I need help with a dog training.

[misa.j]

My dog bit both of my hands 3 days ago, drew blood, and I ended up going to the ER.
I am seeking opinions how to train a dog not to bite, or I might have to put her to sleep which I would hate to do...

The dog is a sheltie & husky mix, female(spayed), will be 4 yrs old in October.
I adopted the dog from a family where she was allowed to nip and growl at the children all the time; most of the bad habits had disappeared over the last 2 and a half yrs since she was a smart dog, but she still misbehaved occasionally, chewed food smelling paper towels, bit my husband in the face over a french fry in the past.

The reason she bit me this time was sort of my fault, I wasn't being clear when I punished her, still though she could not bite even for trying to protect herself.

Can anybody give me a good advice on training the dog so she will never bite again?
Thanks.

misa

 

[Arch]

What about these dog training schools ??? heard they supposed to be good. Or you could read up on the internet, there seem to be many sources , that ya can choose from.
So You Wanna – Learn to do just about anything…

 

[misa.j]

Thanks for that reply, Arch.
I have searched around those animal taining sites, but the information was quite limited.
I thought someone here would have better ideas from their own experiences, sorry, my thread is nothing to do w/ Japan.

 

[mad pierrot]

Chances are

That if you've had your dog for 2 1/2 years now and it's still biting, it's not likely to stop. If your dog was abused by its previous owner, it might be impossible to completely break all of it's former habits. Still, that's NO REASON to put a dog to sleep. At the very least you should consult a profesional. There is no simple solution when it comes to training an animal. Pet training is very complex. For me to give you advice on how to train your dog would be absurd; I don't know anything about you or the way you've trained your dog. Again, the only thing I can say is please go see a professional trainer or your local veterinarian.

 

[playaa]

Agrees, with mad pierrot.. . I have a 6 month old Pit Bull that weighs 70lb's and he will not bite even little kids that get rough with him.

 

[Mandylion]

Yes, go get professional help. Until then, do not allow the dog around children or strangers.

If you don't want to put the dog down, your last option is to remove all the dogs teeth. This is only one step away from the grave, and the dog can still give a good chomp, so it is not like throwing a safety switch. However, it might save you from huge legal damages or destruction of your dog if it attacks someone or another animal.

I hope the pros can do something for your dog...

 

[Grandpa Frank]

How About....

a shock collar like they use with the "invisible fence" system may work? The big thing is to have the punishment come immediately after the infraction with a loud warning "NO! or Bad Dog. The shock collar isn't strong enough to hurt, only scare the dog. They are based on weight of the dog as strength of the shock given. If you could find one to rent, instead of buy, it would be worth trying?

Frank

:?

 

[bossel]

Best is to get professional help. I watched some shows with a professional on Dutch TV some years ago & it was amazing how he was able to change the dogs' unwanted behaviour.

Shock collars, Frank? I'm shocked.

But anyway, I wouldn't use these. They are probably not necessary. If really nothing else helps, don't do it without professional help!

 

[misa.j]

Thanks very much for all the replies.

I think my dog gets extremely nervous when she misbehaves. I know and use a choking collar that helps calm a nervous dog when it's used properly. She is never off the leash when she is outside except in the field w/ a fence.

She heels well, is very responsive to commands(including nonverbal commands), friendly and submissive to people she knows, but does have a hard time with a rough treatment. She yelps occasionally, as if somebody is trying to cut her ear off, when her paw gets stepped on by accident.
I really would like to get her nervousness out of her which seems difficult but not impossible by training.

We don't have any children or she is not around any children within reach, and I always tell people that she is not friendly to strangers when they ask me if they could pet her to avoid accidents.

Should I still seek for a professional advise?

 

[Mandylion]

Yes, you should still seek help. A bite is a bite, even if it is just between master and owner. Huskies are not unknown to develop mental problems, so to keep things from getting worse, and perhaps fixing the problem, you should take your dog to someone for a look. It is not just people you need to worry about. In this day and age, even dog fights, or dog-cat encounters can end in the forced destruction of the attacking animal.

Good luck.

 

[misa.j]

Thanks for the good advice, Mandylion.

 

[DragonChan]

Basically the key it to make sure that your dog knows you are boss. It sounds stupid, but it's most likely that your dog thinks it is in charge.

For instance with my dog, we constantly flip her on her back and give her a tummy rub. Yeah, she likes to have her stomach patted, but at the same time she is in a submissive position. It reinforces that we are the boss ^_~

Definately seek professional help before you try anything.

 

[misa.j]

Basically the key it to make sure that your dog knows you are boss. It sounds stupid, but it's most likely that your dog thinks it is in charge.

For instance with my dog, we constantly flip her on her back and give her a tummy rub. Yeah, she likes to have her stomach patted, but at the same time she is in a submissive position. It reinforces that we are the boss ^_~

Thanks for the reply, DragonChan. And welcome to the forum!!

My husband told me to flip her on her back more, and be very dominant, too.

Put my face over hers or test her with sudden discomfort(grabbing her side or right above her tail). She looks like she is trying to behave, and more than anything else, she still looks guilty.