My doodle bit the kennel owner....

[Kate MacKenzy]

I have two male goldendoodles, Bailey was a rescue and given up by his previous owner because he bit one of them after he stole a candy bar that they tried to retreive

Ive had him now 18 months, he just turned 3, hes neutered but has always had issues over food. Hes 98 pounds and since Ive had him I simply adjusted my habits so we dont let food issues with him happen.

Ive only seen him bare his teeth, once to  me, both times when someone has gone towards his face to retrieve something he shouldnt have had.

Otherwise hes just the soppiest, cuddlebum you could want, over excited yes.

 

In any event, the two of them go to daycare about once or twice a week, hes well adjusted with other dogs, boisterous but plays well. They been going there for two years, the owners love them and treat them well.

 

I went to collect them tonight, one of the owners told me that the dogs had been having a scrap and he went to pull Bailey out and Bailey sunk his jaws into his hand.The owner swears he was just in the wrong place and Bailey didnt "go for him" and seemed as shocked as Dave about what he'd done. It was bad enough that Dave had three stitches in his hand.They insisted all was good and dave did get down and cuddled Bailey before I put them both in the car.

Ive got home and am quite traumatized by it. Bailey is too, hes glum and skulking round the house.

Has anyone been in this situation before, can I trust this dog that I know to be docile and loving? Do I accept the kennel owners that he simply got in the way of a scrap?

Its a serious thing and yet I dont want to distance myself from him, but Im sitting here,not knowing how to react to my own dog,its clear he knows hes done something seriously wrong.

Ive called and asked to speak with the kennel owner tomorrow so I can fully take in exactly what happened so I can better understand what I need to do moving forward. Any advice would be really appreciated.

 

 

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Oh boy! That's unfortunate! He looks like a sweet dood! I don't have a lot of experience with food guarding but we did have a golden retriever who used to snarl at us when we went near his food or treats and we worked with his trainer to do some behavior modification techniques and now he doesn't EVER growl or snarl or bare his teeth and he's very good about giving up what he has. He was the runt of the litter and we thought maybe he was so used to fighting for his food and such that he adopted these behaviors. Some of the suggestions the trainer gave were to pet his back while he ate from his bowl, get him used to us being near him while he ate, also to make him sit and stay before he was allowed to eat and then as he got better, we eventually would put the bowl down and then pick it back up to see what he did before giving it to him. Hope this helps! I hope it was just a fluke scrap between dogs and just an unfortunate accident!

[Kate MacKenzy]

I will have to work on his food gaurding issues...and will feel better once Ive spoken with the kennel owners tomorrow thanks for your support

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

It's hard to know what happened. But if in fact the dogs were having a fight this could have been an accident so to speak. But I don't like the baring of the teeth when he has a forbidden object. Maybe a good trainer could work with you on his issues.

[Kate MacKenzy]

thanks so much for your support...i think I will try to focus on his food issues. there was no food  involved today..so I  hope it was an unfortunate accident...thanks

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

It is very common for a human to accidentally get bitten when they get involved in a dog altercation. So that part is very believable but I think it is a good idea that you plan to discuss it again with the kennel owner. Maybe you can get more details that will help you feel better about the incident.

However, I agree with F that his guarding of items from you is really something that needs to be addressed. If not you kind of have a disaster waiting to happen. Especially since he is out in public without you there to supervise. Some unknowing person who just sees a sweet loving doodle could get hurt if they approached him in a way that triggered this guarding behavior.  Once he has learned this is NEVER acceptable you can relax and not have to wonder like you are now if it was an accidental or intentional bite.  I encourage you to make it a priority to end that behavior asap and working with a good trainer who is knowledgeable about resource guarding would be a good place to start.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm not saying that the food guarding isn't an issue, that's something you definitely will need to work on, but it's very easy to get bitten trying to break up a "scrap" between two dogs, and I agree with F that it's very likely that Bailey did not deliberately bite the daycare owner. When that teeth-baring posturing is going on and a hand is suddenly thrust into the fray, bites are going to happen. In other words, it's not a good thing, but it doesn't mean you have a vicious, unpredictable cur on your hands who might lash out and bite you at any given moment.

I would suggest finding a trainer or behaviorist with a proven track record in working with dogs with serious guarding issues. Get referrals and check references, you do need someone who knows how to handle this before it gets worse.

And for now, try to relax and exude an air of confidence around Bailey. He will sense it if you are afraid of him, and dogs take advantage of that. He's the same dog you loved this morning, keep that in your mind.

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I agree, especially with you being confident and hanging in there!

[Eva]

Hi Kate,

  Everyone is right here and has great suggestions. I believe too that it was an accident, and I've been hit in the crossfire between breaking up dog fights. The owner would not sugarcoat something as serious as that. He sounds very reputable since you've been going there for so long and knows the dog. I am a firm believer that is they think a dog is "bad" or mistrusting they will certainly tell you so because it's such a liability otherwise.

  Yes, love up your dog. He can sense you are upset and they do feed off of that. 100% to go with a good trainer to work on the guarding. Best of luck and keep us posted, Eva.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I agree with all this advice.  I do think this was an accident....the daycare owner has probably been around enough of these situations to know the difference between deliberate aggression and just "being in the wrong place".  I would not worry much about this incident, but I would definitely look for a trainer who can help you with the food guarding issues.  I do think that is a potential concern, and the right trainer can help you to address this. 

[Lorraine Bromley]

I just was nipped by my sons great dane when he grabbed a piece of treat out of my hand when another dog was approaching her, I immediately said drop it and reached down and took it. I took the opportunity to make it very clear that I was the boss and she was made to lay down and stay while I loved up the other dog. I looked up info on biting and found that most said that the dog needs to be trained to the max. A dog that is trained to the max as in total recall at any point in any situation is less likely to be in situations that could hurt anyone. After that no more treats and no more being up on furniture and nothing for free. A discussion with all adults as to the expectations. And follow through. We hope this will help.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I actually got bit once doing the same thing.  It was my father-in-law's dog that bit me when we were taking care of her when he was ill.  The next door neighbor brought his schnauzer into our yard, that my Hunter played with all the time.  Well Britsy did not like the schnauzer and went after her - I reached down to pull Britsy away and I put my hand in the middle to grab her collar and got bit.  She actually looked shocked when I screamed.  To quote my husband he said "if you are going to be dumb you had better be tough" meaning if you are going to stick your hand in the middle of two dogs fighting you are going to get bit.  It really doesn't sound like the food guarding issue is related since there was no food or guarding involved.  I would assume the owners are pretty experienced and did not feel that it was intentional or I am sure they would have told you so you could take the appropriate training methods or possibly not have wanted him back.  I hope it all works out, I will be curious what the owner has to say.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Training will do wonders-I have had both my dogs bite my hand when they had something in their mouth they shouldn't have. Chloe lets go but turns so fast and bites you. I feel it's my fault for putting my hand there in the first place yet, I also know it's not right for this to happen at all. I don't think that she would bite someone I really think that it was being in the wrong spot and not intentional. I've been to dog play places where fights do go on and they have used a spray bottle to get them to stop. So give your doodle a big hug and let him know he doesn't need to be afraid. I think he knows he was wrong.