious from earlier. Then this built up until he bit you. It's possible that he has never been fine with you holding out your hand to him, and you've not picked up on subtle signs of this, on this occasion he bit your thumb, because his attempts at subtle communication went un noticed.

You don't need to give him up, but I would contact a behaviourist.
And for now, make sure he has a place to sleep where he won't be disturbed, and to stop putting your hand put to him. Let him come to you, and don't pet him

Aw hes cute. I think it might be an ear infection. I had terriers for over 25 years. Not one bit once. It sounds very out the ordinary for your dog given how you have described him.
Is it worth getting a crate but leaving the door open, just so he has a safe space but dont lock him in. I know the crate was used in an abusive way before but he would have known it was his space. Or would it scare him??

Thank you askagainlater, he does have two safe places, his covered crate and his mattress bed (which he chooses most regularly over the two) but the crate is there for him at all times. Tbh, I don’t usually offer my hand to him, as I have mentioned in several of my replies, I have had dogs all of my life and know not to do this, it was a knee jerk reaction of mine to try to reassure him that he wasn’t in trouble, it was totally my mistake and dd’s for touching him whilst he was snoozing, she is 14, has lived with our previous dog for the last 10 years. We certainly learn by our mistakes, we won’t do it again. I have arranged to see a local behavioural expert in January and will work with him, I will not give up on him, he’s our dog and part of our family, just as all my previous dogs have been.
Mydogatemypurse the vet has confirmed it’s an ear infection, he has some steroids and we have another appointment on Monday. Bear has a crate, it’s in a corner of the kitchen, it’s covered and left open at all times. He does go in it and will sleep in it when it’s really cold, I do think he sees it as a safe place.

@CaraVann with ear pain and suddenly being woken by touch, he will have been instinctively defending himself. Personally, I wouldn’t worry.

I hope you don't have pets - and certainly don't ever get yourself a pet.

OP, I'm so glad you persevered, and I hope Bear enjoys his first Christmas with you. He is gorgeous! FWIW my ddog also bit once, when she was terrified and lashing out at a dog that was in her face barking (she had been attacked and badly injured not long before). I tried to put myself in between them, idiot that I am, and got my leg chomped. Other than that one-off she's a lovely gentle girl and the perfect family pet.

Exactly.

Dog with an ear infection, actually. Mine hasn't murdered me yet.

Thanks JesusInTheCabbageVan lovely to see your dog snuggled up. I am currently sitting on the floor in front of the log burner with Bear draped across my legs, gentle snoozing. It’s a very peaceful and comfortable scene (apart from my dead arse!). The way some people have responded you would think I had described him as some kind of out of control devil dog. I can’t understand how they are telling me to ‘get rid’. He has an ear infection and was obviously feeling poorly. So if their cat scratched them, their bunny or hamster took a nasty nip they’d be out if their ear too?
Such lovely animal lovers!

@CaraVann really pleased to hear Bear is settled and snoozing peacefully, bless him 🐶❤️

Hi OP, I've been reading your thread as I've had a similar situation with my new rescue last night, except he bit me whilst we were sat on the sofa together. I was just curious to know what happened in the long-run? I've contacted my rescue centre today to let them knows he's bitten me and get some advice about that as I have children in the house. I've had to keep him in the crate while they ate breakfast today but won't be able to keep him in there throughout the holidays when they're around more. So one way or the other I have to sort this out asap! Thanks.

Hi LizzoB I’m sorry your dog has bitten you, it’s really quite frightening when it happens.

I won’t lie, it has been a tough year with our dog. We do adore him and I have learnt to recognise his body language but he is still very wary of so many things. We have used 3 behaviourist who all gave conflicting advice although the last one was great and we’ll stick with him but we can’t afford to keep it up all the time, tbh. In many ways he is a lot better than he was but there are some things we will always need to be wary off. We have recently put him on Prozac after trying all of the natural remedies, the fluoxetine is helping somewhat. We do think now that he was probably abused much more than the rescue realised.

I will say though had my dc been a lot younger I would have returned him to the rescue centre as I can not trust him around children.

Have the rescue returned your call? We didn’t have much with our rescue centre, they didn’t really want to know tbh. I do feel for you, it’s such a dilemma when faced with this issue.