Dog Training Post Attack

[one]

@rdmarita You have a responsibility to the world around you, OP, and it weighs heavier than your responsibility to a single animal. Do the right thing. Do the hard thing.

When your dog kills someone, the prosecution will dig up this post and use it to convict you of involuntary manslaughter. After all, you knew the likelihood was there. We have just told you.

 

[williamhob]

@one This right here. OP I was in your situation. Listen, it SUCKS and it’s heartbreaking. You must realize your family could lose everything they’ve worked for and someone could lose their life. Don’t put yourself, your family, or community at risk. As I said, I’ve been in your situation and the last time my dog attacked me on a street in a neighborhood all I could hear in my head was a recent trainer we had (I thought training and behaviorists could help me too…) was if the dog attacks whatever you do DO NOT let go on the leash. That last attack in the community scared the daylights out of me…if that dog had gotten away in that state of mind I would have been responsible for someone being hurt or killed and I could have lost all I worked for paying legal bills (as I should!). Learn from others who have experienced this please. Not everything can be remedied no matter how much heart and effort we put into it. It sucks for the dog and you. It’s no one’s fault and sometimes how things are is just not in our control. This part may sound bad to some folks… but what you can control is giving this dog a peaceful release. If this dog ends up in a less caring person’s care it could be subject to a torturous existence.

 

[one]

@williamhob Thank you for making the hard choice.

 

[mattburns]

@rdmarita I would consider humane euthanasia at this point. This sounds like poor genetics that cannot be fixed, just closely managed

 

[amd358]

@rdmarita Sorry but a fighting dog breed biting a family member is an instant trip to the vet for a BE.

 

[alvakm]

@rdmarita It doesn't matter if you're a pushover or top alpha male. Normal pet dogs don't maul people for being pushovers. They act like unruly pet dogs that jump on you, steal food, or pull on a leash. One thing that pet dogs won't do is maul people like your dog did. She isn't a pet, but a dangerous dog that has no place in society.

Keep your money and spend it on a behavioral euthanasia for this dog. Use the rest of it on a special treat for her before the vet appointment. Try to find a mobile vet that will come to your house if it's a possibility.

If you can't get access to a mobile vet that will do in-home euthanasia then ask for sedatives from your current vet. Use them in something that your dog likes then wait for her to get sleepy before loading her up in the car.

Take photos of your mother's injuries just in case you get pushback from whatever vet you take your dog to. Tell them that this is what happened because your mother tried to put a leash on your dog.

 

[nina723]

@rdmarita You must put her down. Sorry.

 

[aliahsy]

@rdmarita Your dog is going to seriously hurt or kill someone.

I do understand your situation. I had a 130lb reactive dog. He was smart, loyal, and sweet. He had a bite history with level 3 bites, which did at least show bite inhibition. He couldn't be boarded at all, or dogsat outside of his own home. He couldn't be in public. He had to be walked in the middle of the night. He pulled me to the ground on a street. He had to have a $300 heavy-duty crate with a chain on the door. I was scared of him and so were other people. He was technically not my dog, but if he was, I would have chosen euthanasia, as much as it hurts my heart to think about.

All of these dogs had a history of aggression that was ignored.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-c...an-owner-admits-dogs-had-bitten-people-before

https://www.live5news.com/2024/02/0...t-animals-despite-past-violations/?outputType

https://www.kold.com/2023/06/24/wom...d-dog-attack-southern-arizona/?outputType=amp

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/wbna26841362

https://injury.arnoldsmithlaw.com/a...wn-dog-who-allegedly-attacked-a-neighbor.html

 

[atm23]

@rdmarita Nothing that you described can be helped with internet advice. A real life professional needs to see this dog and help both the humans and the dog. There is not enough information and inside to give tips without having witnessed the dog after such a dangerous and serious incident.

A trainer may cost a lot, but more incidents like this will as well.

 

[amanda37]

@rdmarita Why get a dog of this breed when you have no clue what you’re doing? Asking now is too late should have taken this all in before buying the dog.

 

[daisy_lane]

@rdmarita Without a fenced yard I don't understand how you can train your dog safely to work on the things that need working on since all activities will require being tethered in some way. How do you let your dog out to potty? Does she have a crate?

Earning her food/everything means that she has to do as you ask to get her food. Sit, stay, heel, everything. No free feeding, no dinner in the bowl. She should be crated if you are not there. You get commands to hold weight by enforcing follow through. If you say sit she needs to sit, you cannot let her get away with ignoring ANY commands.

BE is an incredibly hard choice but if you can't find a trainer to help your life will revolve around your dog's needs for a very long time, including limiting your ability to travel or be social.

If you happen to be in/ near Oregon I might have a trainer suggestion, but a leash would be required to work with any of them. You could also ask about virtual training sessions but honestly in person is the best for reacting immediately to the dog's actions. How long have you had her? Since she was a puppy or did you adopt?

 

[brokertom]

@rdmarita How long have you had the dog? Why haven't you been working on the leash issue so you could gain control before now? I wouldn't take the advice of a trainer who is willing to give you a bit of info but no details. "You could do this but I'm not going to tell you how to go about doing it" isn't an answer. You can't be turning loose a dog in a park/dog park, that can't be controlled by either leash or command. This isn't a safe situation for anyone involved.

 

[johnskat]

@rdmarita I'm so sorry, OP. What a hard situation.

Realistically, for this dog to have a chance at any quality of life, professional training is a requirement.

If you can't provide it, or find an experienced trainer to take the dog on as a charity case, IMO the only remaining option is a behavioral euthanasia.

Even with a trainer's help you would need to have some pretty extreme management protocols in place. That includes having this dog leashed whenever it's not home at a minimum - and with leashing a dog triggering a level 5 bite....This dog is not safe.

In addition to extreme management protocols being enforced always - a good rule of thumb is that management always fails. Leashes fail, muzzles fall off, dogs break out of crates, etc. Are you prepared to accept the risk of those consequences if/when this dog gets away from you and attacks you, your family, a neighbor, a child?

The only chance this dog has is an experienced trainer and a household dedicated 100% of the time to trying to rehabilitating this dog...with the understanding that training may not work and you may still need to put the dog down.

 

[jzhanglsw]

@rdmarita How old is the dog?

 

[rdmarita]

@jzhanglsw 18 months

 

[one]

@rdmarita 18 months. Textbook genetic aggression. You might as well put the $5 000 back in your pocket; it can’t help her.

 

[maxptyson]

@rdmarita Euthanasia. The breed traits for pit bulls start showing up around this time, and if she’s already bit a household member at 18 months, she will never be a safe dog.

 

[wvcorley]

@rdmarita Sounds like pitbull puberty. A lot of dogs changes behaviorally when they reach sexual maturity, typically around 1.5 to 3 years old. Though usually its at 2 years old.

For pitbulls that's when thier dog aggression tend to show up.

If you don't have a break stick, YOU NEED ONE ASAP.

Did the attack require you to pull the dog off your mother? Did the dig grab, hold and thrash around? Then there was intent to kill your mother IMHO.

You can train and desensitize your dog, but reality is each time it bites it gains more confidence and each subsequent attack will be worse. Are you willing to take the risk of your mother not coming back? Or being disabled for life?

Could you care for mother if she became permanently disabled?

Redirection is a thing too. Next it could be you.

I'd recommend r/pitbullawareness but I'm sure they'd give you the same answer.

 

[callingantioch]

@wvcorley Hi! I'm the head mod of r/PitbullAwareness! One caveat about the break stick - I actually don't recommend these like I used to. They are good tools to have around, but are really are only useful in certain situations, and with certain types of dogs... IF you know how to use them properly, and most people don't. If a dog is prone to redirecting (which sounds like it may be the case with this one) or has a "snappy" style of biting, a break stick is likely to get you bit.

The safest and most effective way to end a dog attack like this is to grab the collar, lift them off the ground by the front end, and choke them out by twisting the collar to cut off the animal's air supply. If there is no collar, grabbing the underside of the dog's neck and squeezing HARD will have the same effect.

@malachilad I don't think this is a "sexual maturity" type of aggression - this sounds like it may be ideopathic. You have a mixed breed, backyard bred nightmare with poor genetics and unknown epigenetic influences. All of this manifests in a horrible temperament, which is GENETIC, and no amount of training is going to fix this. This aggression could literally be coming from anywhere. A level 5 bite is extremely serious and it is very likely that this WILL happen again.

I'm going to give you some advice you really don't want to hear, but I feel like have to say it. This dog is dangerous and is not safe for society, and rehoming this animal is simply making it somebody else's problem. If you intend on keeping this animal, I think it is socially irresponsible to do so. For me, this dog is a BE candidate, full-stop.

 

[arolo]

@rdmarita I hate this subs tendency toward ‘put the dog down’ opinions … not saying I agree or disagree with it … just that I love dogs and I hate the idea of taking a life

In your case … a level 5 attack …. No fenced yard … and an inability to leash/harness the dog … quality of life for your family and the dog is a SERIOUS concern. Difficult decision but one that is likely in the best interest of everyone involved, including the dogs

Good luck.