We got a rather urgent email from a long-time training student this week. Her dog had bitten a groomer at the doggy day care facility and she was rather frantically trying to deal with her dog’s sudden aggression. We had to tell her that dog training isn’t always the answer.
What’s Really Happening
Of course we called her right away to get the story. In addition to the bite, the dog had also growled and almost-snapped at her husband. The husband, who had adopted the dog from a shelter five months ago, was ready to return the dog immediately. The wife was distraught, upset both by the dog’s behavior and the thought of giving him up.
Neither of the couple is an experienced dog owner, so neither had a good idea of what was going on.
With the information the woman provided, our advice was to carefully consider the option of returning the dog to the shelter. Generally speaking, dogs adopted from shelters need at least three months before they feel comfortable in a new home and start showing their true personalities. If this dog’s nature was actually reactive, it wouldn’t be a good fit with this family. They already have a beautifully-trained Rottweiler and are planning for children in the next few years.
Getting More Complicated
The woman had already contacted the shelter about the bite. They got back to her saying that a dog with a bite history would automatically be euthanized. If they returned the dog, it was a death sentence. The shelter’s only suggestion was an introduction to another trainer to assess the dog. The options seemed to be getting narrower.
At this point, with the information we had, the choices were all bad. So we contacted the owner of the day care where the incident happened. We’re friends with the owner, and trust her opinion as a savvy dog person.
The Story Gets Clearer
It turns out that the dog has always been a happy, playful guy who’s never given them cause for concern. About a month ago, he was sidelined by illness. Kennel cough developed into pneumonia. He hasn’t been feeling great for a while now.
It was his first time back at day care, and the owners opted for a bit of a spa day – bath and nail trim. Like many dogs, this one didn’t much care for the ramp up to the tub, so the groomer was picking him up. When she touched his legs he reacted with the bite.
Talking to the dog’s owner, the incident with her husband also happened when he touched the dog’s leg.
Light Bulb Moment
The day care owner and we immediately recognized that the dog was showing symptoms of pain. Whenever a dog reacts atypically to normal things, the first thought should be “something’s going on there.”
The dog doesn’t need training for this. Dog training isn’t always the answer. He needs to see a veterinarian to figure out what’s happening that’s causing him to react atypically.
We called the owner back with this news. We also advised her to give the vet’s office a “heads up” that the dog would probably need to be muzzled for the examination. All dogs are capable of lashing out when they’re in pain. And all dogs should be muzzle-trained, just in case. Of course training to put the muzzle on your dog should be approached the same way as all other training – in fast, fun, game-based sessions.
She was relieved to hear that her dog probably hadn’t morphed into Cujo overnight. She also asked something that emphasized their inexperience with dogs. “Don’t dogs show signs when they’re in pain?”
No, they don’t. Dogs typically don’t show any signs of weakness or pain until it’s far advanced. Experienced dog owners know to consult medical professionals when their dogs seem “off.” The first, subtle signs of something wrong are clues only the dog’s owner will see. Combining these owners’ inexperience and the dog’s newness in the household, it was easy to miss.
We’re waiting to hear what the veterinarian discovers. But the dog’s future looks better today than it did.
