He Bit Me... Again. I Think He Needs A Different Owner.

[Guest Giselle]

Also wanted to clarify that I guess the reason why I'm so much more apprehensive about Miles's situation than others is that he's showing increasingly severe behavior in response to increasingly mild triggers. Even with the Pittie that I described before, he showed increasing tolerance to stress and less severe displays of aggression. He was ultimately euth'd for a wide variety of *other* factors and he truly could have had a chance had the situation been different. When we deal with these serious behavioral problems, we really have to be realistic about what is left to do and what we just cannot do. If OP doesn't feel safe with Miles and feels that she has exhausted all realistic options, then I can't disagree but only support that decision.

[Batmom]

From OP's descriptions, I don't see Miles as anything like your pit bull example, nor the trigger as mild. The behavior appears to be predictable and is very like what you see when you interrupt prey focus in some dogs.

 

 

 

BTW, I'm not suggesting that the behavior is trivial or that it will necessarily be easy/fast to modify. Just, the world is full of dogs who have at one time or another done things like this, and most of them learn to become reliable members of a family. I think KennelMom's experience speaks eloquently to that, in greyhounds. I do hope that either OP will choose to work with a qualified behaviorist, or that the dog will be resituated and properly reassessed.

Edited May 2, 2011 by Batmom

[Guest IrskasMom]

From OP's descriptions, I don't see Miles as anything like your pit bull example, nor the trigger as mild. The behavior appears to be predictable and is very like what you see when you interrupt prey focus in some dogs.BTW, I'm not suggesting that the behavior is trivial or that it will necessarily be easy/fast to modify. Just, the world is full of dogs who have at one time or another done things like this, and most of them learn to become reliable members of a family. I think KennelMom's experience speaks eloquently to that, in greyhounds. I do hope that either OP will choose to work with a qualified behaviorist, or that the dog will be resituated and properly reassessed.

Jey , I can't agree with you more

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Being pulled away from a sandwich on the ground is a very mild trigger. A normal dog IMO wouldn't even react to that at all (except maybe to reach for the sandwich or sulk a little), never mind viciously leap at and attack his handler. I don't think it's hopeless and wouldn't say so without evaluating the dog myself, but I am just stunned anyone would think that's normal dog behavior. If it was, people wouldn't have dogs as pets. I definitely wouldn't rehome such a dog to another regular pet owner, but would consider special situations like KennelMom's house

 

I think even a dog that would bite someone for actually taking the food out of its mouth is a rarity, thank god. But this was not even that.

[Guest TBSFlame]

Taking food from them is a NO NO. Even stray chicken bones. I had neighbors that would toss their bones over the fence. I would let them eat the bones, better the bones than me.

 

We work the Renaissance festival and I can't tell you how many times I have gone into their mouths to take out a turkey bone or something they should not have. I have never had one growl or try to bite me. It can be done. I am sorry you are going through this. I don't have any advice as I am not sure what I would do if I were in your shoes.

 

Being pulled away from a sandwich on the ground is a very mild trigger. A normal dog IMO wouldn't even react to that at all (except maybe to reach for the sandwich or sulk a little), never mind viciously leap at and attack his handler. I don't think it's hopeless and wouldn't say so without evaluating the dog myself, but I am just stunned anyone would think that's normal dog behavior. If it was, people wouldn't have dogs as pets. I definitely wouldn't rehome such a dog to another regular pet owner, but would consider special situations like KennelMom's house

 

I think even a dog that would bite someone for actually taking the food out of its mouth is a rarity, thank god. But this was not even that.

 

 

I agree.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Being pulled away from a sandwich on the ground is a very mild trigger. A normal dog IMO wouldn't even react to that at all (except maybe to reach for the sandwich or sulk a little), never mind viciously leap at and attack his handler. I don't think it's hopeless and wouldn't say so without evaluating the dog myself, but I am just stunned anyone would think that's normal dog behavior. If it was, people wouldn't have dogs as pets. I definitely wouldn't rehome such a dog to another regular pet owner, but would consider special situations like KennelMom's house

 

I think even a dog that would bite someone for actually taking the food out of its mouth is a rarity, thank god. But this was not even that.

 

[Batmom]

Difference in experience, I guess. Sighthounds are *generally* easy, other breeds more diverse.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I've had lots of other breeds and worked with dogs at grooming shops, vets, and kennels. I still haven't met all these psychotic vicious dogs, luckily for me I guess

[Batmom]

From all that we readers know of the dog's behavior, I wouldn't call OP's dog psychotic or vicious, not by a long shot.

 

[Guest KennelMom]

From all that we readers know of the dog's behavior, I wouldn't call OP's dog psychotic or vicious, not by a long shot.

 

 

:nod

[Guest Swifthounds]

From all that we readers know of the dog's behavior, I wouldn't call OP's dog psychotic or vicious, not by a long shot.

 

 

:nod

 

Sadly, the law usually will. Whatever the OPs decision, something needs to be done with this dog before there's another incident.

Edited May 2, 2011 by Swifthounds

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I didn't call her dog those things. I speaking in general of all these supposedly "normal" dogs who viciously attack humans who come near them when they find trash on walks. I just haven't ever encountered this and I don't consider it acceptable or normal.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I didn't call her dog those things. I speaking in general of all these supposedly "normal" dogs who viciously attack humans who come near them when they find trash on walks. I just haven't ever encountered this and I don't consider it acceptable or normal.

 

I would hope no one sees it as acceptable or normal. It's at best a lawsuit waiting to happen and at worse a wrangle with AC. I also see throughout this thread that there has been a lot of reading into others' posts. I wonder if in some of the discussion, people were confusing "normal" with "possible" or "not uncommon".

[Guest bigbrindlebunny]

Forget theory and philosophy for a moment - - -

 

What wound up happening with Miles and the OP?

[Guest Swifthounds]

I believe the last update was that the OP had contacted her adoption group for advice/assistance. Hopefully OP is having good results with that and will update soon.