Advice needed with our rescue dog

[MyReactiveDog]

Hi,
Could do with some advice ideally from experienced dog owners/those who have or work with rescue dogs.
Apologies for long post but don't want to drip feed.

My DDog is an 8yr old rescue male Border Collie cross. He's reactive, scared of loud noises and a resource guarder (food mainly).
He has bit my arm once (small 1cm cut) when trying to groom him (he is now heavily sedated when necessary and groomed at the vets) and bit DH (again small) when trying to take non-edible item from him he had got from the bin.

He is otherwise very friendly and soft to people and other dogs.

We manage it mostly, don't have young children and know that any food dropped (or things he thinks are food) we have to let him have it.

Most recent incident which has worried me is yesterday while playing with him in the garden I stood on his paw. Usually he growls and will slightly go for my leg if this happens but this time he leapt up growling and caught me on the jaw, it was v sore, I have a bruise and small graze under ear and bruising on my on chin (so basically went for my face/neck).

It was v fast, no pre-warning growl, I stepped on his paw and his reaction was immediate.
Have discussed with DH and have messaged behaviourist (who has previously advised us) to get their advice (waiting on reply).

I'm worried he could lunge at a passing child out walking if he is hurt in any way/someone trips over him etc and with any dog (he's always on lead) accidents happen, he can pull excessively and the lead is dropped).

Its upsetting to consider behavioural euthanasia but I'm wondering if that's where we are at now , he has had a good life with us.
Thanks for reading, advice welcome

Yes, there is a high chance he will react strongly if a stranger treads on him. I would muzzle train him (if you search Blue Cross muzzle training on YouTube they have a great video). Collies don't treat fools gladly, and he has limited bite inhibition (but does have some as he hasn't done big damage despite breaking the skin) which means when he's worried he will bite. He needs to be muzzled when out and about to keep everyone (including him) safe.

I’m no expert, but I’m passionate about dogs and currently have three Border Collies of my own, two of whom are rescues. I’m also a realist, and while I truly hope you get some advise from someone more qualified than me, I have to agree with your assessment.
If he is still highly reactive at eight years old, it's difficult to see how that ingrained behaviour can be changed or how he can ever be fully trusted. You have to think about everyone's safety, including your own.
I wish you the absolute best of luck with this. If you do ultimately have to go down the path of euthanasia, please take solace in knowing you have done the absolute best you could for him.

I foster a lot of collies for rescue charities. I have a lot of dogs with bite history and often never ever see this behaviour again when they come to me. If the trigger is removed the dogs have no need to bite.

However saying all of that can the triggers be removed or the dog be in a position to not bite eg muzzles etc?

Dogs that bite are generally anxious dogs and by bringing down the general stress levels of their daily life the bite history will lower. Whether it is safe to wait for this to happen depends on circumstances.

If your behaviourist is qualified (and I do mean academic quallifications not just been a dog person for years) then they should be able to evaluate the situation safely. I am assuming that they have had a detailed vet check includin blood tests and urine tests before the behaviourist started any behaviour modification?

I would not think your dogs aggression has gone up a step if they react when they have been hurt. How long have you had the dog? 8 years may be an increase in msk so the incident reall hurt the dog.

Unfortunately noone can really say without seeing the dog but keep calm and get professional advice. I have been involved in behavioural euthansia cases it is difficult and you need a team of professionals to advise you and help you make the decision.

I had a rescue border collie. Very very difficult situation. It nearly broke me. I saw multiple 'experts' and each had a different view. I've had collies all my life and have trained to a high standard, so I'm not inexperienced but this one beat me. One thing that was suggested to me that I firmly rejected at the time was prozac. I felt like it was cheating, that it was unethical to medicate dogs etc. I wish now I'd tried it. Might be worth considering. Dogs have no concept of tomorrow though and if you chose to pts, then it can often be the fairest option all round.

Has he been to the vet and been checked for pain?

Sorry to say that this could get worse when he gets old and grumpy.
I think you have to decide at which point a bite is one bite too many.

I had a gorgeous greyhound years ago. On a couple of separate occasions, she bit a couple of our other dogs. One of them needed stitches. We decided that the next time would be the final time. She used to go for months just being loveable and no trouble at all.

Eventually, she bit another of our dogs and tore his skin. He needed major surgery. We put her to sleep. The vet said we'd done the right thing.

Personally, having had an awful lot of rescue dogs over many, many years, I wouldn’t consider euthanasia for that. It wasn’t unprovoked, you trod on his foot. I walk multiple dogs every day (my own, I’m not a dog walker) and if you are sensible, it’s vanishingly unlikely that anyone else will tread on him.
Do you let him on the couch/bed? If so, stop that now, he stays on the floor.
And I know it’s difficult. I have euthanised for behaviour, for a dog with a brain tumour. Awful.

Thanks for advice, he is muzzle trained as he wears one for vet visits. We will consider that.

Medication is something we are considering, have a vet visit booked to discuss that, he had a full health check v recently (v sedated) so shouldn't be any other health issues, and this isn't new for him really, its just got worse.

Having spoke to behaviourist we also feel he is almost always v stressed and it's a trigger stacking situation. She is coming for a proper visit next week. Have been reading about it and didn't realise positive experiences (eg exciting play) can also count as triggers so will do more calm games (hide and seek with toys etc, rather than throwing).

@HarshbutTrue2 yes that will be the time, if there is any escalation and medication doesn't work.

Dogs communicate through a "ladder of aggression" (subtle body language like lip-licking, then freezing, then growling, then biting). But acute pain, like a stepped-on paw, bypasses that ladder. He didn't think, he just reacted.

Still. I would be worried that he went for your face. While the bite was a reflex, the target is a bad sign. A dog that launches upward when hurt or startled presents a much higher safety challenge than one that snaps down at the floor or a shoe because he intends harm. Have him wear a (fitted!) basket muzzle at all times (even inside), this will cause you to relax as well, it wil help him. Lot's of people think of a muzzle like a punishment but it's not. If it's well-fitted, he will still be able to sniff, drink or lay down, and you will have that safety shield to be able to relax around him.

Have you been to the vet to check for hidden pain? At 8, he is at an age for developing chronic pain, such as arthritis or spinal stiffness, lot's of borders get arthritis as they age. If he is living with a contrast pain, he will not have the patience to communicate. Tell the vet about this facial bite and ask if they can trial him on a joint supplement or a daily anti-inflammatory/pain medication to see if lowering his baseline pain lowers his reactivity.

If he has to he sedated for the vets then it will be very hard to check for arthritis, so the health check the @MyReactiveDog sensibly got won't be worth much because you can't do a thorough job if they are groggy and non reacting to stimuli.

Given that you're only just starting your journey with the behaviourist I would give that a chance first before looking to behavioural euthanasia. I currently have 2 rescues both who were taken on urgently as were going to be put to sleep - one collie mix who sounds very similar to yours. While I know a bite can be scary - they weren't unprovoked, collies do take control by nipping and a good trainer will help you restructure your relationship so the dog learns it isn't appropriate to correct you like that.
My other dog isn't a collie but was going to be pts for severe resource guarding - he will happily drop or bring me any food or resource these days and doesn't guard against the other dogs but it did take time and effort.
Good luck with the behaviourist I hope it helps you all get to where you want to be.

Do you know anything of his history OP? How long have you had him?

A sedated health check won’t show you anything in terms of pain.

We are very limited with vet checks as he can't be examined unless sedated. He runs about happily, doesn't appear to be in pain and vets always say he appears healthy (he's also in good shape/slim).

We have had him since he was 1, we had another dog at the time (sadly gone 2yrs ago) and he was definitely less stressed with her around. She was a v confident dog and it definitely helped him. We don't want to get another dog as his food aggression is bad, we managed it but it was difficult.

Thanks again for advice 😊