my labrador/dalmation/chow mix dog is so beautiful and Very loved and spoiled but lately her temperament has?
Category: Dalmation Questions
changed and has bitten several persons and i keep making excuses for her behavior. however yesterday she bit my daughter who lives in the same house with us and i am saddened by the idea of having her put down but i feel it is the best thing to do because im afraid she will become more dangerous. two of the persons she attacked are my nine year old grandson, and also my two year old grandson.
i would be afraid of finding her a new home because i feel that she is getting more dangerous, therefore i think she will only suffer if she went to another household. my heart is breaking so i would like to know if there is something i could do to treat her aggressive behavior? i rescued her from a litter of puppies who were rejected by their mother, although i found homes for her other five siblings, she was the last one in her litter and i became very attached to her so i chose to keep her. any advise would help.
thank you,
she just turned 3 in february/
If it is just a sudden change in behavior then I would take her to the vet and see if anything is wrong with her physically, If dogs are in pain they have no way to tell us, they can only show us and that is through “aggressive behavior” so it could be she is not feeling well and she is letting people know that she does not want to be bothered, either way she needs to be supervised and on leash anytime children are around.
If nothing medically is wrong you could contact a professional trainer/behaviorist and see if they can help you.
Please do not put her down…but do find her a home with someone who can work with her…as the “Dog Whisperer” would say…someone who is calm and assertive. Take her to the local humane society and they can find her the right kind of home. Big dogs need lots and lots of exercise to drain them of their excess energy and a firm hand. She just needs to find the right home and the right owner.
Simply take your dog to the vet and get the dog a distemperment shot your dog and every dog should get this shot once a year if i’m not mistaken
She definitely needs to be relocated, if only temporarily, to a location with a trained animal behaviorist or trainer. Biting is not acceptable. Period. The fact that she’s reacting to such little children is a huge concern and as the adult human you have the responsibility to protect them and the dog. If she is reacting because she’s sick or in pain then she still needs to be removed from the home until her behavior is resolved.
Dalmatians and Chows are known to have some peculiar aggressions.
Until you get her to a trainer or specialist, when the kids come over, the dog MUST be locked up. Bottom line, she’s the dog and they’re your grandbabies. They come first.
In the UK the dog would have been euthanised by now. I have owned purebred dalmatians and there were a lot of problems that have developed within the breed especially after the film 101 Dalmatians came out and people were breeding unscrupulously to meet the demand for puppies. Dalmatians have long muzzles and small skulls, and like irish setters, this can make them a bit loopy!
It worries me that you say she is ‘very loved and spoiled’ as spoilt dogs are usually the worst offenders for bad behaviour. If you look around in the dog park it’s often the small breeds who are molly coddled by their owners who are the worst behaved. I wonder if, because you have hand reared her you may have been blinded by your love and affection for this dog and let her get away with unacceptable behaviour. May I ask how old your dog is?
Dogs that are usually easygoing and are in pain or ill often become short-tempered and exhibit aggressive behavior when the owner unknowingly touches a sore place. It’s hard to tell sometimes what your dog is trying to say. Be alert for these signs, and have the dog checked by your veterinarian if you suspect he is in pain.
1. Hides
2. Remains very still and quiet
3. Becomes vocal, whines, whimpers, or cries
4. Acts agitated, paces, can’t get comfortable
5. Pants or drools
6. Refuses food
7. Flinches, yelps, or snaps when touched in tender place
8. Trembles
9. Limps or carries paw, begs for attention
10. Assumes hunched posture
11. Squints eyes or has watering eyes