[Shilohk]

Hello...
I would like some advice about nipping/biting. We got our dog from the pound 3 months ago. He has always been nipping at the kids feet and hands a lot. We could tell it was just a "game" for him, but we'd still say No firmly and move our hand away to show him its not acceptable.

One month ago, he bit the hand of our 9yo son and broke the skin. It was very deep; we took him to the ER. We had made the decision to "give the dog away" if he ever broke the skin. The cut would of needed stiches, but they dont stish animals bites because of the risk for infection is higher. He got antibiotic. We had to wait 10 days to bring him in to make sure he didnt have rabies.

You guessed it, 10 days passed, dog is sweet and we give him another chance. As a mom to 4 kids, i worry every single day. I LOVE the dog.. but my kids come first, and the neighbohood kids too... I put the dog in his crate whenever other kids come over etc, because i am afraid he will do it again!. He is NOT an agressive dog. He did growl that time he broke the skin... my son started to pet his head while he was chewing on a new toy. He gets very nervous and scared at night, and will not even go out potty on his own when its dark or raining. Its obvious he was in the street and do not keep a good memory of the night/rain.

I am tired of worrying about children safety... i shouldnt have to have a family pet that i worry about biting my kids and other just because he gets nervous. I have tested him many times by taking food away, bones, favorite toys etc. he will NOT hurt me. Its obvious he sees me as the boss.... i have worked a lot with him... but its impossible for ALL kids we live around, and ALL people to know how to meet a dog. A lot of people dont know how..... so I HAVE to teach the dog to NOT act this way!!!! He will jump at kids if i take him for walk, and right away go for their hands (nip).

HELP....

Should i really look into classes for him... or do you think he is a threat?

[Max'sHuman]

Well there are two components to this issue: your dog and your kids. First of all you need to make sure your kids know how to act around the dog. I am not being judgemental or making any assumptions, I am just saying make sure your kids are gentle with the dog and don't let them mess with his food, or treats. Also if you know he is protective of certain toys you should not let the kids touch his toys for the time being. This is not a solution, this is managing the problem.

Part of the problem might be that he is insecure. My dog bit my boyfriend for trying to take one of his toys. My trainer pointed out that since he was found as a stray and based on his behavior it is very likely that he's never had much before so he is protective of his items because he is afraid someone will take them away and he won't have them anymore. So she advised me to get him lots and lots of toys and leave them out all the time so they lose some of their value and he realizes that he has a lot. Again, don't let the kids touch them until you've worked with him some. My boyfriend also helped me train my dog so he learned a little more respect.

It might be that the dog sees you as the leader and the kids as competition. He is competing with them for toys and resources.

The best thing will be to get a qualified behaviorist and trainer to work with you and your family on a personal level to address your issues. My instinct says that the dog is not a lost cause, but you need to be willing to put in the time and money for a trainer/behaviorist.

[Dogstar]

Because of the potential risk involved, this isn't something that can be addressed on the internet- you need to find a good local trainer and NOW. I'd recommend going through the listings on Clickersolutions.com, ADPT.com and at IAABC,which link I can't remember but I bet Curbside will jump in with it.

I don't know that this is necessarily entirely resource guarding- the bite incident sounds like it but the nippiness at hands and feet isn't typical. Frankly, it sounds more like a lack of bite inhibition to me- which can be, luckily, easier to address and with MUCH lower risk.

"Mine: A guide to Canine Resource guarding" by Jean Donaldson is available on Dogwise and I woudl HIGHLY recommend that. I would also get on the kids' cases for NOT leaving him alone when he's in his crate or chewing (or has gotten into something- 9 is old enough to know you go get mom, don't mess with the dog yourself- and I would only give chews in there for the time being.)

Lastly, I would recommend that if something else happens, you not rehome the dog, but either return him to the group you adopted him from, and if that is not a possibility, consider euthanasia. Sadly, with the amount of non-biting dogs for adoption in most of the world, the chances of a biter finding a home who is capable of rehabbing him are very slim.

[Max'sHuman]

Good stuff Dogstar. I think your advice is probably more than spot on and sounds reasonable, although the euthanasia part is kind of sad. I freely admit to having far less dog wisdom than you do.