MY DOG BIT MY SON AND ME!!!
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| I don't know about rehabilitation. I just have no experience with it. The first thing I would do is try to get in touch with your breeder that you bought your dog from. See if there have been any other problems like this with other littermates. Even if not, the breeder needs to be aware of the incident. And they may have some suggestions for you. My main concern is that the breeder placed a timid/shy puppy with you knowing you had 4 children. No matter how well behaved the children are, a timid or shy puppy is not the best match. It's not unusual for a dog to be wary & possibly snap if in pain or out of fear but that should not be a common occurence & from what you have stated, it doesn't seem like that was the case. Guarding food is something that should not be tolerated. I've seen dogs guard their food from other dogs. But they should allow any human to take food from them & then return it....adults or children. Of course, you don't want people teasing the dog with food either. But there again, from what you have posted that doesn't seem to be the case. Yes, call the breeder & see what they have to say. |
| Marilyn is right, she should not be food possesive toward you or your children. Is there a possible medical reason you aren't aware of? An ear infection, bad tooth, anything? After you speak to the breeder you may consider a vet visit to rule out anything medical. |
| Before we all go thinking the dog did something terrible, which she did, but, what has happened prior? You have her since 8 weeks old...did she get socilaized? How about bite inhibition? No offense, but did your child scare her ( without intention)? Human owners shuold be able to take things from their dogs mouths without a problem....
Is there a training resouce nearby you can go to? Could she have an ear infection or other health problem? I would definately keep the kids away from the dog or at least not leave them alone together until you get to the bottom of this, but please rule out medical problems first... Training is worth its weight in gold. Maybe someone is nearby you can get started on classes with? |
| I would also take her to the vets for a FULL health check including a thyroid blood panel to rule out any problems there.
If all checks out OK, talk to the breeder (If reputable) if not then call in a behaviourist to work on her fear biting etc. With 4 children in the house really no option for their safety, medical check first and engaging a trainer to work on her fear/shyness aggression. If too much then I suggest you look at re-homing her through OES rescue as your childrens safety is paramount over her shyness behaviour. I dont mean this to sound harsh, but she was shy from the start, did you socialise her from when she arrived as a youngster? ie around other dogs, out and about in all sorts of places, noisy, hustle and bustle of plenty of noisy places etc.? Around heaps of people besides just family, obedience lessons with other dogs and for confidence and socialisation etc? If not then you really need to call in a specialist to work through this and for the childrens safety. If not then you need to re-house her in an enviroment that can cater to her shyness/fear needs and work to resolve her issues. |
| Thank you all for your help. I'd like to respond to a few questions that were asked. I was inexperienced in "dog" language when I chose her and looking back I do regret it. I had no idea that at eight weeks a puppy could have issues. Her calmness around her littermates was odd to me as well. They were jumping and biting as puppies do and she just sat on the side watching. The breeder I purchased her from is no longer in service. He was an older man and it was a nearly 4 hour trip from our home. However, when she came home she was never timid or shy with my children. She has never attempted to bite them before... in fact she was always quite gentle. Two years have gone by and the only thing I've ever seen regarding the kids was a warning nose nudge when one of them inadvertantly hurt her.... ie: stepping on her or petting too hard. We made a point of socializing her by taking her on long walks through the busy neighborhood and to the dog park. She behaved wonderfully in PetCo when we would visit and I considered that socialization as well. After she went into heat for her first time she seemed to change a bit. Is it possible? She is spayed now but she became less snuggly during her first heat and never became snuggly like that again. Now she is horrible in PetCo. At any rate I agree with the food issue. I have tried all I could but she still does it. My funds are so limited with four children but I will try to find a trainer. Please pray for us. We all know that though we love her she is still an animal and though we are heartbroken at the thought of having to give her up our family's safety must come first. I'll keep you posted. |
| Yes an anxious animal can undergo somewhat of a transformation at the first heat - it is sort of textbook actually. While your "first priority" is to your son - it also has to be to protect your dog from your children. And at nine he is a child who left unattended with an anxious dog could have inadvertantly done something that seemed threatening to her.
A good trainer - not one that is used to giving pet dog classes to dogs without issues - is what you need to find. |
| I'm so sorry for what you're going through, you must be so worried about everyone involved.
Yes, since you can't speak with the breeder, get a full vet check. OES's can be prone to Thyroid issues that can cause aggression. A simple prescription might make a world of difference. Some vets don't know this about OES's, so that's a good thing to find too, a vet that knows OES's (hard to find sometimes, so do your research and don't be afraid to offer suggestions about things to investigate). Ditto on the good trainer thing. You need someone who is well versed in aggressive behavior issues- it is totally a different ball game than regular obedience. Ask for references of previous clients, don't just go with the first trainer you find. And about costs of the vet/trainer, think of it this way- if you surrender her to a rescue, and then eventually get another dog, that that's expensive too (buying the pup, vaccinations, spaying/neutering, new toys, bed, puppy chow, etc. The first year of a dog's life is the most expensive). So the cost for good training and a full vet check might be less than getting a new dog later on. (Plus the emotional cost for all involved). How has she be doing over the last two weeks since the incident? How is your son doing? |
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