Dog Trouble

Hi Tammie,

How old is your dog? Have you thought about obedience training? He may have an alpha personality and he needs to learn who is the boss..and it shouldn’t be him! He may benefit from some sort of training and so would you! I know how hard it is to lose a pet. Theay are like family!

Good luck and hope others have some suggestions for you.

I use to train people with their dogs at a school, I don’t anymore as it took up too much time. I still train my own dogs for competitive obedience. Training is a must for any dog. The fact that he became food aggressive, for whatever reason, is not acceptable and needs to be dealt with. You have a few options. 1. put him away in a crate when you have food out. That is not something I’d normally recommend, but not knowing your condition, this might be the best. It would keep both of you safe. The other two options are better than this one. 2. Hire an in-house dog trainer to show you how to train for this. This is actually the best thing to do as they could see your limits and work with them. 3. take him to training. Again ask the trainers for advice as they can physically see your limits and also see and observe your dog, both of which none of us can here to give your adequate help.

All of the above depends on how consistent you are. Consistency takes time and is not to be rushed. Little dogs often push the envelope, and if they see an opportunity they will take it. After he bit you, what did you do? If you did not show him that he was wrong, he may now see himself as the alpha and start pushing the envelope in other areas. This is what you need to consider. Personally I think you need to take the time and train him, but also get special help for instances such as this and also with your GBS limits.

Kristin

This has to be dealt with right away. One thing you don’t need on top of GBS is some sort of infection that entails anti-biotics that could complicate things more.
Do see about training/trainers or find an alternate way of eating and dealing with this issue. Gotta ask tho, has this been building up or something? Or was it a sudden surprise – events preceding a sudden event [strange visitors or the like] could be triggers to a dog for what can only be a dog’s reasons.
You want this dog to be your comfort, but if he gets worse, he becomes a threat and that’s not good. Training and help can hopefully avoid that.
Good luck and keep heart!

Tammie, Have you reported these bites? If not, then there really isn’t much you can do about having him around others until after you keep him isolated for at least 15 days. If you did report it then you already knew that. I agree with the others, you need to get a trainer and have them help you work with him. Alpha order is not what you want to be dealing with on your own, a trainer will take you through it step by step. I understand how much joy and unconditional love a dog gives you, I don’t know where I would be without mine. Please think this through with your head and not only your heart. Next time it could be your face, throat, or a family members’ face or worse. I have seen it happen more then I care to remember. I worked in a few vets offices for 15plus years, and many people have had the same problem. In the meantime, if you have anymore problems with attitude, grab a spray bottle or squirt gun and squirt him at the same time you reprimand him in a very stern voice. Hope you are ok, and you recover without incidence. Take Care.

Have you ever watched the Dog Whisperer/Ceasar Milan show? I’ve seen it on a number of different channels. It’s a fun show and gives ideas about how to deal with dog behavior and the associated people behavior problems. Good luck. Foxflower

Hi tammie,
I use a spray bottle with water in it and if one of my dogs misbehave then i spray then and tell them no..this seems to work and also keeps both of us safe. Good luck

Hi Tammie,

I been around dog most of my life and all of them have been rescue dog. Along the way I learned a thing or two. Right now let me assure you that you have a serious problem that requires some professional help. Your four pound bundle of love thinks you are the pet. All of the tip you have been give appear to be sound. However, until the main issue is resolved quickly this could get out our hand with serious consequences to both for you and your dog. Check with some of the vets in your area and see if you can find a dog trainer that may be willing to help at price that you can afford.

Given your circumstances a truly motivated trainer may volunteer his or her services. Just watch out for someone who mentions “control collars”. They send a “shock” to the animal when they misbehave. The animal soon learns when the collar is on or off and behaves accordingly. Dogs want to please, but you first need to establish who is alpha. I’m sure the trainer can explain all this to you.

Please do not wait to find out more about this. Your pet safety and your are riding on it.