Should I have dealt with this differently?

[Izzybear]

Originally Posted by Iluvmykaia

I had an incident with my pup Kaia (5½ months) just recently that I would like some advice about. A gate seperates my neighbours back yard with mine and I was outside cleaning the yard, when the neighbours daughter asked if she could open the gate and have Kaia come play with her and her friend. I said yes because I was out in the yard also and could watch. I was thinking a great opportunity for socialization. All was going well until Kaia went in their garden and found some old cat food that they had chucked in there, so thinking it could make her sick I went to get her out of the garden. Well she growled and stiffened, I ignored this and continued to pull her away from the cat food, then she went me. I have puncture wounds up both forearms and bruising and got quite a fright. I then went inside and got a towel, threw this over her so she could not bite me again and put her in her crate. Thinking about this afterward I wonder if I should have dealt with this by enticing her out with a treat. But then I am torn between the fact that I have had previous dogs who have found food (chicken bones or other crap while out walking) and although they have resisted giving whatever it was up, I have been able to get it off them without being bit. Just to give some history as these questions always get asked…

Kaia has completed puppy school and is now in obedience training. She is not allowed on beds or the lounge and sleeps in her crate. I walk her daily practicing loose lead walking. I am training her to walk through door ways after me. I do not free feed her and she has to sit and wait until I say it is ok to eat her food.

I know some of you will think that I should not have not ignored the warning signals (stiffening and growling) but if I ignore this and let her get her own way aren’t I going to have a dog who thinks that shes the boss and can just act like that and have me back off?

My puppy is 6 months old and we use the word "release" with her, it seems to work really well. She can grab anything but if she haers that word she drops whatever it is right away. Sorry to hear you were hurt.

[Iluvmykaia]

Hi Kina, I am still around. I have been working really hard with Kaia and am seeing lots of improvement.

To LunasMom...

Originally Posted by LunasMom

Again this is a SERIOUS issue and you're acting as if "ohhh I'll just wait a month or 2 because of finances"

Do you not know what redundant means? I dont actually have a job, I am currently on welfare. So it is not just a case of casualy waiting until I am more financial, it is a toss up of paying my rent and buying food for my son Kaia and I verses having Kaia assessed. I wasnt expecting to lose my job but unfortunately you never know what is round the corner.

[Kash]

if you wait a month or 2 to address this issue you might as well not bother at all because it'll already be out of hand (it's on the verge of out of hand now).

With the way the economy is right now not everyone is sitting on a gold mine and people all around the world (not just in the US) are losing their jobs every day and they just don't have the luxury of immediately going out to hire behaviorists and trainers. I see no reason as to why iluvmykaia can not save up the money to do this and done so in a timely manner I am sure there will be no harm done provided she watches the pup like a hawk and keeps her thumb on her at all times and with her being at home she has the perfect oppurtunity to do so. As we are not speaking of a full grown dog here.

You should have been working on the doorways thing from day 1. The Alpha ALWAYS goes thru the doors first.

Me personally, I find this hogwash. To me, this is the same crap as the "alpha rollover" bit. When I open the door, my dogs will stand back and wait until I call them by name and say "ok", they walk through the door (ahead of me) and sit by the threshold and they do not get up and proceed into the house until told to do so and I do this because I remove collars when they come inside and place them in a jar beside the door. If I need only one of them inside for lets say to medicate one, I call their name and say "ok" and I tell the other to back up and sit and they wait until I am done with the 1 dog and can instruct them to come inside. This has NEVER caused any problems what so ever. They have never tried to assume the roll as "leader", will work for me for all that they are worth, and none of the ones I have now have never ever even so much as snapped nor growled at me and they are very well rounded and well mannered. The vet has actually kept mine on several occasions at the office for as long as 4 days at a time and didn't charge me a dime because of how well mannered and respectful they were. I just don't think that because of the way a dog enters a house would cause it to exhibit this type of behavior. Now if it is more convienant for the person to enter the house first, I say fine. But for me its more convienant doing it the way I do as I have storm doors that the dogs have to go through.

If that's how it is going to be (and sorry to sound mean but) you shoud start looking to rehome her now before this issue gets way out of control and she is completely
un-rehome-able.

Why would you suggest she put a dog with issues off on someone else? First of all that is a big HUGE liability. Not to mention the fact that if she exhibits this behavior with someone else, and if it is a dominance issue and not temperament, she runs a high risk of being abused for it and that really will ruin her. There would be no coming back from that and if she does eventually end up in someone else's hands after that she may very well hurt or kill someone. The breed doesnt need that.

I would keep a lock on that gate that seperates you and your neighbor and I would definately NOT have a dog around that I couldn't trust 100 %.

We are talking about a living breathing animal. They have a mind of their own. So NOTHING is ever 100%.

[CIRC1977]

Originally Posted by Iluvmykaia

I had an incident with my pup Kaia (5½ months) just recently that I would like some advice about. A gate seperates my neighbours back yard with mine and I was outside cleaning the yard, when the neighbours daughter asked if she could open the gate and have Kaia come play with her and her friend. I said yes because I was out in the yard also and could watch. I was thinking a great opportunity for socialization. All was going well until Kaia went in their garden and found some old cat food that they had chucked in there, so thinking it could make her sick I went to get her out of the garden. Well she growled and stiffened, I ignored this and continued to pull her away from the cat food, then she went me. I have puncture wounds up both forearms and bruising and got quite a fright. I then went inside and got a towel, threw this over her so she could not bite me again and put her in her crate. Thinking about this afterward I wonder if I should have dealt with this by enticing her out with a treat. But then I am torn between the fact that I have had previous dogs who have found food (chicken bones or other crap while out walking) and although they have resisted giving whatever it was up, I have been able to get it off them without being bit. Just to give some history as these questions always get asked…

Kaia has completed puppy school and is now in obedience training. She is not allowed on beds or the lounge and sleeps in her crate. I walk her daily practicing loose lead walking. I am training her to walk through door ways after me. I do not free feed her and she has to sit and wait until I say it is ok to eat her food.

I know some of you will think that I should not have not ignored the warning signals (stiffening and growling) but if I ignore this and let her get her own way aren’t I going to have a dog who thinks that shes the boss and can just act like that and have me back off?

I did'nt see anywhere in your post leading up to this if you had called to your dog to come to you so you could go and inspect what she was eating? have you worked on a strong leave it or no command? Granted the response she gave you was unacceptable. I realize every dog is different but most rescource bites are more of a "snap" not a full on chewing on of a persons arm. Is he a fearfull dog? Does he cowar away from people especially grown men that he does'nt know? Almost seems as more of a dominance agression or a fearful response.Just throwing that idea out there