My BC attacked me........need help fast

[BC-owner]

My 9 month old Bc has been the best dog ever. He loves people, children, other dogs, Etc. He has trained up great, very good indoors, and the list goes on. I love him to death. Yes he is a pet. He does get loads of attention and play time. Now the bad news. Everday I wake up and take him for a potty break at 4 A.M. Yesterday upon entering the house I went to remove his leash. With no warning whatsoever he immediatly lunged and grabbed hold of my sweatshirt. Yanking and growling like no tommorow. He was not letting go. This woke up the family, he let go when they came running to see what the commotion was. So he calmed down I let him sleep with his leash on. After getting a few more hours of sleep, I woke up. My BC gave me his normal greeting, and we went about our day. All I could think about was how much I love this guy. I put on and removed his leash just fine a couple times during the day. So, 4 A.M. rolls around. We go for our normal walk. Upon entering the house I went to remove the leash. Bang, no warning at all he lunged at my chest. Tore a huge chunk out of my sweatshirt, and also went through my t-shirt underneath. Very very aggresivly, growling like crazy. As I turned away he was not finished. He lunged at my backside and shredded my pants. I had to jump onto the dining room table, he was not letting go. So, after the shock of all this I go back to sleep for a few hours. Wake up....and today he is my best friend. We went about our routine. I did not even dare to remove his leash. He still has it on. I cannot explain the shock I have. I cannot believe what has happened. I do not know what to do. I have been so close to this dog. He is always up for belly rubs, etc. Now I am afraid, with good reason to get so close. Any, and I mean any advice would be great. This dog is pure bred, I have had him since he was 11 weeks. No shady past. No previous trouble. He has been great......Thank-you.

[sandra s.]

Are you sure it is aggression and not an attempt at rough play? Yanking and growling (almost roaring, in her case) sounds a lot like Kessie's idea of a good time...and when she's in the mood for a romp, doing something to her collar will often set her off. I think it might remind her of the way some dogs nuzzle each others' cheeks when they're getting ready to play.

If I backed away from her play-fighting attempts instead of either getting grumpy or playing along, she would probably get rougher to see how far she could take this.

 

Whether it's aggression or not, I really hope you can find the cause of this and get it straightened out quickly. Best of luck!

[INU]

Have you noticed any medical issues or behavior changes other than those two incidents? Sounds like both time happened when you reached his neck. Can you see if he has any injury in the area? Someone on this board had a similar experience and turned out the dog had an medical issue with his neck. I am sorry to hear this. This must be heart breaking...

[Kat's Dogs]

My first thought was a medical problem. What happens if you do that EXACT same thing, but later in the day? What about just touching the neck area (or coming close)? What about doing things with the leash? If you can't seem to find a cause, consider going to a behaviorist - they might have more answers for you.

 

INU, didn't it turn out that nothing was wrong with his neck though? Now I don't remember...

[BC-owner]

No this is not just rough play. yes my dog has playfully made a hole or two in a couple of my shirts. He was just excited and knew that we were going out to play ball. No big deal, he was 3 or 4 months old at that time. This was full blown lunging and not letting go he was growling like no tommorow. I have a piece of my sweatshirt 6 inches in diameter that he ripped of me, along with the t-shirt under neath. And once again he wasnt letting up, he shredded my pants also. I was lucky to jump onto the table.

 

As for the dog having an injury that did come to mind. He seems to be fine. As a matter of fact he wagged his tail all day. A few minutes ago he noticed I was up here in the computer room. He woke up came over and gave me a big hug. He actually puts both paws on my neck and rests his head on my chest. This guy is unreal. He has been amazing. I really cannot explain the shock I feel. The hard part is the thought of even bringing him into the vet. What if he decides he doesnt want his neck touched? Such a scary thought for me. On the other hand he loves going to the vet, or anywhere that he can meet and greet new people.

[lance]

I'm no expert, but Bandit ocasionally has exhibited similar behavior on occasion. Either in the back yard or during long walks. I used to think it was a dominance thing, but think it's as Sandra stated above:

"Are you sure it is aggression and not an attempt at rough play? Yanking and growling (almost roaring, in her case) sounds a lot like Kessie's idea of a good time...and when she's in the mood for a romp, doing something to her collar will often set her off. I think it might remind her of the way some dogs nuzzle each others' cheeks when they're getting ready to play.

If I backed away from her play-fighting attempts instead of either getting grumpy or playing along, she would probably get rougher to see how far she could take this."

[smileyzookie]

Im not a dog expert but here's my two cents. Ok, before you freak out about aggression, I would DEFINATELY take your dog to the vet and make sure there was no sort of injury. Even if your dog acts up, these are professionals who Im sure have handled animals like this. If it turns out not to be medical, I would consult a trainer or behaviorist. But first, I would rule out a medical issue.

[Kat's Dogs]

If you are afraid to take your dog the vet, just ask them to muzzle the dog before the examination. That would be perfectly fine and keep everyone (including the dog) safe while checking for injuries.

[Brandon M]

Yeah, that's strange. I dont see why a good dog would all the sudden become so aggressive unless he's in pain or just playing.

[Claire Owen]

Hmmm, my immediate thought went to playing as well. Bailey wont let go of anything if its a really good game of tug, and the growling gets stupidly loud. What did you do whilst he was tugging on you? Did you shout at him? Give him a command to follow, make a hurt doggy noise? I know Bailey has gotten too rough on occassion (and going for his neck has triggered it off) but he stops as soon as he thinks he's hurt me or he's in trouble.

If he's fine with his neck the rest of the time it might not be a medical issue, but definately worth checking it out as any pain etc can cause strange behavior!

 

I hope you find an answer soon.

CAn you SO take him out this morning? Does he do it with anyone else or just you?

 

Good luck

[kelpiegirl]

Interesting you should post this today. I had my Kelpie pup in my car, and took her out for a potty break. She immediately jumped up and grabbed the leash and ripped it back and forth, and even got my hand once. She was playing, but it was on HER terms. Nine months is a good age for your pup to try and see how far he/she can get.

The "hugging" that your dog does is dominance plain and simple. Since this dog has shown you that he/she would like to rule the games, or is in fact aggressive, the answer is still the same. No more free things in life. Teach your dog to down when on leash. Not after a walk, but before. When you come into the house, ask for a down.

Unless we see it, it is hard to make comments, but it does sound to me like play intitially, then it grows into a bit of a rough house play.

Where in NY are you?

Julie

[Wendy V]

It sounds beyond rough play to me. I'm picking up on your words, "upon entering the house", which preceeded both incidents. Do you think that your dog didn't recognize you in this new situation, thinking you a stranger entering the house after dark? It is a stretch, I know, but I have a bitch that doesn't recognize me when I have on a new hat, or when I am walking up to the house from a new direction. I take the hat off, kneel down, call her to me, and then she realizes her mistake and is all love again. It is a behavior peculiar to this dog and no other that I own.

 

Regardless of the reason for the "attack", it is a behavior that must be stopped immediately. First of all, I would not set up the situation again, i.e., not potty the dog at night. Or, if you must potty the dog, change the circumtances, such as, attached the dog to a chain that you can reach from the door, then go potty yourself, and then bring the dog in.

 

Secondly, I would not allow the dog to put any paws or teeth on person ever. When the dog is giving you a "hug", you are greeting the dog as an equal, not as a leader. Reclaim your leadership role, and keep the dog off of you. No rough play allowed either. Begin an obedience class immediately. It sounds as if you are over-loving this dog and not giving it the discipline it requires.

 

Thirdly, do not ever turn your back on an attacking dog. This action conceeds your submissiveness and tends to provoke even greater ferocity.

 

Your dog is young and this totally unacceptable behavior can be changed. However, it will require you to change your behavior first. This is a warning sign that you cannot ignore. Deal with it effectively and you will have a great companion.

 

Good luck to you.

[MaggieDog]

If he's only doing this at 4am it makes me wonder what exactly is different about that walk/time than others during the day. Along the lines of what Wendy said, perhaps he has a sight issue that is problematic in the dark and not during the day?

 

Why do you take him out at 4am? Most 9mo dogs i know are perfectly capapble of holding it through a full night of rest, especially if crated. Perhaps now is the time to phase out the 4am walks and see if there's something specific to those that is causing the problem.

[BC-owner]

Originally posted by Wendy V:

It sounds beyond rough play to me. I'm picking up on your words, "upon entering the house", which preceeded both incidents. Do you think that your dog didn't recognize you in this new situation, thinking you a stranger entering the house after dark? It is a stretch, I know, but I have a bitch that doesn't recognize me when I have on a new hat, or when I am walking up to the house from a new direction. I take the hat off, kneel down, call her to me, and then she realizes her mistake and is all love again. It is a behavior peculiar to this dog and no other that I own.

 

Regardless of the reason for the "attack", it is a behavior that must be stopped immediately. First of all, I would not set up the situation again, i.e., not potty the dog at night. Or, if you must potty the dog, change the circumtances, such as, attached the dog to a chain that you can reach from the door, then go potty yourself, and then bring the dog in.

 

Secondly, I would not allow the dog to put any paws or teeth on person ever. When the dog is giving you a "hug", you are greeting the dog as an equal, not as a leader. Reclaim your leadership role, and keep the dog off of you. No rough play allowed either. Begin an obedience class immediately. It sounds as if you are over-loving this dog and not giving it the discipline it requires.

 

Thirdly, do not ever turn your back on an attacking dog. This action conceeds your submissiveness and tends to provoke even greater ferocity.

 

Your dog is young and this totally unacceptable behavior can be changed. However, it will require you to change your behavior first. This is a warning sign that you cannot ignore. Deal with it effectively and you will have a great companion.

 

Good luck to you.

Your first paragraph makes absolutly no sense. If upon entering the house I am removing the leash, Wouldnt you think that we went out together? and also walked back into the house together? Why would the dog not recognize me? As a matter of fact, we have taken a walk everyday at 4 A.M. since he was 11 weeks old. Sounds like you didnt even read the whole post, you just wanted to jump all over someone. I am also very sorry that my dog gave me a hug. I didnt mean to ruin your day. On a side note my dog so happens to be very, and I mean very well trained for his age. That is the mystery here.

[bc4pack]

The vet is the first place to start...and Id recommend full blood work,get his thyroid checked...one needs to rule out medical before dealing with behaviour issues...

 

UM, I hate to sound like a broken record here but I would check out a Yahoo group called 'agbeh'(aggressive behavior in dogs)...chock full of top level positive trainers with years of dealing with this sort of thing.

 

Until recently a lot of vets have not received a lot of instruction in behaviour and behaviour modification...maybe your vet can refer you to a veterinary behaviorist or a positive trainer with experience dealing with reactive dogs...

 

My 2 cents worth...

 

Are you upstate or near the city? SPCA in the city has a good behaviorist on staff and of course Cornell has a top level vet behaviorists.

The yahoo group can also give excellent referrals in your specific area.

 

 

All the best.

[Geoffrey]

Hmm, I'm another person who thinks it sounds like play. Especially "yanking and growling like no tomorrow"

 

If he was actually attacking, he wouldn't be yanking IMO. Yanking sounds like a rough game of tug. An actual attack would result in more than just torn clothes.

 

Also, I agree with whoever said that messing with a dog's collar can sometimes trigger rough play.

 

 

To me it just sounds like your pup is testing the limits and bit and needs "guidance".

 

and PS. Wendy V's post didn't sound like she was "jumping all over" you.

[Claire Owen]

Oh another thing, you said he lunged, to me lunging is a playful behavior, I have seen a few dogsfight, there was definately no lunging or tugging involved.

I can understand your shock, but I dont think Wendy 'jumped' on you, shes just trying to help.

 

BTW, I dont know if you saw my question but how did you react when you were 'attacked'?

[rosefarm]

Add me to the probably too aggressive of play list

 

I think Wendy and Kelpie girl have good points. Dogs are still growing and adolescent at 9 months and he might be trying to assert himself. That doesn't necessarily mean he will be an aggressive dog, but you do need to assert yourself.

 

I detected a lot of shock and fear in your post, and you need to get rid of that feeling, because a dog will sense that. There are times when my 7 monther learns new things and they scare me too, until I understand them.

 

The hugging, that depends completely on what you are describing, it might be aggressive, it might not, I don't think anyone's day was ruined with it though (I kid, I kid)

 

Anyway, I really think you can work through it, obedience class would be a great way to get back some dominance.

 

 

Good luck

--Denise

[smileyzookie]

as for the hugging thing, I allow Riven to hug me, but only when I invite the hug. Dogs are dogs, they dont feel the same thing about a hug you do. While Im sure they like the attention and love, a hug to a dog doesnt represent the same thing as to a human. Im not saying dont love on your dog, Im just agreeing that allowing your dog to jump on you or put paws on your shoulders could *could* be a dominant behavior on the dogs part.

 

One other thing. Sometimes on this board, people are very blunt. A lot of us speak our minds, and dont mean anything negative or judgemental to you. We just dont sugar coat things. Just know your dogs issues are important, and evidently they thought so too or they wouldnt have posted I have to admit though when people refer to dogs as "bitches" it bothers me LOL I know thats their name or whatever, but it just seems so harsh... I dont know lol..

 

Good luck

[BustopherJones]

I am no expert on BC behavior, so I will defer to the wisdom of others. But one thins I have noticed over the years is that if one of my dogs was truly angry, and was not simply playing, then the fur on the back (normally in the area of the front shoulders) would stand up. This might help to determine whether your dog was being overly rambunctious in a playing mode, or truly aggressive.

[Lenajo]

Dogs don't hug, that's a primate behavior.

 

A dog who places it's "arms" around another dog or human is expressing dominance in an aggressive manner. A dog who did this to a dog of higher status would be thrown off and pinned to the floor. If he resisted the dogs would fight, and the loser would end up pinned or dead.

 

Dogs can be taught to "hug" are either exhibiting a trained behavior (just like sit or beg) that means reward. It doesn't mean love.

 

It really sounds like you need hands on help. What someone who is experience and dog savvy would do (probably move staight into the lunging dog and knock him to the floor) may be totally inappropriate for you, this dog, and get you hurt. Check with your vet, hire a reputable trainer, and let us know how it goes.

[juliepoudrier]

Originally posted by smileyzookie:

I have to admit though when people refer to dogs as "bitches" it bothers me LOL I know thats their name or whatever, but it just seems so harsh... I dont know lol..

SmileyZookie,

LOL! It's a matter of viewing at as a "which came first" thing. Bitch was used to describe a female dog long before it got perjorative meaning it has now. That said, there's certain a *reason* the term used to describe a female dog took on that perjorative meaning--that is, bitches are often, well, bitchy.... So don't feel bad for the dog when someone calls her a bitch--she probably is!

 

Bustopher,

You're referring to the hackles (they actually rise all a long the back, but are most prominent in the shoulder and rump region).

 

To the original poster,

I don't think Wendy was jumping all over you. The fact that she misunderstood that you and the dog are entering the house together doesn't negate the *good points* she made, nor does it warrant an attack from you. She was pointing out a truth that dogs hugging humans is not a sign of mutual love but of dominance. Soemtimes it's okay to allow it as long as you understand it for what it is and understand that the dog doesn't view it the same way a human does. In this particular case, since your dog is apparently showing aggression or frightening behavior in other situations, I would put a stop to the hugging for now.

 

I wouldn't venture to guess whether your dog is playing or being aggressive since I can't see what's happening. If the behavior is scaring you as bad as it seems to be, then it doesn't matter if it's play or aggression, it needs to stop. I am of the mind of several others here who have said that for now you should simply stop the 4 a.m. walks. They shouldn't be necessary, and not taking them will at least give you some immediate relief from the problem at hand.

 

Then you need to try to figure out what is triggering the behavior. I would not think it's a sore neck unless he also reacted at other times of the day when you went to remove the leash, and you haven't said that's the case. So there's something about the 4 a.m. situation that's different from the rest of the time you deal with him. Can you think of anything you do differently then? For now that's the best I can come up with--something is different about the way things happen at 4 a.m. as opposed to the rest of the day. Figuring out what's different might help you figure out what's triggering the behavior. Beyond that, a good trainer, and perhaps behaviorist, should be consulted.

 

Remember that you can't be permissive in the name of love with a dog that is trying to establish dominance. Dogs don't reason the way people do, but they do understand when they are in control and when you are in control. You need to establish control at all times (NILIF might help) and then allow "priveleges" down the road when your pup understands that he is not the boss of you. This applies whether his current behavior is simply play or aggression, because even with play *you* should be in control of when and where it takes place. Good luck.

 

J.

[Dal & Mad's Mom]

I can testify to the fact my own dog didnt know me. He was sleeping in the living room and I was standing in the kitchen drinking water watching tv in the next room he woke up looked right at me warning barked then ran at me. He also didnt think my laughing at him was very funny.

 

The rest of the night he looked at me like he would be punished.

[bc4pack]

So true on the not recognizing bit,dogs detect movement very well but one can stand a distance away and a dog won't see you till you move...same thing w/ dogs not recognizing you if your 'profile' is different, i.e. a hat,parka,a suit if you are always in jeans...my old male wasn't about to let hubby in yard gate while wearing a suit...jumping up,snapping until Jake got a sniff and a "hey!"... I swear the poor dog looked embarrased!

[KrisK]

There are some excellent suggestions here to help you deal with this issue.

FWIW, my little rescue, Dusty, likes to rest on the back of the couch at night. When it is time for me to go to bed, Dusty goes to his crate. I have often lifted him off the couch without problem HOWEVER, on occasion, even though I was positive he was awake and aware of me, he wasn't and he has bitten me. So, the lesson I learned, NEVER assume that Dusty is awake and aware. I call him, get a cookie and let him "wake up" to go to bed It takes a bit more time, but at least my fingers are intact.

 

EDIT...I must proofread before I post!