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My Greyhound Has Repeatedly Bitten Me


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Guest GreyMa

We adopted a beautiful, sweet, 2 year-old male greyhound about 1.5 years ago and we love him dearly. Most of the time he is affectionate and playful. However, he has bitten me and my daughter and I am concerned that he might get one of us in the neck or face. He is a former racer who had only been in the rescue system for 1 week prior to coming home with us. Below is an overview of the incidents that have occurred:

 


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  • Within the first month of coming to our home, he growled at me several times when I would pet him. We attributed this to his being new in our home.
  • Several weeks later, one night, I reached into his crate to pet him and he allowed me to do so for about a minute. Then he lunged and bit me in the back of the head (drawing blood). Around that time, we discovered that he had a growth in his intestines that was causing him pain. We assumed that he had bitten me because I had either woken him up or he was in pain.
  • About six weeks after his surgery, I was petting him one evening in the floor. He bit me in the same manner on the back of my head (drawing blood). We attributed this to his having surgery 6 weeks or so prior.
  • A week or so later, he bit my 6 year-old daughter in the same manner on the back of the head when she was in the floor petting him (also drawing blood). We attributed this to his having had surgery about 6 weeks before.
  • A couple of months ago, our teenage son's girlfriend bent over to pet him and he growled at her. We joked that he doesn't like females and attributed this to his not knowing her.
  • About a month ago, I got up in the night and accidentally stepped on him. I did not expect him to be in the floor because he always sleeps in his crate. He jumped up growling and bit me in both arms leaving puncture wounds and bruises. I also had scratches on my legs. Our pug gets stepped on from time to time by accident and she responds with a cry - not biting. We attributed these bites to my startling him.
  • Last night we gave him a steak bone and he brought it in the house with him. I approached him and asked him for the bone and he let out a deep snarl and growled at me baring his teeth. It was loud enough to cause my daughter to come from the next room asking what was wrong. When my husband later approached him, he dropped the bone with no incident and went into his crate.

 

As you can imagine, I am heartbroken and torn over how to handle this situation. My fear is that the next time he bites, he may go for the neck or face. Since he provides no warning, I have instructed my daughter not to approach him at all. I've told her it is fine to pet him if he approaches her. I am wondering if I will have to take the same approach with him although this seems a bit extreme. Since he only bites women and he sneaks up and pees on my daughters things in her room (nowhere else) when we are away, I can't help but wonder if he either was harmed by a female at some point or he thinks my daughter and I are dogs and he ranks above us.

 

My husband has been around many greyhounds over the years and he says that he has never heard of them growling at and biting people but he admits that ours is "twitchy." He feels that when a dog bites, it is never the dog's fault. I can see his point, but at some point I am going to have a substantial injury if this does not stop. Interestingly, the dog does not bite when my husband is present to see it. My husband has reluctantly said that if I feel that my daughter and/or I are in danger, we should approach the rescue group about returning him but none of us wants to do that unless we absolutely have to.

 

Has anyone experienced anything like this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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Have his thyroid thoroughly evaluated, is my advice.

 

We had problems with growling and snapping with one of our greys, though we figured it out in about a month. A screening T4 test came back at 1 (range 1 - 4). Whenever a value is at the poles of a range that way, it should be evaluated further because the margin of error may be all that's making it within normal limits. We had a full thyroid panel done, he showed up as hypothyroid, and the defensive aggression disappeared as soon as we started the medicine. I should also point out that we avoided leaning into his neck or anything else to make him feel vulnerable for a good two or three months! We did not want him to fail.

 

I'm so sorry this is happening! It may not be thyroid, but you really need to rule out any physical cause first and foremost, as I know you thought/hoped you'd done with the intestinal growth! And congratulations for hanging in there with your boy. Clearly you know he loves you, and it's mutual!

Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13).

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In a large percentage of the incidents you describe, there is a common theme. The person bitten was in the dog's space, or the dog was startled. Reaching into the crate, or petting on the floor can cause some Greyhounds to snap or bite. Some of them have space issues, and those areas are his space. He had his own space since he was 6 months old and went to track training, then he had only a week before he had to learn how to live in a house with people and all of the rules changed.

 

We learned early-on that our Greyhound has space issues when similar things happened. These are not his fault. He was used to having his own space in his crate at the track or on his bed / floor in his new home. We have a rule that he has to be standing in order to get petted. By follwing this rule, we ensure that he is A) awake, and B) on our turf. We do not pet him on or near a dog bed or in his crate. If there is any doubt on our part as to how awake he is, we do not get in his space at all.

 

With that being said, we still have a fun, friendly Mama and Daddy's boy who is spoiled rotten. 99% of the time, he is my best friend and my sidekick, and I can do anything I need to with him or touch him wherever we need to. But when in a bed or crate, or sleeping, he is left alone. He may be wagging his tail, asking for pets etc, but if he is in bed, lying down, or in a crate, the best rule is no pets. When you get close to him in those positions, you cross some line where he percieves you to be in his space, and he is reacting naturally.

 

Hope this helps. I know others will chime in who are more qualified in this area to give advice, but I wanted to let you know how we handle a similar situation.

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Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan.  Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket,  Allie  Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life

 

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I am sorry you are going through this. There are many more on this board who will chime in with a lot more experience than I have.

Kyle with Stewie ('Super C Ledoux, Super C Sampson x Sing It Blondie) and forever missing my three angels, Jack ('Roy Jack', Greys Flambeau x Miss Cobblepot) and Charlie ('CTR Midas Touch', Leo's Midas x Hallo Argentina) and Shelby ('Shari's Hooty', Flying Viper x Shari Carusi) running free across the bridge.

Gus an coinnich sinn a'rithist my boys and little girl.

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You need to contact the group you got him from ASAP.

 

He needs to be evaluated by a vet first, and then a behaviorist.

I agree 100%. The safety of your and your family has to come first.

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In a large percentage of the incidents you describe, there is a common theme. The person bitten was in the dog's space, or the dog was startled. Reaching into the crate, or petting on the floor can cause some Greyhounds to snap or bite. Some of them have space issues, and those areas are his space. He had his own space since he was 6 months old and went to track training, then he had only a week before he had to learn how to live in a house with people and all of the rules changed.

 

We learned early-on that our Greyhound has space issues when similar things happened. These are not his fault. He was used to having his own space in his crate at the track or on his bed / floor in his new home. We have a rule that he has to be standing in order to get petted. By follwing this rule, we ensure that he is A) awake, and B) on our turf. We do not pet him on or near a dog bed or in his crate. If there is any doubt on our part as to how awake he is, we do not get in his space at all.

 

With that being said, we still have a fun, friendly Mama and Daddy's boy who is spoiled rotten. 99% of the time, he is my best friend and my sidekick, and I can do anything I need to with him or touch him wherever we need to. But when in a bed or crate, or sleeping, he is left alone. He may be wagging his tail, asking for pets etc, but if he is in bed, lying down, or in a crate, the best rule is no pets. When you get close to him in those positions, you cross some line where he percieves you to be in his space, and he is reacting naturally.

 

Hope this helps. I know others will chime in who are more qualified in this area to give advice, but I wanted to let you know how we handle a similar situation.

 

Good advice. Also, standing over and bending over a dog lying down is a good way to get bit. They're feeling insecure and vulnerable in this position. It sound like it would be a good idea to enroll your guy in some training classes to help build the bond between you and him. Positive reinforcement training would really help. He sounds like he still doesn't trust you and training will help that. Until then, respect his space at all times, especially since he seems to have huge issues in that area.

Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel

Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee

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Based on what you've said here, it's not too surprising to me that your greyhound has growled and snapped at you in those examples. This isn't what I would consider typical, but it's not something I would consider too uncommon. I think the better news is that this seems correctable to me.

 

Addressing some of your examples, the earlier instances where he growled and bit you, I think that would very likely be attributed to the pain he was feeling from the growth in his intestines and exacerbated by being freshly off the track in a new and unfamiliar place. Keep in mind, the 'growl' is not a bad thing, it's a dog's safest mechanism with which to communicate to you, "I'm not comfortable with what you're doing." If he was growling early on and you weren't reacting by leaving him alone, he may have decided that the growling wasn't communicating to you, so he escalated it to the next level, biting.

 

Also, consider when you were petting him *in his crate*. These guys will typically view their crate as their safe place, so reaching in there and petting them can be viewed easily by him as you intruding into his safe space. Since he may have learned that growling didn't work with you, this may be why he bit you. This may have also been escalated by the fact that because he was in his crate, he had no means to 'escape' so he panicked and bit you.

 

For some dogs, when they're lying on the ground, they feel like they're in a vulnerable position. Leaning over them and petting them, while a sign of an affection for us for sure, can be interpreted by the dog as an aggressive or uncomfortable move, especially if he doesn't know or trust you, hence the growl. And again, keep in mind, this growl is good, it's just him telling you, "I don't like that."

 

The accidental stepping on him while he was on the floor, it's not surprising he bit you either. That actually would be pretty common - he was probably asleep and then all of a sudden he gets stepped on. The biting was probably a defensive reflexive action. There are a lot of dogs who have sleep aggression - just touching them while they're sleeping will result in a bite. Former racing greyhounds, in particular, sleep in their crates by themselves so they *never* have the experience of being woken up without plenty of warning.

 

Him growling at you about the steak bone, that I would actually expect. Something as awesome as a steak bone is super high value to a dog and he's just not going to give it up without expressing his disapproval. (Keep in mind, you can absolutely train him to give up high value things willingly, but you need to work up to it).

 

Anyway, please don't interpret this as you just totally screwing up all the time, I don't mean it to be interpreted that way at all. The important thing to understand is that there were likely things that you were doing that put your dog in that position to be more likely to growl and bite. I'd say a lot of greys aren't that sensitive and doing the things you've done would not have generated that kind of response at all (my grey is like that, she's pretty bomb proof). But there are definitely greys who are more sensitive to things like space, being bothered when they sleep, and to being touched. Actually, the most important thing to understand is that you can make the situation better. It would be a combination of better understanding your dog's limits and quirks and also teaching him to be more tolerant of the petting and the touching. If you're patient and consistent, I'm sure things will be much improved. The simple act of doing general positive reinforcement training (e.g., clicker training) will go a long way towards building a bond with him and increasing his trust with you. There are also specific things you can to help with the sensitivity to being pet too - I'm sure others will chime in with advice there.

 

Best of luck!

Lima Bean (formerly Cold B Hi Fi) and her enabler, Rally. ☜We're moving West!

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Guest LindsaySF

Good advice from Rally above.

 

Contact the group ASAP. If this situation has escalated to where people in the house are fearful of the dog, the prognosis for success is not good.

 

How old is your daughter?

 

It sounds like this Greyhound has space and/or sleep aggression. This is a workable situation (I have 2 of them myself), but it involves never touching the dog when it is asleep, in the crate, not standing over them when they are laying down, no furniture privileges, etc. This might be difficult (or frankly unsafe) for busy households, households with young children, etc.

 

Contact your adoption group, they can better advise you on this. For now, I would keep him muzzled while you work on this. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

 

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Guest GreyMa

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I will reach out to the group we got him from to see if they can recommend a behavioralist to work with us. I'll also mention all of this to our vet.

 

I will also evoke the "no petting while on the floor rule," unless invited. Jesse often lays in the floor, lifts his head, motions with his front leg and verbally calls me to the floor to pet him. You'd swear he is saying "mama" when he does this. He has never bitten when he has initiated play in this way.

 

Again, I'd like to thank each of you for your comments!

 

Your responses are encouraging. Thank you!

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You may want to use the search function here and search sleep and/or space aggression. I have posted about being bitten several times by Murray (one of those bites was over my eye) when we first adopted him. He was returned twice to our adoption group for biting people in the homes where he lived.(One of those incidents stemmed from being stepped on in the night.) We were given this information before we adopted him and chose to adopt Murray anyway. The common theme with these biting incidents was invading his space and/or disturbing him while he slept. We quickly hired a dog trainer and got to work.

 

We made certain that Murray had a safe, defined space to sleep where no one would disturb him. This place was his crate. Murray was so crate fearful, though, that he broke out of his crate on the first day home with us. We realized that if we took the door off the crate, so that he could come and go without being locked in, that he would retreat to this crate for sleeping. We taught him the command, "Go to your crate." We used this command as he fell asleep on his bed in the living room with us. Early on he would growl at us as we walked by him on his living room bed. As he got sleepy we simply sent him to his bed in the crate away from us. That was the safe sleeping place that he needed. We never reached inside that crate. We never touched him in that crate.

 

We have had Murray for almost three years. He has made tremendous strides. He has learned that we will take care of him and keep him safe. He trusts us and is far less fearful than he was when we first adopted him. It took a while for Murray to trust us. Our Murray has found his forever home with us.

 

That being said you should know that we have no children in our home. If we did I am fairly certain that we would have returned Murray. Your family's safety must be priority one. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Edited by 45MPHK9

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Guest GreyMa

Good advice from Rally above.

 

Contact the group ASAP. If this situation has escalated to where people in the house are fearful of the dog, the prognosis for success is not good.

 

How old is your daughter?

 

It sounds like this Greyhound has space and/or sleep aggression. This is a workable situation (I have 2 of them myself), but it involves never touching the dog when it is asleep, in the crate, not standing over them when they are laying down, no furniture privileges, etc. This might be difficult (or frankly unsafe) for busy households, households with young children, etc.

 

Contact your adoption group, they can better advise you on this. For now, I would keep him muzzled while you work on this. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

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Guest Giselle

Sounds like classic space issues and resource guarding (re: the bone incident).

 

Search this forum for "Space aggression" and "Trade Up game". Teaching your dog to "trade up" will train him to enjoy and actually look forward to giving you objects. You won't need to chase him down, lean over him, or holler "DROP IT!!" with your veins popping out ;) Instead, trade up is an easy and simple way to create a dog who gives you objects unsolicited, so you won't ever need to grab things from his mouth or worry about biting/growling.

 

If these behaviors are new to you and you've never had to deal with it before, please, by all means, find a GOOD trainer + good luck!

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Guest 4dogscrazy

I agree with Lindsay, having a sleep/space agressive dog is a constant worry and extreme dedication is necessary to keep everyone safe. This might not be possible in a busy household, and the old rule "different house, different dog" may apply here. I'm not saying don't do the medical and behavioral eval, just keep it on the table that he might need to be re-homed. So sorry you are going through this, I imagine it's really tough on your family.

 

Couple things I am wondering, how does he always get you guys in the back of the head? Are you turning away at the time? I would think the bites would be on the hand or arm if you are reaching in the crate. Are you able to get rid of the crate? I had one who was really protective of her crate, and when I fed her in there it made her resourse aggressive to the point that we had a sqabble that scared the bejesus out of me. Thank god the Lab has very thick skin and a heavy coat, or it would have been a blood bath. I got rid of the crate and started feeding them all in one room, separated by a couple feet. ALWAYS monitored of course. But a strange thing happened...she stopped growling and protecting all the time. Now they all switch bowls and share stuff. She never resource guards anymore, for anything. I really didn't expect that result, I did it for another reason, but somehow that stopped everything in it's tracks. Just another thing you might try.

 

One thing I'll note, we follow the no petting while laying down rule all the time here. When my daughter and I got our first hound 2 1/2 years ago we did a TON of research and followed all the advice like good little newbies lol. We still follow that one most of the time. I don't sleep with mine at night either, although I will nap in the daylight in bed with only two of them. It's just a rule we started when we got them that is engrained in our handling of them now. It's so hard to resist when they paw at you for belly rubs, but most of the time I just give them a quick pat and move on. I don't lean over them when I do it either, I get down to their level. It's scary, I hope everything works out for you guys. Good luck, we'll be thinking about you all.

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You've gotten lots of excellent replies already, so I don't have a whole lot to add. Just wanted to comment on your statement that "he provides no warning" to his bites...

 

In some cases, this may be true, usually because early warnings have been ignored in the past, so the dog stops using them and goes straight to the only level of communication that 'works' to get his message across. However, more often, we are just missing the early warnings - the subtle signals and body language that dogs use to communicate.

 

Are you familiar with calming signals? Chances are, Jesse is giving subtle signs of stress and discomfort in a lot of the situations. We humans just often don't recognize these signals unless we specifically start looking for them. The main reason I learned about them was years of research, trial and error, and learning the hard way, to find ways to help my very fear aggressive Italian greyhound. Simply learning to be more aware of your dog's body language, knowing when it's ok to approach, and changing how you approach him can prevent bites in most of the situations you've described. Here are a few websites with more info:

 

http://www.greenacreskennel.com/pages/Articles/ART_WFMW_Calming_Signals_and_Stress.html

http://www.coherentdog.org/vek/stressdown.php

http://www.canis.no/rugaas/

http://www.turid-rugaas.no/UKFront.htm

 

I've found that you learn so much more about dogs by living with and loving one with behavior issues. However, it does take a lot of hard work and dedication, and I also realize that not every family has the time and resources to safely work with a dog like this. I definitely agree that a thorough vet exam to rule out any medical issues, and finding a good trainer, are both good ideas.

 

However, I would caution you to make sure you interview trainers carefully and go with one who uses positive reinforcement based training methods. I'd avoid trainers who want to explain everything in terms of dominance or alpha, or ones who suggest any confrontational or forceful methods. I made all those mistakes with my IG, and confrontational methods only make aggression worse in the long run. "Correcting" (ie. punishing) undesired behavior may suppress it and seem to work, but they don't address the underlying cause, which is often based in fear, insecurity, or lack of trust. I wish you the best with Jesse.

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Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On),

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I will also evoke the "no petting while on the floor rule," unless invited. Jesse often lays in the floor, lifts his head, motions with his front leg and verbally calls me to the floor to pet him. You'd swear he is saying "mama" when he does this. He has never bitten when he has initiated play in this way.

 

 

Our boy will lay on his back and make a motion for Belly Rubs much like the invitation you describe. Even then, he will on occasion snap or growl. I almost think that the belly rubs relax him and he falls asleep - then startles. Just wanted you to be on the lookout for startle signals from your pup, even when they initiate the play. It is very easy to let your guard down when they initiate the activity.

 

We also found that using the "Nothing in Life is Free" method works well to let the pup know that you are in charge at all times. You can search that here on GT as well.

 

One other thing that has been touched on here but not spelled out - do not let kids lounge or play in or around the crate or any dog bed that belongs to your hound. That is also an invasion of their space, even if they aren't using it at the time and can provoke a reaction from the pup. He needs to know that those are his spaces.

 

Good luck, keep us posted, and make sure your post some pictures of your pup when things settle down - it's the :rules here.:D

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Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan.  Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket,  Allie  Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life

 

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Guest iconsmum

In a large percentage of the incidents you describe, there is a common theme. The person bitten was in the dog's space, or the dog was startled. Reaching into the crate, or petting on the floor can cause some Greyhounds to snap or bite. Some of them have space issues, and those areas are his space. He had his own space since he was 6 months old and went to track training, then he had only a week before he had to learn how to live in a house with people and all of the rules changed.

 

We learned early-on that our Greyhound has space issues when similar things happened. These are not his fault. He was used to having his own space in his crate at the track or on his bed / floor in his new home. We have a rule that he has to be standing in order to get petted. By follwing this rule, we ensure that he is A) awake, and B) on our turf. We do not pet him on or near a dog bed or in his crate. If there is any doubt on our part as to how awake he is, we do not get in his space at all.

 

With that being said, we still have a fun, friendly Mama and Daddy's boy who is spoiled rotten. 99% of the time, he is my best friend and my sidekick, and I can do anything I need to with him or touch him wherever we need to. But when in a bed or crate, or sleeping, he is left alone. He may be wagging his tail, asking for pets etc, but if he is in bed, lying down, or in a crate, the best rule is no pets. When you get close to him in those positions, you cross some line where he percieves you to be in his space, and he is reacting naturally.

 

Hope this helps. I know others will chime in who are more qualified in this area to give advice, but I wanted to let you know how we handle a similar situation.

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Guest iconsmum

Except it isn't a similar situation - he's ramping it up a bit...he's growled at her and bared teeth. He needs to go back to the group before he takes a piece out of you, one of your kids, or one of their friends. It's a very litigious world if it happens and with all due respect, you may be too inexperienced to have this particular dog in your house. There are always other options for the dog and for you to have another, less high key hound. But I would emphasize, along with many other people here, that hounds can be verrrry antsy about being hovered over, sat beside, hugged, etc. It might be thyroid but that's now secondary because even if it is and he does need meds, how can you trust him with your kids' faces from here forward.

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You need to contact the group you got him from ASAP.

I agree 100%. The safety of your and your family has to come first.

I'll third that. ASAP

Totally agree about the causes of space issues etc. but IMO I'd think long and hard about leaving any dog -- greyhound or not -- that has bitten people 4 times and drawn blood in its current situation. Something just isn't working out for whatever reason and when you throw in a child that could be scarred for life if the next bite isn't on the back of her head...I'd certainly be on the phone to the group. It just doesn't sound like a good match. No harm no foul in saying it is not exactly working for whatever reason....and something isn't working.

 

I have been bitten (once quite badly and both required doctor visits) by two different greys over the years. Once was over a treat and the other was sleep startle (and he never did it again -- it was just he was so new). I cannot imagine having a single dog bite me or my family 4 times.

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You need to contact the group you got him from ASAP.

I agree 100%. The safety of your and your family has to come first.

I'll third that. ASAP

Totally agree about the causes of space issues etc. but IMO I'd think long and hard about leaving any dog -- greyhound or not -- that has bitten people 4 times and drawn blood in its current situation. Something just isn't working out for whatever reason and when you throw in a child that could be scarred for life if the next bite isn't on the back of her head...I'd certainly be on the phone to the group. It just doesn't sound like a good match. No harm no foul in saying it is not exactly working for whatever reason....and something isn't working.

 

I have been bitten (once quite badly and both required doctor visits) by two different greys over the years. Once was over a treat and the other was sleep startle (and he never did it again -- it was just he was so new). I cannot imagine having a single dog bite me or my family 4 times.

 

Thanks Pam--

 

I'm sure you (original poster) adore the dog--really! But a six year old cannot be trusted to reliably follow "rules" about a dog.

 

There's a reason many dog experts recommend waiting until children in the home are a bit older. If the primary child/dog care giver (I assume that's you!) is having issues, doesn't really help that Dad isn't.

 

Are you willing to be vigiliant 100% of the time? You cannot currently trust this dog around your child. Period.

 

My dog has sleep aggression. He's snapped at me more than once. But I'm not six. I accept any risk involved having a dog I KNOW can be snappish--but your daughter cannot make that choice for herself.

 

Please have someone from your adoption group come to your home as soon as they can to observe. Perhaps it really is a simple fix.

 

I hope I don't sound harsh, or like I'm the kind of person who would just dump a dog with a problem. Rest assured I am not--and I do wish you a simple solution.

Edited by GeorgeofNE


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Guest greybookends

I agree with Pam and Susan. But may I add this. If this behavior continues and the next time requires a hospital visit the Drs have no choice but to report it to animal control. If the hound has a record of this eventually it will be out of yours or the groups hands to fix. AC will label the hound a biter which he is and they could have the hound put down and there will be nothing you can do. At this point not only are you and your daughter in danger but the hound is as well.

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Guest GreyMa

Again, I want to thank you all for your heartfelt comments. While they aren't exactly what I wanted to hear, I appreciate your candor. I am going to call our rescue group and the vet this morning. My daughter is now 7, which is still very young. We also have a pug - she and the pug are fast and furious friends. Nothing phases the pug. My daughter does seem to get that the greyhound is her step-dad's dog and the pug is hers. However, there is always the issue of friends startling the greyhound.

 

I'd like to add a bit of perspective to see if this changes anyone's thoughts. When we received Jesse, he had a severe blockage where the large and small intestines come together. Everything he ate went right through him. Our rescue group did not catch this. He should never have been in our home in this condition. He weighed roughly 40 lbs and was in a great deal of pain. HIs surgery involved splitting his entire abdomen and the vet kept him for an entire week. It was a major procedure. Once he recovered, his weightwent up to 85 lbs. My point is that the three initial bite incidents that occurred while petting all happened within his first several months in our home before his surgery or shortly following his recovery and we had credited them to settling in to his new home and medical trauma. There have been no bites our growls while petting since (except growling at a teenage girl he did not know who leaned over him while he was in his bed). It has been roughly a year since the last petting bite.

 

That being said, when I accidentally stepped on him and he launched at me in the night then growled fiercely at me when i asked for the bone, I had to ask myself - is he a danger? He now plays very well with me in the floor and often requests playtime. Perhaps he has settled in and the two recent incidents are nothing to be concerned over. Perhaps not. I'll be interested to see if this changes anyone's stance. Again, I will call the rescue group and the vet today.

 

Thanks again!

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Well, now I could kind of understand why he was biting. He was probably in a great deal of pain. It still would be a good idea to consult your group, vet and behaviourist for some training tips and to ensure that he is pain free.

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Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19.

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Guest iconsmum

No. Makes no difference. You don't really know why he bites and you never will, you just know that he does and you need to deal with it like that. I'm a trainer so forgive me if I'm a bit straight, but I find that people have a tendency to develop a "backstory" around their dogs, especially if they are rescues or adopted, to help them live with their dogs' "quirks". The fact that he drew blood is significant because it takes it from snapping to biting. It tells you, reliably, that the dog has a low bite threshhold, and FAR more more important is that he drew blood, and not just once. That means that he also has bad bite inhibition i.e. how hard he makes contact with skin once he gets there, because he's got a HUGE amount of jaw control and a launch does not automatically mean punctured skin. So what he's done is twofold: he's decided it's appropriate to grab you and he's not interested in restraining his tooth pressure - that's not a novice's dog.

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Dewbailey, I have no advice to add, but just wanted to say Thank you for sticking by Jesse through all of this. So many times, folks come here for advice but give up before even trying one suggestion. You have lived with Jesse's issues for a year and a half already and nowhere in your initial posts were you talking about rehoming him. Kudos to you, and I hope that things work out for you and Jesse both.

Kate, with Nedra and Holly
Missing Greyhound Angels Mango, Takoda, Ruger, Delta, and Shiloh, kitty Angel Hoot, cat-tester extraordinaire, and Rocky, the stray cat who came to stay for a little while and then moved on.
Greyhounds Unlimited

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