Took my fear aggressive dog for a walk this morning. She barks pretty regularly now at people and dogs who get too close when she's on leash (and sometimes when she's off leash). We were walking home and she had to pass pretty close to a guy and his two leashed boxers, and of course she barked and lunged at them, and as soon as we were past she nipped the back of my leg.
It didn't really hurt, just a pinch, but yeah....definitely not good. I admit I smacked her after that, I was so mad. And I guess that's just displaced aggression, she probably didn't mean the bite me but felt like she needed to bite something. But after that, I guess she could tell I was pretty pissed off, and then she kept snapping at my hands the whole way home and after we got home. Out of....insecurity? Frustration? Excitement? I have no idea.
Had to take her to the vet right after that to get her spay sutures taken out. I told the vets what she'd done and they muzzled her to remove the sutures, which was fine, she didn't show any aggression at all toward them even before they put the muzzle on.
I'm in a pretty bad place right now. I'm still mad at her and feel like I can't trust her anymore. She's lying on her bed right now, she whined a bit when we got home but I can't even look at her, so she just lay down and is sleeping now (she's had a stressful day I guess). I'm ordering a basket muzzle and prong collar from chewy and I'm preparing to accept that that's just how we're going to have to go for walks now. I have no doubt that she will bite the next person who gets too close, at least while we're on walks. Or she'll bite me again.
I know it's not good that I'm still mad at her, that I can't bring myself to forgive her right now. She's still pretty new to me and I know I need to give her more time, but....I just can't help it. I can't trust her. It sucks because she's sooooo affectionate at home, she's such a good dog and so loving, but I'm so frustrated and I don't know what to do to help her.
I admit I'm even considering whether or not to rehome her to someone who can handle her better. I'm sure that feeling will pass...maybe. Again I'm just not in a good place.
I don't know what I did to her to make her this way. She didn't do this stuff when I first got her. She was scared of stuff, sure, but she didn't bark or lunge at them until about 2 weeks after I got her--she'd just look at them and then look at me, and I'd ignore, and she'd ignore. Now...I feel like I must've done something to encourage this.
It didn't really hurt, just a pinch, but yeah....definitely not good. I admit I smacked her after that, I was so mad. And I guess that's just displaced aggression, she probably didn't mean the bite me but felt like she needed to bite something. But after that, I guess she could tell I was pretty pissed off, and then she kept snapping at my hands the whole way home and after we got home. Out of....insecurity? Frustration? Excitement? I have no idea.
Had to take her to the vet right after that to get her spay sutures taken out. I told the vets what she'd done and they muzzled her to remove the sutures, which was fine, she didn't show any aggression at all toward them even before they put the muzzle on.
I'm in a pretty bad place right now. I'm still mad at her and feel like I can't trust her anymore. She's lying on her bed right now, she whined a bit when we got home but I can't even look at her, so she just lay down and is sleeping now (she's had a stressful day I guess). I'm ordering a basket muzzle and prong collar from chewy and I'm preparing to accept that that's just how we're going to have to go for walks now. I have no doubt that she will bite the next person who gets too close, at least while we're on walks. Or she'll bite me again.
I know it's not good that I'm still mad at her, that I can't bring myself to forgive her right now. She's still pretty new to me and I know I need to give her more time, but....I just can't help it. I can't trust her. It sucks because she's sooooo affectionate at home, she's such a good dog and so loving, but I'm so frustrated and I don't know what to do to help her.
I admit I'm even considering whether or not to rehome her to someone who can handle her better. I'm sure that feeling will pass...maybe. Again I'm just not in a good place.
I don't know what I did to her to make her this way. She didn't do this stuff when I first got her. She was scared of stuff, sure, but she didn't bark or lunge at them until about 2 weeks after I got her--she'd just look at them and then look at me, and I'd ignore, and she'd ignore. Now...I feel like I must've done something to encourage this.