Help me with my dog please?

Question

My border collie Fly whose 14 months bit his dog trainer last night at classes, he and another dog were growling at each other and the other owner and i went to move our dogs back and Fly lunged at the other dog and my trainer managed to get in the way and Fly bit her leg, I am absolutelu gutted as I have a 12 year old and a 10 year old and I am so scared he will do the same to them. I have worked so hard wihe Fly since I forst got him, see my other questions and I really don't want to put him down only as a last resort,he has tried to nip my husband in the past but we stopped it by yelling ouch, he does have an aggresive streak in him but this really scares me, he never drew blood thank god though. He is fine with everyone else and is a aocial chap its just this one dog that he has taken a dislike to but also the trainer went into the middle of the fight to break it up, I use a head halti for him and i have a muzzle just incase. What the hell do i do? Please help me.

I am waiting for the vet to call he is busy and will ring tomorrow, I also have had him at a dog therapist but she was sh*t and there is only 1 in Orkney.

Fly does get along really well with my huby and the kids really well, hes a gorgous dog, his aggresive streak is that he barks when anyone comes to the the door but he tays when I tell him to and the comes to greet the visitor/person really well, he doesn't like one of my friends but then my hubby doesn't either so he sits beside me when she comes in and she gives him a treat and now he has started to warm to her, he is exercised daily and all his other details are in a oprevious question called "Fly has roundworm" its on my profile it describes everything we do with him. If thats any help, just saves me having to type it all out again

He is neutred and I thin the trainer is basically a twatt

Am starting to feel better about things now was very upset last night and today and the first thing I thought of was the kids and if he bit them or anone else for that matter. I'm not gonna put him dopwn just thought it was an option at the time as I was very upset. Am gonna quit the dog classes I go to and start with another dog class instead with different trainers. will hopefully hear from vet tomorrrow with an behaviourists name with a bit of luck.

I heard from the vet today and have calmed down lol hes going to see a dog therapist on Monday and we're going to carry onin training classes. The vet thinks it was just a scufffle and some dogs basically dont get on juast like humans. Thanks everyone

Answer 1

your dog will be fine it didnt attack the trainer it went for the other dog your trainer should know better than get in between 2 growling dogs,my spaniel pup bit a man out walking a few months ago because he got in the way of my dog and his,you could have it nuetered ,also but dont see a therapist such a waste of money

Answer 2

This sounds like completely normal dog behavior, esp for a 14 month old. The only reason the trainer got bit is because it jumped into a dog fight - you would think that a trainer would know not to do that. Just continue with the training and make sure that the dog is well exercised (b/c a restless dog will cause a lot more trouble). Good luck!

Answer 3

It is not Fly's fault that your trainer got in the way during a moment of conflict with another dog. She did not set out to bite your trainer on purpose -- it was an accident. OK, so she shouldn't have tried to bite the other dog anyway (entirely different issue there) but please give her the benefit of the doubt here. If she had lunged with malice, unprovoked at your trainer, that would be totally different. BUT that was not the case -- your trainer should NEVER try to get in between two dogs that are in conflict, physical or otherwise.

As for the nipping, Collies do nip. It is a herding dog instinct. Correct him verbally when he does it. He is not nipping to be aggressive.

My advice? run away from that training class as fast as you can. I question any trainer that gets in the middle of two fighting dogs. Sign up for another class and start fresh. DO NOT use a muzzle. Your dog is not dangerous. You can't expect your dog to like every dog he comes across. That is unrealistic. Sometimes certain dogs don't see eye to eye and scuffles occur. Most of the time these scuffles are pure noise and no damage is done.

Best of luck!

Answer 4

Border Collies can be aggressive but usually only with other dogs and they are territorial but that is because of the breed that they are. They are working or herding dogs so around small children sometimes they may feel they have to herd and protect them. I would keep up the dog obedience training and also train him at home. They are very intelligent so just keep reinforcing that it is bad to bite but keep in mind that they are very protective especially over their family (or herd). It seems to me that the trainer should have known better than to step between two dogs that are fighting. She should have let you and the other owner pull them away. Please don't "put him down". If he isn't right for your family, he may be for someone else and there are border collie rescue groups who may will help you find the perfect home for Fly. You can go to www.bcrscue.org and maybe they can give you better advice or help you with placing him into another home.

Answer 5

Aggghh! No lunarsquishy, don't have Fly put down. You obviously love this dog very much and what he is doing seems unusual for a Collie. You need to find a dog Psycologist (not a trainer) - I cant help you here cos I'm about 7,000 mls away but there will be one somewhere - just look and ask around. There are some really good ones around.

Answer 6

I also own a border collie, and she is the same way with strange dogs and people. You are his pack, and he wants to protect you. The reason he bit the trainer was because he was going for the other dog, he was not directing his aggression at the trainer.
He is fine with the family because, as I said, you are his pack. Borders are protective dogs; they were bred as herders, so they needed that aggressive streak in them. Work with your trainer to deter that behavior, but, unfortunately, you probably won't make it completely vanish.
It is this one dog he has taken a dislike to, I wouldn't worry unless he starts trying to fight ALL other dogs, and begins showing the same aggression towards people. I know from my own experiences that it's scary when your dog tries to attack another animal, but there shouldn't be a reason to panic with this one incident. Dogs are like people in the way that they aren't always going to get along with everyone.

Answer 7

Dogs are very smart creatures, but some learn faster than others. I have only raised one dog, but he is now 6 and very obedient, but stubborn.

The first way to teach him to not bite is when he is playing and he goes to nibble or put his mouth on you stick your finger in his mouth and press down on his tongue. Do this every time and say no. Eventually he'll get the point. (dogs hate it) And as the dog gets older he'll learn what no means because he hears it so much. I have a pit bull that won't even bit hard on his toys because he hates fingers in his mouth. And anytime you say no his tail goes between his legs and his head goes down.(He's knows he's bad) It takes persistence and time. If you can't provide either, your dog will never learn.

Any spanking doesn't help unless your target is for your dog to be afraid of you and actually makes the dog more viscous. (a tap on the nose does hurt though)

Answer 8

It sounds like Fly generally gets along with all of the family members. What do you mean by aggrsssive streak? Does he respect you and your husband as his leader? If he respects you and the kids and you all (including the kids) know to respect him, don't tease or encourage misbehavior, then I think it would be okay to keep him while you devote more time to his training.

Truly unpredictable dogs will bite or nip for no reason or when unprovoked. Those dogs are difficult to deal with when you have kids, as they might attack at any moment for no apparent reason. Only in those cases would I think about putting a dog down, if at all.

Since it sounds like Fly had a "reason" or atleast a cause for this episode, you should be able to teach and train him.

Answer 9

Large Dogs?

Answer 10

It sounds like he is not a good fit for your household, unfortunately. Do you have a friend that has more time to devote to him? And something just to think about: What if your kids had friends come over and your dog bit one of them? An aggressive dogs, when you have kids, is something not to play around with. He hasn't drawn blood yet, I would hate for that to be part of his reputation. Also, try seeking a second opinion from another dog trainer with a different training style.

Good luck! (BTW, I have an unpredictible dog too, but I don't have kids....not sure what to do with him if/when I do have kids)

Also is Fly neutered? This may help him not to be so territorial