AIBU to think our dog bit because his warning growls were ignored?

[Vauxhall21]

I have a 4 year old Cavapoo. He has always been a placid, but anxious dog because of his background and the environment he was bred into, however this has massively improved over time.

He has always had a little bit of resource guarding, but usually only a tiny bit of a growl and then happy to let you take the item if it was not appropriate for him to have.

He is currently going through a trial (chemical) castration. Potentially due to this, his resource guarding has got considerably worse where he will even growl at me now when he never used to, because of this if I have to take an item off him, I usually get him away from the item first by treats or a distraction and then remove it and this works fine.

Today, he was chewing on a piece of plastic and my partner attempted to take it from him, ignored his warning growls and did not do the distraction technique or try replacing it with something else, and it ended up with him biting her quite badly on the finger.

This is the first time I have ever been in this position and it has completely shaken the whole house.

Firstly, it is likely to need a hospital visit due to the punctures being quite deep. Does the hospital report this to the police? I also have a 10 year old child in the house (who knows not to go near him when he has anything in his mouth and respects his boundaries), will the hospital report this to SS?

Secondly, how do I handle this going forward? I already do the trading/distraction technique, I also suspect that the castration is making it worse so I will call the vets and ask for advice. But who was at fault? Was this a careless mistake on my partners behalf or is my dog no longer safe to be in the family home and is likely to be more aggressive after this first biting incident?

He is a very much loved dog and this was very very out of the blue despite his resource guarding issues, and we are all feeling incredibly heartbroken that this has happened so please be kind.

Hi OP,
very distressing for you. I don’t think a bite from a loved family pet will call any alerts at a&e, but you do need advice from your vet.
Many years ago I had a collie with similar tendencies - chemical castration was tried and made it worse. So the vet is your place to go after a&e.
Good luck.

You should put this in doghouse where people knowledgable about dogs will be able to provide actual advice instead of the hysteria this thread is going to generate.

But yes: your partner is an idiot who completely ignored all the warning signals from a resource guarding dog. Your partner was at fault, and if you are not capable of managing the resource guarding you need to re-home your dog to a breed specific rescue. Resource guarding does not improve, it only worsens, without careful management and your partner has already shown an appalling lack of judgment so honestly I wouldn't trust them around your dog anymore. Sorry

Edit: I don't know if the hospital will report it to the police. But you should still get this moved to Doghouse.

Secondly, how do I handle this going forward

Teach your partner to respect your dogs warning signs

If you were angry, you give visible and verbal signs. Ignore those and you may shout, or eventually lash out. Your dog is doing the same, the eyes, lips up, a growl. Those are not aggression, they are the 'I'm not happy' or bluntly 'piss off!'
Ignore the warnings and the dog may escalate to bite. Your partner has learnt the hard way.

A hospital visit is needed to clean the wound and give a Tetanus if needed.
We’ve always had dogs but my DH was bitten whilst we were on holiday by a dog on a lead.
It was on his hand and bled a lot. Despite hospital treatment he got a bad infection and needed antibiotics and a day off work.
How long have you had him? It would be hard to rehome a resource guarding dog who has bitten. Sounds like you have done your best to understand him and use strategies. Your partner has ignored the warning signs.
I’d be very worried about a 10 year old and any visiting friends.

I have always swapped something from my dog and not pulled it from them, that’s the worst thing you can do with a dog who resource guards. Yes, the warning was ignored.

This is all very well but you do need a dog that you can take things from. I've never had a dog wouldn't allow me to take things directly from his mouth. And a couple of mine have been rescues.

Sorry to hear this. Does the bite need stitches?
as PP have said, call the vet tomorrow and get some advice. I’d very much doubt SS would get involved, but if they do just explain his CC and difficulties - he’s not exactly a pitball cross type dog that would be able to do serious damage / kill children, adults and other animals if it chose to

The OP already said they can take things from their dog using distraction techniques.

The hospital won't report it to the police or SS. It was a nasty bite to your DH's finger, your dog didn't go for his throat!

I feel your husband is at fault. Firstly, you have a system of distraction and item replacement which has previously worked very well but your husband chose not to use it. Secondly and more importantly, your husband ignored the repeated growls and the dog's facial expression and body language that would have accompanied it. These are the only means a dog has of communicating its intention to bite. Why didn't he heed the repeated warnings?

Yes.

(Dog behaviour consultant here!) - you've all repeatedly ignored his polite 'no' growls and the lack of testosterone due to the chemical castration (assuming Suprelorin, please say its not Tardak, thats worse!) will have caused him to be more anxious...

So yes, he's finally realised he has to do more than just growl to protect whats his/avoid being manhandled.

No you do not need to report a bite in your own home to an adult stupid enough to ignore warning communications, skip the behaviour modification protocol and just try to take something off the dog. I would give said adult a clip round the earhole to go with his bitten hand personally...

If bleeding has stopped, make sure the wound is clean and stays clean - if bleeding will not stop that needs medical attention. Otherwise, it only needs attention if theres evidence of infection (bright red angry etc, redness that spreads).

Going forward - reiterate to all concerned that if the dog has something they swap/distract/redirect they do NOT approach the dog and attempt to take something from him. If its a child in question, they move away from the dog and find an adult.

There is NO item your dog can have in his mouth that is made safer by approaching and trying to take it. None.

Make sure everyone is tidy and understands leaving something where the dog can get it risks their item and risks the dog and if they're keen to keep either, they need to tidy up after themselves.

If this is a one off behaviour from your partner and he realises how stupid he has been then there is every chance you can sort this out -however if he doubles down and insists he will do it again (or you think he will regardless of what he says) and you think you cannot prevent him or kids taking things from the dog.. you do have to ask the question 'is it fair and safe to keep this dog'.

The dogs behaviour is fairly predictable here and can be managed and addressed -what is much less predictable is the behaviour of humans!

Everyone in the house needs to be on the same page about managing the resource guarding. Anything of value to him needs to go.

My lab will happily drop anything when asked (we trained a 'Drop' in exchange for a treat and he caught on very quickly and used to sashay past with the tiniest bit of fluff he could find to get a reward for giving it up.)

But my mali is prone to guarding anything of high value. Balls are kept to being used at the park only or she'll stockpile them and guard like a dragon, and treats that take a while to eat are banned. My lab can only have a pigs ear when she's out at training.

Your partner will need ABs. Dog bites are very dirty.

My ds was bitten deeply on the hand by my ex's dog, and I took him to A&E. The hospital team automatically reported the dog bite to the police - although I don't know whether that was because it was a child who was bitten.

I recently had a dog bite and it does need a visit to a minor injuries department. The bite was cleaned and dressed, I had a tetanus and given a 3 day antibiotic course. It was my dog and there was no mention of contacting the police.

Your husband needs to go straight to A & E - he needs a tetanus booster soon.

Instead of grabbing items off the dog, stand up to resume a position of dominance - this is important as you and your DH are pack leaders, the dog is resuming they are pack leader by growling.

Then stamp one foot, hard and loudly on the floor, like you are enraged.

I had an encounter with a flock of crazy geese on a canal path a few years ago and not one of them made physical contact with me.

I walked right up to them as they were blocking the path, whilst stamping my feet very loudly with every step - It is a damned good thing no one saw me!

One goose turned its back and shook.

Each and every one of these geese moved off the path and onto the grassy verge, leaving the path clear for me to cross.

I was alone with a flock of vicious geese so I had to use my instincts to stay safe and these steps ( excuse the pun) really helped me.

Put it down you’ve a child in the house

kids before dogs

Great way to blame the victim!

@NoisyMonster678 a goose is slightly different to an anxious, resource guarding doodle.

Don't do this suggestion OP. You need less conflict.

The crazies have joined the thread...

Well it is the victims fault in this case.

Is it a new partner? Why did she do that to the dog?

No sorry I wouldn't have a dog that I can't take things off without getting bitten. I could take a steak out my rottweilers mouth. A dog should not be biting a person over an object. A dog that bites that easily should not be living with children. It takes a split second for the dog to pick something up belonging to the child and the child to go to grab it back. No child should be living in a house knowing not to go near an animal because theyll get bit.

What happens when the kid has friends over? I wouldn't want my kid going to a house with a dog known for biting.

All bites that penetrate the skin need medical treatment, mouths are filthy and bites easily get infected.

I wouldn't risk it in my house . I couldn't have the stress and the fear that maybe one of my kids friends or a visitor does the wrong thing and gets badly bitten even if your husband and child learn know how to handle them.

Don’t be so utterly hyperbolic! Only dogs who are out of control need to be put to sleep not dogs whose owners were negligent!

This, 100%.