what is wrong with my dog

    • Bronze

    what is wrong with my dog

     My gsd was playing with a jack russel she knows the other day and she was chassing it, she likes this dog and the owner likes my gsd and was telling me the last time how my gsd is better mannered than any gsd she had ever met. BUT she caught the jack russel by the tail and split its tail from its anus up.

     

    In the past she got into a fight in a dog park with a doberman and out of the blue she riipped a hole in its neck. BUt this was not at the same park. I had to pay a huge vet bill to fix the dobie.

     

     

    Other than that shes almost perfect and loves other dogs, has always been socialized with dogs people is well trained but these things happen in a split second out of no where when u least expect it. I am looking online for a good muzzle if i want to take her to another park? Or i guess i can't take her to park again ever?

     

    No one called animal control on her the lady with the jack russel was okay with it. I felt so horrible and stayed with her and the dog till they got in the car. MY dog was calm and normal the jack russel wasnt scared of my dog and my dog was not aggressive to the jack russel but the russel was in pain. 

    The fight with the doberman my dog wanted to kill it, it was a real fight where murder/death was on my dogs mind. But with the jack russel my dog jjust grabbed it by mistake but the damage done was so quick. After the face there was no aggression or anything and we all walked out together but the poor jack russel whining. But i stayed with them and kept saying how sorry i was. She has never bitten a dog while playing like that. 

     

     

    Are some dogs even tho social and good mannared they just use their teeth to hard and break skin all the time ??? LIke I dont know if my dog knows how to NOT break another animals skin when she gets to a high energy or excited level I wonder if she just can't control it and then she breaks skin and slices other animals up? Cause most dogs dont do that they can control themselves when they have a arguement or when they place chase they dont break skin. 

     

    BUT my dog lives with a cat and she doesn't dare mess with the cat so it makes no sense.  Not scared of the cat but just licks and treats the cat like its her baby. WHile the cat doesnt care about her.  She also knows tho from the start she would get hanged if she hurt the cat.

     

     

    • Gold Top Dog
    The first thing I would do is get her in for a COMPLETE vet check to run out anything physical.  It sounds like she has NO bite inhibition, but I can't be sure.  She very likes to be taken to a behavorialist.
    • Bronze

     she was just at the vets they said she was doing really good

     

    and how is a behaviourist going to help her? they walk around dog parks smoking cigs handing out cards to everyone and look like they just got out of ect treatment telling everyone their dogs should be on gentle leads.

     

    My dog can meet any dog on lead and walk by any dog and be the calmest dog in the world go in any store she wont bark or snarl shes like a picture perfect well trained dog but just like you said those lil things pop up once in a blue moon. 

     

    They put down a beagle here for chewing up a hounds ear in a park which terrified me. How can they put down a dog so quick like that? That concerns me more than anything? My dog will never even try to bite another dog or nip or anything while shes on lead its just off lead if shes meeting 100 dogs she might meet the odd one that triggers some kind of response. 

     

    I have a feeling most working gsd's will do this thats why you don't see them in dog parks here ever  ? People are just scared to admit it. Admit how dangerous their dogs are. So i never have anyone to talk about this with.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Did the vet run a full blood panel? A basic exam won't show any problems. Also a GOOD behaviorist will work with you and your dog, not just say "use this tool". Call around but don't go with anyone who you don't like.

    • Bronze

     she did a snap 4 test

     

     

    is there something i am suppose to be looking for? that might make my dog a bit more prone to using her teeth? tell me and i will tell my vet. The vet is not worried about her. BUt if you think there is something I should worry about you need to tell me.

    • Bronze

     they did a snap 4 test

     

    IS there something that i shoudl be worried about ? You need to tell me now. My vet did not seem concerned at all. But you need to tell me please if you think there is something that would make her act like this???? 

    im gonna go put revolution on her right now you got me paranoid

     

    someone said they saw these ticks on top of their cat the other day and its cold here. 

     

    i am really scared

     

    i am changing her food also did u see my food thread? during the change she has had soft stools

     

    she has a sensitive stomach 

    • Gold Top Dog
    I'm sorry you don't like my opinion.  A dog who looses it like that in a split second shouldn't be around other dogs off lead, and that's why I suggested a behavioralist.  The lack of bite inhibition in play would scare be out of dog parks under any circumstances.
    • Bronze

     I only took her there cause she use to have a blast and made all these friends but since that fight with the dobermen and tearing its neck open she kinda lost interest in being everyones friend and more interested in running around the park. Maybe she just grew up.

     

    She just stopped acting like a goofy puppy. Before she was the dog that all the pups in the park wanted to play with she was the main female that everyone wanted their pups to be around to get use to bigger dogs, but after the inicident with the dobie she started to ignore pups like she pretends they aren't there.  Shes still very sweet to them tho.

     

    SHe really wants to leave the house today i might just take her to an isolated area in woods behind my house with my cat or something even tho she likes to go in public to show off and for the car ride. 

    • Bronze

     i also wanted to mention one thing also some dogs will go up to see my dog and then out of the blue they will bolt and go hide, my dog has no reaction she just sands there but these dogs they just run and hide from her for no reason? It has always happend just out of the blue I never knew why but sometimes she just scares other dogs and she does not do anything or even move she will just stand there. I always thought it was because the other dogs were not socialized or spooky.

    • Gold Top Dog

    It's pretty hard for anyone on the internet to give you any meaningful advice.  I'd avoid the dog park and consult a certified behaviorist.  It may be that you missed the signals between your dog and the doberman that preceded the attack.  Most dog attacks/fights don't happen for no reason.  

    The trainers walking around handing out their cards probably won't be much help to you.  I'm not convinced your dog has a true aggression problem but your best bet would be to have a consultation with a true professional.  Your dog's life might depend on it.  Good luck.

    Here's a link to help you find someone qualified in your area.

    http://www.dacvb.org/resources/find/

    • Bronze

     my dog has a ring sport trainer who deals with dogs with serious aggression issues but he has tested my dog after the dobie attack and said he does not think it is her. He said sometimes 2 dogs just cant mix and there is nothing anyone can do about it and that is why dog parks are a very bad idea. I haven't told him about the jack russel though. He is an out of town trainer. I drive a few hours to see him. He was reccomended by the head of sport organization. Probably the best trainer i ever met. IT is my fault for creating this mess i was not suppose to take her to a park he said they are horrible places for dogs.

    • Gold Top Dog
    How old is she? And sometimes a problem with the thyroid can cause changes in behavior. I would avoid dog parks and keep on leash greeting to a bare minuim until you can talk to the trainer.
    • Bronze

    shes going to be 3 in febuary so still young

     

    hopefully i can see my trainer this week we do ring sport training with her shes really good at it, but on the side we talk about her behavour how to improve her for about half an hour while we meet. He says shes a hard dog but a  very nice good dog that he trusts. We have been training together since april. She is very calm and quiet for days after training. She is a very high energy high prey drive dog. My trainer is really into positive training methods and really knows high drive working dogs since he lives them and titles them all his life. So i don't care i make the couple of hour drive to go see him every other week. 

     

     

    My dogs father is a serious police dog shes a lot like him i heard. 

    • Gold Top Dog
    I agree with your ring sport trainer about dog parks.  Some dogs do fine there and never have any sort of bad experience but I err on the side of caution when it comes to setting my dogs up for positive experiences when interacting with other dogs.  There are too many variables at play at a dog park. 
    • Gold Top Dog
    JackieG

    It's pretty hard for anyone on the internet to give you any meaningful advice.  I'd avoid the dog park and consult a certified behaviorist.  It may be that you missed the signals between your dog and the doberman that preceded the attack.  Most dog attacks/fights don't happen for no reason.  

    The trainers walking around handing out their cards probably won't be much help to you.  I'm not convinced your dog has a true aggression problem but your best bet would be to have a consultation with a true professional.  Your dog's life might depend on it.  Good luck.

    Here's a link to help you find someone qualified in your area.

    http://www.dacvb.org/resources/find/

    I'm just going to say ***WHAT SHE SAID***

    [edited a second time because I can't seem to spell today]

    I'm also going to add this --

    You have repeated that both attacks just came out of the blue with no warning.  To be honest, I don't believe that.  But really often humans don't see it so they **assume** there was no warning. 

    I also agree with Glenda -- it sounds like this is a dog with little bite inhibition.  My pug literally drags Luna all over the house by Luna's ear -- You'd think that Luna's ear was going to go straight down Tink's gullet -- she'll stand there and literally chew & mouthe Luna's ear -- touch Luna's ear and the entire ear is drenched -- how the pug gets that entire ear flap in her mouth I don't know but she does -- BUT it's because the pug has GREAT bite inhibition -- and Luna has communicated to the pug how hard is "ok" and how hard is NOT ok.  THAT should be part of socialization.  But the pug also realizes she doesn't do that with ANY other dog. 

    A dog who loses it -- not once but twice - and has drawn blood?  Not just a puncture wound but in both cases TEAR wounds??  That's not just a bite -- that's typically grab and TEAR.  It's deliberately not just a bite but not letting go. 

    You truly have to be the one in control here.  It has to be **your** decision to simply not **EVER** allow your dog to be in a situation every again where it might injure another dog.  For your dog to literally have split a JRT's tail the full length of it?  That's beyond a mere bite --

    A behaviorist?  Maybe -- but not just for the dog.  **YOU** need to learn -- you need to be able to read your dog better and **avoid** trouble.

    I can hear you say "but he enjoys it" or "he needs exercise" -- you're going to need to find another way. 

    I never take mine to a dog park.  Not for any amount of money.  Mostly because altho my bassett/beagle mix is the most social dog on the planet there are no other dogs I trust that far.  Besides which dog parks are too prone to spread disease and it's not worth any amount of "fun" to me to take that kind of risk. 

    Being "sorry" really doesn't help another dog that's injured.  Use your energy to find a **DIFFERENT** outlet for your dog.  Because honestly?  Your dog is something of a time bomb and at some point either a dog is going to be injured and someone is going to get your dog put to sleep for aggression, or even worse -- someone's child is going to try to intervene in a fight and the child could get hurt just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    It doesn't sound like your dog is mean -- just out of control -- there should be a judgment on both yours and the dog's part to know when "fun" is escalating to "temper" or anger. 

    That "line" may be impossible to discern in the heat of the moment.  So, honestly it's your job to simply step back and say "No, we're not doing that".  Maybe not ever again -- you've been incredibly lucky the first two times not to have an owner come after you to get your dog put to sleep.  It happens.

    Continue to learn and try to read your dog better, but don't have 'going to dog parks' as your goal.  Your dog is likely better off forever without that sort of stimulation.    In fact, your dog may just plain not be able to handle certain types of play and stimulation -- it may always trigger a response in your dog that may be dangerous (and it could get worse -- had your dog grabbed the JRT's neck instead of tail the dog could have been dead pretty fast).  Many dogs have an inate response to "grab and shake" -- with a toy it's funny and cute.  With another dog's body part in your dog's mouth?  It's just plain dangerous.

    Please don't just "talk to a behaviorist" and figure you've got the problem fixed.  You probably won't, particularly until you become far far more expert at reading your own dogs signals of frustration and escalating excitement.