Posted on 12/04/2013 7:00:11 PM PST by Usagi_yo
He's a male Blue point Doberman, rescued from the animal shelter at a very young adult age. He's actually grown a bit over the 2 years we've had him.
Well he's starting to have some biting problems now after 2 years. He's bitten my sister (the owner) 3 times breaking skin each time, bruising bone and requiring antibiotics. These have happened to her at night when he's sleeping with her and her husband. Seemed it was some type of sleep problem from being woke up from dead of sleep.
Now he's bitten me. I've had direct contact with the dog almost everyday and pet him, give him biscuits, he loves to get facial rubs from me.
After coming in, he had one of those giant burrs from a sweetgum tree in his front paw. I've picked them out of his paws many times, and I know how to pick up a dogs paw. Well this time he latched on to my arm, pretty vicious, drew blood in multiple locations. Deep enough I'll have to go to the Doctor and get x-ray and antibiotics.
If you own a doberman you know they don't growl or warn before biting.
Suggestions? We have 5 dogs between the two of us. We live on about 10 acres in separate dwellings with both houses fenced in for a common dog area. Non of the other dogs are problems, German Shepard, Red Heeler, Basset hound and a hybrid 1/4 wolf 1/4 Malamute the rest Husky. None of them have been a problem or challenge the doberman.
What to do? Is this fixable? My sister doesn't want to put him down. Her husband is pissed. I say have his canines pulled.
I just can't tolerate a dog like this. Not knowing it's going to go off on any slight, perceived or otherwise.
Exactly my point. Once they have the association with the punishment medium, which may only take a couple of discipline sessions, they make the association and then all they need is a reminder. They have the intelligence and memory to do that - why not use it?
About missing this passed dog, maybe I’m weird, but out of the 10 or so dogs that I’ve raised that later died, I just have fond memories of most, and it’s never sad to relive those and I don’t miss them. The only exception is 2 that died in bad circumstances due to my own inexperience in one case, and stupidity in another.
You give them the best life you can, you enjoy each other, and Golden’s especially don’t have a long life so they pass in 10 years or so. The last part comes from the Man upstairs and I’m not about to question it!
Not to be contrary about Labs ‘n biting....but.....
Years ago, when we lived in another town, we used a vet that was well-known for his ability to treat Labs with difficult medical problems. One of our Labs had a serious cancerous tumor.
On first office visit, son was lifting our 100#er on the exam table, and when the doc reached out to help, you couldn’t help but notice his arms. They looked like arms of a heroin addict....full of *track* marks. Son commented, doc said they were scars from dog bites.....he said every one of them was from a Lab.
Since that, and what happened last week*, I realized my personal knowledge from owning many, many Labs is flawed.
They can and do bite. Although I think it is rare. Very rare.
*Son had Lab along for a truck ride a few days ago. Allow me to say, they two are inseparable buds. This Lab will do things for my son, that he won’t do for me, even though I spend more time with the dog..........anyway.............somehow dog got his paw and leg wedged in a crevice in the back seat....when son reached behind and pulled his leg out....Lab bit him. Son was so shocked....for the remainder of the day, the dog had the most curious look on his face. It was one of *Man, that really hurt, dad* *What the heck happened?* *Dude* *Just dang*
My previous Golden lived to 15 1/2 even though she had suffered an orthopedic accident at age 5 and always walked a little stiffly for her last 10 years. This (more recent) dog died at around 11, or 12 (not sure of his age, as he’d been found as a stray). So, I feel somewhat cheated. But, mainly I feel blind-sided by his illness (pancreatic cancer, discovered at the necropsy). I know that there is nothing that I could have done for him, but I still feel guilty that I didn’t do enough. He saw 2 different vets, and I think that the first one misdiagnosed his problem.
Mainly, he was a terrific dog. He accompanied me to work every day that we had him (10 years). He was the perfect office dog. He took over the corner office (my husband’s) and sat there behind a baby gate that wasn’t even attached. He could have pushed it over at any moment. People came by all day and he’d sit up hoping that they’d give him a treat out of the jar on the table outside the door. Never barked. Never whined. Just looked expectant with his big brown eyes. Worked every time.
Oh God!
He is a stumbling hazard for sure!
Since you are asking for help you want to correct the problem and not put him down. It will not be easy. You must on his terms show him that aggression to any member of his pack (your family) is unacceptable. If he shows any aggression you must react to it immediately and overwhelmingly. I don’t believe hitting a dog has ever done any good but if you show him he will be banished from the pack it might work. The other is to show him you will not be cowered or afraid of him. When he shows any aggression yell good and loud at him and remove him from the pack. Put him outside or in another room so he knows the results of that behavior. Dogs seem born to please and he should soon realize aggression is not acceptable. I just hope it is not too late.
I had a rescue Sheltie Terrier that we adopted at about 3 years old. Early on we were sitting together outside on the stoop. I don’t remember why but he growled at me. I kind of lost my head for a second and swiftly knocked him off his feet and grabbed him by the throat. With my voice I let him know that was not to be tolerated. I didn’t hit him or hurt him in any way. I don’t know why I did it but it worked and he never showed aggression towards any member of our family.
A few years later he was napping in our bedroom on the floor and my daughter about four at the time walked in and before we could stop it sat on him like a horse. He woke from a deep sleep with a blood curling snarl and snapped his head around. When he saw who it was he was pissed but not aggressive. I reprimanded my daughter and though if it was me I would have bit her.
Good luck with your problem.
My neighbor’s big dog just about ripped off the bicep of my other neighbor’s kid. I’d get rid of the dog.
We used an Italian made, soft rubber basket muzzle on a biter and it worked very well. He could drink, bark, cough, spit up, and even take a small snack, with it on.
“It is only going to get worse, get rid of the dog.
“
—
We had to do it a year ago.
Broke my heart but it had to be done.
.
Contact your local police dept. and see if they want a dog to train for sniffing out drugs.
You make a lot of sense.
I appreciate that, and I’d just like to add that I am not for putting dogs down at all, but sometimes that is a decision that must be made for different reasons.
It was a decision that I had to make based upon a biting behavior one time, and it hurt me very much to do it, because I loved the dog.
However, I also believe that tolerating the behavior or not addressing it in an effective manner can lead to truly terrible outcomes, especially if such involves small children.
Coconut oil is good. I hope you are not buying it from a regular retail store. That can get pricey. I get my coconut oil from Columbus Food’s Soaper’s Choice division.
I think it is important you understand the basic causes of aggression in dogs. There are of course subsets to these causes but in dealing with aggressive behavioral issues such reactions are usually caused by A. the dog’s fight instinct, 2. the dog’s flight instinct, 3. medical problem.
Dog’s are not people their communication is limited to vocal and physical actions. When a dog is in a situation where he feels threatened or afraid he is going to return to his basic instincts which are to either escape the situation or challenge and fight the situation. These are situations so stressful that the dog is not going to be submissive because his fear or pain is so overwhelming. A dog that does not feel safe is not going to submit.
Such situation are not about who is Alpha. Dogs learn their place in a pack not by being made to be submissive over and over again or being yelled at or by being roughly handled or jerked around by a choke collar. They learn their place in the pack by food control. The one who controls the food portioning is the alpha. Dogs learn by positive reinforcement and control of their environment (feeding is part of this) and only when necessary to protect the dog from harm to it or others brief negative reinforcement which does not involve physical punishment.
When a dog becomes aggressive for some unknown cause you first see if there have been any changes in his routine, environment that could be stressing him. A common example would be fear bought about by a 4th of July fireworks. Another common example would be ab injury. It can be introducing a new pet. It can changing where he sleeps. My point is you need to look at this from the dog’s point of view. You must also realize that behaviors on your part that you do not see as being in any way threatening may be just that for the dog. Most of the time people approach dogs in ways that signal to the dog “Watch out she can’t be trusted and may hurt me.”
THis means that after eliminating environmental causes for the aggression the second step is to observe your own behavior. Read up on how to approach dogs so they don’t mistake you for a threat. Loud noises are out. Running up on them and surprising them is out. Waking them up abruptly is out. You have to look at everything you do from their point of view. Remember they have 2 main ways to tell you “Don’t to that.” Flight or fight.
Now if a thorough examination of those two things do not yield any sudden “eurekas” the most likely cause is going to be medical. You can of course check out all 3 likely causes at the same time you don’t have to go in 1.2.3 order. Most medical causes of aggression can be treated very successfully and not always at great expense.
I believe it is essential that no matter the cause you consult with an animal behaviorist. The behaviorist can help you build back a good relationship with this dog. I hate the idea of you giving up on the dog and putting it down because people here have told you there is no hope. There is hope and you owe it to yourself and the dog to do what you can to get the dog and your relationship with it back to normal.
Umm no. Let me add “AH Hell No.”
You are very lucky you still have a face. What you did was dangerous and foolish and could have ended very,very badly. The reason he did not bite you back or bite you in the future was not because you bit him but because unknown to you the reason he bit in the first place had been eliminated. He had either adjusted to the cause or the cause had been removed.
Pulling his teeth is an extremely bad idea and quite frankly is abuse.
PS. Signs of anxiety are often a precursor to aggressive behavior (which may actually be defensive behavior). People can easily miss these signs. Look back and try to remember if the dog was anxious over such things as feeding or playtime or meeting strangers. You can look up the signs of anxiety in dogs to help you if you are not familiar with them.
I had trouble (not as much) with a Golden Retriever showing signs of aggression. The dog rescue organization said do not allow the dog on the bed, they think they are alpha. Also, when feeding, require the dog to wait and to look at you before feeding. There are other tools, but those two worked for me.
Yea, I had a golden retriever years ago. It growled at me once when I gave it a real bone. After scruffing him lightly we played take the bone .... give it back ... take the bone ... for a while, he never acted up again.
Unless you want to talk about the time he dove into Buena Vista Lagoon and swimming out to the island and refusing to swim back.
LOL.
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