DeletedUser Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 (edited) . Edited November 15, 2022 by belinda74 Wrong 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeds Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 You need to talk to a Vet and maybe they can recommend a Dog Behaviourist to you. The behaviour you have described is not normal. Even for a 5mth old pup. What if your dog bites another child of adult out side of your family. I'm not surprised you are worried. I would be too. You should have your dog checked by the Vet to ascertain if there is a medical problem or if your dog is in some type of discomfort or pain. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted November 9, 2022 Share Posted November 9, 2022 I second the advice of a full vet checkup... she may have hearing or sight issues that might be a reason for her unpredictable behaviour? When pup is sleeping in her crate, does she get that same startle response when woken? Just out of interest, what colour is the pup? In the meantime, you really need to keep pup and child separated... is it possible for you to do that? T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeletedUser Posted November 9, 2022 Author Share Posted November 9, 2022 We never leave him alone with the puppy. This happens when we are in the room. We actually watched her do it about 4 times - running & attacking him - before we realised what was happening. Initially we assumed she was playing with him. We were horrified when we noticed she was actually attacking him. She wasn’t scared by her posture. Her tail was up & rigid & her teeth were bared. I forgot to say that she had been getting more aggressive with our cat. She has started jumping on his back & trying to grab the back of his neck. Yesterday she really hurt him because he screamed. We have a 5 year old mastiff x who is a gentle giant & when she plays with him she grabs him by the neck as well. Once again, we assumed due to her age that this was just rough play. She is black brindle coloured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeds Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 This reply doesn't address the behaviour/biting issues. I think this is quite serious and should be addressed before it becomes worse. Because if the behaviour is not reined in it will get worse. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 2 hours ago, belinda74 said: We never leave him alone with the puppy. This happens when we are in the room. We actually watched her do it about 4 times - running & attacking him - before we realised what was happening. Initially we assumed she was playing with him. We were horrified when we noticed she was actually attacking him. She wasn’t scared by her posture. Her tail was up & rigid & her teeth were bared. I forgot to say that she had been getting more aggressive with our cat. She has started jumping on his back & trying to grab the back of his neck. Yesterday she really hurt him because he screamed. We have a 5 year old mastiff x who is a gentle giant & when she plays with him she grabs him by the neck as well. Once again, we assumed due to her age that this was just rough play. She is black brindle coloured. OK - then pup and child need to be separated at all times until the cause of her aggression is found and addressed. Please take her to a vet asap and have a full checkup to rule out (or in) any health related issues that may be affecting her behaviour - particularly check eyesight, hearing, and joints/spine/neck - and if she's fine physically, then I'd be asking for a referral to a behaviourist specialist vet. Yes, it's going to be expensive, and may take some time to get the results you want... but what would be the "cost" of your child literally being scarred for life after a sufficiently well-placed bite to the face? Meanwhile, you might want to start giving pup time-outs when she's getting aroused to the point of rough play with other pets/child or outright aggression displays. Maybe you can get a puppy playpen from a petbarn or the like (VeboPet has great heavy duty ones at a good price), and she can go into the playpen for time-outs. Set it up with a bed and a couple of toys, and a water bowl (of course)... she may learn that is her safe place where no-one else can bother her too, and learn to settle better. Do not allow your child of the other pets to annoy her when she's in her time-out pen... Oh... what is pup's name? And can you post a photo of her here... we love cute puppy photos... *grin* T. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 1 hour ago, Deeds said: This reply doesn't address the behaviour/biting issues. I think this is quite serious and should be addressed before it becomes worse. Because if the behaviour is not reined in it will get worse. Agree .. too much going on here for any amateur advice. And I would not just go to a normal vet .. you really need to see a vet who specialises in behavioural issues . Your vet might be able to refer you or you can find a list here for NSW. In the meantime, IMHO you need to be managing very carefully. So the pup separated (in xpen or crate, while you can't actively manage ... and that doesn't mean just being in the room... It means pup on lead and adult within an arm's reach of the pup. Sounds harsh .. but the possible alternative is way worse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 I'm so sorry. It's a commitment from all of you to go through the behavioural process and possibly meds. OR (and I don't ever say it lightly) there might be something really wrong with her and she would need to go to god. With this in mind, I suggest you take in as much as you can from here and behavioural professionals. It's your tot that I worry about. If it were a house with only adults, I'd say you have more time. But It's got to be one or the other. You can't expect her to be passed on/rehomed with that history. And the only way to literally save her life is to get specialist help right now. A pen and a muzzle in the meantime. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 (edited) Besides the obvious vet visit & informing the breeder , it may also be a case of your home being the wrong fit for her & her earlier experiences of child frightening pup when asleep is still a big deal for the pup & pup not having the right tools put in place to cope or the trust in all the humans to give her the trust & confidences pup needs . It really does sound like your wrong home . Raising a child & raising a pup to have trust in a little person is work . I have noted you often say well not really that close or nothing really happened to start it but to a dog feeling vulnerable & the humans not watching or managing the moment & dog can only resort to certain options . It sounds like potentially pup is unsure how to cope ,deal with litlle people noise,mannerisms or manage situations & is resorting to an option that isnt going to work for your home as its currently being let down in expectations of how easy it should just adapt . Edited November 12, 2022 by Dogsfevr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 Separate, separate, separate. NOW. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeletedUser Posted November 10, 2022 Author Share Posted November 10, 2022 (edited) What if there really IS something wrong with her? What if we get a behaviour expert & meds etc and for an while everything SEEMS to be going along ok but then one day she just snaps. Except then she’s bigger & stronger. What if she has some neurological problem that is leading to this behaviour? We did not get her from a registered breeder. She came to us through a person I worked with who said that her cousin’s dog had a litter of English staffy puppies. There was one little girl left who desperately needed a loving home. The other 5 had all found homes. I was told that both parents had papers but the puppy did not. I had been wanting a staffy puppy for years & I fell in love with her little face, so I agreed to adopt her. I THOUGHT I was doing a good thing by giving a home to a puppy in need. In hindsight, I now realise that it was probably a heart decision & not a head decision. I have no idea about her background or breeding. She could be inbred for all I know. Thinking about what you have said Dogsfevr, she did come from a house with small children (2 under the age of 3) and it did seem that the kids were a bit wild - even for little ones. It was a small villa so she wouldn’t have had much room to escape from the kids either. I think our only decision here is whether to rehome her or if that is too risky. I’m so worried that if I rehome her - even to a home with only adults - what happens if one day a kid comes up to her & she decides to bite? Out of the blue like she has done with my son. I’m considering contacting a rescue group to see what they think I should do. Obviously with full disclosure about what has been happening up until now. Edited November 10, 2022 by belinda74 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeds Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 Do any of the other pups in the litter have similar problems with biting/attacking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 How old was she when you got her? Have you made an appointment with a vet and behaviourist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 5 hours ago, belinda74 said: What if there really IS something wrong with her? What if we get a behaviour expert & meds etc and for an while everything SEEMS to be going along ok but then one day she just snaps. Except then she’s bigger & stronger. What if she has some neurological problem that is leading to this behaviour? That is why you need to take her to a vet to rule out (or in) any medical issues that can be treated to make her more comfortable and stable. If there is no obvious physical problem, then seeing a behaviourist specialist will ascertain whether her issues are reasonably treatable to be safe around your child and other pets. Playing "what if" and looking to offload the problem to others is a cop-out. Please at least try to find out what the issue actually is with her, and then you will have all the information you need to work out any next moves as far as the pup is concerned. If her problems are beyond your ability to control safely, then you may even need to make a really hard decision to give her her wings... sometimes mental issues can be worse than physical ones, and a dignified and humane passing is not actually a bad outcome for the dog in question. If that becomes the case, you will NOT get any condemnation from anyone here, OK? You may find that trying to get a rescue to take her is going to be quite difficult, as they are all pretty swamped with animals right now... a result of post covid return to work, rental issues, and recent legislation changes meaning pounds must try to send animals to rescue before they can consider putting any down. There is a rumour that RSPCA are refusing to take surrenders, and Animal Welfare League has up to an 18 month waiting list to take in surrenders, so they won't be any help, but even if you did take her the RSPCA, they would most likely euthanaise her simply due to your admission that she has bitten your child... cold hard fact there. I know that you are in a really hard position here, and the safety of your child needs to be paramount. I personally know what it's like to have a dog with unpredictable temperamental behaviour, and it's no walk in the park. PLEASE at least take her to a vet for a thorough check-up to find out if she might just have a simple issue that can be fixed up and make her happier within herself... and if she's deemed to have a more mental issue, at least you can explore what coping mechanisms may be required to manage that. If after you've at least found the root cause of her behaviour and it's not going to be manageable for your family, you will then be better armed with information to take the next step of either finding her a new home that can manage her issues, or sending her to god with the dignity she deserves... T. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted November 11, 2022 Share Posted November 11, 2022 The puppy might be scared, she might be sick, she might have a brain issue etc etc. Hard to give advice online. You really need to speak to a professional about this. It looks like you are in NSW so I'm going to suggest this company - https://k9pro.com.au/. Even for a phone chat. Do not let the puppy near the kids or the cat. Even a puppy this age could bite in the wrong spot and cause a lot of damage. We don't want to read about you in the news. Please call K9Pro, they are extremely knowledgeable about dealing with troubled dogs. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted November 11, 2022 Share Posted November 11, 2022 (edited) I cannot be as gentle as @tdierikx. The dog has bitten your son FOUR TIMES!!! Attacked your cat obviously meaning business. What next, I cannot help but wonder. Visit the vet, definitely. Rehome? Definitely not. I think there is only one outcome here and it will be traumatic, devastating and will stay with you forever. The alternative (which I won't put into words) is infinitely worse. All that said, please understand, that I am sure others as well as I, I know your situation is unenviable. You have posted a few topics about this dog now. And it would seem that this behaviour has not come out of nowhere as you state in your opening. Edited November 11, 2022 by Loving my Oldies 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeds Posted November 11, 2022 Share Posted November 11, 2022 None of the advice given here has been implemented. Especially the recommendation to see a Vet to ascertain there is nothing medically wrong with the dog and it is not in pain. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted November 11, 2022 Share Posted November 11, 2022 (edited) I've deleted my post because I hadn't twigged that this lady has been asking for help for quite a while. Edited November 11, 2022 by Loving my Oldies 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemappelle Posted November 11, 2022 Share Posted November 11, 2022 It looks things have escalated from you post in September. I hope you follow the advice given and come up with a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeds Posted November 11, 2022 Share Posted November 11, 2022 Yes. The original post re biting and biting when woken dates back to Sept. 26. And the behaviour has fully escalated since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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