My dog bit me and drew blood - should I put it down?

1. 72

   ptosisposted 12 years ago

   My dog bit me and drew blood - should I put it down?
   
   Today, the dog bit me. Hard. On the thumb, deep puncture wound and black and blue mark on the nail. I thoughtlessly took a big bone away from her without testing first how Jackie would react. Because it wasn't dog food that she gulped down in 3 seconds - I took the bone by my hand while she was chewing.
   
   It hurt bad. Later still upset, I called the former owner. He lied to me. He had to hesistate befoer answering my question, "Has the dog ever bit a human before?" He said, "Errr ... not that I recall."
   He is full of crap.
   
   This in one thing that is not int the  training books. Please help.

   report
2. 59

   Jesus was a hippyposted 12 years ago

   Dogs need training. If you only just got the dog I would recommend training it. If that doesnt work and she is truly a danger to people, only then would I consider putting her down.

   report
3. 77

   Seeker7posted 12 years ago

   It's always upsetting if you have a pet dog that has bitten deliberately. The reason she has done this is because she obviously feels that she is the boss and not you. Dogs only have their mouths and teeth unfortunately to show their displeasure. If a dog feels that they are the boss over the human, then they will use their teeth to show their displeasure, especially with food.  However, it is more worrying that the previous owner lied to you, but there's not much you can do about that now.
   
   But there are a couple of things you can do to sort this situation - rather than having her put to sleep. Dominance in a dog can, much of the time, be rectified with advice and training. Have a word with your vet first of all and try and rule out anything on the health side that might have caused her to bite. You should also consider an animal behaviourist who will give you and your dog training on how to ensure that you are the boss in your own home and so stop the dominant/aggressive behaviour in your dog.
   
   In the short term, if you need to take anything from your dog and are worried about getting bitten, then put on a good pair of gardening gloves. Also, and I know this is hard to do, but when you have to assert your authority with her, be totally relaxed, calm and above all confident.  Dogs can sense with your voice tone and level if you are nervous. Above all, don't show aggression back by shouting or hitting out, that will only make the situation much worse.  Hope some of this helps, good luck.

   report
4. 80

   JayeWisdomposted 12 years ago

   Something similar happened to me, but I didn't even consider having my beloved dog euthanized. If a dog hasn't been properly trained not to "guard" her food, this can happen, but training is possible even with an older dog.
   
   You didn't say how long you've had the dog, but, since she was previously owned by someone else, she may not have been trained as a puppy. You should consider the services of a certified animal behaviorist, if one practices near you.
   
   On the other hand, teaching her to obey the command to "drop" non-food objects, then graduating to food objects may be all that's needed. It's unlikely that your dog is truly aggressive if she bit you because you were taking a bone (food, to her) out of her mouth. It's more of a territorial issue, with anything she considers food the catalyst. With the right kind of training now, she is most likely salvageable.
   
   You may want to read my hub about my experience and the aftermath. Here's the link:
   
   http://jayewisdom/hubpages.com/hub/My-Dog-Bit-the-Hand-That-Feeds-Her
   
   I hope you will find this helpful and have the patience to work with your dog in order to correct the problem.
   
   Jaye
   
   P.S. For some reason, the link won't print like I typed it. The title of the hub is My Dog Bit the Hand That Feeds Her. You can find it listed on my profile page.

   report
5. 61

   MegySuposted 12 years ago

   It's definitely important to consider the situation. It's not horribly uncommon for dogs to get snappish when you take a bone away. This is definitely something I would be aware of and work on, but it doesn't mean that your dog is going to bite you for no reason.
   
   It sounds like this is a new dog for you. It seems even more understandable for your dog to feel uncertain of her new situation and be especially protective of her new bone.
   
   You might not find answers neatly labeled in regular obedience books, but this is a very common problem. She needs to know that she is in a safe environment and that you are the pack leader. In general, I would make sure that you don't let her eat around strange people, or put your hand near her food. I would also start to teach her that you are the leader and she needs to let you take things from her. Start with something she doesn't seem to be possesive of - a stuffed toy for example. Teach her "give" or "drop." Work your way towards replacing the toy with a bone and slowly work your way towards reaching for the bone and see how she reacts.
   
   Go slowly and don't give up.
   If

   report
6. 72

   ptosisposted 12 years ago

   Infamous dog bites the hand that feeds it. New owner returns canine to the pound who soon after returns the poor pooch back to the previous psychopathic owner for more puppy abuse. read more

   report
7. 58

   dadibobsposted 12 years ago

   My first question is do you have any children?, if you do, they might be as lucky as you. Training will take time, if you have children, you may not have time to invest in this dog. Rather than putting the dog to sleep, maybe try and find a home for it with no children. That would be my priority. If not you have to weigh up the risk, is iy a big dog?, could the bite be worse next time?, it has bitten you once, it will probably do it again. (All within my own experiences, we have had dogs for 20 years).

   report
8. 84

   mikejhcaposted 12 years ago

   No.  My dog liked to run and do jump attacks.  It was like being attacked by a wolf because my dog is around the size of a wolf.  However we trained him to behave.  People always comment on how well behaved my dog is but they have not seen my ripped up coat and they did not see my wounds.  My dog does not guard his food or toys but if he is biting something and you put your hand in the way you may get bit hard.  It would be like someone putting their hand in your mouth when you were about to bite something hard.
   
   You need to be more careful and you should train your dog.  As the dog's owner you are supposed to teach your dog to react the way you want her to react.  Instead of getting upset with your dog teach her.  When grabbing food from a dog you should at least make sure the dog is not chewing it.
   
   From what you said it is at least partially your fault.  If the dog went out of its way to bite you then it needs training.  If it was just biting down and your hand got in the way it is all your fault.  Dogs bite for lots of reasons.  They bite when they are scared, excited, playing or because they are trying to be dominant.  It is up to you to change her behavior.
   
   All dogs bite until they are taught not to.  If all the dogs that bit people were put down there would not be any dogs left.

   report
9. 61

   Dubuquedogtrainerposted 12 years ago

   Not based on one bite, but you do need to get the assistance of a professional. First see your vet to rule out any medical causes for the aggression, then find a good, reward-based trainer, preferably a clicker trainer who is experienced in behavior modification and treating aggression to evaluate your dog and develop a behavior modification plan.

   report
10. 63

    Desertarmorposted 12 years ago

    Absolutely not, that is a training behavoir issue.  The dog was being protective of food.  This starts out as a newborn puppy when they fight eachother for food from mom.  You need to teach the dog to "drop" the item, no matter if it is a toy or a bone.  look into teaching the drop with a toy, and relate that to the bone as well.  Remember she isonly a dog, how long have you had her? you may not even have a bond with her yet.

    report
    1. 72

       ptosisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       This was no puppy and I returned it to the owner via the pound because I really  didn't want to return to that the dog to that crazy woman who abused it in the first place. I wrote a long story about it, "Adopting a Problem Dog" I have a chug now.

       report
11. 85

    MomsTreasureChestposted 12 years ago

    It's always hard with a dog that has had former owners, you never know what the dog has been through.  Be cautious and treat the dog with kid gloves for the first six months or so, work really hard at getting the dog to trust you.  In this case it sounds like your hand was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and really is no fault of the dog...good luck with your new pet!

    report
    1. 72

       ptosisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       dog is back with original owner for the past few months I've had a different dog, Chuggers, 3/4 chihuahua , 1/4 pug. Chugs is the dog for me. And is not food possessive at all.  Chugs is super smart & I gives thanks 2 previous owner who did a goo

       report
12. 66

    Poethepoetposted 12 years ago

    It's really a very bad idea to take food, which includes a bone away from any dog. You just never know, and can't predict how any animal will react.

    report
    1. 72

       ptosisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah, that's want a lot of people said to me. I must've grew  up spoiled because all the dogs were good and soft mouth.

       report
13. 0

    Larry Wallposted 12 years ago

    Since you are not the first person, the dog has bitten I would say it is something to carefully consider.. If the dog has a habit of snapping or snarling at other people, you might need to put him down. It is not an easy decision or one to be made in haste.
    
    I had a choclate Lab mix, that was originally found by a rescue group in a school yard when he was six-week  old being kicked around by children, who were old enough to know better.
    
    We took the dog home and for years he was a wonderful pet. However, he grew more aggressive to most people except me. That dog would sit by my chair so I could constantly pet him. He would lay in a position that would allow him to look up at me and look at my wife in the adjoining kitchen. However, when Wheel of Fortune came on and as Vanna White was introduced, he would turn around and watch the show and then turn back to the original position.
    
    I was hospitalized for two weeks for a perforated colon. When I came home, I spent a lot of time in my recliner. The dog would not leave my side. He went outside when I sent to the bathroom. He would not leave me to eat for a few days. The adjective devotion does not adequately describe that dog's attitude toward me.
    
    However, he started to get more aggressive. He bit the grandson of my wife's best friend. He snapped at a neighbor. Then, one day, when I was trying to get him out of his kennel to go outside, he bit me. If he would bite me, he would bite anyone.
    
    This happened on a Saturday, and I was leaving the following afternoon for a business trip in another state and did not want to leave my wife and son along with the dog. We called the vet, and he said it was time to put him down. He had always been concerned about the dog's aggressive behavior toward most people.
    
    So the next day, Sunday, we took him to the vet and said good-bye. It is hard to put down a pet that was such a part of the family, but it was best thing to do for everyone's safety.
    
    Since you believe he has bitten other people, my advice is the watch your dog closely and if he starts to show aggressive behavior to people that he should know, then you may have to consider putting him down. Also, as some dogs get older, they become more aggressive.
    
    It is a hard thing to do, but it may be the best for the safety of your family and could save you form a costly law suite if he hurts a neighbor or anyone outside the family.
    
    Good luck.

    report