My boyfriend hit my dog....please read.....I need Advice?

Question

My dog is a biter sometimes, with males.I don't know why but I adopted him when he was 3.

My boyfriend and dog were laying side by side and when my boyfriend turned around in the direction of my dog to give him a belly rub.My male dog Suddenly bit him on the nose causing it to bleed a little.My boyfriend reacted by immediately slapping him(HARD).and chasing him in to his Room.and made him(my dog) stay there for 30min.
My dog does not seem mad or is trying to avoiding him, and they are hanging out in the same room together right now.
But Dogs can not speak.
Question......Should I report my boyfriend for abuse ?

Answer 1

No but your boyfriend should dump you for putting a biting animal's feelings before your boyfriends. It is never ok for an animal to bite a human and I suggest you get a grip on your animal before your boyfriend or someone else reports you for having a dangerous animal. You boyfriend dealt with your agressive dog the best way he could have. Grow up!

Answer 2

I felt extremely inclined to write an answer for this, after I saw the one, "hahahahaha" - which I find very insensitive. What you have to think about is: how much do you truly love him? are you willing to overlook the fact that he hit you once.. and there is a chance that it could have been a oneoff... he was just drunk... and stay together? Or did it shock you so completely that you can't even imagine looking at him again? Do you think you could ever forgive him? Do you think he deserves to be forgiven? My personal opinion, is that NO ONE has any right to abuse someone else... regardless of age, gender etc... And the fact that he hit you because he wasn't winning an argument.... Hmmm. Although on the other side, he is obviously trying to make it up to you, even though the stereotypical answer is, "I love you. I'm sorry, and I didn't mean it." What I'd do... is i'd tell him that you're going to give him one more chance, and tell him how much it truly hurt you - so that he can understand. If he truly loves you, he won't get as drunk next time, which causes him to be violent. If he hits you again, you know this isn't a one off... and I'd get out of that relationship. Fast. I hope that helped...

Answer 3

Hello crazy people. Its a dog, your boyfriend (a human) hit a dog for biting him! What are you going to do when your dog bites a kid? Geez you need to get control of your dog, dogs should not be "biters". You dog should have been smacked and you are crazy for thinking that your man was in the wrong. Lets take this example- if you were in a store and you annoyed a male employee and they hauled off and punched you-- would you want your bf to take up for you? Or would you report him in that situation too? Its a dog girl! If your man hit him for no reason thats a different story. In all actuality if you report him then they will question your boyfriend he will say your dog bit him and then they may put your dog to sleep for being aggressive or at least put him on a list where if he bites again he will be put to sleep so maybe that is a good solution!

Answer 4

Look at how dogs in a pack respond. As long as your dog seems fine and isn't permanently injured, let it go. I love animals and think that there are far better ways to discipline and train them, but if I was bit on the nose i might react the same way. You should try to train your dog not to bite people though. Your boyfriend should have put the dog in a submission position (on its stomach) and not let it up for awhile. Check out Caesar from the Dog Whisperer on National Geographic and Animal Planet. He's awesome. If you report your boyfriend for abuse, your boyfriend can sue you and get your dog put to sleep for biting him. Both of those options seem extreme, don't they? Train your dog and you won't have to worry about people slapping him.

Answer 5

Dogs have to be disciplined sometimes, no matter what some people claim. There is no one who loves dogs more than I do. I care more about them than most people in this world. However, there are times when I have to pop mine on the nose or butt because they have to be taught that certain behaviors will not be tolerated and will lead to punishment. Biting is the top of that list. An aggressive dog will be a dead dog-the family will eventually give up on it, and it will be put to sleep. When you have kids, you will put the dog up for adoption because it will not be safe around your kids. The dog will then be euthanized because he bites. It's for a dog's benefit that it is disciplined to teach it not to bite. Now, if your boyfriend keeps hitting it or yelling at it for no reason, or if he is aggressive towards the dog, THEN you get a new boyfriend. Don't blame him when he has done nothing wrong, though.

Answer 6

Your dog is communicating in the language of the dog culture. To him biting your bf in the nose, may have been a response of play and the dog obviously is not aware his teeth may have caused some injury. From the response of your bf, I would absolutely tell off your bf for not showing compassion and consideration to the dog. Slapping him (HARD), chasing him into another room is not a way to train a dog.

Assuming your dog, did actually react, based on previous experience of neglect, he obviously forgave your bf by hanging out with him again. An aggressive dog would have 'attacked' the bf and damaged his face, but it was obviously an honest mistake and the dog was taken by surprise by the good intentions of your bf who wanted to tummy rub him.

It means nothing. It is like a human grunting, because they get the wrong end of the stick. Happens all the time. Dogs do speak, but you need to learn the Canine way of communicating. When dogs play, you hear the teeth sometimes, accidentally rub against one another, lots of howling noises and hysterical cries. They are having fun. Growling is time to pay attention, as there is play growling and then there is competitive growling. You'll soon learn the difference and when to put a stop to it.

To have dealt with this honest mistake, your bf should have 'gently' taken the dog into the other room, if it really was a bad behaviour. As I say, it may have been a play behaviour or a gut reaction because he was taken by surprise. Left him there for no more than 5 minutes max. That is ample punishment time. You 'adopted' the dog when he was 3 and have little knowledge of his past. He may be used to being beaten up, so the punishment meant nothing to him.

Neither the bf nor the dog are in need of reporting at this stage, because nothing serious happened. Other people love to plant seeds of paranoia, but do not worry. Trust your dog and your boyfriend. He may feel bad for being so hard on him. They seem to have worked it out. Remember you are dealing with a rescue dog and therefore it is imperative that you are on your guard, because you do not know the dogs full history. Go easy on yourself, your dog and your boyfriend. Give each other space and time.

Your dog is eternally grateful you gave him a second chance, why would he want to hurt you and those you love? Assuming you love your boyfriend, because remember that dogs read energy and if your boyfriend makes you unhappy or instills feelings of insecurity, this dog may well be protecting you.

You only gave us a bird's eye view of a moment in time, so we are all second guessing what is the best advice we can give, on 1% of the reality you are in.

Thumbs up for you though, seeking to find the right way to handle a situation you did not quite understand. They say, a little knowledge can be very dangerous. Don't let people put you off from the confidence you felt when you first met this dog. Ask your boyfriend to be more gentle with the dog and as has been suggested by most, find some training tips. Learn how the experienced handlers deal with their animals.

Always remember, we reward positive reinforcement and ignore bad behaviours. If we need to correct a bad behaviour, we do so with kindness, by either ignoring the dog. All you need to do is turn your back and tell the dog to go to his 'basket' or whatever term you wish to use as a punishment word. Bath is a good one. I use the word 'wrong', without yelling. Firm voice is enough. Dogs are not deaf.

Using a rolled up paper is ok, but hit your own hand and not the dog.

Answer 7

Well you could report your boyfriend but the police would than take your dog because he was the one who bit and that is not allowed. they would make you show proof of vaccinations and they would do a behavior test on your dog and if he failed he would be put to sleep. Your dog need training and he needs to learn not to bite. He needs discipline and you are not giving it to him. Take him to a trainer before he bits someone who will end up having you put him down. The dog was in the wrong you boyfriend was reacting to the pain, this was not abuse on the dog but maybe on your boyfriend. Be happy if your boyfriend does not sue you for the dog bite.

Answer 8

You need to take your dog to an animal behaviorist for evaluation if it is being aggressive towards humans (male or female). Any bites, even a minor one (although bleeding isn't really that minor) are cause for concern. Hitting and slapping are not effective ways to manage a dog; however, it is up to you to determine whether your boyfriend intentionally abused your dog, and whether he is abusive towards other animals.

Please seek the advice of your vet and a certified behaviorist/trainer regarding the biting. Having a dog that is aggressive towards humans is a major public safety concern, and could get you in a lot of trouble (and probably get your dog confiscated and euthanized) if it bites someone badly enough. Even small dogs have the potential to be dangerous; a 4 month old baby was mauled to death last year in Los Angeles by the family's Pomeranian.

Answer 9

No... you should report yourself for not training your dog out of this behavior especially when you knew that this dog has an aggressive tendency!
You boyfriend, not being Gahndi, reacted as most people would have to being bit in the face, unprovoked, by any animal.
You need to get some professional help before you get knocked up by said boyfriend and have a child that gets bit in the face... slaps the dog with its rattle... and you get on here asking if you should report him/her.
Training is the key. I hope your boyfriend doesn't find out that you are trying to justify getting him in trouble especially when he seems a nice enough guy to forgive and forget and is once again laying peacefully in the same room with the dog that just bit him in his face for being nice to it.
~Tyed~

Answer 10

The dog bite was unexpected and painful..some people react violently in these circumstances....like a reflex. BUT the dog's reaction was reflex as well...something has taught him to distrust men... You definitely need to consult a behaviorist about your dog & get him help. The next bite could be far more serious.
I would say your boyfriend's behavior towards the dog is only abuse if he continues to hit the dog.

"Don't Ask" gave a right on answer as well !!!

Answer 11

Biting is NEVER acceptable from a dog. Actually, striking the dog and frightening it asserted the boyfriend's dominance and alpha position over the dog.

Dogs have pack mentality like the wolves they are descended from. YOU need to be the leader of the pack. If the behaviour is not corrected, it will worsen. Next the dog may attack a child and you will find yourself with a lawsuit.

If you are the owner of the dog, YOU should take action to correct the behaviour immediately. You owe your boyfriend a thank you.

However, it sounds like you prefer the animal over the person. If you can't all live in harmony, one must go.