[Pliny]

I have a serious situation with my dog. We got the dog from the local animal shelter. He is a 7 years old 80 pound mix, most likely Doberman and German Shepherd. We thought he was the sweetest gentlest guy. We have had him for about 6 months now. In the first few months we never had any problems. He was good with people and other dogs. We take him to the dog park and no problems. Mostly he is just lazy. The only thing that riles him is the doorbell or a knock on the door. We thought that was good since he was being protective, something we wanted. When he gets out the door at whoever is there he barks a little bit and then does nothing, since I am being calm and not concerned.

This weekend we took him with us to a friends house for a party, there were people and other dogs there. He was fine up until later that night. He bit a child and an adult in the face. In both circumstances he was laying on the floor and they came to him and laid down with him, because everyone thought he was such a good dog. Then it seemed without warning he bit them, no growls to warn.

Now my wife is very concerned, especially because we have a baby coming in two weeks. Here is what else I noticed. Our dog has been suffering from either bad displayed or arthritis. Also he was probably stressed by that and the crowd of people. What can we do?

[cigwyllt]

I have to be honest and say that I would never allow my children to lie down with a strange dog, especially one that seemed to be sleeping. Only this weekend my inlaws were visiting with their new dog, a rescue dog for whom they have no background. He seemed to be very gentle with my children but when my daughter lay down beside him I immediately called her away because we don't know how he would react. A human face approaching a dog, even a large dog such as yours or my inlaws' is very threatening. Given that your dog is middle aged and you have only had him a very short time it was a very risky thing to do.

What I don't understand is why, after he bit the child someone else attempted to do the same thing with him? As his owner it is your responsibility to protect him from situations like that. I would definitely avoid taking him to places where there are non dog savvy people. I have three dogs but would never consider taking even one of them visiting with me.

As for how he will be with the baby - the truth is that no one knows how any dog will be in any situation for the first time. I've had lots of dogs and lots of babies over the past 20+ years and have never had a problem between them but even before my first child was born my dogs were brought up around children. The only "questionable" situation we had was when I brought home a young adult cross breed who had been picked up as a stray. She was extremely gentle however and very affectionate to my young son, even when he bit her!

I really don't know what I would do in your situation.

[chiclet]

If you are not going to be able to relax around him and feel constantly on edge when other people are around, it would likely just make the situation worse. You could try a muzzle when other people are around. I am not an expert though. But most definitely, do not put him in that situation again.

[lange]

I'll add, if your dog is in pain or sick his tolerance level will also go down & he may have a shorter fuse. Have you taken your dog to his vet? That would be my first move in helping your dog.

Secondly, you should learn about dog behavior if you're not already aware of it so that you can step in & correct people who don't know better. This way you protect your dog & them.

With your baby coming you also want to learn how to introduce a baby to your dog & teach your dog what it's job is with your baby. Pick up a few books & read & share what you learn with your wife. Good luck & Congrats on your baby to be.

[xtopdawg386x]

Originally Posted by Pliny

I have a serious situation with my dog. We got the dog from the local animal shelter. He is a 7 years old 80 pound mix, most likely Doberman and German Shepherd. We thought he was the sweetest gentlest guy. We have had him for about 6 months now. In the first few months we never had any problems. He was good with people and other dogs. We take him to the dog park and no problems. Mostly he is just lazy. The only thing that riles him is the doorbell or a knock on the door. We thought that was good since he was being protective, something we wanted. When he gets out the door at whoever is there he barks a little bit and then does nothing, since I am being calm and not concerned.

This weekend we took him with us to a friends house for a party, there were people and other dogs there. He was fine up until later that night. He bit a child and an adult in the face. In both circumstances he was laying on the floor and they came to him and laid down with him, because everyone thought he was such a good dog. Then it seemed without warning he bit them, no growls to warn.

Now my wife is very concerned, especially because we have a baby coming in two weeks. Here is what else I noticed. Our dog has been suffering from either bad displayed or arthritis. Also he was probably stressed by that and the crowd of people. What can we do?

I hate to say this but honestly if it was one of my APBT that done this with out hesitation I would have the animal put down . Yes i understand your dog may be in pain how ever the animal has showed some human aggression . The animal bit 2 people in one night . I am sure people will say the animal was sleeping and ect. how ever your going to be bring a small child into the home with this dog that has all ready shown it will bite . If this would have been a pit bull type dog people would have flipped and said it's a killer breed what are you thinking thank god it was not this type of dog so you got lucky with that . How ever it goes to show it does not matter what breed they all bite . The only alternative that i see other then putting the animal down is to give it to some one who lives by there self out away from any one . Also i would suggest if you do decide to do this you find some one who has a lot of experience in dealing with animals that have shown aggression . If you choose to keep the animal i suggest you build a 6 sided cage and put the animal in it with a muzzle on at all times .I do not think it's wise to keep this animal when your bringing in a small child to the home since the animal will show jealousy to the new child .

What shocks me most is how you seem to talk about what happened like it's no big deal . It may just be how i read your post or not but it seem's to me like you not really concerned about it since you tried to justify the bite with the animal was sleeping .

Don't misunderstand me i don't support any breed ban's or hate any breed i own 16 APBT and ever one knows the negative press they receive. I do think the people at the party are partly responsible for what happen since they approached the animal and more then likely startled the animal .As for the owner your mostly (99.9%) to blame for bringing the animal around people who apparently had no knowledge about animals .Even more about this as a dog owner you allowed children around the animal with out knowing how he acts around them .

I blame the child's parents for not teaching there child how to act around the animal and not to approach any animal while its sleeping eating ect. For the adult that got bit well as an adult common since should have kicked in and said its not wise to mess with any animal sleeping .

I suggest you should be think full that no one was killed or maimed horribly and that your not being sued and not having criminal charges pressed on you and your wife .

I am not saying this to sound hate full or mean toward you but i think you should be real concern about what the animal has done and what it can do. I don't think your bad people or any thing to the sort .I believe your honestly good people with a lack of knowledge about animals . I do believe you made a bad choice when bringing the animal to the party how ever .

Books that may help you with some knowledge with your dogs .

Aggression in Dogs: Practical Management, Prevention & Behaviour Modification by Brenda Aloff

The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior by Bruce Fogle and Anne B. Wilson

There many out there you can find a fair amount of them from books a million there pretty cheap around 10- 40 $

Most important to all animal and non animal owners !!!

Teach your children what to do around animals and how to act around them .Its not the owners responsibility to teach your children how to act or interact with animals its your job as parents .To owners keep your animals on leashes or leads when there in public and don't assume children or adults know how to act around strange animals !

[chiclet]

Just out of curiousity, was there an actual bite with bleeding? You don't mention that.

[cigwyllt]

Its not the owners responsibility to teach your children how to act or interact with animals its your job as parents .

The law doesn't see it that way. As dog owners we have a responsibility to our dogs and to the people around us to keep our dogs from biting or otherwise reacting negatively. If an obnoxious child runs up to my dog and pokes her in the eye and she snaps she is a dangerous dog in the eyes of the law.

I see it as part of my responsibility as a dog owner to educate people when they want to pet my dog. I do all I can to keep them from being in a position where they need to respond by growling or snapping and if that offends someone whose child wants to put their arms around the dog and squeeze her/him so be it. I'd rather offend someone than see a child bitten by a dog because the parents did not teach him/her how to act around dogs.

[PersistantPuppy]

See to be honest, I think you should put your baby before the dog in this case. You are both going to have your hands full enough, without having to be anxious about an unpredictable dog, who is in pain.

I think this dog might be better going to a family who can devote their priorities to it, and try and make its life as happy as possible.

As an owner, it IS your job to educate people about how your dog behaves and what the best way is to be around him.

This dog deserves to be at the top of someones list, and with a baby, I don't think you can give it that priority. Especially given its recent behaviour.

[OreoCookieMom]

I agree with cigwyllt. As dog owners we need to be responsible of how our dogs behave and how others treat our dogs. Many owners can become passive and think “oh, my dog is so friendly” when in reality, your dog may be comfortable and well-behaved around YOU, but NOT around other people. Also, as dog owners we need to really understand our dogs behaviors—what he/she likes/dislikes, what will provoke him/her, what is normal and what is not, that way we can act, not react

[JMVos]

I have known some friends who have been in the same situation as you and they all handled it differently:

1. The first thing like you mentioned would be to get his arthritis checked out since a dog who is in pain and under stress like that is going to be more on edge.

2. You could talk to the shelter you got him from. They should have records of the people that surrendered him and it should list if he has a history of biting. Also, most shelters will do a test to see for signs of aggression to determine if the dog is able to be re-homed. They might be able to tell you how he did, since he did pass or you wouldn't have been able to adopt him in the first place.

3. Bringing a dog to a party with a bunch of people and dogs is pretty hard on any dog and it might have been too much stimulation especially if the dog is already in pain. It would probably be best to leave him at home until he can get more comfortable around and your friend's animals. Some dogs just can't handle that much stimulation and excitement with the new smells, new people, and new dogs, etc. It may be better to introduce him to people in smaller numbers and just leave him at home when you want to go to a party.

4. The only time that my dog ever showed aggression was when my brother in law had been drinking and tried to scold him. Gibson didn't bite him but he definitely growled and snapped. Gibson doesn't seem to like men who have been drinking. Was the gentleman who laid down beside your dog drinking? Maybe your dog felt threatened? Obviously the kid hadn't been but the dog may have been on edge already.

5. A woman put down her husband's dog because the dog had bit a couple of their friends at different times and she was expecting. She just couldn't risk it. She still is being judged with her other friends but she says she would do it again in a heart beat.

6. If you do decide to keep your dog I would recommend keeping him in a kennel or making sure that you are present when introducing him to new people. You know your dog better than anyone and since he bit someone without a warning that's something that your going to have to be cautious of in the future.

7. I think the main thing you'll have to be careful of is when your baby starts crawling and learning to walk. Since your dog doesn't like people in his personal space that may be something that will be a bigger concern for your family in the next few years.

Either way it's your dog and your family I hope that some of this helped.

-Joan

[Fiammata]

Jeez... all these talks of putting him down...

FIRST, get that displayed/arthritis thing check out by your vet! There are millions of dogs out there who can be perfect angels when healthy, but defensive when in pain (and overstimulated). Take him to the vet, have that problem checked out, maybe have some therapy or even mild pain meds prescribed. If you had a headache, you'd snap too; you take an advil/aspirin/tylenol and look how much nicer you become!

I'm not saying to make him a druggie for life. But maybe temporarily, it can reduce inflammation or something. Maybe it's an injury. Your vet can help.

AFTER getting his pain taken care of, test him in less threatening situations (experienced dog handlers, not children, come near his face and see how he reacts). It just may be that he never shows signs of aggression again in his life. Seriously. Imagine having such a tough-looking dog believe it's his mission in life to PROTECT your future child. Many dogs develop this habit, and when feeling confident and healthy, are more voiceful and less violent when doing that job. Wouldn't life be grand?

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by Fiammata

Jeez... all these talks of putting him down...

FIRST, get that displayed/arthritis thing check out by your vet! There are millions of dogs out there who can be perfect angels when healthy, but defensive when in pain (and overstimulated). Take him to the vet, have that problem checked out, maybe have some therapy or even mild pain meds prescribed. If you had a headache, you'd snap too; you take an advil/aspirin/tylenol and look how much nicer you become!

I'm not saying to make him a druggie for life. But maybe temporarily, it can reduce inflammation or something. Maybe it's an injury. Your vet can help.

AFTER getting his pain taken care of, test him in less threatening situations (experienced dog handlers, not children, come near his face and see how he reacts). It just may be that he never shows signs of aggression again in his life. Seriously. Imagine having such a tough-looking dog believe it's his mission in life to PROTECT your future child. Many dogs develop this habit, and when feeling confident and healthy, are more voiceful and less violent when doing that job. Wouldn't life be grand?

I agree, get the dog checked out. I had a similar situation just a few months ago. My dog loves people. But try to touch his injured leg and he was different dog. Just sayin....