Hi

Just wondering if anybody has ever experienced a dog who has bitten people? One of my rescue's has just bitten another person. It has only ever happened in our house. His background is: I have had him and his mate for a year and a half and they are both street dogs from Greece.

I am wondering if anybody who has experience, knows whether this can be resolved or whether "if a dogs bitten once, it will bite again"?

Thanks x

No advice i am afraid but just wanted to say i'm sorry it happened. I know you have been working hard to prevent it.

Yep! I have and with a rescue also as it happens, one that was terribly afraid of men because he had been so badly abused, He bit me the day I picked him up - albeit not badly, during the following months he bit three people, we were fortunate to a degree because all three we people that had entered private land dispite warnings (watch jow you word warnings by the way as if you word them wrongly you are admitting that you have a dangerous dog - and you are commiting an offence).

six years down the line and that has been a vast improvement, I have learnt to read this dog and know exactly how he is going to re-act, that said I would still never trust him 100% and am particually careful with men!!!- I use a muzzle if and when I feel necessary, and would suggest that you maybe consider this, for the safety of the dog as much as for any potential victims.
regards
DT

Thanks rainy. It hasn't happened in over 9 months. Just when I think I'm getting there, something else happens! I just don;t know whether these guys can ever be fully rehabilitated, or whether their instincts to survive/protect will always be too strong. I guess time will tell. x

Thanks for your reply, do you think you can ever get him over this or will he always be like it? I'm always so optimistic, I never allow myself to think I might not achieve what I want x

In all honesty he could be 'over it' but alas I would never want to have to put him to the test! He has never ever gone for either a child or a woman - he is the sofest lad around children, but where men are concerned I would NEVER ever put him in the position where he thought he had to or were able to bite!
Sorry if thats not what you want to hear!
regards
DT

No that's ok, it is the one thing you just cannot chance!

I do think you have to "accept" some traits in your dog sometimes and acknowledge they have an issue you may always have to watch for.

Even with Oscar already i know he has a "snappy" disposition and has some possession guarding insticts, it is a work in progress that i am always bang ontop of but i have learnt (and am teaching the children) to read the signs (like DT said) and minimise the risk. I think he will always have the potential under the wrong circumstances bit then you can own a dog for 10 years and one day it decides it hates the postman

how much of a bite are we talking? A 'ill put my teeth around your arm and not chew bite' or a 'ill walk up to you a draw blood for no reason bite' ?

If its the first dont worry about it, if its the second, it needs to be put down. Simple as im affraid ;(
A muzzel would be probably good thing to invest in, and asserting your dominance - either standing up if sat and walk towards them slowly making them back up ... eventually to walk away. Ive only ever done this when ive been grizzled at though, not bitten

What? That's a terrible suggestion. Exactly how are you qualified to make such a diagnosis? What experience do you have in training aggressive dogs that you can give an ultimatum like that over the net without having seen the dog in person?

I've seen dogs who are biters rehabilitated, both fear and rank aggressive dogs, looking at the dogs now their owners would be mortified at the suggestion of PTS. Not all aggressive dogs need to be put to sleep. A lot of aggressive is manageable or curable. Aggression is a complicated subject, unfortunately it is not as black and white as you wrote above.