what do i do about my pitbull biting?

Question

I rescued a pitbull from a pound because i fell in love with him as well as the fact that they were going to put him down if i didnt. one day i went down to move my cat away from his bowl because he is very food territorial... "bo" bit me and i had to go to the emergency room, the dog had to know that what he did was wrong because he wouldnt come near me for the remainder of the day without his head being down towards the ground... yesterday my little brother had come home and he said hello to Bo, he sat there and went down to touch the dog in a friendly hello manner, the dog snapped and bit him and he as well had to go to the emergency room. I dont know what to do, if i bring him to the shelter (again) their going to euthenize him and thats the last thing i want. I have searched for rescues but havent gotten a call back or an email. I work 40 hours a week and i feel its unfair to him as well as my family that he doesnt get enough structure. I try to give him as much as i can but its hard working full time and going to school... I would love to bring him to obedience training but like i said one time shame on him 2x shame on me... i dont want to see it happen a third time, maybe when a child goes to pick up his bone and the dog lashes out??!! i cant afford for that to happen... does anyone have any good advice?? i feel like he would have a better life with someone who has the time and the dedication to raise him. i love the dog to death but im in a corner now and there has to be reprocussions... someone please help.

Answer 1

We aren't saying the dog should be put down because of it's breed. If it were a Lab or Collie, I still would have said PUT IT DOWN..



This dog is unstable and unpredictable. It doesn't matter if the dog is put down because, think of it this way, what if a family members child comes over ? The dog will bite again and it will be put down for sure after that incident. This dog has bad genetics, and when genetics are the cause, there is VERY little you can do. Raising won't do any good and training will only go so far..You can't alter or change his genetics.

Answer 2

Troll or no, this deserves an answer. One thing that has not been mentioned is this...if a dog bites often the owner becomes hand shy and even though he may want to do the right thing, a dog can tell if you are afraid, anxious or unsure around it and it will behave accordingly. However you got where you are, you now own a dog and have a responsibility for its care and well being. You must bring him to the vet for a health check first! Make sure there is no underlying illness causing the dog to lash out. Second...that is not a good attitude..bite twice, shame on me. It is obvious you are not able to handle the dog. Speak with a behaviorist or a good trainer. See what they recommend and if you are able to comply. If you can't comply you can attempt to find a rescue that will take him knowing of his behaviors or ....yeah, put him down. So sad. Instead of saying someone please help...I hope you will step up and give this dog the time and training it needs and see if it can be rehabilitated.

Answer 3

I have 3 cats and 3 dogs. The dogs all know not to bite me, however one of the male cats was attacking another of my cats daily - and ultimately intitiated an attack upon ME without me even touching him first, because he knew I would put him in the garage for a few hours as punishment. That cat crunched my wrist with his fangs with every bit of strength he had making my skin burst with a popping sound. He then tore deep into by forearm with his claws. My blood was streaming all over the house. Anyway, that cat was going to be sent to an animal shelter (which is the same thing as having him euthanized / killed - they don't tell people that they kill the animals brought into a shelter because people would not bring in their animals if they did admit that). Instead, the cat was neutered (balls cut off). Male cats and dogs should be neutered anyway because they have such a problem with cancer and other things. That reduced the cat's aggressive tendencies 95%! Also, the cat didn't even seem to realize that his balls had been removed. He showed no sign of pain and was back home 2 hours after the operation. One tip though. A veterinarian will charge you something like $500 or more to have this done, but you can easily find a clinic that will do it for $35 or if you are financially poor.. for free! These clinics do nothing more than sterilizations and nail clippings (so they don't scratch themselves open). This makes the procedure very cheap. Since that is all they do, they probably do a BETTER job than the vet would do because the vet does hundreds of different procedures to many species of animals and birds.



Do a google search on dog neutering cheap. If you can't find a place that will do it for less than $100, keep looking. Its a very simple and safe procedure.



One tip though.. if you don't want a dog that bites.. don't get a pit bull, and especially one that is rescued from a pound! eek! If you don't have him neutered, I would say there is no hope for him. Hmm.. if he is from a pound, he probably is already neutered though? I'm not sure if they allow un-neutered dogs to be adopted. One last option would be to get a muzzle for your biting machine.

Answer 4

OMG NOOOOOOOOOO.... I thought Pits were all cuddly snuggle-bugs that wouldn't hurt a fly???



Doesn't matter WHAT the breed is. A dog that bites unprovoked need to be put down in my opinion. If you had the time and talent to train, MAYBE you could give it a shot, but me personally? I wouldn't chance it. There are too many NICE dogs out there that need homes... Pits included... to suffer a biter.



Giving him away is not the answer and you know it. You need to do the right thing, hard as it is, and either take him on a one way trip to the vet, or return him to the shelter and tell them WHY.



And honestly... I am NOT hating on Pits. I have known some very sweet ones... but also some very nasty ones. I am just making a point to those users here that insist we must "save the pit bulls" because they are soooooo misunderstood... Not ALL Pits are snuggle-bunnies. And when they bite, they do MUCH more damage than a Chihuahua, Yorkie, or even a Lab, because of their jaw strength. (Notice I did *not* say locking jaws?)



Good luck. I am sorry for what you are going thru.

Answer 5

Looks like you have two choices. You can either return the dog, and report the aggressive behavior- which will result in the animal being humanely euthanized... Or spend the money on a PROFESSIONAL trainer. This poor animal obviously was never trained properly, and has now become dangerous, AND a liability. Meaning you could be sued if he hurts someone. And you would never forgive yourself. Better to be safe than sorry- If you can't afford regular, intense training sessions with a professional, the right thing is to have the dog put down for aggression.

Answer 6

Has this dog been to a vet lately?



My first question is is the dog painful? Like if you scratch him behind the ear does he suddenly try to hurt you? Pain causes even the nicest dog to bite at the hand that feeds. It may have been that your brother went to pat him on the head--normal enough--and the dog snapped because maybe he has an ear infection and we all know those hurt. So the first thing I would do is get him a good physical examination done and see if that doesn't help.



You've mentioned food aggression which is pretty common among many dogs, not just pit bulls. He probably wasn't in the shelter for TOO long but I'm going to guess he wasn't by himself in his kennel and probably had to fight for his food. Let him be alone when he's eating, plain and simple. It's never a good idea, no matter how great a temperament the dog has, to mess with them while they're eating. Make it the most peaceful time you can even if that means putting him away in a room while he eats. If he has a bone or even a toy, make sure nobody messes with it. If you're in public with him, he doesn't need anything like that. Keep him on a short leash and a good collar or harness.



Behavior training is a must. If you can't go somewhere for it, you need to at least get a good how-to book and educate yourself. Pit bulls are fantastically smart dogs and pick up new things quickly. If you don't have the time for that, then the best thing to do is rehome this dog. Whomever you rehome it to need to know anything you can tell them--biting, food aggression, and so on. There are plenty of people who do have the time and resources for a "project dog" like this.



And lastly, if you can afford a behavior consultant with a board-certified veterinary behavior specialist, I would go that route. It gets pricey depending on your area, but it can be well worth it if you want to keep this dog.

Answer 7

This is a Dangerous dog. I know you care for him but you are putting yourself and others at real risk. You don'.t even know all the things that can set him off. He could rip someones arm or face off, or kill. You will be liable.



He has been abused and that is not your fault. You tried to help this dog, which is more than others have done. You can feel good about that and that you have identified a dangerous dog before anything worse happens. Keep a muzzle on him at all times until you take him to the vet to be put down. They just go to sleep in your arms. I think this would be more humane for him than going back to the pound. Some pounds still gas them, which is a bad death. He wouldn't have the stress of going back to the pound either. I'm sorry things didn't go as you hoped.



I know this is not the answer you want to hear and you may want a "professional" opinion. Every dog breed has their own organization or association. Google them, call for some info or at least be referred to an expert trainer in the breed for their opinion. A trainer in the breed should know if it is even possible to rehabilitate this dog.

Answer 8

I hate to say this but, when a shelter has a dog that bites. They put them through a seires of tests. Once being pulling a fake hand in and around the food bowl while the dog is eating. If he/she bites it is an automatic that they are to be put to sleep. As from what the say they cannot be corrected of this behavior. I dunno if this is true.



They also test by petting the dog while it is eating and waiting for a bite or snap from the dog.



I would contact a vet. Reason being is IF your pit gets loose and hurts or kills a child. It could be considered more then an accident. Since you are aware of the biting problem already.



I just hope the vet has your solution.

Answer 9

Most dogs with that much of a bite-problem cannot be rehabilitated without serious help from professionals. Best you return the dog to the pound or call the ASPCA and let them know that his dog bites inappropriately. They will probably put him down, but I think it's for the best. An aggressive dog is an unhappy dog.

Answer 10

I think everyone is saying it's ok that he gets put down because he's a Pitbull. If you said you have a Collie or Lab I'm sure they'd say otherwise. If he's really sweet and wellmannered in all other aspects except food, then he's not a bad dog. Almost EVERY dog has a tendency to be protective of their food but owners usually train or get their dogs used to people being around while eating, ect. This dog obviously never had that kind of training or time to get used to people messing with him while food or bones were around. What he needs is everyday training and if you can't do that you should really try to find someone who is knowledgable in dog training or experienced with aggression in Pits. Euthanization should be the LAST resort.

Answer 11

First of all, food aggression is fixable! Do you know the background of this dog? Did the pound give you any history of the dog?



Second, all dogs can be aggressive if put in certain situations. So for the people who responded with "this type of dog" etc. do some research. According to The American Temperament Testing Society (www.atts.org) pit bulls had a passing rate of 84.3%, that’s better than beagles (78.2%) and golden retrievers who had a passing rate of 84.2%. So please, don't blame the breed.



Third, any dog will require time and training. Did you work 40-hrs. per week when you decided to rescue a dog? Many rescue groups will not take "surrenders", there are too many "pit bulls" that need help. Offer to foster the dog and ask if they'd help find a better home or if they can assist you with finding a trainer to work on the dogs issues. Many rescue groups have trainers that they work with and trust...you might even find that you can work with the dog and still give her a good home.



Last, whatever you do, PLEASE do not just give this dog to anyone.

Answer 12

i think you know in your heart what needs to be done

but by asking on here you are clutching at straws hoping that some one could magically conjure up a magical way for this dog to be changed into a loving family pet

but hes bitten twice both times the person needed hospital treatment

the next time it might go beyond that he could kill some one

you gave him a loving home love and kindness security but you really need to see past that if some one on here had the same problem as you with their dog looking from the outside you would advise them to get the dog put to sleep have a good hard think it is for the best sorry

Answer 13

The dog snapped at your brother just because he went to touch the dog that dog is unpredictable and dangerous



Whilst i will get thumbs down for this you have 2 choices get an animal behavioural trainer in one that knows what there doing and get them to evaluate the dog the second option is euthanasia i would go with euthanasia im afraid



k why not read the question i don't have a problem with pit bulls and know a 14 year old pit that is sweet. A dog that turns on some one just because they went to stroke it is dangerous

Answer 14

Plan on having a visit from your local pound/shelter. Doctors, by law, have to turn in dog bites. No one is going to take a dog that is known to bite. He could possibly be euthanized, depending on the laws in your area.

Answer 15

i feel strongly about dogs and im sure you do too. I suggest getting professional help asap! Also getting a dog house and putting him outside. Another option is to send him to a no kill animal shelter.

I am happy you understand that if you really love him you have to let him go. He may do well with another family.

if anything he may have to be put down. The dog ius probablly stressed but euthanizing him will be in his best interest.

Hope that my advice helps... : ]

Answer 16

You shouldnt have gotten a dog when you dont have time for it in the first place. If you are truly wanting to help it, than get a trainer that specializes in biting dogs. Otherwise, give it to someone who cares, or the shelter.....

Answer 17

One way trip to the vet. Any dog that bites a humans needs to be destroyed.

Answer 18

Hi! Hope this helps.



Pups and adolescents are the ones most likely to be the mouthy ones. Adult dogs generally are not. But all dogs need occupational chew therapy. Not only does it keep younger ones from chewing inappropriate items, it gives even older dogs something to do with extra time and excess energy

Answer 19

With this dog you will not have too many options, I would have this dog euthanized immediately. If he bites unprovoked and hard enough that you need medical attention, this is pretty much it for this dog.

Answer 20

Take the dog back to the pound, it's sad that he will be "put to sleep" but it's obvious that he's too aggressive to be around people. It would be worse if he attacks a person - or a child.

Answer 21

The dog did not "know" it did anything wrong.

Dogs do not think like that.



This dog needs to be returned to the pound NOW with the information that has bitten people. Or you should take it to your vet yourself and have it put to sleep.



Nobody needs to have a dog like this.



If you do not take care of this situation, we will be reading about a tragedy with someone and this dog.



OR you should just enjoy your new account just created today and keep posting TROLL questions.

Answer 22

You'll need professional help in training a dog with aggressive tendencies. Not just the trainers in PetSmart type "professional". I'd suggest checking with a local police department to see who trains their dogs. If you don't have the desire to put the time in for him you need to find someone who can do this for him.