my dog bit my friend---should I put him down?

[Ashmeade]

I am not sure what I would do in your situation. Chows and chow mixes can definitely have difficult personalities. I think I might have him put down after I tried to work with it if things still did not look good. The liability thing would worry me__not to mention someone getting hurt, etc.

I would say Definitely have him neutered if he is not already.

Dog training classes might be an option.

And keep him muzzled when around situations that he could possibly do harm, etc.

Good luck with things!

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I highly doubt neutering would help this dog. Dogs don't become aggressive because they have testicles. As I have said before this is a dog with a temperament issue, compounded by the fact that the owners never addressed the behavior. The dog will be three years old soon and it has practiced aggression and fear its whole life. The problem is deeply (and I would bet genetically) ingrained.

 

[Wolfwoman]

I wish we would kill as many serial killers as we do with dogs that *might* not be able to be rehabilitated.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
..and I would add a list of other predatory people as well.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
..and I would add a list of other predatory people as well.

Very true.

 

[babyblue]

Quote:
I couldn’t agree with this post more. My old horse was not gelded for several years. He was never aggressive, never. Had the attention span of a gnat, but never bite, kicked or acted badly to another horse or human ever. Having balls has nothing to do with such nasty behavior. Its all in the training from day one and to some extent the genetic predisposition.

 

[Slinkytoys]

People need to realize that they can and will be held liable if they rehome a pet and it bites someone. You have prior knowledge of this dog's tendency to bite, therefore if it does YOU may have to pay. Ask an attorney, they love this kind of case. Deep pockets and they can choose who to sue. Ugh.
Slinky

 

[RiverOtter]

Hey, one of my paid jobs at a shelter was training dogs who were "borderline unadoptable" because of training issues. I am all for saving dogs.
But a simple fact is that you just can't save all of them. And a sad fact is lovely, healthy, cuddly dogs are being put down every second of every day.

Also, some dogs are just wired wrong. I had to put down a schnauzer mix that I loved, he got very aggressive in a strange way and it was because of a brain tumor. How do you train away from a brain tumor?
These things happen. People can be neurotic, schizophrenic, etc. So can dogs.You can't really train away from a neurosis. You can sedate them until they're drooling idiots, but what kind of a life is that? And heaven forbid you forget a dose, I've seen that and it's not a happy event.

But say, lets all beat on the OP and say it IS nothing but a training problem. Well, in nearly three years it's been a problem too big for them to deal with. Do they keep struggling with a dog that (at this point) a professional may have trouble handling? And what trainer do they go to? When I had that little schnauzer mix it was before I became a trainer myself. I called every one in the phonebook of a large city. "Keep Alpha rolling him till he gets it" "Just pull his teeth" "You just don't love him enough, dogs need love" "Get about 6 inches of garden hose and whack it across his muzzle every time he makes eye contact"

I'm serious! These are some of the EXACT replies I got. They are burned in my brain forever and why I learned all I could about training and went on to be a trainer. GOD BLESS the trainer who listened carefully and asked me if I'd seen a vet. And the vet found a tumor.

So just maybe if the OP were educated enough in canine behavior they'd be able to do something about it. And just maybe they couldn't.
Either way, in the meantime, this dog could bite someone again. What would you say if this dog lived next door to you? Right next to the yard your children played in? This dog has BITTEN someone. And it is NOT the first time it has acted aggressively. How many of you would be singing a different tune if it was YOUR loved one who was bitten by a dog who was known to be aggressive?

How much time and money and heartache should the OP spend on a dog who may cost them their home and life savings? Before you answer that question, go to the pound and volunteer to walk the dogs to the back room for their last shot and then tell me that THIS dog deserves to live more then those dogs do. Or maybe the OP should take a deep breath, have a good cry, put this dog down, buy a good training book and read it and then go adopt some lovely, sweet, older dog who's only fault was that the old owner got a new couch and the dog's fur doesn't match it (you would NOT believe how often I've heard that)

 

[lishah2000]

Medical and behavioral evaluation are a must. Bite level (damage) is a very important factor, as is children living in or visiting the home.

A dog with aggression can be worked with and improvements can be made. The longer the dog has practiced the aggression, the harder it is to make progress. Progress can be made, but it's a big commitment. The dog must never practice the aggression and that takes a lot of work. More than most are willing or capable of making.

My dog was fear aggressive. He came to me with this problem at 8 months old. (Odds are he was given up because of this, but it wasn't disclosed) He made progress, but in times of stress they will revert back to those old behaviors. Aggression is never cured. It can be managed. He was able to live a pretty good life and only had one bite outside of the family and that was a trainer that was really stupid and did exactly what I told her not to do. (Just because someone has a big name and following, doesn't make them a good trainer).

He was able to go out into public and be safe, he was able to take agility classes and be safe, but these things took a lot of work and management on my part.

He lived 11 years before his heart started to fail and today he passed on to a better place.

If I had to go back to the beginning and do it all over, I would do it again in a heart beat.

Would I ever knowingly take on another dog with these issues? Never!

 

[twentynine]

Quote:
You saying that you own a dog that bit a woman in the face, because she stood up to fast. A woman that was a guest at your home. And you believe that to be acceptable behavior?

All joking aside, you go through a lot of friends, don't ya?

Don't know anything about the laws in your local, but here in La. if a dog you own bites some one for any reason or no reason, you the owner are liable.

In responce to OP. I think you have gotten some pretty good advice, not easy advice.