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Devastated

920 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Smartspork
I just wanna start by saying this was 100% my fault. My dog bit me today over a piece of tissue. When he was 15 weeks he growled over a chew and since then we have been proactive with training leave it drop it we don't leave anything about the house I've posted before about how he steals things. I have 2 small children we don't bring toys downstairs anymore and I need to watch like a hawk if they are all outside playing. It's been 1.5 years of this. Tbh he hardly ever gets the chance to resource guard anything because we are on top of it and he swaps very easily for a treat. Today while out he had a piece of tissue and I don't even know why but I reached for it and he's bit me and drew blood. If I thought in anyway he was guarding it I would never have reached for it it all happened so fast and obviously my fault. I'm just so sad that it's happened I've been in tears all day I think the stress of it all has came crashing down. The thing is without kids he would be sooooo easy! I'm just so worried that I turn my back for a second he's stole a sock and my little one has reached to get it back or something they have been warned never to go near him if he's stole something but my littlest is three and would maybe forget. I just don't know if I can live with the anxiety of him biting the kids anymore.
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It sounds like some help from a good reward based trainer would be really useful to help ease some of the tension so he is less likely to want to guard things. Swapping is great but you can also do some work to build trust meaning much less likely to want to bite.

I know the stress of living with a guarded but fortunately it is just me so no children to worry about. She has improved significantly over the years though.
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I have a 3 year old mini cockapoo and when he was 1 years he started to do the be same thing as your dog and we felt the same way! I finally got a behaviorist dog trainer and with some hard work he has not bitten us again. We figured out it was part fear and no trust in us and of course some genetic stuff we can't change! Now he just growls when he gets upset and we just back off!! Don't give up!!
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