Help: dog snapped at DS' face

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted about the aggressive dog walked on my street. What you all are suggesting is that these/your aggressive dogs be moved to households in suburban or low density neighborhoods.

Transferring the location does not remove the problem. It just creates a problem for others.

We used to have a guy who would walk his growling/barking/snarling/menacing mutt around our block every single day. That thing was pulling at his leash to get to us which was unnerving because it was not an overly excited "I want to meet you!!!!" type dog, it was a dog that was pissed that we were in the same vicinity. Didn't matter that it was our own yard. Eventually, the dog settled down and I was stunned to see it saunter past our house on leash, not pulling, not growling, just ignoring us..

To this day I have no idea what that guy did to that dog to make it so much calmer. But the transformation was truly incredible.

It's been almost 1 year. Same reactions to people and other dogs or animals. Sometimes a delay in the aggression. That dog is not muzzled. After numerous negative experiences with that and other dogs I no longer believe in waiting for the first bite. One of my dogs was attacked by a jack russell and I saved her twice. The first time we had vet bills paid by it's owner. Now my problems -plural- are larger and I would not be able to save my current dog or myself on our own property.

So I do believe aggressive dogs should not be rehomed. One neighbor has a rehomed dog that attacked me and injured another dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted about the aggressive dog walked on my street. What you all are suggesting is that these/your aggressive dogs be moved to households in suburban or low density neighborhoods.

Transferring the location does not remove the problem. It just creates a problem for others.

We used to have a guy who would walk his growling/barking/snarling/menacing mutt around our block every single day. That thing was pulling at his leash to get to us which was unnerving because it was not an overly excited "I want to meet you!!!!" type dog, it was a dog that was pissed that we were in the same vicinity. Didn't matter that it was our own yard. Eventually, the dog settled down and I was stunned to see it saunter past our house on leash, not pulling, not growling, just ignoring us..

To this day I have no idea what that guy did to that dog to make it so much calmer. But the transformation was truly incredible.

It's been almost 1 year. Same reactions to people and other dogs or animals. Sometimes a delay in the aggression. That dog is not muzzled. After numerous negative experiences with that and other dogs I no longer believe in waiting for the first bite. One of my dogs was attacked by a jack russell and I saved her twice. The first time we had vet bills paid by it's owner. Now my problems -plural- are larger and I would not be able to save my current dog or myself on our own property.

So I do believe aggressive dogs should not be rehomed. One neighbor has a rehomed dog that attacked me and injured another dog.

Are these dogs running around unleashed? That sounds really scary.

[Anonymous]

My first pit attack was by a leashed animal with a jogger. I and my leashed lab had to dive into scrub-got big scratches and poison ivy. Since pits lobbyists have made their adoption an industry I have experienced problems with several.

Pet smart policy on daycare:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196265&p=factset07

Since rachel ray is a celebrity and active in the pitbul movement her dog's bites have made the news:
http://gothamist.com/2010/02/12/raechel_rays_pit_bull_thinks_ears_a.php

Animal farm foundation is a pitbull advocacy group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first pit attack was by a leashed animal with a jogger. I and my leashed lab had to dive into scrub-got big scratches and poison ivy. Since pits lobbyists have made their adoption an industry I have experienced problems with several.

Pet smart policy on daycare:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196265&p=factset07

Since rachel ray is a celebrity and active in the pitbul movement her dog's bites have made the news:
http://gothamist.com/2010/02/12/raechel_rays_pit_bull_thinks_ears_a.php

Animal farm foundation is a pitbull advocacy group.

OP's dog is a Doberman/Rottweiler lab/shepherd mix, not a pit or a bully breed. Please start a new thread about pits, if that's what you want to talk about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did your son push her away? Maybe by the face, and his finger tip went in her eye? Or maybe the dog is just head-shy and his going to push her face away spooked her.

I tend to assume human error. I would not get rid of the dog based on this. I would retrain all family members in how to command the dog, how to touch/play/pet the dog, and would firm up the training of the dog.

This is why you pet people are psycho. You'd rather your child be traumatized and eventually mauled than give up a pet you just got.

I'm not at all psycho. Her dog didn't bite the kid, the dog snapped at him. It was the dog's way of giving a warning, which is why I asked HOW he pushed the dog away. You helicopter moms are psycho. See how that feels? Don't call names. Once, when my son was around 1, he wanted to pet the dog. They were both on my bed. He kept crawling after her and she kept moving away from him. Finally, she snapped at him. He cried. He was not traumatized. We changed the way we allowed them to interact, and she never snapped or bit anyone again in her more than dozen years past that.

+1. Unless she witnessed what happened and/or the dog bit him, this isn't a huge offense. My kids have accidentally poked the dog in her eye or gotten her fur caught & pulled it and she's snapped, whereas otherwise she's a teddy bear. It's her way to warn, you can hardly put her down for that.

This is the right response. However, if you feel that you need a consensus on DCUM to help you deal with your dog, then the dog should go back to the rescue and be adopted out to someone who takes the time to talk to their vet and to read informative articles on dogs instead of posting hot button questions to the miserably uninformed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did your son push her away? Maybe by the face, and his finger tip went in her eye? Or maybe the dog is just head-shy and his going to push her face away spooked her.

I tend to assume human error. I would not get rid of the dog based on this. I would retrain all family members in how to command the dog, how to touch/play/pet the dog, and would firm up the training of the dog.

This is why you pet people are psycho. You'd rather your child be traumatized and eventually mauled than give up a pet you just got.

I'm not at all psycho. Her dog didn't bite the kid, the dog snapped at him. It was the dog's way of giving a warning, which is why I asked HOW he pushed the dog away. You helicopter moms are psycho. See how that feels? Don't call names. Once, when my son was around 1, he wanted to pet the dog. They were both on my bed. He kept crawling after her and she kept moving away from him. Finally, she snapped at him. He cried. He was not traumatized. We changed the way we allowed them to interact, and she never snapped or bit anyone again in her more than dozen years past that.

+1. Unless she witnessed what happened and/or the dog bit him, this isn't a huge offense. My kids have accidentally poked the dog in her eye or gotten her fur caught & pulled it and she's snapped, whereas otherwise she's a teddy bear. It's her way to warn, you can hardly put her down for that.

This is the right response. However, if you feel that you need a consensus on DCUM to help you deal with your dog, then the dog should go back to the rescue and be adopted out to someone who takes the time to talk to their vet and to read informative articles on dogs instead of posting hot button questions to the miserably uninformed.

Thanks for your input. This is the OP. When I called my vet and spoke to the vet tech about needing them to fax the rescue our dog's records to facilitate the return process, she -- without hesitation -- said of course you have to return her. She said that as a mom and a dog lover herself, she would do the same exact thing. In terms of needing consensus to help me deal with my dog, not sure what you mean. Isn't that the purpose of this forum and others like it, to ask questions and get advice from people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted about the aggressive dog walked on my street. What you all are suggesting is that these/your aggressive dogs be moved to households in suburban or low density neighborhoods.

Transferring the location does not remove the problem. It just creates a problem for others.

We used to have a guy who would walk his growling/barking/snarling/menacing mutt around our block every single day. That thing was pulling at his leash to get to us which was unnerving because it was not an overly excited "I want to meet you!!!!" type dog, it was a dog that was pissed that we were in the same vicinity. Didn't matter that it was our own yard. Eventually, the dog settled down and I was stunned to see it saunter past our house on leash, not pulling, not growling, just ignoring us..

To this day I have no idea what that guy did to that dog to make it so much calmer. But the transformation was truly incredible.

My dog growls/barks on leashed walks when she sees (often subtle) "rude" doggy behavior. This isn't aggression. It's reactivity, as she is not comfortable at the staring the other dog is doing to her. (The analogy I've heard trainers use at conferences is it's like the woman who yells at the creepy man in the bar for staring at her). To someone not well-versed in dog body language, she probably looks aggressive. She isn't. If she broke off the leash, she would immediately freeze and run back to me. She's scared and overwhelmed by the other dog (and buses/motorcycles/garbage trucks/lawn mowers).

I am working heavily to counter condition her to her triggers, to find her threshold point, and work to build her tolerance level. We are making really good progress, though it has taken many years because we keep taking steps backwards when a strange dog approaches us off leash, when the mailman thinks it's funny to watch her react and drives back and forth down the street taunting her (seriously), or a child crashes his bike into us when we've stepped to the grass off the sidewalk to let him pass. Some days it's one step forward, 5 steps back.

It's a lot of work, but my dog honestly isn't aggressive in the least. She's a fantastic off leash dog who does really well at the dog park, is great in obedience class and agility trials where the owners are savvy enough to manage their own dog behavior, and is just fine on leash with vetted dogs.

[Anonymous]

What?

So a large muscular man straining to control that dog means nothing? Give me a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did your son push her away? Maybe by the face, and his finger tip went in her eye? Or maybe the dog is just head-shy and his going to push her face away spooked her.

I tend to assume human error. I would not get rid of the dog based on this. I would retrain all family members in how to command the dog, how to touch/play/pet the dog, and would firm up the training of the dog.

This is why you pet people are psycho. You'd rather your child be traumatized and eventually mauled than give up a pet you just got.

I'm not at all psycho. Her dog didn't bite the kid, the dog snapped at him. It was the dog's way of giving a warning, which is why I asked HOW he pushed the dog away. You helicopter moms are psycho. See how that feels? Don't call names. Once, when my son was around 1, he wanted to pet the dog. They were both on my bed. He kept crawling after her and she kept moving away from him. Finally, she snapped at him. He cried. He was not traumatized. We changed the way we allowed them to interact, and she never snapped or bit anyone again in her more than dozen years past that.

+1. Unless she witnessed what happened and/or the dog bit him, this isn't a huge offense. My kids have accidentally poked the dog in her eye or gotten her fur caught & pulled it and she's snapped, whereas otherwise she's a teddy bear. It's her way to warn, you can hardly put her down for that.

This is the right response. However, if you feel that you need a consensus on DCUM to help you deal with your dog, then the dog should go back to the rescue and be adopted out to someone who takes the time to talk to their vet and to read informative articles on dogs instead of posting hot button questions to the miserably uninformed.

Um, no, this is not at all the right response. I have years of experience with dogs and very little patience for the starry-eyed idealists with little actual dog experience who prioritize their own desire to feel good over health and safety of other dogs and people, including their own kids. OP did the right thing here. Of course her vet agreed with her; it is the only sensible course of action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did your son push her away? Maybe by the face, and his finger tip went in her eye? Or maybe the dog is just head-shy and his going to push her face away spooked her.

I tend to assume human error. I would not get rid of the dog based on this. I would retrain all family members in how to command the dog, how to touch/play/pet the dog, and would firm up the training of the dog.

This is why you pet people are psycho. You'd rather your child be traumatized and eventually mauled than give up a pet you just got.

I'm not at all psycho. Her dog didn't bite the kid, the dog snapped at him. It was the dog's way of giving a warning, which is why I asked HOW he pushed the dog away. You helicopter moms are psycho. See how that feels? Don't call names. Once, when my son was around 1, he wanted to pet the dog. They were both on my bed. He kept crawling after her and she kept moving away from him. Finally, she snapped at him. He cried. He was not traumatized. We changed the way we allowed them to interact, and she never snapped or bit anyone again in her more than dozen years past that.

+1. Unless she witnessed what happened and/or the dog bit him, this isn't a huge offense. My kids have accidentally poked the dog in her eye or gotten her fur caught & pulled it and she's snapped, whereas otherwise she's a teddy bear. It's her way to warn, you can hardly put her down for that.

This is the right response. However, if you feel that you need a consensus on DCUM to help you deal with your dog, then the dog should go back to the rescue and be adopted out to someone who takes the time to talk to their vet and to read informative articles on dogs instead of posting hot button questions to the miserably uninformed.

Um, no, this is not at all the right response. I have years of experience with dogs and very little patience for the starry-eyed idealists with little actual dog experience who prioritize their own desire to feel good over health and safety of other dogs and people, including their own kids. OP did the right thing here. Of course her vet agreed with her; it is the only sensible course of action.

+1

[Anonymous]

First time dog owner here just finding this thread. Freaking out a bit. We have a 20lb five year old poodle mix we just adopted from the shelter. Very mild mannered around people and lots of shelter promises of very well behaved with young kids and socializes well with large dogs.

He's been home for a few days and out of the corner of my eye I saw him snap at my 3 year old. He immediately retreated to his bed running from my son. I've deduced my son was trying to look at the letters on the new tag and twisted the tag, inadvertently tightening the collar (unacceptable I know!). We were both spooked by it but he followed my calm lead and wasn't that affected.

My husband has owned dogs before (minimally trained) and dismissed it as fine because it was the dog's way of warning. I thought so too.

Reading this thread has me questioning our judgement!

Oh, and growls and lunges on the leash when on walks near other dogs. Maybe not so socialized!

[Anonymous]

OP I have not read all 12 pages, but I think return the dog. Here is why: rescues do not always tell the truth. In fact many of them will say most anything to give the dog a home with someone, no matter what. They always say the dog is a lab, but clearly you can see that the dog is a rott or a dobe. I am not against those dogs (although they do much better with an experienced owner and a temperament guarantee from a reputable breeder) but the rescue did not tell you the truth. What else did they leave out? So, the dog should go to someone else -- your kids come first. most dogs will not snap at a child that they feel is a member of the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First time dog owner here just finding this thread. Freaking out a bit. We have a 20lb five year old poodle mix we just adopted from the shelter. Very mild mannered around people and lots of shelter promises of very well behaved with young kids and socializes well with large dogs.

He's been home for a few days and out of the corner of my eye I saw him snap at my 3 year old. He immediately retreated to his bed running from my son. I've deduced my son was trying to look at the letters on the new tag and twisted the tag, inadvertently tightening the collar (unacceptable I know!). We were both spooked by it but he followed my calm lead and wasn't that affected.

My husband has owned dogs before (minimally trained) and dismissed it as fine because it was the dog's way of warning. I thought so too.

Reading this thread has me questioning our judgement!

Oh, and growls and lunges on the leash when on walks near other dogs. Maybe not so socialized!

You need to return the dog. Anyone who would leave a 3 year old unsupervised with a new dog doesn't have the sense to be a dog owner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I texted the rescue coordinator today letting her know we need to take care of this this weekend because this is really agonizing. She said we're required to do extensive training first. I have no words. For the record, this is Lucky Dog rescue. I thought they had a great reputation. I'm exhausted and depressed and just want this to be over.

Required by whom? What is their legal recourse if you drop the dog at a shelter?

Dog rescue people can be crazy crazy people. drop the dog at the shelter and then call Lucky. Or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First time dog owner here just finding this thread. Freaking out a bit. We have a 20lb five year old poodle mix we just adopted from the shelter. Very mild mannered around people and lots of shelter promises of very well behaved with young kids and socializes well with large dogs.

He's been home for a few days and out of the corner of my eye I saw him snap at my 3 year old. He immediately retreated to his bed running from my son. I've deduced my son was trying to look at the letters on the new tag and twisted the tag, inadvertently tightening the collar (unacceptable I know!). We were both spooked by it but he followed my calm lead and wasn't that affected.

My husband has owned dogs before (minimally trained) and dismissed it as fine because it was the dog's way of warning. I thought so too.

Reading this thread has me questioning our judgement!

Oh, and growls and lunges on the leash when on walks near other dogs. Maybe not so socialized!

Sadly, I think that you need to return the dog.