Friend has biting dog

[Samantha and Socrates]

Looking for advice from people who understand how important dogs are to the family and that this isn't an easy question...

My friend adopted a Coton de Tulear (sp?) last year from a breeder who was getting out of the business. I guess she wasn't able to visit the breeder prior to getting the dog because it was 5 hours away, and the breeder offered a great price on this male dog that she had intended to keep to breed but never did because she was closing the business. When my friend actually picked up the dog, I understand that the dog and the conditions it was housed in were LESS than ideal. (So that would be part of the issue.)

I don't know how old the dog is now, or how old it was when she got him, but I believe he was about 1 year then, and obviously had never been socialized. The dog was terrified of everything and my friend worked very hard to get him used to the world but she has no idea what kind of trauma the dog may have been subjected to previously. (That is another part of the issue.)

Fast forward to now, the dog is completely comfortable with her owner (my friend) and her fiancee, and it's become their baby boy as you can all understand. BUT - the dog bites. He is completely unpredictable, he'll be fine one minute and nothing will have changed to trigger any kind of stressor  but will suddenly become aggressive.

Example - The dog bit me the other day, enough to draw blood and leave a huge bruise. I had introduced myself to the dog outside and he wagged his tail and all was well. We have all been instructed that the best thing we can do after letting the dog see that we are non-threatening is to ignore him, so that is what I did. A little while later when we went inside I used the restroom and the dog was fine. I then crossed the room, not looking at the dog, in fact was no where near him, when he lunged out of the corner, slipped his collar, and bit me.

Then my friend mentioned that he's bitten several people now, including a little kid. WHAT?? It was a pretty casual statement from a dog owner facing a friend whose leg is dripping blood. She seemed slightly embarrassed but took no actions to scold the dog other than yelling at him as he attempted to go for my leg again, and locking him in the bathroom. She was asking me what else she could possibly do. I don't know what to tell her, she appears to be doing everything correctly for this dog but it's clear the dog has deeper issues. They are trying to save money to take him to a behavorist with some kind of regularity, but that's tough because the one in their area charges $60/hr.

It's easy to say "I wouldn't have a dog that bites" but I know that my own dog is my child and you can't just give up on them. However, this means I won't  go to their house anymore unless the dog is shut away and that can't be the life they want for their dog forever, especially because it still doesn't minimize all risk.

Any thoughts?

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Oh Samantha, I am so sorry you got bit and do agree this is a serious issue. Your friend needs to step up to the plate on this one and get help for her dog. The first thing I would do is a vet appointment to rule out any underlying medical problems. If that turns up nothing, she needs to find a behaviorist to work with this dog. At the very least, the dog needs to be muzzled when she has people over or someone is going to be seriously injured. Please check out the Training group because we have had several stories of dogs with similar issues and maybe something they said will help you to help your friend. I know your friend wants what is best for her dog, but in some states reported dog bites can turn into bigger issues. She is lucky you did not report this bite or have to go to the ER. I also know how much I love my dogs and how sad this must all be for her.  I really think the first step is the vet and then a reputable behaviorist to help. Good luck to your friend.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree on the vet work-up, but given this dog's background, I doubt the behaviors are related to a medical issue. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am very sorry that you were bitten and very sorry for this dog. He came from a puppy mill, so he had a very bad start in life, and clearly he has not been handled properly since then. 

It is never okay to yell at a dog for any reason. It is never okay to lock a dog in a bathroom. I'm sorry, but your friend has not been doing everything right, in fact it doesn't sound like she has been doing anything right. This dog needed socialization and then a solid "nothing in life is free" training program. 

At this point, the dog can be saved, but it is going to take a LOT of work, and some expense. Your friend needs to hire a trainer with a proven track record with dogs who bite, and that is going to cost her hundreds if not thousands of dollars and involve a lot of intensive work with the dog every day. In the meantime, the dog is a danger, which means that he is in danger himself. Your friend is very lucky that none of those who were bitten reported it or hired an attorney. If that happens in the future, your friend can be legally liable for not only their medical bills, but they could be facing a lawsuit, and the dog seized and PTS under dangerous dog laws. Not to mention the physical risk to their child. 

Veterinary behaviorists (those with a DVM) generally cost way more than $60/hour. They usually cost $300-500 for an initial consultation, which includes a full medical work-up. Anyone can call themselves a "behaviorist", so if your friend decides to try to keep this dog, tell her to be very careful to check the credentials of anyone she hires before giving them money. 

Is the dog neutered? If not, that needs to be done ASAP. And tell your friend she needs a crate, NOT a bathroom, in which to confine the dog when visitors come over, or any time she is not present to prevent the dog from biting her child. 

Personally, I really think this dog should be relinquished to a reputable rescue group. that baby boy is going to be crawling and then walking, and then his little friends are going to be coming over; I'd guess there will also be siblings down the line. A Coton would not have been my choice of breed for a household with young children, even one from a good breeder. A toy breed from a puppy mill or BYB is the worst possible choice. 

If your friend chooses to go the rescue route, I would be happy to provide you with links to private not-for profit rescues in your area. Often, there are breed specific rescues or rescues that only place toy breeds. 

[Deborah Brown]

This is a dog that needs professional help, not advice from a forum.  I don't want to sound mean but this is a serious issue.  Where I live, if the bites were reported to the police, that dog would be put down.  Is there a way that friends and family can help them get the money together for the behaviorist?

I adopted a doodle with fear aggression.  When he came to us he would bark and lunge at any stranger.  It was extremely important that we never allowed him to get to the bite stage.  Once a dog bites and knows he can do it, it is hard to turn back.  We've had him for close to five years now and he is a sweetheart and has learned coping skills for his fear that don't involve scaring people.  It has been a long process.  Your friends need to be committed to getting help for themselves and the dog.

[Samantha and Socrates]

This is why I reached out here, for people with specific experiences because so much of what you read online is general. When you say your Doodle had fear aggression and would lunge at any strangers...was this automatically everytime they met a new person? That makes sense, but this dog will be fine with people sometimes and then something unknown or unseen to us causes him to go berserk. I understand stressors and the cause/reaction behavior in dogs, and these instances with her dog occur when nothing around him has changed whatsoever. It's very strange, and very sad.

[Deborah Brown]

When Wayne came to us, he sat in our yard for 3 hours before he let me approach him.  I found out that he loved playing fetch and that broke the ice.  By evening, we were friends.  At 10 months, he went through this with everyone he met.  Now he just reacts to certain triggers.  Your friend's dog has triggers but you may not know what they are.  For Wayne, he reacts to people who are out of his norm: disabled, elderly, strange gaits and just about anyone you would NOT want your dog to bark at.  He doesn't like wheels: bicycles, skateboards, scooters.  Again that is a person not acting normally.

Your friend's dog has triggers.  Maybe it is hand movements or maybe it is just being alone with a person.  He may see his owners as his buffer.  As long as they are in the room he is OK but if the owner goes to the kitchen, he gets worried.  Or he may see you approach his owner and think it is an act of aggression.  If he has been punished for growling, bearing his teeth or snapping then he may not show warning signs and the bite will seem to come out of nowhere.

You may not be able to define all his triggers so the suggestion for a crate and/or muzzle are very good.  A basket muzzle allows a dog to use his mouth, drink, bark, etc .A crate will give him a safe place.  In our case, Wayne sees it as his safe haven.  If he is in his crate, strangers won't try to touch him. 

This dog may or may not be fearful.  He may be a resource guarder with his owners being the resource.  A behaviorist will get to the root of his issues. 

[Samantha and Socrates]

I completely agree with everything said here and I DON'T think she has done enough or is taking the right attitude...but I'm doing my best to gently point her in the right direction. She doesn't have a baby or any plans for one, the dog is her baby which is why I'm sure this is so hard on them. It's been to a vet, who suggested a behavorist, and in our area there is only one. I think it's become a case of hindsight is 20/20, had she known all of these things I doubt she would have taken the dog on, at first he just seemed shy and scared and in need of socialization...now it's to a point where they've done socialization and puppy training classes, he's been vet-checked several times and there is still an issue except NOW they've grown attached to the dog which compromises it.

I wasn't looking for final advice on a forum, but rather thoughts from people who love dogs as much as I do and understand that it's not as simple as euthanizing a biting animal - which seems to be the prevalent first thought among friends and family. I adore dogs almost more than people so that's why I am trying to be so understanding but I completely see the dangers all the way around and am trying to come up with suggestions rather than accusations.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I misunderstood the part of your post where the "baby boy" was mentioned, lol. There not being a human child there makes me feel much more hopeful about the situation. 

There are good alternatives to euthanizing a healthy dog, even one who bites. But since it is an adult home, I'm very hopeful that with your guidance and some hard work, they will be able to turn this little dog around.  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am so sorry for your friend.  Thanks for trying to help her and seeking advice so that your advice has some basis in fact or experience (even if it isn't yours) behind it.  I wish her well.  I think that she really needs to evaluate whether she is up to the commitment because it will be a forever one.  If she decides that she is not, it is not a judgement on whether she loves her dog enough.  I had a friend of a friend who had triplets - all born with severe disabilities.  After much soul searching, they decided that they personally could not handle the future needs of these babies, and relinquished their parental rights.  I think this decision took a great deal of courage on their part because of the judgements others made of them. The point in sharing this, is that your friend really needs to be honest with herself and evaluate whether she is up to the hours, discipline, compromise in HER lifestyle, etc that working with this dog will take.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I am heartbroken to read your friend's story. It brings back a very sad and hard time for me.

Let me start this by stating that I spoke with vets, behaviorists, and animal sanctuaries and they all came to the same conclusion. 

We had a doodle foster here for app 2 weeks. He was a perfect dog, waited for his dinner, slept in our bed, didn't really play with my girls but not every dog knows how to play with or wants to play with another dog. One evening, the girls were outside, DH was sitting at our kitchen island eating his dinner and I stood across from him. We were talking quietly about our day and the doodles and how things were going. On the side of the island where I was standing we have a bar fridge and ice maker - the ice maker wasn't working well so it was pulled out from under the island about 18". Next to the island is a counter where the dogs water bowl is. Mr. Foster Boy came over to get a drink and something happened in his brain - there was no TV, no music, nothing but DH and I talking quietly - if that ice maker wasn't sticking out he would have bitten and hard. I don't think it would have been just a bite, he was going for blood. A minute later he was Mr. Wonderful again. 

There was obviously something wrong with Mr. Foster Boy - whether is was from his former home or something medical there was no way this big doodle could ever be trusted to live in a home. After being with me for over 2 weeks, sleeping in my bed, no strangers in the house, no dogs, no noise and his reaction he was a danger to humans and himself. There was no choice but he had to be POS. It broke my heart! I had a vet come to our home, we laid in his favorite spot on our backyard lawn and I sang to him. 

Even though I was totally heartbroken I know that I made the right decision. He just was not safe. 

I don't know if your friends dog can have these issues worked with - I pray he can but from what you are saying he can't. Not his fault or theirs!!!  Sending them hugs!!!

[Sally S Miles]

There is no favor in not reporting the dog bite - check with your local authorities, many require such to be reported.  By not reporting it, technically contribution is not helping. 

Your friend has a serious liability here, one that does need professional help.  The price of $60 and hour is nothing compared to medical bills, trauma, and the possibility of having her homeowners insurance canceled - and the list goes on. 

The dog is not happy. The dog needs help and so does the owner.   The price quoted is nowhere near what a certified behaviorist charges in my area - that will get you a basic trainer who can teach basics.   At this point there is a need for some basic canine behavior training, but much more to be learned.

 

A neighbor of my BIL had a gorgeous Border Collie, they thought it was cute that he was uncontrollable in social situations.  A block party gave them laughable cause to 'show off the dog' - who promptly lunged and bit a woman in the face. She said no big deal - until she saw her doctor, who then reported the bite.  The battle was ugly. 

 Dog bites are no joke, obviously you know that, I certainly hope your friend gets the help needed. 

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

I am so sorry to hear this story and it mirrors my daughter's experience with her German Shepard a few years ago.  Timid pup (she didn't realize that could be a problem) and what we all thought was growing into aggression problems turned out to be nothing more than an adult dog with the same puppy issues.  she went through several trainers and no luck.  We finally found a trainer here (she traveled from Georgia to Illinois) and he put the dog through her paces, pretty much gave her "a job" and it truly turned things around.  Something just clicked in her mind with all that and she could finally be trusted and was a much more laid back dog because of it.

A dog trainer is costly but truly there are not a lot of options.  In the old days a dog would have been destroyed for being a biter, we love them and understand them more as pets now and prefer to teach them how to be a good partner in our families.  My daughter's dog still had to be rehomed, the other families in her neighborhood no longer allowed their kids over there, but the final result was a happy home for the Mischa with a loving family, a bit of heartbreak for my daughter's family but she knows she did everything she could and the dog became what she was meant to be.

There is nothing cheap about raising a dog but we owe them our best effort.  I hope your friends find the help they need.