If Your Dog Bit Your Face

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

When JRTs and some other terriers are "wound up", it's not a good idea to go picking them up. The aggression can be transferred onto the nearest object.

They are not the dogs for everyone. Where's the original breeder?

I'd get a behaviouralist to assess the dog, it could well just be frustrated. It sounds possible that the owner doesn't know how to read this dog, it's obviously not going to work out. You can't rehome a problem dog unless it's been assessed and then could be placed into a breed knowledgeable home providing it isn't actually aggressive but just misunderstood.

Is it being regularly exercised?

No good for any dog to be locked out or locked up for any period of time, not days, weeks, months and certainly not years.

Edited January 22, 2012 by dogmad

[Jumabaar]

He really is a nasty little creature

My friends are good dog owners.. they care for him well and they have had 2 JRT's previously who weren't aggressive at all.

They just don't have the heart to PTS or rehome :/

Rehome just is not an option so you may as well take that off the list. Imagine if the dog managed to somehow escape and hurt someone else's child?? Your friend would feel even worse!

A behaviourist can really make a difference to some dogs!! And if it doesn't work it will help with closure for the entire family. Not every animal can be fixed but if they have the resources and commitment then there is defiantly no reason why they shouldn't try.

[HugUrPup]

Dogmad, I am not sure about going for walks, but they went away for a holiday and took him and he was doing alot of jumping off cliffs into the Murray River :laugh: he had a bit of a crowd cheering him on.

At home though he is a completely different dog.. very on edge and very aggressive with showing his teeth and barking at people who come to the door.

[voloclydes]

um where did i say keep the dog locked in for 10 years....i thought the dog would be walked and let out under supervision.

i meant as a short term thing to keep the child safe....and to make sure to be sure child cannot access the dog without an adult....as i would not want my child playing with a dog that may bite.

[huski]

LOL huski, there are humans in this world who are aggressive and I call them worse than just nasty ;)

I don't like the dog.. never have.

Lots of people don't like dogs with behaviourial issues, but that doesn't mean that they are bad dogs that are beyond help.

True but some are.

I don't really think any dog is truly beyond help, but I do think on rare occasion there are dogs that owners simply cannot manage for various reasons (even with professional help).

Yep you are exactly right.. she blames herself. Like I said though.. he is aggressive and even though this was an accident, I have no doubt it would have happened to someone eventually. She uses a water pistol and has done for a few months, but he likes it.. he tries to catch the water in his mouth LOL I have told her to try citronella in future.

Using a water pistol for what is apparently a serious aggression issue? Hmmm, okay. I hope she gets appropriate help from a reputable professional ASAP.

Edited January 22, 2012 by huski

[dogbesotted]

before anything else i would have a full thyroid panel done on the dog..I recommend hemopet carrying out the analysis

http://www.hemopet.org/

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/DODDS-BEHV-THYROID.HTM

a full panel consists of the following:

It measures T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3, T4 anti-bodies and T3 anti-

bodies.

IMHO rehoming is not an option. but i would definitely want to rule out thyroid issues

cheers

helen

[HugUrPup]

Thanks Helen, I will give her this information. She is looking for any way to keep this dog alive and to keep everyone safe.

[Sayreovi]

PTS

Never would I rehome, and never would I trust a dog that has bitten me again.

Personal experience and I have a scar on my face to prove it, I have never and will never tolerate aggression towards me or family members again.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Hi HugurPup

If he likes the water pistol - that's possibly better than if he hates it - because I don't like using punishment, my use of it is by way of distraction and I wouldn't do it to a dog that freaks out about it.

So if she can get him to play with the water pistol jet instead of barking at whatever, and he only gets to play with the water pistol when he's quiet - ie it gets packed up if he barks more... then you have a reward system there.

Only thing you'd want to watch out for is sneaky back chaining ie barking to get attention and the chance to play with the water pistol.

I'm glad she's getting a behavourist in, let's hope it's one that can help.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Dogmad, I am not sure about going for walks, but they went away for a holiday and took him and he was doing alot of jumping off cliffs into the Murray River :laugh: he had a bit of a crowd cheering him on.

At home though he is a completely different dog.. very on edge and very aggressive with showing his teeth and barking at people who come to the door.

That's the thing, being away gave him an outlet for his energy - Jack Russells need exercise and mental stimulation, they are a working dog. If his energy isn't being used up then this can cause frustration. He sounds like he has high drive. I had a high drive fox terrier and he went mental if you squirted water at him, it was a case of finding the right thing to do, to manage him. I found obedience training was fantastic for him.

Personally I want a dog that barks when people come to the door, there's been a lot of burglaries in this area and I hope to God mine will bark.

I've had other dogs, generally terrier types, who want to defend their property but it doesn't mean they'd attack a person that the owner let in. It really could be a case here of having a misunderstood dog in the wrong home.

Edited January 22, 2012 by dogmad

[HugUrPup]

He doesn't just bark.. he shows his teeth and growls and drools like he has rabies.

People are scared of visiting because of him.

I hope she finds the right behaviourist/trainer.

[pie]

Your strong dislike for this dog is obvious, but it's not your dog so it's up to your friend what she wants to do - she obviously loves the dog so can probably do without you telling her to PTS.

No I would not PTS for that - there are a number of factors involved and the dog should never have been near her face when it was in that state - I hope she can get help from someone who will teach her to read the dogs behaviour better and help the dog with its issues.

If the dog can't be rehabilitated after some attempt at least then I would consider PTS.

Definitely shouldn't be rehomed IMO.

[corrie]

Your strong dislike for this dog is obvious, but it's not your dog so it's up to your friend what she wants to do - she obviously loves the dog so can probably do without you telling her to PTS.

No I would not PTS for that - there are a number of factors involved and the dog should never have been near her face when it was in that state - I hope she can get help from someone who will teach her to read the dogs behaviour better and help the dog with its issues.

If the dog can't be rehabilitated after some attempt at least then I would consider PTS.

Definitely shouldn't be rehomed IMO.

Totally agree.

[Cavstar]

Im sorry but I'd PTS without hesitation

[pie]

Personally - if I PTS without attempting to fix or at least identify the problem - I'd feel like I let my dog down. Especially if it bit me because I had done something like pick it up when it was highly aroused. It's just not that black and white for me and I can speak from experience here.

Not to mention that if the dog was the way it was due to the way I was treating it then the issue could arise with a future dog also if I had not been corrected myself.

Before I had to deal with this situation myself I did have the view "if any dog of mine bit anyone it would be PTS with no hesitation" but now I view it differently - but that's just my opinion.

It's easy to have all the answers when you're not in the situation yourself, and it's easy to say 'I'd PTS' when it's not your beloved dog on the vet table.

No doubt I have offended people with my view

[huski]

Personally - if I PTS without attempting to fix or at least identify the problem - I'd feel like I let my dog down. Especially if it bit me because I had done something like pick it up when it was highly aroused. It's just not that black and white for me and I can speak from experience here.

Not to mention that if the dog was the way it was due to the way I was treating it then the issue could arise with a future dog also if I had not been corrected myself.

Before I had to deal with this situation myself I did have the view "if any dog of mine bit anyone it would be PTS with no hesitation" but now I view it differently - but that's just my opinion.

It's easy to have all the answers when you're not in the situation yourself, and it's easy to say 'I'd PTS' when it's not your beloved dog on the vet table.

No doubt I have offended people with my view

Totally agree Amps :thumbsup:

[lovemesideways]

Tell her to see a professional. If she can't find one maybe let us know her area and I'm sure someone on DOL will happily point you in the right direction. Give you a name you can pass on to your friend.

It easy to dislike a dog when you are scared they will bite you, its not the dogs fault though.

[sas]

Obviously if re-homing the JRT rescue group would match the dog to a family with no children and who could try to fix his issues.

No, not neccessarily. JRT Rescue could be llike a lot of other rescues who don't rehome aggressive dogs.

[sas]

Personally - if I PTS without attempting to fix or at least identify the problem - I'd feel like I let my dog down. Especially if it bit me because I had done something like pick it up when it was highly aroused. It's just not that black and white for me and I can speak from experience here.

Not to mention that if the dog was the way it was due to the way I was treating it then the issue could arise with a future dog also if I had not been corrected myself.

Before I had to deal with this situation myself I did have the view "if any dog of mine bit anyone it would be PTS with no hesitation" but now I view it differently - but that's just my opinion.

It's easy to have all the answers when you're not in the situation yourself, and it's easy to say 'I'd PTS' when it's not your beloved dog on the vet table.

No doubt I have offended people with my view

Agree. Unfortunately some people A) don't get the help they need and B) Are too lazy to actually implement the changes needed and the problem continues and the dog gets more stressed and unreliable.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

By the way, drooling can be a sign of stress.

I too can tell how much you dislike this dog. I often have people continually saying "put him/her to sleep", just because a dog I take on has been mistreated and is afraid of men for instance - I don't believe a dog should die for that. Before I rescued the dog it may have been kicked and beaten from one side of the room to another, by a man. I am not saying that's happened to this dog but someone who knows what they are doing really needs to make assessments before an innocent animal loses its life. I'll give you some examples here of ordinary owners at work.

I once took a call from a woman who wanted to rehome her year old Border Collie. Not unusual. Why? Because it was doing what BCs do, it was nipping the kids on the backs of their heels as they ran. It wasn't being walked at all by the way, so had no outlet for its energy. I said it was only doing what they are bred for but that I would help. I rang back a few bours later only to have her tell me in a delighted tone, that I was too late, she'd taken the dog to the vet and had it euthanased.

Second example, a lady I spoke to on Saturday told me about buying a Bichon Frise puppy from a breeder who kept the dogs permanently in cages, stacked high. The animals pooped and peed on newspaper in the cages.

The poor dog wasn't housetrained and pooped and peed in places she wasn't happy with such as on the bed, carpet etc. She screamed and shouted at the dog. This went on for 5 yrs and then the dog improved slightly. She said the dog had never been right, one example was when she'd pick the dog up it would go all stiff and stick its legs out straight. I explained that was a stance from a dog in terror. She's kept the dog as her child quite liked it but she has thought about euthanasing it many times, she has never bonded to the dog and still compares it to a dog she preferred. She has never walked the dog either because she didn't like the fact it pulled on the lead ....

Edited January 22, 2012 by dogmad