What should you do if your own dog bites you?

Question

I have a maltese he's about 1 1/2 yrs old. Got him from a breeder when he was 6 months. Today he was on my bed with his bone/treat (the bone was not in his mouth) I picked him up and nicely put him on the ground, he started growling and bit me on my hand twice and jumped up and bit me on my thigh (so bit me three times). Luckily they are not deep, but still have to get a tetanus shot. And one time he bit me on my arm (not deep) for taking him off the couch when he was playing with his bone (yeah I know I should have learned!). He has also bitten my sister once but that was b/c his nail got stuck on the bedsheet and as she was trying to get him unstuck it was probably hurting him and he bit her on the finger, that wound was somewhat deep. So in this situation I dont blame the dog b/c he was probably in pain. But what happened today I'm confused b/c Ive never really heard of dogs biting their owners. Not too sure what to do? is he just a aggressive dog? need training? get rid of him?

Answer 1

Your dog has bit you because it sees itself as the leader, you are the only one to blame here.

Sadly many people who own small dogs treat them like babies and then you get 'small dog attitudes'.

You need to start reading up on how to be the Leader of the pack now before your dog bites someone else and you get sued and are forced to put to sleep your dog.

I reccomend going to your book store and getting a book called 'Dog Listener' by Jan Fennell.

You don't need to get rid of the dog because you're at fault, any dog you get will display this behaviour because you're not a leader.

Your dog is displaying what is known as Dominance Agression and resource guarding.

Answer 2

Well if you get rid of him, he'll be someone else problem. But I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from! We have a 6.5 yr old shiba inu (medium sized breed) and he's aggressive. Has been since- well almost forever. We took him to a private trainer and was told he was 'naturally aggressive' - go figure. We just know what he likes and what he doesn't.
I would recommend that when you dog has any food, let him be. Our dog actually got ahold of a chicken bone and my husband said "Leave him be. He'll either poop it, choke on it, or poop it sideways." Had we tried to take it, he could have taken a finger" (probably not a finger, just definitely hurt us)
Some dogs are just food aggressive. I would try working with someone and see if it works. Otherwise you'll just have to remember the limits. REMEMBER to ALWAYS tell guests in your home how he is. I don't allow anyone to pet our dog unless my husband and I are there. Our dog does give a warning by first putting his ears down and looking nervous- then it's the rumble growl- teeth sometimes. Then it's "leave him alone".
It stinks because our first dog was the best dog on earth! She was our angel- now we have our devil.
Good luck though.

Answer 3

Get thee to a trainer. Yes, sometimes dogs do bite the hand that feeds them. Using teeth is a normal part of canine communication -- that doesn't make it appropriate in this case, but it's certainly not pathological. With assistance, it is very reasonable to think that you can turn him around, though a trainer will be able to evaluate much better what kind of rehabilitation you can expect.

For what it's worth, at 1 1/2 years old, he's still a young dog and may be hitting an adolescent streak where he suddenly thinks he owns the world. A little training now may get him back on track so that by the time he starts to mature a bit, you can enjoy a greatly improved relationship.

Answer 4

I would never keep a dog that bit, once ok.. After that there is a problem.. YOU my friend have a problem! What if this dog bites a child in the face, or someone who comes to your house? You will be sued

This goes beyond regular behavioral issues. He is what i would consider an aggressive dog, he does not want you touching his "stuff".. And usually dogs like that just growl or nip, not attack like a mad dog! And those dogs can be helped..

I am sorry but I would have the dog put to sleep and make sure you tell the breeder how aggressive this dog is. You could try some serious one on one training, but I really doubt it will work...

Good luck!

Answer 5

This answer is sure to be very unpopular.

Ok - I know this sounds cruel and I know this is hard to hear and you probably paid a pretty penny for the dog, but you probably need to have him put down. A dog should NEVER bite anyone, even other dogs. EVER! There is NO good excuse, ever. You are way past the point of whether this dog will bite. He literally attacked you (more than once) and your sister, and even though he is very small, he can do permanent damage if he gets hold in the right place. I'm going to tell you what happened to my daughter's boyfriend, and even though it was a pit bull (which I hate), ANY dog can cause serious harm if allowed to continue attacking.

They had a pit bull that had brutally attacked 2 other dogs, but he insisted the dog would never attack them because they were his family (moron). One morning he had a seizure and fell out. The dog attacked him and wouldn't let go. We tried to make him release, even hit him with the back of an axe, but the handle broke and the dog would not let go. The dog dragged him around the room, even up onto the bed and back down on the floor for 15 minutes before a neighbor came over with a gun and shot the dog. Only then did he let go. Her boyfriend lost his arm after 17 surgeries in 14 days trying to save it. They no longer have pits, thank God but it was the worst experience of my life because I was there and saw it happen.

Another incident involving a small dog, I used to have Springers and my female was in heat. A little pomeranian mix kept jumping the fence into my yard and animal control said I should try to tie him up and they'd come get him. He was dragging a chain so I thought I could catch him easily enough, but when I grabbed the chain, he turned and chewed through both my hands faster than I've ever seen anything chew in my life. I drop kicked him over the fence, but I still have the scars. Those sharp little teeth went all the way through both of my hands.

I don't know if it is too late to try to train him to stop biting because once they do it, it becomes part of them. The only way is to show him who is in charge. They may be domesticated, but you have to understand that dogs are pack animals and will only submit to the leader. In his mind, he's the leader. If you didn't establish yourself as leader, he will never respond to you unless you do. But he can also NEVER be trusted. Someone eventually will make him mad again. You will need to get very physical with him to show him who's boss, but you really should have him put down. If you "get rid of him", you better tell the new owner that he bites or you will be liable. You said you got him from a local breeder. Maybe they can tell you how to handle this as the Maltese may just be an agressive dog, but I wouldn't want any dog that feels like he can bite you at will. If you decide to get a different dog or breed, know the breed before you buy. And don't buy pups at the pet store. You pay way too much for pups bred at puppy mills where they don't care about the breeding and they are cruel to the dogs.

I used to belong to the Jacksonville Dog Fancier's Association and bred Springer Spaniels, so I know what I am talking about when it comes to dogs who bite. If I have a dog that bites in anger (not the nips while playing), even once, I have it put down. That might sound cruel that I don't give it a second chance, because I don't want that second time to be a child. It's just not worth it, the dog is not a good one and that happens, usually due to bad breeding. Just put this one down and find one that is not so easily angered.

One who knows,
Diane

Answer 6

Dogs are instinctive creatures & can react but they can be taught too. I'd say try the patient route 1st. You have let him get away with the biting for nearly a year? I'd say go to the extreme & if he nips put a muzzle on him for a short while. He will soon associate this with his biting & probably let up on it. Spray bottles can backfire because some dogs absolutly love it! It may seem harsh but each time he bites it will become more dangerous. So far you've been lucky. My friends dog snapped & caught her in the face ( poodle ) several stitches & they had to put the animal down. Stop it right away & you could prevent that. Good luck!

Answer 7

Ok the people who answered this are really stupid. If you love him, dont get rid of him right away, try to work with him. Some dogs are aggressive in nature, yes even little ones like a maltese. Most things can be solved with training. But if he's just started recently doing this and you've had him for over a year, maybe there's an underlying matter. Have you been spending less time with him, is there a new animal or baby around getting some of his attention? If there is something different in his enviroment, such as these examples, try a way to compensate for "lost time" maybe set aside a time each day to bring him for a walk or play a few extra minutes. You should be able to work through it. If not, contact your vet and he should be able to suggest some training tips so you dont have to pay a gazillion dollars for a trainer.

Answer 8

No dog should ever growl, threaten, or attempt to bite another human unless it was told to, in the case of a trained dog, or the dog was acting out of self defense. NO DOG SHOULD EVER BITE A HUMAN IN ITS OWN FAMILY, EVER. Dogs like yours do that because they are spoiled little pieces of ........... You have probably caused this problem, and now the dog will have to pay for it. He needs a serious *** kicking and a very serious training regiment that will establish in his mind, ONCE AND FOR ALL where he belongs in the pack. Some people are not willing to go through all they have to go through. Make sure that you are not one of them. This situation will get worse if it is not adressed NOW.

Answer 9

I have 4 dogs and have a problem like u with 1 of them and hes a chihuahua hes real mean he bites me every day my dad says not to mess with him. Like if i give him some dog snacks he wont mess with them right away and i dont know if he wants them and i try to get them and he bites me.I react to it real quick and move my hand away and get a pillow and grab him and hold him down and spank him or pick him up in the air real high(hes scared of heights) some dogs r like that like people sometimes u have bad days and somtimes u dont and somtimes u have bad days all the time and (vise versa)its normal just try to show him in a way who is the dog and who is the owner thats wut i did and he still didnt listen so i threw him outside and let him back and then he was happy and played with me lol i guess he was scared out there well good luck

Answer 10

In this situation the best thing to do is hire a dog behaviorist. They train to fix behavior problems. It is aggression. Do not get rid of him. It is a problem that can be fixed. Dumping the dog is irresponsible because when you bought the dog you took on a responsibility that you fhould uphold to this living creature who obviously is a good dog just with bad manners/ doesn't know the rules.
Start your search here for a trainer and make sure they guarantee the work to an extent (because obviously they can't control what you do at home)-
http://www.apdt.com/

For now start this
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/nilif.pdf