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Cowboy bit me


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Marlene

Good news / Bad news.
If I had written this yesterday it would have been full of glowing praise for Cowboy.
Fathers Day we went to the beach with our kids and their dogs.  We took Cowboy and Sophie (Boxer). Caren took Piper and Wendy took Bentley. Walked the beach and then went to a place on on the wharf that has a patio that allows dogs.  
Cowboy was perfect with the people coming and going, waitresses, busboys, customers.  He sat on the bench next to me, didn't bother anyone for food and just watched the world go by.
He's been awesome at letting me handle him - in the beginning I was a bit fearful of putting on his halter, handling his feet, lifting him......but there has been no problem.  
As I said in an earlier post I didn't think he was a miniature Cujo - just needed a dog savvy person who didn't think snapping was the end of the world.
He likes to lay on the rug in the middle of my very small kitchen but usually doesn't do it while I'm cooking.  Tonight he plopped down and wouldn't move.  I kept telling him to move, nudging him with my foot but he wasn't budging.  I reached down to pick him up.  He bit down hard on a finger, broke the skin.  Meanwhile I'm trying to wash the bite, wrap it in a paper towel and the pork chops were burning.  Ugh.  So I'm still trying to move him into the den with my feet and he's going at my feet hard - not just nipping or snapping but really biting.  My husband came to help me and he was doing the same to him.  I finally just walked into the den and told him "COME" and he did. I closed the door and left him in a time-out for about 10 minutes.
This little boy is not to be trusted if he really wants something and is "crossed".
I have no problem taking him to OR with us (leaving next Sunday) but have again ramped up my concern about handling him.
Hate to "tell on him" because I have a lot of affection for him and he loves me. But I have to keep updating the rescue because he already has a bite history from biting an elderly lady.  First time was when she went to take a kleenex away from him.....next day it was when she was lifting him onto the bed.  She went to the ER, the doc had to file a dog bite report and the next day Cowboy was picked up and returned to his foster (the one I'm pupsitting for while she takes a 3+ month trip to Europe).

I now have doubts about him being placed (adopted) again.  It may be why he ended up in the shelter in the first place.

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Sunlite

So sorry Marlene... Damn things were going so well... :sad_2:

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Marlene
18 minutes ago, Sunlite said:

So sorry Marlene... Damn things were going so well... :sad_2:

I know.....I'm bummed.

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Crinkly

Oh dear.

Do you think he was tired?

Not that that is an excuse, but kids do the fractious-everything is wrong thing when they get over tired.

So sorry.  Must be very miserable for you.

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Missysmom

Oh wow, I'm so sorry Marlene. The first part was such good news too... :( 

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minabey

So sorry to hear you were bitten. Hope you're okay. I feel sad for Cowboy. Where would he go if can't be adopted out anymore?

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I'm so sorry to hear this, Marlene.  Obviously, Cowboy has some issues and at this point in his life I am not sure it's anything that can be "fixed".  For me, this incident would indicate that Cowboy is NOT adoptable.

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Crinkly

@Marlene  do you know if there is a common feature about the way humans are standing, when he bites?

Have been thinking about this all day, and I remembered Rachael, a black and white rat I Adopted, way back in my student days.

She was alone in a cage, adult, very healthy, and I asked about her history.  She had bitten her Little Boy owner, and been returned to the pet store.  So I took her.   If she was a biter who couldn't be handled, she could live in my rabble of 5 girls, and not be handled.  And if she had been provoked, and wasn't a biter, then we would get along fine.

Turned out, she only ever bit me once.  I had been sitting on the floor, acting as a Rat Climbing Frame (as usual), and she had snuggled down between my hip and the wall.  My hand approached from above, and I tried to scoop her up, by sliding fingers down her side and under her belly - and she bit.  Hard enough to really hurt.  A little blood.

I thought about it.  And was wary for a while.  But came to the conclusion that it was the way I had moved in - from above.  She probably felt trapped between wall, my hip and the hand, and panicked.  She never bit me again, but I took care to always approach from the front, and slid my hand under her through her front legs.  She was a lovely little person.

Am just wondering if Cowboy has an issue with a particular 'approach vector'.

Not that it helps much.  No one can guarantee to make the correct approach, every time, for the rest of his life. :(

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Marlene
1 hour ago, Luna said:

I'm so sorry to hear this, Marlene.  Obviously, Cowboy has some issues and at this point in his like I am not sure it's anything that can be "fixed".  For me, this incident would indicate that Cowboy is NOT adoptable.

I'm afraid that is the direction this is going.......He has a documented bite history and has now gone after me 3 times in less than a month. Last night is the first time he  broke my skin. He IS small but he can be dangerous.  I just can't in good conscience recommend him to anyone.  At this point I feel his only hope is to be fostered in another foster home by someone who is very dog savvy and has a good behavior training background and "foster fails" with him.

57 minutes ago, Crinkly said:

@Marlene  do you know if there is a common feature about the way humans are standing, when he bites?

Have been thinking about this all day, and I remembered Rachael, a black and white rat I Adopted, way back in my student days.

She was alone in a cage, adult, very healthy, and I asked about her history.  She had bitten her Little Boy owner, and been returned to the pet store.  So I took her.   If she was a biter who couldn't be handled, she could live in my rabble of 5 girls, and not be handled.  And if she had been provoked, and wasn't a biter, then we would get along fine.

Turned out, she only ever bit me once.  I had been sitting on the floor, acting as a Rat Climbing Frame (as usual), and she had snuggled down between my hip and the wall.  My hand approached from above, and I tried to scoop her up, by sliding fingers down her side and under her belly - and she bit.  Hard enough to really hurt.  A little blood.

I thought about it.  And was wary for a while.  But came to the conclusion that it was the way I had moved in - from above.  She probably felt trapped between wall, my hip and the hand, and panicked.  She never bit me again, but I took care to always approach from the front, and slid my hand under her through her front legs.  She was a lovely little person.

Am just wondering if Cowboy has an issue with a particular 'approach vector'.

Not that it helps much.  No one can guarantee to make the correct approach, every time, for the rest of his life. :(

His bites that I know about are:  taking a kleenex away from him, picking him up to put on the bed and physically pulling him away from the dishwasher (which happened here and at his previous foster home) trying to get a cookie from my hand when he was on my lap and moving him from a place I didn't want him to be.  I don't think it's really food aggression, it's "possession"  This is MY SPACE and I want it!  He is having a tantrum when he doesn't get his way and goes full-blown Cujo.  5 minutes later he's back to his Cowboy self.

I'm not the one who has to make a decision (for which I'm very grateful) but I could not hand him over to a new home with a clear conscience :-(

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Pawz4me

Possession aggression/having a tantrum sounds like an accurate description.

And I agree that he's probably not adoptable. :( 

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Missysmom

Curious question Marlene- does Cowboy also get aggressive with Shorty and/ or Sophie? Has he snapped at or bitten either of them?

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Marlene
21 hours ago, Crinkly said:

Not sure why my reply is added on to Crinkly's........

But no, Cowboy has never shown any aggression towards Sophie and Shorty nor any other dog he's met. Not over food, toys, laps. 

As you might remember I had a problem with Shorty in the beginning, biting strangers who tried to touch him but NEVER ME!  I believe his behavior was fear biting.  Once he learned people weren't going to hurt him, he enjoys their attention and seeks out people (like at the dog park) for pets.  On the other hand Shorty's a nasty, barker/lunger at other dogs when on leash.  I blame my husband for not working on this as he spends so much time walking the dogs. When I have him out, see someone approaching, I put him close to me and softly chant "no bark" and we walk by.

Cowboy loves me........he looks to me for everything.

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Jo-Anne
On 23-6-2016 at 3:52 AM, Marlene said:

 He sat on the bench next to me,
 

This sounds silly ofcourse but have you tried to leave him on the ground at all times.. no priveleges..no sitting on a bench next to you..no couch..never on the same hight as you are..

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Marlene
4 hours ago, Jo-Anne said:

This sounds silly ofcourse but have you tried to leave him on the ground at all times.. no priveleges..no sitting on a bench next to you..no couch..never on the same hight as you are..

That doesn't sound silly :-)  He has not taken control of the furniture......I always say my dogs are not allowed on the furniture but then you'll see a picture of one that is.  We have always had Boxers who are too big and shed too much to get up wherever they want.  So....they only come up when invited.  But they are invited a lot!  Also there are dog beds in every room - never seen Cowboy in one of them.

In fact Cowboy is a bit aloof......most often sitting/laying on the floor by himself.

A lot of "stuff" has been flying back and forth in the last few days and at this point I think Cowboy will be coming to OR with us for 3 months as planned.  After that he will go back to his actual foster home (the one who is vacationing in Europe, so I am only "pupsitting").  We don't have a problem with that....if he bites me again, oh well - been there done that.  At the very least he will have a caring, understanding home for these last 3 months if that's what it comes to.

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