Pommymom
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Jun 2, 2009, 9:44 PM
Post #9 of 10
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Re: [candychl] My dog bite me once last year til bleed and same thing happened today to my mom
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Hi Candy,
I saw your postings and I kind of understand your situation because I have a similar dog like yours. Your family member might not be as attached as you do with the dog because a dog will only choose 1 pack leader. From my readings, its crucial for the rest of the family to position themselves below the pack leader at least, and the dog will remain the last as a "member" of the pack. This is important especially when the dog is aggresive.
Aggression progress in stages whereby a dog will start with growling only, and if he gets a signal that growling and snapping works very well for him, he will advance to a bite. In my opinion, your dog has progressed from a mere snarling and snapping to a gripping bite and that is not good. However, I agree with the rest, that your dog can still be trained but you need a professional dog trainer who understand how a dog behave.
My problems:
If you dont mind, I would like to share my story with you. I adopted my dog, a medium size dalmatian mix, spayed female 2 years ago. She is almost 3 years now. It worries me much because she will growl, snarl and snap at strangers, other dogs, and my family members particular whoever scolded her and is afraid of her. She show this aggression when visitor approach her (maybe fear aggression), when someone else besides me, trying to take her bone or bowl (possesiveness), and when she gets to sit in the middle of a narrow path, she will not let my family to walk through. (maybe territorial aggression).
She runs out of the house and go for a walk when the gate is accidentally open. She did this a few times, and we have to drive and look for her. One day, she came back injured from a car accident but she is fine now. I doubt that she learn from the experience because she tried to get out of the gate again one day.
Thank God, she have not progress to a gripping bite, but a snap is enough to get me into lawsuit if i am unlucky. So, i am still trying to socialise her but with a basket muzzle, as it is not so restricting.
My Solutions
I have taken her to obedience training, and that actually helps a little but DO NOT treat the aggression problem. Obedience training will allow me to take control of her, and use my commands on her, whenever she shows aggresion. For example, when she digs, instead of scolding and beating her, I put a choke collar and a leash, giving a firm NO! with a jerk of leash on the spot. Then I heel her and ask her to sit, and down. Once she accomplish it, I praise her. The reason for this is to reinforce my position as the pack leader.
One day, she get under the car, and i put my hand in trying to get her out. A few times, she did it without hesitation, but that day, she tried something on me, she growled. I give a firm NO, and go get a metal stick, yank it into her choke collar and get her out. Once she is out, I put a leash on her, reinforce down and sit command a few times. Well, I guess that what I can do with obedience training, it helps me communicate with a dog who thinks aggression can outdo his pack leader.
Another day, I brought her to my bf office, she was sitting in front of the fax machine, my bf needed to use the machine, and ask her to "move" politely, my dog gave out a cold stare and start to give a low growl, and stay put with her position. My bf advance and give her a firmer MOVE! and there she goes, she SNAPS. He immediately gave her a very "firm" slap on the side of the face. My dog yelled and ran away, seconds later, she came and sit in front of my bf, with tail wagging. I admit that he was a little harsh by slapping her. BUt it was so firm that, the dog acknowledge that he is the winning position and recognise him as the leader until today. She will bark at all visitors except him. Now she is a happy dog with him as she determined who's the boss.
But please do not try this method, if you are not confident that you can fight the dog with bare hands. You may get injured at the end if he doesnt give in because you must fight until he give in before you can win. Using a stick to beat her is not going to work because the dog will perceive it as unfair and she will be either more aggresive or worse, low confidence the next time she sees a person holding a broom or a stick. Instead try a firm NO, and reinforce obedience especially Down command. And the dog will get praise for that.
Yet until today, she is still aggressive to those people who is afraid of her (those who have not fight her and win hahaha) and those who is not willing to spend some time to communicate with her. Thankfully, her aggression have not progress to a worse stage as she always get the message that it is not acceptable to be rude.
My suggestions to you
Your dog was probably a happy puppy and later progress to mild aggression without you noticing, right? And now probably from all the scoldings he now thinks that his aggression with bite works. Because you and your family no longer dare to scold him/her. When it works, the dog will continue what he is doing.
Since it is now in advance stage, you need to seek professional advice on how to communicate with the dog. After that, take up obedience training, (if he has not) and use that as pack leader "reinforcing" tool.
I think by the time I write this message, maybe you are still keeping the dog, or maybe not. Anyway, these are suggestions from my experience of owning such dog, and I have not given up on mine, because I pity her past. She needs more compassions than punishments. I am sure she was bitten with a broom previously because when I sweep my floor, she snaps. I solved the problem by giving her treats when i sweep. and let her sleep with the broom. :) She works better with praise and have higher confidence when she achieve some thing.
Well, I am going to pen off here, and I wish you good luck with your dog, and if you have already eliminated your dog, I hope that what I have written here can serve as some tiny guidelines for your future doggy..hehe.
Cheers!
Stella aka Pommymom
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