My dog bit the UPS man, i think were going to have to give him up or put him down, please read!!!!?

Question

I have a Austrailian Sheperd/ Irish Setter mix dog and I have to admit lately he's been EXTREMLY agressive. Barking (a scary bark) at people when they come into the house Before we got him he usued to be abused, so when you go to spank him he starts wimpering, he really is the SWEETEST dog. But today when I let all the dogs outside to let them go to the bathroom (we have three poms and the mix) the UPS man walked up and said "Are the dogs alright to be out here?" and I said "oh yeah they're fine." well the mix (ryder is his name) jumped up to give him a ""hug"" as I call it. Ryder snipped and kind of "bit" the UPS man. He said he wasn't going to sue, but what should we do about this, my parents said were probably going to have to put him down (we live in california) so the california law is that if dog bites they have to be put down? . something like that I dont know, but anyway
please help I'm extremly attached to this dog and really don't want to give him up, I love him.

Thanks

Okay wait a minute here everyone is giving great advice but FYI. No we dont spank the dog I worded it wrong we do not hit him what I meant was HE (the dog) thinks we are going to hit him like when we have a newspaper in our hands or a plastic bag unloaded Groceries or such, we are STRONGLY against animal abuse. he is incredibly loved by our family. so please no comments about hitting the dog becuase we are THE OPPISITE of that.

Thanks.

Also, the UPS man we didnt hear come up the road. so we didnt have time to put him on a leash :)

Answer 1

*****Well if its as you say it is, he didn't really "bite" the UPS guy, as in lunging at him, and attacking, so you could probably get your parents to understand that it was just a overexcited accidental nipping.
Get all the info. regarding training classes, and prices and times. After you've done all the research, take the examples to your parents, in writing, and just "matter of factly" tell them which ones you feel would be appropriate for your dog. Act as though its a decision already made, and stick to your guns. Explain to your parents that it took him a period of time to become fearful, and timid, and its going to take time, to become confident and brave also.
I live in California, and the laws aren't exactly as you stated. The way it works is if your dog, viciously mauls someone and causes death or serious injuries, the dog is taken into custody, until the hearing, and it is then decided due to individual circumstances, whether the dog should be put down or returned to it's owner. (It goes both ways too). Now. if your dog "accidentally" bit, or was possibly provoked, or teased, and just broke the skin maybe drew a little blood, then its usually not a situation where the dog is put to sleep. If the victim reports it, the officer takes note, and then the dog will get a "file" with the City, stating all the facts regarding the bite. This file will then be permanently with the dog. If then, your dog attacks another person, the file is looked at, and gone over, then the decision for euthanasia is decided upon, by the judge.
So you really need not worry, your dog will not be put down. If your parents refuse to keep the dog, at least try to find the dog another home, b4 considering the shelter....good luck...*****

Answer 2

Did he break skin? If he didn't and the guy doesn't go to the doctor it doesn't have to be reported. We (at rescue) always say we have "nail punctures" and lie our butts off, until we decide whether the dog is actually dangerous or if something was wrong with the dog. I'm not saying you should do this but did ya'll exchange information? Most of the time if the dog doesn't have a bite history the dog has to be quarantined and then has a bite record, if she bites again she may be put down but it is unusual for a dog to be put down with a first time bite especially if the UPS guy said he was that worried about it and it sounds like it wasn't necessarily intentional. I would just wait and see what happens.

You DO need to get a professional trainer though to help with the fear (which can lead to aggression) and with they hyperactivity and jumping. I would get a consultation at the least.

Answer 3

He kind of bit the UPS man, what does that mean? Did he draw blood? Did he break the skin? Any dog who you know is agressive, as you stated in your first sentence, should have been on a leash (especially when some stranger comes into his territory). Shame on you for allowing this to happen, you should have known better and taken the correct precautions. Also, I suggest you stop spanking him, as you stated in your third sentence. A dog who has already come from an abusive situation, doesn't need his new family to "spank" him. Try positive reinforcement instead of "spanking". If the UPS guy said he wasn't going to sue, you may be ok, however, I would seriously look into some professional training for the dog, and not leaving him outside alone or unleashed if people are going to be coming into your yard or near your home. The next person might not be so nice and you could lose your dog.

Answer 4

We put one of our dogs down three weeks ago because he was aggressive, and it was very painful. I'm not even close to being done grieving. However, people must always come before animals, and your dog could hurt someone. What if he bit a child? My grandmother was bitten by a dog when she was five years old, and at age 81 she's still terrified of dogs. She never got over the trauma. Responsible adults and pet owners know that sometimes dogs have to be put down. The right decisions are not always the easy ones.

Don't kid yourself into thinking that you can retrain the dog. An aggressive dog is an aggressive dog. It's the way he is, and he can never be trusted again, no matter how much training he gets. This is not the same as a dog that won't stop getting in the garbage.

Like I said, I've been there. I know what I'm talking about. The last straw for me? Watching the face of my neighbor's two-year-old when my dog tried to bite him. If someone in our neighborhood knowingly kept an aggressive dog and that dog bit my child, I would want to go after the whole family. Sometimes you just have to do the right thing, even when it hurts.

Oh, and coincidentally, another neighbor of ours went to a family picnic this summer and was tending the BBQ when his brother-in-law's dog, whom he had just adopted, attacked him. The dog severed an artery in his arm, and he almost died on the way to the hospital. He had to have a ton of stitches, and he has permanently lost some of the use of his right arm. He had just gotten married, and the dog was owned by his wife's brother. They ended up getting divorced because the tension was too much for a new marriage to handle.

Love people more than you love your dog. And remember that you don't ever want to get sued. I've worked in the legal profession for over 20 years, and trust me, you don't want to get sued.

The only reason for keeping this dog is you love him, and that is not enough. I hope one day I stop crying over losing my dog, but I know I did the right thing.

Answer 5

I am surprised that you would be abusing ( spanking ) a dog that has been abused in the past. If you realize that spanking builds either fear or aggression in the dog, you would realize that spanking a dog for bad behavior is very wrong.

Most dogs are sweet at home and with their family. An aggressive barking scared fearful abused dog is a dog that will bite the UPS guy when he comes through the gate. You should have known this. You should have told UPS guy to wait at the gate, while you get your abused fearful aggressive dog and put him away. People need to know how to read their dogs, understand the behavior so that they can act appropriately in these situations.

You should call a trainer and see if this dog can be rehabilitated. if not, then he is a liability. If you aren't willing to put him down, then you must be willing to keep the public safe from this aggressive fearful dog.

Answer 6

Well, you are just going to have to wait to find out what the UPS man does about it. He may be really forgiving and just let it go.

However, several things you need to understand. If your dogs can not be trusted to just run around (and obviously, they can't,) then you need to let them out in an enclosed area...or you have to keep them on a leash. Plain and simple. I don't have a back yard, so I always take my dogs out on a leash...time consuming, yes...but I also save myself the liability of them biting some person or another animal.

Second, for crying out loud...stop hitting that animal! Spanking a dog is not a form of discipline that works. Instead, it may cause fear and/or aggression...obviously, you know what it has done with your dog. Furthermore, if you know the dog was abused, why would you EVER raise a hand to him? You took him out of an abusive home into a supposedly loving home only to treat him the same? Very bad idea.

*Okay, my apologies for flying off the handle about spanking. The wording was alittle off...but now that you corrected that, I'm sorry. (And I know what you mean about the dog being scared even if you are just holding a magazine or something...my lab, who was mistreated, does the same thing.)

Answer 7

It is only law if the UPS man sues.

I would suggest getting some training done now- there are ways to discipline a dog and be dominant without spanking him. For most dogs, voice and an upright, confidence posture is sufficient. You need a deep low mean sounding voice. Tie him up when people come over for now, and yell at him if he barks at people. Mean barking is a start for more aggressive behavior.
I also use shock collars (lowest setting the dog can feel) to help if the person doesn't have a good "yelling voice"- usually that sends the dog running to you for help, since he knows he did wrong- however always use voice before shocking to use the minimal force necessary.

I think that your family has been too easy on this abused dog and the dog has now taken charge of the situation.

I would find a trainer that has worked with abused dogs before. Usually, you can not hit them (I never hit my dogs anyways- voice commands and posture are enough in 99% of the cases).

Answer 8

First off I'm not sure what the policies are for mail carriers and such coming in a gated area that is your property with animals loose. I don't see how you have to put your dog asleep even if he bit him since it was on your property. We have a gated yard and a gate that has a "Beware of Dog" sign on the gate to let people like that know come in at your own risk. We also have a big brass bell on the gate so they can ring it if they need us to come to the gate to recieve a package. Some dogs are meant to protect the yard therefore everyone should enter at there own risk! Good luck!

Answer 9

Your mother is correct on the law there in a way. It goes like this. If your dog attacks someone, that person has the right to have that dog put to sleep. That's the law hear in Texas and most of the laws regarding your canings and other pets are pretty much the same in the rest of the states.

Answer 10

Assuming the UPS guy doesn't take any kind of action against you, I would try to convince your folks to let you find a professional trainer to work with you to get Ryder under control. Perhaps you could offer to try to find a part-time job, if possible, to cover the cost of the trainer. Look for someone who is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT), and who has experience with this sort of problem.

If it happens again, the next person might not be so easy-going. There are ways to work with fear reactive dogs, but it will take someone with experience working directly with you to be effective.

Edit: Misa M is right on target about the abuse, and the spanking your dog.