Our dog Abby has been with us about 2 and half years. She showed up at our back door in September 2009, evidently dumped out on our country road. She is a very pretty dog, and when we took her to the vet, she said that she was probably about a 9 months old then, so she is right over 2 years old now and weighs about 70 pounds. She is full of energy and is sometimes obstinate, but we fell in love with her. We have another smaller dog, Taylor, who is about 12 years old. Abby started throwing her weight around with Taylor and sometimes would get into a fight with her, but for the most part they get along pretty well. But the problem which keeps occurring is that she will snap at us for no reason.
Tonight, John was petting her, the way he always does, leaning over and talking to her and she growled, snapped at his finger but did not break the skin. She has done this to him several times in the past year, and has done it to me. She does not break the skin, but there is enough pressure to cause pain at the moment. With her strong jaws and big teeth, she could easily tear open the skin, but she has not done that. We put her out of the house when she does this, and that's where she is right now, and John wants her to spend the night outside.
We are at a loss as to why this takes place. She is well fed and exercised and we have tried to make it clear that she is not "head dog" - we are. But she keeps doing this periodically and John is concerned that she may do it to a small child when he is walking her, or an adult for that matter, and possibly hurt them. She has never done it to our daughter either.
Tonight, John was petting her, the way he always does, leaning over and talking to her and she growled, snapped at his finger but did not break the skin. She has done this to him several times in the past year, and has done it to me. She does not break the skin, but there is enough pressure to cause pain at the moment. With her strong jaws and big teeth, she could easily tear open the skin, but she has not done that. We put her out of the house when she does this, and that's where she is right now, and John wants her to spend the night outside.
We are at a loss as to why this takes place. She is well fed and exercised and we have tried to make it clear that she is not "head dog" - we are. But she keeps doing this periodically and John is concerned that she may do it to a small child when he is walking her, or an adult for that matter, and possibly hurt them. She has never done it to our daughter either.
Abby and Taylor
I am very sad about this, because we may have to take her in to be put down if we cannot come up with another solution. We don't know what to think!
I am so sorry to read about this! It's hard to have to put a pet down and I wish I could tell you how to teach her different. Do you think the vet will have any ideas on how to get Abby to quit the biting? I'm so sorry for this situation for y'all! Love you!
ReplyDelete:/ surely there is some kind of solution... she could come live with me and kit for a while!
ReplyDeleteI've had dogs all my life and had one that did the same thing.Try talking to you vet if you haven't already or a good professional trainer.
ReplyDeleteEventually we put a small type muzzle on ours and she began to realize if she growled on went that muzzle. It took a couple months but worked.
If she was around children or we walked her in public we had a leash with a muzzle we used.
Turned out to be an awesome friend.
Good luck! Hugs, Amy
read about your dog on Amy's blog. Some dogs are threatened when you lean over them.I agree with Amy..the vet should have some answers. have you also tried "blog hunting"...maybe there is a dog trainer in blogland!! Would it be ok if I posted your blog entry...maybe if we get the question out......!!
ReplyDeleteI also read about your dog on Amy's blog.I have worked with dogs for years and do rescue. I have seven of my own. Sometimes if a dog has been abused, even as a puppy, a number of things can trigger that response. Moving a certain way, a look, etc. can cause a flashback for the dog. Using positive reinforcement is a must. When unacceptable behavior happens,tell her no and ignore her for a while. Let her stay with you but give her no attention for about an hour. It takes patience, but it is worth it. She will learn to trust you, and that that is not acceptable behavior. A good animal communicator can also be a big help.Hope this is of some help. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. spiritdogstudios@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteChrislyn