[carlkip]

Hi all i have a 12 month old long haired called Rex we have had him six months, and our his third owners.i knew the two previous owners who just did not have the time to give to him that he needed, we are having problems with bitting and recall, i am sure these are all the usual problems people have had.i was taking him to an ex police dog trainer but due to shifts etc it was only me going and not my wife or 15 year old son.He bit my wife quite badly recently when she was out with him, i would normally have taken him out but was called in to work unexpectedly .I think he was shocked at what he had done as he was very quiet for a few days.My wife and son are too scared to take him out on their own now so everything is down to me.After Christmas we are going to try and find a local trainer that we can all go to.Any advice would be greatly appreciated thanks carl

 

[onyx'girl]

I copied my reply from the intro thread Carl started:
What are the reasons he has been rehomed so many times? What was going on when he bit your wife?

I would start practicing NILIF asap~the whole family should be involved in this.
Where is eastham wirral?

 

[ZebsMommy]

I would look into a behaviorist or experienced trainer as soon as you can. I would hate to think that boy would be given up..again. Patience is a virtue. And like Onyx said, can you elaborate? Why was he rehomed so many times? What was going on at the time she was bit?

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

The more you read, the more you'll know, here's some help..

A Behavioral View on Dog Aggression

About Dog Aggression | k9aggression.com

Can We Help You Keep Your Pet? Aggression

 

[rvadog]

Any dog that gives puncture wounds out of anger needs to be considered for PTS. Why keep a dog around that your family is scared of when there are so many good dogs sitting in shelters that would be no threat to your family?

 

[onyx'girl]

If the dog can be fixed at 12 months I would not consider PTS. But it will be a slow road and commitment is crucial in turning him around.

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

If the dog can be fixed at 12 months I would not consider PTS. But it will be a slow road and commitment is crucial in turning him around.

I agree. He's neutered, right?

 

[Zoeys mom]

I don't think a dog that young and having so many owners should be considered a candidate for PTS either. He may be biting out of fear, he may have a thyroid problem or other health issue that has gone undiagnosed, or he may have been abused and have certain triggers you need to learn.

I adopted a 3 year old pit when I was 18 who had been severely abused and was days away from being put down due to aggression. When we got him he had holes all along his neck from prong collar punctures, scars, and deep bite marks that were infected. He had to be muzzled at all times because he was a biter, but once we got him healthy he began to trust us little by little. At first we couldn't pet him and he wouldn't even come in the same room with us....it was really bad. We figured out vacuum cleaners, trash bags, and the sound of anything metal triggered his aggression because he was scared, and not mean. So when we vacuumed we put him out first, when we took out the trash he had to be outside, and metal anything was a no no as well as collars for the longest time.

We had an amazing patient trainer and within 18 months he was a trustworthy lap dog that loved to snuggle and was my constant shadow. Your wife and son will have to learn not to show fear though because dogs can sense it and it makes them even more uneasy- they think they have something to worry about when you do Get a trainer to work with the whole family and give this guy a chance. He's still just a baby and needs to know he is loved and safe Do get some blood work done to rule out illness it could be a simple thyroid issue

 

[codmaster]

Hi all i have a 12 month old long haired called Rex we have had him six months, and our his third owners.i knew the two previous owners who just did not have the time to give to him that he needed, we are having problems with bitting and recall, i am sure these are all the usual problems people have had.i was taking him to an ex police dog trainer but due to shifts etc it was only me going and not my wife or 15 year old son.He bit my wife quite badly recently when she was out with him, i would normally have taken him out but was called in to work unexpectedly .I think he was shocked at what he had done as he was very quiet for a few days.My wife and son are too scared to take him out on their own now so everything is down to me.After Christmas we are going to try and find a local trainer that we can all go to.Any advice would be greatly appreciated thanks carl

First you must understand that the recall may be a commom problem, BUT the biting is NOT a common problem. What was the first trainer doing with him? Training to do what? Methods used/ Some PD training can be very rough on a dog esp. if they do not have a solid temperament to begin with. Second the advice to get a good behaviorist ASAP! And have your wife and son practice the NILIF!

 

[rvadog]

Just to be clear I'm not suggesting that he go to the vet this minute and put the dog to sleep. The issue for me as that PTS is a reasonable option in many aggression cases and I think a lot of people rather pawn their problems on someone else than deal with it themselves.

If this guy hires a trainer, works through this issue and the dog becomes a confident member of the family then thats awesome and obviously the best option. If on the other hand he decides to give it up or it bites someone else then I would for sure PTS.

Never, ever rehome a dog because you are not willing to deal with behavioral problems. You are simply setting the dog and the next family up for failure and opening up the possibility for a tragedy.

 

[carlkip]

hi i really appreciate the advice, i will not give up on my dog and as advised will work through the problems with my family and a trainer, he is currently looking in to my eyes lovingly whilst listening to train as if butter would not melt thanks again carl