I've had it. I have had it. I have had it! Tonight Harley bit a little boy. I went to Petsmart for some shopping and a little boy of about 8 or 9 walked up and asked if he could pet Harley. I told him that he has bitten in the past and would most likely try but that he could try if he wanted to. So I asked him to make his hand palm up and let him smell him first and his hand wasn't under Harley's nose for 2 seconds before he went apes***..
He made the most horrible snarling noises and bit down several times but thankfully never broke the skin and the boy was fine. I appologized so many times I lost count and checked his hand over and he just smiled and said, "It's ok mam, he's probably just tired."
*sigh* I don't know what's worse.. Him biting someone who shoves their hand in his face without warning or asking and gets pissed and hollers at me for it or a little innocent calm and forgiving little boy.. I feel so guilty.. Like I've let Harley down and like I've let everyone he's aggressive towards down too.. I don't know what to do. For the first 5 or 10 seconds after he bit him I was worried about him and making sure he wasn't hurt but as soon as I came back into reality I took Harleys scruff and put pressure on the back of his neck with my fingers (as if they were teeth) and made him lay down in the front of the cart for the rest of the store visit. Which I know REALLY peeved him off bc he couldn't watch everybody or sniff at the other dogs and it was obvious just how peeved he was when we got in the car (btw I locked my keys in my car too tonight.. great evening huh) bc he pouted the whole way home and wouldn't look at me once. This evening before this incident a 2 older ladies approached him (he rode in the cart this time.. harnessed in.. I've found this was the only safe way to bring him there now..
) and they reached out to him when I had my back turned and I only realized they were there when I heard one of them start saying how sweet he looked and I automatically jerked around, said he bites very firmly and covered her hand before she got too close.. This close call really frightened me bc she was very elderly and had very thin papery skin and I don't know if I could have lived with myself if he had hurt her.. And then after that about 10 min later a woman in her mid 20's approached and asked me if she could pet him, I warned her about his biting and asked her to go palm up and etc and she did this and he was fine. Her daughter then came up without warning (16or17) and put her hand on top of Harley's head and he was about to go after her hand when I grabbed her hand away and her mother told her what to do and once she did it he was fine with her.. I'm so confused.. And embarassed.. I feel like a failure and like a danger to society bc I can't control my own little dogs behavior. Everyone wants to pet him and see him bc he's so darn cute and he really is a doll but he's nasty with kids and strangers and I'm running out of answers and excuses.. I love my dog but I can't stand the 'hate' that seems to be in him.. I don't want to muzzle him bc I'll feel like a freak and I know he probably will too.. But is it coming down to that? I don't want to leave him behind..
I know this is old news.. Harley being aggressive.. but I had to vent.. I just feel like the lowest of lows right now after all this..
