Biting to draw blood...

2117 Views 8 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Ladysmom, Jun 3, 2010

sarnoak

Discussion Starter · Jun 2, 2010

My Aunt has a male 3 yr old Maltese which she just informed the family they can no longer keep because he had bitten my cousins hard enough to draw blood (boy teenagers). He is very aggressive. He is not fixed and I'm hoping most of his issues will be resolved once he is. I personally cannot keep him (1 dog, 2 inside cats, 2 outside cats), however I believe my Mother will take him but she is very reserved about the biting issues. She is 50yrs/old single, and will take good care of him. Is it possible just being in a different situation and being fixed could cure his aggression issue, or is it better to let him go to someone else with more experience?

P.S. - I do not support her decision to re-home him, however she has convinced herself this is best.

Thanks all!

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maltlovereileen

· #2 · Jun 2, 2010

Not knowing the situation.... how old is the dog, was he being tormented/teased/roughly handled...??? by the boys, etc... what my recommendation would be is to contact a rescue organization in your aunt's area to discuss owner surrender/adoption.

You also mention your mother may take him... does she have experience training dogs? If this is an option, you should probably have an animal behaviorist evaluate the dog to see if they can figure out the root of the aggression problem and then how hard it would be to correct (then your Mom will know whether or not she thinks she can handle it). If not, again, contact a rescue in your area (preferrably maltese specific or small breed specific). There have been rescues who were said to be aggressive horrible dogs who turned out to be fine in another environment...no problems at all.

Thank you for caring about the little guy xoxo

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drclee

· #3 · Jun 2, 2010

I really hope it works out with your mom. Getting a qualified trainer from the get-go will probably help with the transition and behavior modification. I hope the boys weren't doing anything to instigate the biting

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tamizami

· #4 · Jun 3, 2010

i think your mom is perfect for a rehome if she is committed to working with him on his aggression issues. i would urge you to locate a good, positive trainer to work with your mom and the pup, you can find listings here: Association of Pet Dog Trainers - Dog Training Resources. think Victoria Stilwell on Animal Planet's "Its Me or the Dog" NOT Cesar Milan of National Geographic's "The Dog Whisperer". biting is often a fear response, but it can be effectively dealt with using positive training methods. unfortunately, most dogs that end up in shelters are due to behavior problems that a little good training/techniques and dedicated caregivers can easily correct.

there are some great trainers on this forum (jmm, mandy, carina) that can offer much more advice. i hope this works out for your family.

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michellerobison

· #5 · Jun 3, 2010 (Edited)

I'd definately seek out some professional help to evaluate the dog,just in case it's not an issue of kids teasing or tormenting. Bitsy was that way when she first came,not to the point she drew blood on me but she did scare me a few times w/ her snarling and snapping. Once she realized I wasn't going to hurt her,plus she didn't have to fight for food ,she settled down. I've been broke out in hives for about 2 weeks now and she's been so extra cuddly now.It's like she's wanting to mother me. It took her time to trust.I fed her by hand for a couple weeks until she overcame her fear of the unknown and relied on me for food. That's when she really started to relax and I could put her on her back for belly rubs and hold her w/o her stiffening up. Now she begs to be held.Sometimes all it takes is a calm safe environment. Maybe he feels nervous around the teen boys,their anxiety or unpredictable moves or just nervous teen energy is too much for the dog. Some dogs can't relate to that,Bitsy isn't one for accepting change,it took her time to settle in,while Rylee barely missed a step in settling in. Bitsy probably took a good 3 months before I could really predict her reaction to things....before I could see a permanent change.
Good luck,maybe he needs a change of environment.

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Canada

· #6 · Jun 3, 2010

maltlovereileen said:
Not knowing the situation.... how old is the dog, was he being tormented/teased/roughly handled...??? by the boys, etc... what my recommendation would be is to contact a rescue organization in your aunt's area to discuss owner surrender/adoption.

Thank you for caring about the little guy xoxo

If that does turn out to be the case, that he was being tormented by the boys, that could potentially be a sign that something is bothering the boys. If that is the case, maybe a counsellor could help the teen/s?

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sheila's malt

· #7 · Jun 3, 2010

Sounds like your mom might just be a good thing for him. 50 years old is not old at all so i think your mom could handle it. She could give it a try first and than if it didn't work out go to plan B. Going to a new home where there are just one adult might take care of the problem in itself. Good luck to your mom.

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jmm

· #8 · Jun 3, 2010

I would have the dog evaluated by a veterinary behaviorist (not a dog trainer but a veterinarian boarded in behavioral medicine) or an animal behaviorist (must have a PhD). I would do this before anyone in the family commits to taking him on. It is not far to shove him off on someone who may not realize there is a very, very serious issue that will take very intensive work to manage. If this is not a possibility then I would release the dog to a rescue with full disclosure of the dog's previous incidents.

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Ladysmom

· #9 · Jun 3, 2010

jmm said:
I would have the dog evaluated by a veterinary behaviorist (not a dog trainer but a veterinarian boarded in behavioral medicine) or an animal behaviorist (must have a PhD). I would do this before anyone in the family commits to taking him on. It is not far to shove him off on someone who may not realize there is a very, very serious issue that will take very intensive work to manage. If this is not a possibility then I would release the dog to a rescue with full disclosure of the dog's previous incidents.

Great advice as always! :thumbsup:

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