Mac bit my son this morning ***UPDATED*** - Page 3

[ReadingMama]

Originally Posted by Sage_SS

K, I'll ring in on the foster parenting bit then.

I live in Canada, so our rules might be different than yours. You're going to have to look into this so you'll find out regardless.

You cannot have a dog with a history of biting around foster children.

Just wanted to mention that when the case worker came to our house to work on some of the paperwork to begin the homestudy, the first thing my son told her is, "That dog bites!" I did tell her that Mac will be "retiring" to my mom's in July (before we take in any foster children.) She was okay with that.

[ReadingMama]

Aww, thank you BunnySlippers! I try to live up to my commitment to Mac. He is just more challenging than any other dog I've had. I like the idea of restricting where Mac can be, Northof60. The only thing is, he is a nuisance barker. If he is outside longer than it takes him to pee, he will bark constantly--even for 30 minutes straight-until he is let in again. So if I use a baby gate to keep him in a bedroom, he will stand at the gate and bark constantly.

Joanna, I totally get where you're coming from and I don't fault you for feeling that way. Here is the situation: Ds is on the mild end of the autism spectrum and he has sensory integration issues. He "stims," and sometimes that involves impulsively grabbing a person or a dog and gritting his teeth in their face. It's annoying, but it's not something he can reliably control. I've bought him a Chewy Tube (recommended by his occupational therapist) and an exercise ball and a hoppity ball for alternatives for him to stim with, but he still grabs people and animals. For the most part, he leaves Mac alone. He doesn't grab Mac like he does our bigger, more tolerant dog Raven. But he still grits his teeth and gets in Mac's face sometimes, even though he's been bitten for doing it.

I've gotten excellent advice here and I'm very grateful for that. I just wanted to update everyone and raise the muzzle question because we need a safe environment to get through the next two months until Mac goes to live with my mom in a quieter, mostly kid-free environment. If the muzzling wouldn't be a good quality of life for Mac, I'll try the baby gate, but if he barks constantly that would be too much to handle. (Ds's sensory integration issues include a hypersensitivity to sound too.)

Thanks again for all the support everyone! It's helpful to have a bunch of dog lovers to bounce ideas off of. Most of the people I know IRL wouldn't put up with the stuff that rescuers/fosterers put up with. That's why I come here to talk about it.

[mom_of_boys]

Originally Posted by North_Of_60

Terriers actually make great family pets. Many hunters and bushmen use terriers specifically BECAUSE they're good family pets (as opposed to more primitive breeds). Unfortunately, the problems you are describing are a direct result of bad (or non existent!) training in a breed that THRIVES off assertive yet gentle leadership. The problems your mom is having are probably her fault, and not the fault of her dog. It's just that simple.

And as for holding the dog's mouth shut so the kids can kiss it.. I wouldn't recommend that. Not unless you want your kid's face to get mauled. The reason muzzles were invented was because it's DANGEROUS for humans to hold shut the mouth of a nasty dog. If that dog shows its teeth and growls, keep your kids face away from the dog.

not my mom, my mother in law. My mom wouldn't be so stupid! and I agree 110% about the mouth holding thing and have come to the point where they don't go over there alone anymore I don't feel my children are safe there. DOn't worry I am not one to endanger my children

eta
my mother-in-laws excuse for the growling& bearing teeth.. ready for this... "it's how she plays, it's her personality" *insert eyeroll*

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by ReadingMama

I like the idea of restricting where Mac can be, Northof60. The only thing is, he is a nuisance barker. If he is outside longer than it takes him to pee, he will bark constantly--even for 30 minutes straight-until he is let in again. So if I use a baby gate to keep him in a bedroom, he will stand at the gate and bark constantly.

I hear you on that, Rhino is the same way. But with the gate on the living room door to keep him out, and his blankets and pillows in the foyer, he basically lounges there on his own accord. I'd have the same problem if I was locking him IN a room.

Can you take the pillows and blankets out of the living room and put them in a place out of the way where he'll be compelled to use them without feeling like he's separate from the rest of the family?

Originally Posted by mom_of_boys

my mother-in-laws excuse for the growling& bearing teeth.. ready for this... "it's how she plays, it's her personality" *insert eyeroll*

Rhino growls when he plays. He's very vocal. I could give half a dozen examples of him growling in ways that are not at all aggressive. I also use to have a Rotty in daycare who growled when you toweled her off. It freaked us out the first few times, given that she was a solid 110 pounds. But after talking with her mom, she just growls out of contentment sometimes. It happens.

[mtiger]

So at this point, if your son was my kid, he'd get "Yeah? And what were you doing wrong that you got bitten?"

I have to agree. I have the three hounds, and both kids have gotten growled at and/or nipped - for doing something stupid. Like plopping down practically on top of them when they're asleep. As I've said to the kids - "I'd snap at you, too, if you did that to me."

Joanna, I totally get where you're coming from and I don't fault you for feeling that way. Here is the situation: Ds is on the mild end of the autism spectrum and he has sensory integration issues. He "stims," and sometimes that involves impulsively grabbing a person or a dog and gritting his teeth in their face. It's annoying, but it's not something he can reliably control. I've bought him a Chewy Tube (recommended by his occupational therapist) and an exercise ball and a hoppity ball for alternatives for him to stim with, but he still grabs people and animals. For the most part, he leaves Mac alone. He doesn't grab Mac like he does our bigger, more tolerant dog Raven. But he still grits his teeth and gets in Mac's face sometimes, even though he's been bitten for doing it.

Then he needs to be 100% supervised when there is any chance of contact between him and the dog. And actually - either dog. As tolerant as Raven may be now, s/he may reach a point when she no longer is.

[DogMomforNow]

As for the urinating in the house when not on antibiotics. I would ask the vet to take urine via a cysto (needle directly into the bladder) and to do a culture and sensitivity on it. It sounds to me like the antibiotics are not totally eliminating the problem and so it just keeps coming back once you stop. A C&S will tell you exactly which abx will work best - that way you can have clean floors again

For muzzles, many dogs get anxious in the cloth muzzles you've described, and actually feel more comfortable in a basket muzzle - even though to us humans they look atrocious! The basket muzzle isn't as confining, and if fitted properly is harder to get off than a cloth muzzle. I would take him to a pet store and have him fitted. Be sure to reward like crazy when he has it on (something really good that he only gets with his muzzle on) and gradually get him used to wearing it - or you'll have an already somewhat cantankerous old guy get really grumpy really fast!

Good luck and you really are doing such a great thing for this dog! (Good luck with the foster application too!!)

[ReadingMama]

Originally Posted by North_Of_60

I hear you on that, Rhino is the same way. But with the gate on the living room door to keep him out, and his blankets and pillows in the foyer, he basically lounges there on his own accord. I'd have the same problem if I was locking him IN a room.

Can you take the pillows and blankets out of the living room and put them in a place out of the way where he'll be compelled to use them without feeling like he's separate from the rest of the family?

Rhino growls when he plays. He's very vocal. I could give half a dozen examples of him growling in ways that are not at all aggressive. I also use to have a Rotty in daycare who growled when you toweled her off. It freaked us out the first few times, given that she was a solid 110 pounds. But after talking with her mom, she just growls out of contentment sometimes. It happens.

Yes, I could put the baby gate in the hallway that is off the living room and he could see us from there. I put a blanket on the floor for him last night and he snunggled under it and slept there last night.

My friends have a giant rottie who growls at kids all the time. All they have to do is walk by him and he growls. My friend calls it "grumping" and doesn't think it's a big deal. But because he's so big, it makes me nervous. (Of course, our little 12 pound dog has bitten multiple times....and he doesn't growl first!)

The vet did mention doing a urinalysis via needle before and he plans to do another urinalysis after this round of antibiotics. I'll ask him about it.

Thanks Dogmomfornow!

[rhubarbarin]

If the barking is unmanageable I would recommend a Citronella spray bark collar. They are painless and work excellently on both my dogs (who are inveterate barkers). I keep the collars on them when I am out, otherwise the nonstop (loud: I have an 80 lb Shepherd mix) barking would drive my neighbors to tears..