# What to do about dog?



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

My English Bulldog Luke turned 8 this past October. I have had him since he was 8 weeks old. He has been a wonderful dog. But since he have had him he has always been food aggressive and pretty stubborn. Not unusual with bulldogs. He bit my wife after our first son was born....I thought it was jealousy since he was always the "baby". After that I made sure my wife always began feeding him....don't bite the hand that feeds you. Their hasn't been a problem since...until today. My youngest, two was on the floor playing with his toys and we were watching a movie, the dog sleeping next to me, I went to pet him and he bit me, pretty bad, I probably need stitches and I am waiting for my oldest, 3 to come home from PreK and my MIL will come and I will go to the hospital to see what the doctors say. 
The dog has been put in the garage. I love my dog but I lost all trust in him. Again my boys are 2 & 3. I don't trust that he wouldnt do this to them one day. Would posters give me opinions on what to do? Right now I want to see if I can find him another home or bring him to a shelter for them to find him a home. Thanks for reading.


----------



## mablenc (Feb 26, 2013)

Maybe call your local Humane society and see if they have any advice or options.

Are you ok? are you sure you can wait?


----------



## Married but Happy (Aug 13, 2013)

He could be a serious danger to your child, so give that serious consideration in choosing your options.


----------



## PBear (Nov 16, 2010)

I'm struggling to see how "food aggressive and stubborn" translates to him biting you when you reach down to pet him... 

You need to keep the dog away from your kids from now on. You need to be up front with any prospective owners about his history, but to be frank, I think it's going to be very difficult to re-home him when he's bitten someone trying to pet him. 

C
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lola_b (Aug 28, 2009)

I would take him to the vet to see if there's anything medically wrong with him, he could be in pain (he is getting old remember).

If the vet checks out that all is good, consider rehoming him to someone with no kids OR see a behaviourist ASAP if you decide to keep him. 

Until you decide what to do, do not leave your dog and kids unattended together. A dog is a dog, not a "baby" and should be treated as a dog...YOU need to be the boss and need to make sure nothing you give your dog is "free". He wants to go outside? Make him sit at the door before you open it and he is not to move until you tell him to. He wants up on the couch? He's not allowed up unless you invite him up. Google NILIF (nothing in life is free).

Since he has shown signs of food agression. Feed him his entire meals by hand for 2 weeks. After that, make him sit and wait for you to fill his dish and he is not allowed to have it until you give him the command to do so ("take it"). Once that dish is down...leave him alone to eat in peace and ensure the kids cannot go near him.

Leave him alone while he is sleeping...does he have a crate? If not, start getting him in to one and ensure that it is his "safe place" where he can go relax in peace and not be disturbed.


----------



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

I am fine, bleeding stopped. Probably do not need stitches since the bleeding stopped. Going to keep dog in the garage until I can get someone here to watch the boys.


----------



## mablenc (Feb 26, 2013)

I know you also have a kid on the spectrum, many are oblivious to dangers no matter how many times you tell them. Please make sure your kids have no access to his area.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

lola_b said:


> I would take him to the vet to see if there's anything medically wrong with him, he could be in pain (he is getting old remember).
> 
> If the vet checks out that all is good, consider rehoming him to someone with no kids OR see a behaviourist ASAP if you decide to keep him.
> 
> ...


Lola I have been a dog owner a long time. Everything you wrote I have done. When I said " baby" it means he was around before my children not that I thought he was anything but a dog. He is crated, that's where he is now. I think I was overstating food aggression. If there is food around he is always lurking around. When he is feed he eats his food very quickly. I have had Chows that would take all day to eat. I think he might be sick or something. I would absolutely tell a potential adopter about his behaviors.


----------



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

mablenc said:


> I know you also have a kid on the spectrum, many are oblivious to dangers no matter how many times you tell them. Please make sure your kids have no access to his area.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That is my main concern.


----------



## chillymorn (Aug 11, 2010)

had this almost exact thing happen many years ago.

bought a pure bred yellow lab. ever since he was young he would come up limping after a hard run just for a moment. as he aged it was apearent he had hip problems. when we had our first son he crawled on him and he bit him in the face....I say bit but he really just pushed him off of him with his mouth. and did cause a little open mark next to his eye. I don't think he did it on porpuse it was just a reaction my son climbed on his bad hip and it made him react.

one of the best dogs I ever owned would come when you called every time. never went potty in the house and would protect you too the death. still miss him to this day. one of the only times I've cried when I realised I couldn'r have a dog that could do this he was gone to the shelter 20 mins later.


its a real liability if your dog bites someone.


----------



## Red Sonja (Sep 8, 2012)

Surrender him to a breed rescue, make sure to make a full disclosure of his behavior, they will re-home your dog in an environment appropriate for his temperament:

Long Island Bulldog Rescue

I have been involved in dog rescue for many years and foster the "problem dogs" because I am a dog trainer/behaviorist. If the above rescue organization cannot take the dog then PM me and I will help you in getting him into rescue.

Good luck and get a tetanus vaccination.


----------



## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

This dog has crossed the bite inhibition threshold twice now. To adults both times. This dog must never ever be with children. You have young children, kids do things, sometimes strange things, to dogs. Your first and only priority is the safety of your children.

I'm so sorry. Been a dog lover my whole life, rescued dogs, fostered dogs... It is heart breaking but you must put the dog in rescue or euthanized. 

I've had to do this myself. It hurts beyond words but it is the only responsible thing to do. I'm so so sorry.


----------



## bobbieb65 (Jan 24, 2013)

I've owned dogs all my life, usually have two or more at a time and only once had a biter. If you've already been to the vet and received an all clear on his health then it's on to a behavior specialist. They can determine if he's biting out of fear, aggression, possessiveness, etc. 

Then you'll know what you're dealing with and try to have him "retrained" if possible. Re-homing him should be your last option because they don't usually place dogs that are prone to bite.


----------



## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

It is territorial biting. He is resource guarding, which is why the dog bit the wife about the food, why he woke to biting because someone was interfering with his space. This is workable but not a safe situation at all for the rest of this dogs life!


----------



## Daisy2714 (Sep 22, 2013)

Richie,

I am a huge dog fan! I've had dogs pretty much my entire adult life. At the moment, I raise Rhodesian Ridgebacks and I have six of these small horses living with me. Most people are afraid of them simply because they are big dogs. They are actually just big lap dogs. If I ever had a dog that showed the kind of unpredictable aggression you are describing, and I had small children in the house, I would re-home him in a heartbeat. Your safety, and your kids safety is paramount. 

Having said that, it may be difficult to re-home an 8 year old aggressive bulldog. In which case, you have to find a new norm. Something that is less than ideal for you dog but safe for your kids. I would enlist the help of a shelter but offer to continue keeping him (fostering him) with you. That way you get some professional help finding an appropriate home without disturbing his environment more than you have to.

I know this is a hard decision but you sound cognizant that it needs to be done. Best wishes.

Daisy


----------



## Daisy2714 (Sep 22, 2013)

Richie,

I am a huge dog fan! I've had dogs pretty much my entire adult life. At the moment, I raise Rhodesian Ridgebacks and I have six of these small horses living with me. Most people are afraid of them simply because they are big dogs. They are actually just big lap dogs. If I ever had a dog that showed the kind of unpredictable aggression you are describing, and I had small children in the house, I would re-home him in a heartbeat. Your safety, and your kids safety is paramount. 

Having said that, it may be difficult to re-home an 8 year old aggressive bulldog. In which case, you have to find a new norm. Something that is less than ideal for you dog but safe for your kids. I would enlist the help of a shelter but offer to continue keeping him (fostering him) with you. That way you get some professional help finding an appropriate home without disturbing his environment more than you have to.

I know this is a hard decision but you sound cognizant that it needs to be done. Best wishes.

Daisy


----------



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice. I finally got my MIL to come so I can get checked out. Dog is still in his crate. I am not ready to deal with him yet.


----------



## frusdil (Sep 5, 2013)

If the dog was asleep when you petted him, is it possible you scared him (unintentionally)?

Breed rescue is his only real chance. A shelter will euthanise him the minute you leave, given his bite history.


----------



## dignityhonorpride (Jan 2, 2014)

Based on the fact that he is known to guard his food, maybe he views the couch as a resource to be guarded as well. Have you ever scolded him for being on the couch or made him get off?

I think this is a case of resource and food guarding, not outright aggression. Still, he clearly has low tolerance levels and a low bite inhibition level, which is dangerous around children.

Whatever you do, do not drop him at a shelter or rehome him. You are just passing the risk on to someone else. If he is a truly dangerous dog and you cannot find a rescue that specializes in dogs with a bite history, you need to make the decision to manage him forever (meaning that he is crated or gated away from the children AT ALL TIMES - "supervising" him with the kids WILL NOT prevent a bite), or to euthanize him. 

Think about it. If you give him to a shelter, they will either:

a) Believe the history you give and put him down once you are gone - all alone by himself, wondering where his people are, or

b) Not believe the history you give and adopt him out to an unsuspecting family, who will then do who knows what - hopefully just manage or euth him, but possibly abuse or neglect him in response to his aggression

There are no easy answers here. I would recommend taking him to a vet to see if there are any health issues causing this behavioral change, and then consulting a veterinary behaviorist, who will tell you if he is rehab-able or manageable, or if he needs to be put down. 

Based on your description, it doesn't sound like he is truly human aggressive. However, he is definitely selectively tolerant, which is dangerous around kids.


----------



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

Just returned home. Was given a tentus shot and some antibiotics. They can't stitch dog bites. 
Tomorrow I will contact a bulldog rescue.


----------



## dignityhonorpride (Jan 2, 2014)

richie33 said:


> Lola I have been a dog owner a long time. Everything you wrote I have done. When I said " baby" it means he was around before my children not that I thought he was anything but a dog. He is crated, that's where he is now. I think I was overstating food aggression. If there is food around he is always lurking around. *When he is feed he eats his food very quickly. I have had Chows that would take all day to eat. I think he might be sick or something.* I would absolutely tell a potential adopter about his behaviors.


Could be a thyroid issue at play here. That can certainly cause aggressive and intolerant behavior.


----------



## honcho (Oct 5, 2013)

The average lifespan for a bulldog is only about 8 years so it could be something medical with the dog. You might want to try a medical evaluation with a vet first, discuss the problems. He probably knows a behavior specialist or something that could potentially help with your situation. 

If you choose and try to re-home the animal, find a licensed breed specific dog rescue. I used to do a great deal of work with a German Wirehaired rescue. The hard reality is if you go to a local shelter with the animal given his age its only going to end one way. The problem is available resources to animals. It’s a numbers game. 

Bulldogs do tend to have a dominant personality that needs to be kept in check more than some breeds. His behaviors most likely can be corrected with work but the wildcard is the children since they don’t fully understand what may or may not be a trigger for aggression.


----------



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

Red Sonja said:


> Surrender him to a breed rescue, make sure to make a full disclosure of his behavior, they will re-home your dog in an environment appropriate for his temperament:
> 
> Long Island Bulldog Rescue
> 
> ...


Just went on their website. They state they will not take a dog who is a bitter. But I will call in the morning and see if they have any advice. Right now I can't see surrendering him to a shelter. If he is to be put down, which I have to exhaust all options I would want to be the one to make that decision.


----------

