My dog is 8.5 years old and is a mixed breed. He is the sweetest dog most of the times but there are times when he attacks/bites/rips flesh for reasons otherwise unjustified(like touching him when he is awaiting his feed). He has cataract in both eyes and turns into a beast during the nights.He has bitten a friend on the face and my dad on the hand, both resulting in plastic surgeries. I know its not safe for me to keep him with me, but dont have the heart to put him either. He is so attached and dependant on me that i'm not sure if he can live without me.
Please help me if i can do something about is behaviour thru medication or teeth grinding or anyting else so that i can have him without any fears.
2007-01-02 21:07:31 · 15 answers · asked by Druidess 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Your dog is a senior. Think of the health problems humsan seniors have. First of all cataracts means he can't see well, if at all. His hearing may also be failing. The people he has bitten may be scaring him because he doesn't see and/or hear them approach. This is worse at night because what little he can see during the day is lost in the dark.
He may also be getting easily confused. Dementia is a possibility with elderly dogs. It would scare and confuse him, causing him to lash out. Imagine if you suddenly didn't recognize your surroundings or the people you've loved all your life. It's a terrifying thing.
Another possibility is that he is in pain. Arthritis can cause petting to be quite painful, so can many other age-related illnesses and cancer. He has no other way of telling you that something is wrong other than lashing out.
Please discuss this with your vet so that you can work together to find a cause. Only then can you find a way to fix this. Don't give up on him until you know there is no alternative other than putting him to sleep. I just had to make that long drive with my 14 year old.
2007-01-02 21:32:07 · answer #1 · answered by Virginia S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should mussel him when people are around and at night try keeping him in an enclosed area at night to IE a room with a stair gate attached or a dog crate. You should have had him put down the first time he drew blood / bit a human. This dog could become dangerous as you could may be waling him and he could attack a perfectly Innocent victim.
I suggest you use a mussel at all times when around public, keep him in an enclosed area at night. Also try talking to a vet to see if there is anything you could do like behaviour classes? I do think you should think about this long and hard hes already bitten a few times and you should think about it in case he attacks someone again and does alot of damage.
2007-01-02 21:40:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He has cataracts and can't see very well so any movement may be misinterpreted as a threat to him so he bites.
Dogs like people are entitled to have a bad day when they don't want attention.
Put him in another room when you have company.And don't touch him when he's waiting to be fed.
Take him for a long walk before bed so he'll be tired and he'll sleep rather than turn into a beast because it's dark and he can't see into the shadows.
Put him in the car and take him to a large well lit parking lot and walk along the edge of it all the way around.
2007-01-03 01:03:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you should take your dog to a vet for a check up and then to a behaviourist for assesment. It would not be fair on the dog to resort to grinding his teeth.
The cataracts may play a big part in causing him to snap at people, but the fact that he bites so hard makes him dangerous. My 12 year old Shepherd cross is getting a little deaf. He sometimes starts badly if we touch him suddenly, as he does not hear us coming (if he has his eyes closed for instance). However, he does not connect with his teeth.
I think you really know in your heart that there may only be one outcome for your dog in the end. We should do all we can to save our canine friends, but sometimes we have to think about the safety of other people first.
I am so sorry for you, as it must be a terrible decision to make. Good luck, I hope you make the right decision.
2007-01-02 21:26:48 · answer #4 · answered by Liz M 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
first don't give him to someone, you're just passing along a dangerous dog. has he been this way his whole life? you need to muzzle him whenever people are around for their safty. human safety is always top priority! then call a behaviorist, one that specializes in aggression. talk to them about the dog and see if they think they can help. teeth grinding umm just don't do it, the dog is unhappy and insecure and he's acting out. as for the food aggression, don't ever feed him when someone is around. can he get out of your yard and get around unsespecting people? you may have to make a choice of either dog or family. personally i would never choose my dogs, who i love dearly, but if they were compromising my family's safety there would be no choice. the cataracts might not help matters, but plastic surgery on two people? you better hire a lawyer now, because you are opening yourself to severe legal problems. there's a general rule in my house for my dogs and it's we don't bite. the end. good luck to you.
oh and you're not the inlaws that were asked about on here earlier are you?
2007-01-02 21:27:20 · answer #5 · answered by cagney 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to consult with a dog specialist, a behavior specialist. The cataracts may be impairing his vision so that his sense of smell tells him his food is around and he is trying to protect it. As the owner, you should be the one to control his behavior. Do not allow anyone around him when he acts out like this, especially children. he obviously is very distressed to attack like that. You need to find out what is causing his distress, read the Dog Whisperer by Ceasar Milan, he has some very good suggestions for all kinds of probs, including one like yours.
2007-01-03 00:08:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sad to say but your dog may be in so much pain that he strikes out at anything. You might want to take him to the vet to see if maybe he had some joint problems that are causing the pain, or anything like that. Also, sometimes mutts don't live to be that long because of hereditary health problems. I wish you the best of luck.
2007-01-02 21:31:58 · answer #7 · answered by dizzylilsailor 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like he's acting in self-defence and could well be due to his like of vision. It's never too late to train a dog and I reckon you should consider changing yours and his life-style and perhaps train him to respond to your voice only. Obviously a muzzle is needed in public, but when you're alone with him try only touching him when you have called him over rather than approaching him. He could also be in some sort of pain so a trip to the vets is definitely worthwhile.
2007-01-03 08:19:41 · answer #8 · answered by Rachael H 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
your dog is crying out for help,he is a pack animal and if he cannot see very well he will attack,especially where there is food,try to feed him while he is on his own so he feels safe,if you can sort his eyes out that would be wonderful,just put yourself in his paws for a day,he sounds a lovely friend its just that he has a problem at the moment,have a heart he is not vicious just afraid.good luck.x
2007-01-03 05:15:28 · answer #9 · answered by dnhrnr 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2014-08-03 18:27:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋