# Bites without warning



## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

There seems to be multiple issues at play here...resource guarding, door issues... I Would talk to a behaviorist for an evaluation. Have you gone to training classes with him?

There may be an anxiety problem at the root of all of this and training often builds confidence in an unsure dog. There are also medications that can help him relax. But you need an expert to help you...your vet should be able to steer you toward a behavior expert.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I think you need a certified veterinarian behaviorist to consult with about his behavior. Ask your vet if they know one they can refer you to. You might find one listed on this website also.

ACVB


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I agree about getting a behaviorist.
I would assume they would do a full blood panel including thyroid, but if not it should be done.

Resource gaurding can be managed with correct training and management. My understanding is that it usually can't be cured but can be kept in check with lifelong work on the issues.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

This is a tough situation, because with a bite history it is hard to feel great about a dog and a child sharing space. You are in a tough situation and I dont know what you should do, but you are right to take it very seriously. On the plus side, he does have a very established history of bite inhibition which is a big positive. On the other hand there is little doubt he will again bite in the future, and a kid is involved. I think that for sure a low protein diet and 80mgish fluoxetine(prozac) are worth trying; you could condition him in a happy friendly way to a muzzle like the Baskerville. It could be in the past before you had hi someone punished him for growling, so he goes straight to bite or it could be like you said he had some genetic/wiring issue, but most dogs who bite experience some level of fear/anxiety( not all). I really like the concepts in the book by Susan Garett called Ruff Love. I am really sorry you have to cope with this, and my heart goes out to you, the dog, and your family. It is a huge responsibility to have a dog who might bite on your watch- agonizing to put down a healthy dog but also scary to think about a bite to a kid's face or a friend when the dog has done it before. Have you worked with a trainer well versed in T.A.C.T Human Aggression- this program I have seen work really well for dogs with bite histories, but I really do not know what I would do in your shoes, and support whatever choice you make.


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## kshell (Mar 29, 2015)

Thank you so much for all the advice! I will try the training/specialist, and talk to my vet about putting him on medication.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I was debating about saying anything, but biggest help with our first two goldens who did not have the nicest temperments (first dog never bit anyone until the end when he was very sick and probably couldn't be blamed.... second dog had two bites before he was 2 including one that needed stitches).... 

Biggest help was recognizing that we did not have trustworthy dogs. Meant recognizing the warning symptoms they offered (tensing or hard staring) and it also meant sorting out what set them off and basically not trying to do any alpha crap with them (which is the last thing you want to do with an insecure dog who is already snapping because he's protecting himself or his resources). I'm not a positive only trainer, so for me to say this as strongly as I do - it does go back to what we experienced. For that matter - submissive/squeaky/fearful behavior is just as bad with some dogs. 

Those two dogs went on to be relatively normal dogs - though we did not exactly treat them like we would most golden retrievers. We basically had it drilled into our heads (by experience) that these dogs would never be "normal" family dogs. They would always be a danger as far as biting if pushed too far or put in the wrong position. And this understanding was the reason why we were successful with these guys. The one died when he was 6 (the snap happened when most of his organs were starting to shut down and he was starting to fail - he reacted to being pulled back into a hug and how I would explain it was him just air snapping at my face and catching my lip as I was leaning over to kiss him - I never blamed him and as a matter of fact, I remember coming home from getting my mouth stitched up and sought him out to kiss him, because my mom flipped out screaming when she saw my split lip and scared him - it wasn't his fault)... the other boy lived just shy of 14 years and never snapped or postured a day his life after we changed how we handled him back when he was about 12-15 months old.

What I'm saying here is really pay attention to your dog. It probably is likely he is giving you all kinds of signals as far as stuff he doesn't "feel comfortable" about. Dogs don't have to be growling for you to know that a snap is going to happen. They give all kinds of signals that will happen. 

In our case, my youngest sister was 3 when we brought our first boy home. And 5 when our second boy came home. My youngest brother was 2 years older than her. So little kids younger than your daughter. 

A lot of the training and management stuff we learned at dog class (puppy class person was also a behaviorist/problem solver so she knew her stuff) did not apply to the dog. It was strictly observing or making note of our own behavior around the dogs and what kind of "set ups" the dogs experienced. What their threshold was as far as what caused them to snap. 

My youngest two siblings loved those dogs - and we have a ton of pictures with my youngest sister dressing those dogs up or my youngest brother playing outside with the dogs... but make no mistake, these kids had it drilled into them what they were allowed to do or not. And more important than anything else - these kids were taught not to grab anything from the dogs or even to feed them (they threw food as opposed to giving food). 

The dogs calmed down as they grew up and a lot of the resource guarding went away, but there were still things that we practiced as far as not pushing those guys too far. But they lived normal lives - did not wear muzzles and were not on medication. And both dogs were left intact, as we don't believe that neutering has any impact on temperament in most cases. Management and smart handling was the key.


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## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

Like Megora said (kind of) - it's very, very rare for a dog to bite 'without warning' - most of the time people have just missed the warnings. None of the scenarios you described were surprising -dogs are more likely to bite with people leaving or food guarding than when the dog is just standing in the house or happily following a person or sleeping. 

Dogs who are stressed about people leaving often have some level of separation distress (anxiety). Dogs who guard food/toys/etc are worried about their objects being taken (anxiety). The more severe the 'aggression', the more severe the underlying anxiety - the dog feels like he has to act that way to keep himself safe.

A board certified veterinary behaviorist and/or other qualified veterinary professional will give you the best support moving forward, including a discussion in reducing risk and evaluating the risks of having a dog like this in your household.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

We had a male Golden that 'bit' without warning. He only bit me both times required stitches and I still have the scars. We did take him to a behaviorist and he was able to get the 'bite' reaction very sickly once we described his behavior. But, unlike us he knew how to avoid the bite (by freezing in place and looking away from the dog).

He determined that he was a dangerous dog, we decided to keep him as he was generally a good dog, and a very good duck hunting companion, and I knew now how to avoid and/or react to the dog. But we kept him away from all people, especially children. We had no further bites from him, but he did die a few years later of cancer.

Good Luck....be very careful...


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## Carmel (Feb 9, 2015)

I too had a dog we rescued that was dangerous. It was a curly coated retriever and we decided to keep him and make sure that he and our other dogs were safe by using confinement and separation mostly. If we had had children we probably would not have been able to keep him. We gave him a good life and he had lots of love and exercise, but we had to kennel him when friends came over, and of course he could not be taken to the park or anything with other dogs.


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## Goldylover2 (May 1, 2014)

You need to take your dog to an experiencd trainer. I'm surprised you've waited this long.


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## kshell (Mar 29, 2015)

Megora, thank you for taking the time to write this. This gives me hope.I have learned to watch for those signals, and I, myself, have not been bitten since the first few months of obtaining him. I've also taught my daughter what to look for, and how to act around him.


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