Charlie's Thread

[HuffleClaw]

Hello all,
This issue has been ongoing for nearly a year. Charlie, a 1 year old unknown mixed breed dog, has a habit of trying to bite me when he feels frustrated. Today for example, he did not want to go in his crate (he normally goes in without issues), so I attempted to gently guide him in there. What does he do? He turns around and nearly bites my face. I know, I was a little too close, and he was likely uncomfortable. But this isn’t the only time it has happened. He used to bite when he was a little 8 week old puppy, but I brushed it off. He had a rough start in his life, born under an old dirty barn and wasn’t ever socialized until I got him. Any time I tell him “no” or “stop” or do any sort of correction, he gets so angry, and I’ll never understand where it all went so terribly wrong. I was busy working so I didn’t have much time to train him, but he knows a few tricks and is pretty solid on a few obedience skills (recall, stay, etc). And today, I’ve decided I’ve just about had enough. I’ve put up and dealt with so much from this dog. I love him, but I can’t have an aggressive dog. And hiring a trainer is out of the picture completely. So I only have so many options. 1.) Shelter or 2.) Put him down. He wouldn’t last long in a shelter because he doesn’t like new people or strangers and will bite if approached too quickly.


I guess this is more of a vent post than an “asking for advice” post. I’ve researched and have tried and gave him so many chances. Not just one or 2 times, I’ve let it go time after time and time again. I just can’t do it anymore. I’m heartbroken, I really am. I will admit, I am the problem. There’s something I messed or did wrong im sure. But after months of trying to correct the issue to no avail, or if anything, the issue getting worse… What am I supposed to do?? I just feel absolutely defeated and I’ve failed as a dog owner. If I had to do it all over again, I’d start properly socializing from the start and exposing the pup to what real life is like. But right now I’m just in absolute turmoil.

 

[Iluveggers]

Hi. I am so sorry you are going through this. It is very admirable that you adopted a pup that needed a home. I have a few questions for you.
1. What is the “correction” you give when he does something wrong/snaps?
2. Do you ever feel sorry for him so you let him get away with things, or tired so don’t follow through with him?
3. Have you ever had a dog? If so, how old when you got him & from where?
4. What kind of exercise does your dog get every day?
5. Is the dog aggressive all the time, or only when you want it to do something it doesn’t want to do?
I think MOST dogs are able to be retrained to learn manners IF their owners are calm, consistent, and have the energy to do so. Right now it sounds like he thinks he is in charge, or is looking for stability and is getting confusing signals.

We are on our 4th rescue (2 were adults when adopted and harder to train, 2 were puppies and much easier.) I would love to help if you think you might want to try to work with him a bit longer.

 

[Iluveggers]

has a habit of trying to bite me when he feels frustrated.

He’s not frustrated, he’s asserting his authority.

He turns around and nearly bites my face. I know, I was a little too close, and he was likely uncomfortable. But this isn’t the only time it has happened. He used to bite when he was a little 8 week old puppy, but I brushed it off.

This has created the problem. The dog has learned that it is ok to bite because he was never taught not to when he was little. It is fixable but will take work.

He had a rough start in his life, born under an old dirty barn and wasn’t ever socialized until I got him. Any time I tell him “no” or “stop” or do any sort of correction, he gets so angry, and I’ll never understand where it all went so terribly wrong. I

Sometimes owners of rescued dogs feel sorry for them and feel bad disciplining the dog. But this guy needed to learn manners.

I was busy working so I didn’t have much time to train him

This is not your dogs fault.

And today, I’ve decided I’ve just about had enough. I’ve put up and dealt with so much from this dog. I love him, but I can’t have an aggressive dog.

I understand that you can’t have an aggressive dog, but it is not the fault of an aggressive dogs that are adopted young and not taught otherwise that they are agressive.

So I only have so many options. 1.) Shelter or 2.) Put him down. He wouldn’t last long in a shelter because he doesn’t like new people or strangers and will bite if approached too quickly.

Your option is to commit to the dog that you chose to adopt, and put some energy into changing his habits, giving him adequate exercise, and calm, consistent discipline (no yelling, hitting, etc).

I guess this is more of a vent post than an “asking for advice” post. I’ve researched and have tried and gave him so many chances. Not just one or 2 times, I’ve let it go time after time and time again. I just can’t do it anymore. I’m heartbroken, I really am. I will admit, I am the problem. There’s something I messed or did wrong im sure. But after months of trying to correct the issue to no avail, or if anything, the issue getting worse… What am I supposed to do?? I just feel absolutely defeated and I’ve failed as a dog owner. If I had to do it all over again, I’d start properly socializing from the start and exposing the pup to what real life is like. But right now I’m just in absolute turmoil.

An older dog can learn manners. It is not too late, especially if he is not biting to draw blood and only just “warnings”. If he is biting to draw blood on you, he might be too far gone without an experienced trainer.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I'm sorry about what's going on. It might be from his past.
My dog does occasionally try nipping me when he discovers that I'm putting him somewhere he doesn't want to be. He typically doesn't get a bite, and I immediately scold him, with putting him where he was supposed to go. Now, he's been very good, with really no problems. It's just taken me time. He's very stubborn, so that's a lot of time.

I think you should take @Iluveggers advice. I think they can help you a lot.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Hi. I am so sorry you are going through this. It is very admirable that you adopted a pup that needed a home. I have a few questions for you.
1. What is the “correction” you give when he does something wrong/snaps?
2. Do you ever feel sorry for him so you let him get away with things, or tired so don’t follow through with him?
3. Have you ever had a dog? If so, how old when you got him & from where?
4. What kind of exercise does your dog get every day?
5. Is the dog aggressive all the time, or only when you want it to do something it doesn’t want to do?
I think MOST dogs are able to be retrained to learn manners IF their owners are calm, consistent, and have the energy to do so. Right now it sounds like he thinks he is in charge, or is looking for stability and is getting confusing signals.

We are on our 4th rescue (2 were adults when adopted and harder to train, 2 were puppies and much easier.) I would love to help if you think you might want to try to work with him a bit longer.

I appreciate the gentle reply, everywhere else I’ve turned to has been a slap in the face.

1.) By correction I really mean if he is performing an undesirable behavior I try to distract him from it if that makes any sort of sense? For example if he’s barking or trying to run at something he’s not supposed to I’ll recall him and offer treats etc
2.) I call myself following through, especially for the past few months. But I will willingly admit, I felt “guilty” for not letting him get away with things as a puppy, which is likely where the issue rooted.
3.) I have had a dog before. She was a Chiweenie from a BYB (I know, rough call) and she was probably 6-7 weeks when I got her. Best. Dog. Ever. She passed in 2018. It took me a while before I got another dog (Charlie).
4.) He gets to run 12 acres and he looooves to run. I don’t think it’s a lack of exercise.
5.) He is not aggressive all the time, but he feels uncomfortable receiving affection (pets, etc), so I try to stray away from using that as a reward or even doing it at all.

 

[HuffleClaw]

He’s not frustrated, he’s asserting his authority.


This has created the problem. The dog has learned that it is ok to bite because he was never taught not to when he was little. It is fixable but will take work.


Sometimes owners of rescued dogs feel sorry for them and feel bad disciplining the dog. But this guy needed to learn manners.


This is not your dogs fault.


I understand that you can’t have an aggressive dog, but it is not the fault of an aggressive dogs that are adopted young and not taught otherwise that they are agressive.

Your option is to commit to the dog that you chose to adopt, and put some energy into changing his habits, giving him adequate exercise, and calm, consistent discipline (no yelling, hitting, etc).


An older dog can learn manners. It is not too late, especially if he is not biting to draw blood and only just “warnings”. If he is biting to draw blood on you, he might be too far gone without an experienced trainer.

I do realize where the issue came from. I am not blaming the dog for me not having as much time with him as I should’ve when he was a puppy, he’s a dog he needs guidance from me to learn. And yes, I know I am the one that chose to adopt him. His 3 siblings went to the same person and they’ve already been surrendered months ago. So I think another part of the problem is bad genetics. But I am in favor of “no bad dogs, just bad owners”. I am taking full responsibility for the problem.

 

[HuffleClaw]

While I am not dissing the idea of even more extensive training, I am a little nervous to be close up to him after today. It’s been a little while since he’s snapped like that.

 

[lomine]

Are you sure he is being dominate? This sounds like it may be fear-based aggression. He reacts when he's feeling insecure/nervous/frustrated, yes? Because that would change how you approach the situation.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Are you sure he is being dominate? This sounds like it may be fear-based aggression. He reacts when he's feeling insecure/nervous/frustrated, yes? Because that would change how you approach the situation.

No, I do not think it’s a dominance issue. All of his siblings also face nervous reactions. I think it’s a nervousness that’s turned into aggression. I always try to reassure him that it’s okay, but he doesn’t like baby talk, or petting/touching. He prefers treats and then goes right back to the previous behavior.

 

[lomine]

You don't want to pet a nervous dog. You as a human know you are trying to comfort him but dogs don't think like that. He sees it as praise for his behavior. Or as a reassurance that he is giving the right reaction to the situation. There's lots of articles and videos online on how to deal with fearful dogs.

Something else you might look into is Rescue Remedy. You can find it on Amazon. It's a natural stress reliever. I've found it very helpful on dogs and cats that get nervous, like during car rides. This might be a good thing to use during periods of high stress or new situations.