My dog just bit me

KitteeBride2Be · September 2009

I know there are a lot of knowledgeable animal lovers on here and I need advice...Im sick and I left a tissue on the bed and my dog found it. He likes to eat tissues whenever he can find them and I obviously try to get them off of him bc Im afraid of an obstruction or whatever harm eating tissues can cause. He's never been aggressive and I reached in his mouth (stupid) to get the tissue. He clamped down on my finger REALLY hard and was growling. He drew blood and it felt like he might have broken my finger. FI is flipping out, saying that we cant have this dog around kids. Our dog loves kids and has never been aggressive before. I honestly don't know what to do... It was my fault, but what do you do when you dog bites you? Should we get him in obedience training? I just don't know what to do with an aggressive dog.

ScarletGem · September 2009

This actually has nothing to do with the tissue, I'm sorry to say. Really, the problem is that he's offended by your Knot name.

Brie2010 · September 2009

I would post this on the Nest pets board tomorrow--they have a lot of people who work with dogs with aggression issues.It sounds to me like he has some issues with guarding what he sees as high-value items. A lot of dogs do it with food, bones, toys, etc. I don't have enough expertise on the subject to advise you, but you might want to google things like "food aggression" and see what pops up.

ThePinkSuperhero · September 2009

Is there any dog that doesn't bite someone who's taking away his food? Train him all you want, but a dog is still a dog. If you provoke him, he will bite. You provoked him, and he bit. To prevent future bitings, I think it makes more sense to train the people in his life to handle him properly.

KitteeBride2Be · September 2009

Yeah, I hate my knot name, but I'm not willing to start fresh as I'm getting married in 2 weeks.I didn't know the nest had a pet board. I will definitely check that out tomorrow. He's NEVER been food aggressive before. It's so strange.

louisvillebride21 · September 2009

I'm wondering if you have to report it? My dad was messing around with his cat and she bit him and broke the skin. It was totally his fault and he knew it. He called animal control and he had to go get a shot and keep the cat inside for 10 days...which wasn't a big deal since they are all inside cats anyways.

ScarletGem · September 2009

I don't really know how to handle this, but can understand your FI's concern about kids. Dogs often get worse around kids as they get older and grumpier, but it can help a lot if you just make sure that the kid-dog interactions take place in areas where the dog has room to escape from the kid. Or obedience training might be a good idea, so the dog learns about appropriate behavior and you learn how to get desirable behavior out of him. That said, ditto pp on asking on The Nest.

katiewhompus · September 2009

Well, I don't think that you should peg him as an aggressive dog or think that he's horrible or dangerous. You aren't feeling well so he was probably feeling uptight already, and then when you tried to take away something he wanted he reacted. He may have even felt threatened when you stuck your fingers in his mouth and clamping down was the first thing he thought of.That being said you may want to look into some training if he's going to be around kids on a daily basis. Maybe just some exposure to the usual pokings and proddings a child may bring will help desensitize him a bit.If this is the only time anything like this has happened, I'd chalk it up to both of you having a crappy day and move on.

KitteeBride2Be · September 2009

This wasn't food. It was something he shouldn't have been into in the first place, but I'm sick and made the mistake of leaving a tissue on the bed. We should be able to take things from him that he shouldn't have gotten into without getting bitten. I have another dog, who was trained the same way, and has never been aggressive in any situation.

saschaduran · September 2009

Really, the problem is that he's offended by your Knot name. Hahaha!! He can read and he was piisssed!

ScarletGem · September 2009

Yeah, I didn't mean to be totally snarky about your Knot name, I just thought it was amusing considering the situation. FWIW, I hate my Knot name, too, because it's the same user name I've used on pretty much everything since I was on dial-up, pay-by-the-hour AOL back in the day.

KitteeBride2Be · September 2009

I was wondering if we should report it also. I mean, I guess we probably should, but I feel weird ratting out my own dog when he's never been aggressive before. In fact, we were at the vet on the 11th and vet commented on what a great temperament he had. Guess he spoke too soon. I'll post on the nest and ask. No problem. I never actually thought I would use my knot name on the forums and used the first half of my email and "bride2be" bc I'm lazy. Oh well.

ExpatPumpkin · September 2009

A pp said that any dog will bite if you take his food away. Some dogs would bite, but many wouldn't. You could pull a filet mignon out of my dog's mouth and he wouldn't bite. He wouldn't be happy, but he wouldn't bite you... I do think you have a problem, and I understand your FI's concern about future children. You should be the dominate figure over your dog and that means being able to take something - especially something dangerous - out of his mouth without being bitten. What if your two-year-old tried to get a toy back from him? You should talk to your vet about what happened for advice. I'd hate for you to have to give him up, but you have plenty of time to find him a good, childless home if necessary.

Brie2010 · September 2009

A pp said that any dog will bite if you take his food away. Some dogs would bite, but many wouldn't. You could pull a filet mignon out of my dog's mouth and he wouldn't bite. He wouldn't be happy, but he wouldn't bite you... Agreed. Most animal shelters will perform food aggression tests and will not adopt out a a dog that bites when you try to take its food away.

clseale13 · September 2009

I can stick my hand into my dogs mouth in the middle of him eating and he will stop eating and just look at me. That is NOT ok or normal. He needs to see you as the pack leader. What did you do when he did that? My dog growled at me ONE time when I was trying to take a bone away. He was pretty defensive of it b/c there were other dogs around and I slapped him silly. He freaked once he realized what he had done. I slapped him one more time and yelled at him...removed him from the situation and he has never done it again. I have a 110lb dog that weighs as much as I do so I'm VERY careful about this. Once you and FI decide to start trying I would talk to a trainer. You're going to have to figure out how to let the dog know that the baby comes before him in the "pack" order and that won't be easy to do. Also, you'll have to be smart about it. If he's eating or he has something don't let the baby walk up to the dog. It's just as important to teach a child good safe manners about dogs as it is to train the dogs. FI migt be overacting a little bit...but talking to a trainer is probably a good idea.

KitteeBride2Be · September 2009

Well, giving him away isn't an option. He is our responsibility and we will do whatever it takes to learn to be proper dog owners. He has been around so many children without incident ever. We can take food and toys from him, but tonight he just snapped... I have a hard time remembering he is an animal and can't be trusted completely, as I didn't even hesitate to put my hand in his mouth. I just don't know what kind of training we would need to do with him.

clseale13 · September 2009

Don't report it...he didn't attack anyone. Just deal w/the situation.

shamby · September 2009

Don't report the dog he will have to be in Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Quarantine for up to 10 days and can be labeled as a dangerous dog and the city in which you live may be able to take him from you. Quite possibly it is due to a food/ toy Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Aggression that you may be able to teach him not to with some training with taking away any food/ toy, praising and giving it back when he does not show any aggression toward you with teeth bearing or growling. Good Luck with him I would just keep and eye on him for a while with food and toys. Also make sure to keep the bite clean and dry.

clseale13 · September 2009

What you said about him being an animal and not being able to be trusted completely is the exact point. As much as I trust Brodie and would be shocked if he was ever aggressive towards any adult or child...I will always use caution when our children are around. When they are little I will not leave them in a room alone together. Mention it to your vet and he can probably recommend the appropriate training. It doesn't sound like you have a huge problem here...just address it before it becomes one.

ExpatPumpkin · September 2009

[i]Well, giving him away isn't an option. He is our responsibility and we will do whatever it takes to learn to be proper dog owners.[/i] I admire and respect that statement. I ADORE my dog - he is like a child to me - so I understand the love and sense of responsibility that you feel for him. But... if he does turn out to have an aggression problem, how could you possibly keep him around children? Under those circumstances, both you and he would be much better off if he were in a childfree home. If he were to hurt your child, you'd feel terribly guilty and he'd probably be put down.

steverani · September 2009

First of all DON"T REPORT! It will forever stick with your dog and if god forbid he bites anyone else he will already have a strike against him! It sounds like the roles in your house are a little reversed. He thinks he is the dominate dog. You need to put him on a training collar (more popularly known as a choke chain) and remind him who the boss is. I have two big german shepards and I am constantly testing them. I will reach down and take their dish away sometimes or I will take a bone or toy away. My male has growled once and I grabbed his snout and pushed his head down. That is a sign of dominance. Making them get down lower on the ground and you stand over them. It sounds mean but is actually less mean than slapping or hitting them. You just need to be more forceful and use a loud sound or sharp NO! That is what a dog would do it would have pinned your dog to the ground and growled or barked to get back it's dominance. I also am glad to hear that you are not just going to give the poor dog away. I can't beleive people give up so easily on thier animals. It is your responsibility and I think you are being a very good doggy mommy! Good luck!

clseale13 · September 2009

LOL...sorry girls I should have elborated. I didn't slug him in the face and we never actually hit him to discipline him. I popped him on the snout w/an open hand to get his attention. I guess slapped him silly gives the wrong impression. I said that more b/c of the way that it got his attention and snapped him out of it then b/c of the force of I used. I certainly don't encourage hitting them to cause pain as a way of discipline. I then grabbed him by the scruff of the neck (he was laying down), loudly shouted a deep, firm "NO" and pushed his head to the ground while I took away the bone.

RachaelA · September 2009

To respond to a previous poster, you shouldn't have to worry about your child taking a toy back from the dog because children (especially young children) and dogs should never be together unsupervised. You are setting yourself and your dog up for failure if you do.Definitely post this on the pets board. Good luck!

SwedishChick2011 · September 2009

If someone put their hand in my mouth, I'd bite them too. Just saying.

ndzenowski · September 2009

Oh my god, DO NOT USE a fucking choke collar. does that sound like a good idea to anyone?! I agree with the positive reinforcement. I've never dealt with an agressive dog, so I'm unfortuantely not much help. But I feel like if your dog snapped on you after so long of never being aggressive than there must have been some other issue.

steverani · September 2009

Choke collars are used by a lot of trainers and people who are training their dogs. It doesn't actually choke the dog. I use one everytime my dogs are on their leashes simply because they slip out of any other ones and I don't want them getting loose and running into the street. I am not referring to those scary ones with the metal spikes. I would never use those...but mine are nylon and if you are trained to use it correctly it is very safe but works to get the dogs attention.

steverani · September 2009

clseale13, I never meant to imply that I thought you hit your dog. I knew what you meant. It is obvious you love your dog because of the Epics you did with him! It is all good.

Bubbalub · September 2009

He called animal control and he had to go get a shot and keep the cat inside for 10 daysWhy did he call animal control on his own cat? Not trying to be snarky, just curious. My cat bit me pretty hard last year and it was also my own fault, but I just cleaned the wound and went to the doctor for antibiotics when it got infected. Common enough, I would think. As for your dog, Kittee, I'm sure the folks on the Nest Pets board will have lots of advice for you. One thing we do with the dogs at the Humane Society is try to prepare them for all the touching, poking and proding they will experience in their new life with their new owners and with vet visits. So we get them nice and relaxed then gently touch or pet them all over. Paws, ears, tail, nose. Anywhere they react we stop, get them relaxed again, then try again. What one is attempting in that situation is to let them know that being touched in a sensitive spot is not necessarily a bad thing and make a more positive association for them.As for reaching in the mouth, that might depend on the dog. I know some that you could pretty much stick your head in there, like a lion, and they will not react at all, whereas others really don't like when people, like the vet, try to even look at their teeth. Your dog doesn't sound aggressive, it just sounds like he reacted in an instinctive way to having your hand in his mouth trying to take away something he perceived as belonging to him. That can be worked on with proper training.My dog growled at me ONE time when I was trying to take a bone away. He was pretty defensive of it b/c there were other dogs around and I slapped him silly.WTF? You hit your dog and you are bragging about it publicly? That is NOT ok and there are a million other ways to handle a situation like that better that to hit a dog. You will not find a trainer worth their salt that would condone that sort of reaction from a dog owner. What happens when your dog is around a kid and the kid waves its hand in front of your dog's face? That is fuucked up. And "popp[ing] him in the snout" is NOT better than punching him. Hitting is hitting.

KitteeBride2Be · September 2009

Just an update...I posted on the pets board on the nest and got some great information over there, too. One of the posters said that he doesn't sound aggressive, he's just resource guarding and sent me an article on it. This seems to be exactly what he does with tissues and she recommended a behavior consultant rather than a trainer. We will be contacting one so we can start training as soon as we get back from our honeymoon.We don't have children yet, but we would never leave any of our animals, cats or dogs, unattended with a child. That is bad news for both parties. I trust the animals a little more than I do the kids, to be honest. I am the one who caused the biting, not Ben. He would have just eaten his dirty tissue and went on his merry way. This is why we will not be reporting it.We have tried traditional obiedence training w/ choke collars and Ben can sit, stay, shake, etc. The "drop" or "give" command never stuck. In fact, he only listens to sit and stay when he wants something. We no longer use the choke collar bc I don't feel it necessary and it didn't really seem to work with our dog. I think we just have to find another method.Carrie-oz- Love you dog. Ben is a lhasa, too. He has very little of the "lhasatude", as my vet calls it, but last night I guess some of it came shining through. Love the picture of your little guy. He's adorable.Thanks for all the advice everyone!

katiewhompus · September 2009

Choke chains are to be used only in the hands of an experienced dog trainer or under proper supervision. We had sooo many dogs coming into our vets office because they were told they needed choke chains to "train" the dog and the owner ended up crushing their windpipe or seriously harming the dogs neck muscle structure. I almost went off on an owner because she brought in a half dead 4 month old beagle puppy because she was told "you must use the choke chain early to establish dominance".And no you don't have to report if your dog bit you...

My dog just bit me

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