My boyfriend’s dog bit me

[jessie87]

@basefan Good luck and I hope the training begins ASAP. Please remember that your personal safety is more important than appeasing your bf.

 

[vechung]

@basefan You deserve better treatment from someone that's supposed to love you. So now you're supposed to live in fear, and he thinks that's okay? That breed is unpredictable and potentially dangerous. If you can, leave your house until he gets it trained, or just find your own place. And the other thing you need to consider is that someone got rid of that dog, probably for the very reason you're experiencing. It's not a safe dog.

 

[dlmlady112]

@basefan Out of curiosity, look up the bite levels, what level would you say he is doing. It sounds pretty low level but things can and will progress.

 

[basefan]

@dlmlady112 It broke skin but didn’t bleed. He definitely could have hurt me if he wanted to.

 

[jgc]

@basefan Hi, sorry this happened. Dogs don't bite because someone is scared. Honestly I'm concerned, this breed is one of the worst and destructive and when Corsos turn then can kill.

You can't train out aggressivion. You can't possibly trust this animal again. Your boyfriend is an idiot ( I hope he reads this)

I worked 18 years in vet med and it was my job to deal with the worst animals. Trust me, owners make excuses until something really bad happens.

Please be safe and trust your gut

 

[barnabasp]

@basefan I see that your boyfriend has agreed to training. I hope he follows through. This is not something that he should be taking lightly at all. This is a dangerous situation already for everyone involved.

 

[favoursaks]

@basefan Dogs can definitely pick up on nervousness and mirror those emotions. More likely is that he's fresh from the shelter and his traumatic past, and reacting in extreme fear at anything he doesn't understand. It doesn't make it okay but that's probably what is causing him to bite, moreso than his read of your behaviour.

That said, I don't know this dog, and neither does your boyfriend. He doesn't know all his triggers and his traumas. He can't know with any kind of certainty that it was your behaviour that triggered the dog to bite. It sounds like he's using that as an excuse to placate you, because he knows you're unfamiliar with dogs and won't know otherwise.

If your bf had an ounce of common sense and responsibility, he would eliminate the possibility of the dog harming anyone during this unpredictable, volatile phase. And he would do so with urgency and care, especially now that he knows the dog is reactive enough to bite.

Furthermore, he would have immediately hired a trainer for this dog upon adopting it, regardless as to whether or not he bit you. A cane corso pitbull mix is an extremely powerful, strong-willed, high-needs dog with a shit ton of drive. That is an extremely challenging breed combo even for an expert handler. A dog like that has the potential to be lethally dangerous if mishandled. And without knowing his history, your bf has absolutely no idea as to the level of risk the dog currently presents. ANY PERSON adopting this dog, irrespective of any existing knowledge and experience, should have had it immediately assessed by an experienced trainer or behaviourist. It's absolutely critical to inform and prepare yourself as the handler to be able to safely manage any dog with an unknown history, especially when it's a power breed. I'm upset (but sadly not surprised) that the shelter didn't insist on this as a prerequisite to adoption.

Beyond all that, most concerning is your boyfriend's attitude towards you. It's not "his" dog, you live together and the dog was brought into your shared home. Your bf completely disrespected your agency and disregarded your needs and your safety. If you're not comfortable around a dog like this, you have every right to not be forced to live with one. After the first instance of aggression, you had every right to demand that the dog be removed from your home, and/or safely confined, and/or muzzled, until such a time that you have full confidence he won't cause any further harm. And frankly, your bf should have insisted on it himself, and taken the initiative to protect you and ensure your safety. The fact that he not only neglected to do that but actually downplayed your concerns and made you question your own feelings and opinions really says a lot about his priorities and how important he considers you in his life. Not to mention, dismissing this violent reactivity puts Oscar's life in jeopardy as well. Clearly, this is his world and you and this dog are just living in it. If it were me, I'd be done. I know that's not the advice you came here for, but it's by far the biggest issue with this situation imo.

And if this is the kind of selfish, irresponsible person he is, he's honestly unfit to be the owner of any dog, let alone one with needs and capabilities like Oscar's.

Edit to add: OP, you're in imminent danger as long as you're around this dog. I see your edit that your bf will find a trainer. Until then, the dog needs to be crated, muzzled, and/or kept in a separate room. It will suck for the dog for a little while, but you really shouldn't mess around with this. That dog has the power to literally kill you and/or permanently disfigure you, please take it seriously.

 

[wader108]

@favoursaks I really REALLY hope OP reads this comment and follows the suggestions provided. Great comment and it contains everything OP needs to hear.

 

[solomonthepoor]

@favoursaks Great response

 

[ericboland93]

@basefan Please please PLEASE return that dog to the shelter. I got several warning bites from a dog that I’ve never pet bc I was in the same room as the people that dog was territorial over. It finally came to a head one day when that dog bit the absolute SH!T out of me(it required 6 stitches to close up my arm and 3 punctures on my wrist/hand) unprovoked. It could’ve been prevented but they kept bringing that dog over. It was a pitbull as well, so PLEASE be safe bc that dog is going to escalate esp if he isn’t trained the correct way!

 

[tgia413]

@basefan Sounds like you've come to a reasonable conclusion, but I'd just like to say that it's absolutely not ok to adopt any dog without the consent of everyone in the household.

Also, the nipping when hugging thing isn't about you being nervous. That's something that untrained dogs tend to do for a variety of reasons.

 

[malt]

@basefan Get a new boyfriend

 

[anamikads]

@basefan I have a Corso mix as a service dog. He’s excellent because he has had prolonged, superb training and we socialize him relentlessly because responsible ownership of a dog that size and that strong means nonstop making sure the dog is safe in the community.

People see how easy he seems to be to handle and how outrageously pretty he is and ask where to get one and I clamber onto my soapbox and talk about breed cost, training cost, ongoing training and socialization needs, medical costs associated with large breeds, nutritional needs of large breeds, appropriate and necessary exercise. I am a horror show encounter for people who romanticize large dogs and ignore the potential for disaster. I’m okay with that.

 

[geraldalani]

@basefan The dog is protecting his master which is why he nips when you hug/kiss. This is a dog training issue, not a you issue.

 

[rascool]

@geraldalani More like resource guarding

 

[dme]

@basefan I’d start immediately with switching to only you feeding Oscar. But I’d also start planning my exit. It’s not the dog that’s the problem, it’s the man. Get out before he knocks you up and now a baby is in this dangerous situation.

 

[laminin]

@basefan Stand your ground with the dog and the boyfriend. The dog should never nip anyone.. be the boss.

 

[tenthyoung]

@basefan Try to give it 3.5-4 months if he just adopted the dog. It might sound weird, but a newly adopted dog takes about 3 months to truly acclimate to a new home and behave according to the dogs actual personality.

They call it the 3/3/3 rule: the other 3s are 3 days to decompress, and 3 weeks to learn your schedule.

Disclaimer: Never stay in a situation you don’t feel truly safe in, and hold your partner to every commitment they have made.

 

[laurenelizz]

@basefan He needs to muzzle train Oscar; all of you should train together to help you and Oscar bond. And I’d definitely recommend separating Oscar when you first arrive- crate or gated in another room. Yes, Oscar probably can feel your anxiety, and that does impact a dogs response. My two pitties (both reactive) are definitely more nervous around people who are nervous/scared of them. I manage the situation by separating them. They get a special treat like a chew, stuffed Kong etc and go in their crate or into another room. I’ve found it’s usually easier to introduce people on walks in neutral territory. Good luck- I’m glad to hear your bf is willing to do the work with you and Oscar! Cane corsos are great dogs, but they are guardian breeds so can understandably be intimidating to new people.

 

[ghankins7]

@basefan A dog bites if it is protecting or scared. Watch some Dog Whisperer to get a better idea of dog language, both of you.