OMG..My Baby Bit me and drew blood...

[ragincajun]

Cowgirl, sorry this happened to you. Hopefully you can get Gizmo help to realize that he cannot bite in any circumstance. Especially to bite a human. I love dogs but Human > Dog any day of the week IMO.

For those attacking her here, she expressed remorse and we posting for help...not your personal critique. I would wonder if those responses violate the YT terms and agreements. Per the forum rules:

..do not personally attack anyone or their opinions.
YT is not the place for rude, snide, or disrespectful remarks towards your fellow member or YT.
Personal attacks are not acceptable.

Sorry if this is a bit OT but I felt that Cowgirl needed support and not bashing. Support or ignore.

[cowgirlc]

Originally Posted by ragincajun

Cowgirl, sorry this happened to you. Hopefully you can get Gizmo help to realize that he cannot bite in any circumstance. Especially to bite a human. I love dogs but Human > Dog any day of the week IMO.

For those attacking her here, she expressed remorse and we posting for help...not your personal critique. I would wonder if those responses violate the YT terms and agreements. Per the forum rules:

..do not personally attack anyone or their opinions.
YT is not the place for rude, snide, or disrespectful remarks towards your fellow member or YT.
Personal attacks are not acceptable.

Sorry if this is a bit OT but I felt that Cowgirl needed support and not bashing. Support or ignore.

Thank you so very much for this I really appreciate it. Lord knows I would never ever hurt my baby or any other animal for that matter, it was a snap reaction that I feel absolutly horified about and I do not deserve to be attacked here for it. We as human beings ''ALL' make mistakes, its what you do to correct that mistake to ensure that you don't make the same mistake again that matters.

I have gotten some very good advice here on the best way to handle and address the problem moving forward that I am researching as we speak. I really want to get a trainer for me and my Gizmo, but since I am not working at this time its gonna be tough, at the same time anything my Gizzy has ever needed I have always found the money to get it, so I am confident that come heck or high water, the funds will come for me to do this.

There are some things I can do myself right here to work with my baby, one person suggested getting him use to the leash. I have been looking at some videos on training as well so I am gonna make it fun for me and gizzy and work with him.

For the person that suggested that I surrender my baby to a rescue.....hmmmm....that would mean I am not capable of providing a happy safe enviorment for Gizmo full of love and attention.......since that is exactly what I provide here I think I shall pass on that suggestion and refrain from attacking 'YOU' .

Thank you all for the support, gonna keep you guys posted on our progress moving forward!


Cynthia

[SWHouston]

Here I go psychoanalyzing things again, but, Maximo brought up a very good point !

1) How many Yorkies do you know that like bigger dogs.
2) Cowgirlc was acting strangely (running/rushing) possibly verbalizing.
3) Cowgirlc was moving toward an area of danger possibly (his opinion).
4) Gismo is confused, inexperienced in communicating.
5) Gismo does not know how to stop Cowgirlc.
6) Gismo only knows one way to hold on to something (bite).

I think he was in his "Protection" mode, and just didn't handle it too well.
The bite was only to capture/stop Cowgirlc, just badly executed.

I'm not trying to excuse anything here, just give MHO.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by SWHouston

Here I go psychoanalyzing things again, but, Maximo brought up a very good point !

1) How many Yorkies do you know that like bigger dogs.
2) Cowgirlc was acting strangely (running/rushing) possibly verbalizing.
3) Cowgirlc was moving toward an area of danger possibly (his opinion).
4) Gismo is confused, inexperienced in communicating.
5) Gismo does not know how to stop Cowgirlc.
6) Gismo only knows one way to hold on to something (bite).

I think he was in his "Protection" mode, and just didn't handle it too well.
The bite was only to capture/stop Cowgirlc, just badly executed.

I'm not trying to excuse anything here, just give MHO.

To solve a behavioral problem, the cause must be identified. I believe this is the likely explanation for the dog's behavior.

ETA:
(there are plenty of Yorkies that like bigger dogs, but what is the situation in this home with the GSDs?)

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by cowgirlc

Thank you so very much for this I really appreciate it. Lord knows I would never ever hurt my baby or any other animal for that matter, it was a snap reaction that I feel absolutly horified about and I do not deserve to be attacked here for it. We as human beings ''ALL' make mistakes, its what you do to correct that mistake to ensure that you don't make the same mistake again that matters.

I have gotten some very good advice here on the best way to handle and address the problem moving forward that I am researching as we speak. I really want to get a trainer for me and my Gizmo, but since I am not working at this time its gonna be tough, at the same time anything my Gizzy has ever needed I have always found the money to get it, so I am confident that come heck or high water, the funds will come for me to do this.

There are some things I can do myself right here to work with my baby, one person suggested getting him use to the leash. I have been looking at some videos on training as well so I am gonna make it fun for me and gizzy and work with him.

For the person that suggested that I surrender my baby to a rescue.....hmmmm....that would mean I am not capable of providing a happy safe enviorment for Gizmo full of love and attention.......since that is exactly what I provide here I think I shall pass on that suggestion and refrain from attacking 'YOU' .

Thank you all for the support, gonna keep you guys posted on our progress moving forward!


Cynthia

I wasnt attacking you I was stating the obvious in my opinion saying you would never hit a dog is not true because you did. Hitting a dog is never right and coming onto a post board and posting that you back handed your dog and threw him on the bed may not be the best thing to do if you dont want some people not agreeing with what you did. Have you ever seen a dogs face after they have been hit? The confusion in there eyes? Do you think he was happy and safe when you back handed him and threw him on the bed?

[chandracz]

Good insight

Originally Posted by SWHouston

Here I go psychoanalyzing things again, but, Maximo brought up a very good point !

1) How many Yorkies do you know that like bigger dogs.
2) Cowgirlc was acting strangely (running/rushing) possibly verbalizing.
3) Cowgirlc was moving toward an area of danger possibly (his opinion).
4) Gismo is confused, inexperienced in communicating.
5) Gismo does not know how to stop Cowgirlc.
6) Gismo only knows one way to hold on to something (bite).

I think he was in his "Protection" mode, and just didn't handle it too well.
The bite was only to capture/stop Cowgirlc, just badly executed.

I'm not trying to excuse anything here, just give MHO.

[cowgirlc]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

I wasnt attacking you I was stating the obvious in my opinion saying you would never hit a dog is not true because you did. Hitting a dog is never right and coming onto a post board and posting that you back handed your dog and threw him on the bed may not be the best thing to do if you dont want some people not agreeing with what you did. Have you ever seen a dogs face after they have been hit? The confusion in there eyes? Do you think he was happy and safe when you back handed him and threw him on the bed?

Again....We as human beings ''ALL' make mistakes, its what you do to correct that mistake to ensure that you don't make the same mistake again that matters.

You are entitled to your opinion, and the post was not meant to get anyones approval, agreement, dissaproval, judgement, and I do not hit animals or people. I posted because I needed to, I was hurt, scared, horrifed, and did not quite know what to do at the time. If you want to continue to make me out of some abuser so be it, instead of acting like 'YOU' have never made a mistake in your entire life and feel the need to make a person that made a mistake feel much worse than they already do. Thanks a lot


Cynthia

[chandracz]

Just bought this book on Amazon... Hope it helps my 7 yr old yorkie who thinks he owns my house ;0)

Originally Posted by megansmomma

He is guarding you and that is a huge problem! You don't need to walk him around on a leash. He can drag it behind him.

Get the book Let the Dog Decide. It was a huge help when I was having issues with Pebbles when she was a puppy.

[Maximo]

I believe SWHouston is right about Gizmo's motivation. Reminds me of a few instances when Max was younger. He still thinks he is protecting me from danger on our walks (that is what our vet and many other people have told me). When I held him back and tried to quiet him when a big dog passed, a dog we could not meet because it wasn't safe, he went into attack mode and turned and nipped me for trying to hold him back.

Thankfully, Max has great bite inhibition. He can use his teeth without doing harm. Not using teeth at all is ideal, but it is crucial that a dog have bite inhibition: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...nhibition.html

[cowgirlc]

Originally Posted by Maximo

To solve a behavioral problem, the cause must be identified. I believe this is the likely explanation for the dog's behavior.

ETA:
(there are plenty of Yorkies that like bigger dogs, but what is the situation in this home with the GSDs?)

The shepherds are 15 weeks old and for the most part they are outdoors, when it gets to hot outside I bring them inside and they are crated. Mind you Gizmo is always placed in another room out of the way when I am handling the shepherds, by the way the shepherds are my husbands primary dogs and the mom is also here but again outdoors. On this day, you are right, I was rushing to the door when I saw that they had gotten out and yes I was being verbal at the time and just was not thinking as Gizmo followed behind me. A great deal should have been done differently, however I cannot un-do what had been done, and now that you guys mention it Gizmo was probally trying to protect me, I know none of this is his fault, I am the responsible party here.

One thing I would like and have thought about is not having the shepherd here at all, because hubby is not really steeping up to handle their care and I do not want to have something like this happen again so I am looking at that option as well. I am have always just had Gizmo to tend to and would like to keep it that way.

[Teresamag]

I'm really sorry you had this happen - I know it's horrible to feel like you did something wrong in the heat of the moment -something you would normally not do. It took a lot of courage to tell us about it - I'm sorry you are getting some "heat" for doing it - you already know it's not right & you feel bad about doing it. Most importantly of all now is that it happened, Gizmo will be ok, you will be ok (as long as you take care of the wound) and you are looking for ways to remedy the situation. IMO alot of small dogs don't have the "leadership" they need - this leads to confusion and insecurity in the dog because they think they have to be "pack leader" since you are not doing it. Especially with new dogs in the house - Gizmo may think he has to be the boss - since you were being verbal and upset about the shepard puppies being out Gizmo may have been trying to "take care" of the situation on his own. He may not have done it appropriately but it really isn't his job. You have gotten some really good suggestions here, having him on a leash is a great idea, a trainer is also a good suggestion, making sure he is neutered is a must (I don't know if he is or not). If you are not able to hire a trainer or until a trainer can come I would suggest you implement the NIFIF (Nothing In Life is Free) concept to help Gizmo realize that YOU are qualified and are his pack leader. Here is an article I wrote about NIFIF - Good Luck
Teresa

That's very frustrating isn't it? You are right to be concerned and to look at fixing this before it gets worse. One thing I always ask right away - is your boy neutered? Sometimes hormones can make a dominate dog worse and dogs sometimes think they can challenge the "pack leader" or try to assume the position themselves. If he isn't neutered I would suggest you check in with your vet about getting this done as well as making some changes in your home.

#1 if you are able enroll him in an obedience class and do either # 2 or #3.
#2 work with an animal behaviorist or
#3 Teach him that you are the "pack leader" and do the Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) program.

You can google this program and find sites that tell exactly how to implement the program but basically it means acting like a good "pack leader" so he will respect you. (Growling, biting, food or resource (you) guarding is a show of disrespect or trying to take over leadership). Some things you can do in this program is making your dog work for everything - food, attention, exercise, etc. I.E. he has to sit before you put his supper bowl down. Make sure you eat before feeding him (pack leaders always eat first and lower ranking animals eat after). Always make sure you are the one who allows him outside and you go out before him, he has to follow you. For the time being don't allow him to sleep with you or be higher than you on the couch. Allowing him to precede you out the door, be higher than you on the couch, sleeping in your bed, eating when you eat are all signs that he is equal to you or higher than you in the pack and just enforce his right to be disrespectful or to let him think he can take over.

A dog that knows his place in the pack is much happier and feels more secure. After all, it's your job as pack leader to provide food and keep the pack safe and he won't have to worry about it. If you have a spouse or children make sure they participate in the program as well. The dog should always be below them in pack ranking also, otherwise he will try to push the kids/spouse around too.

Good luck with your boy, you can PM me if you have any questions about this program. It works wonders with dogs.

Teresa

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by chandracz

Just bought this book on Amazon... Hope it helps my 7 yr old yorkie who thinks he owns my house ;0)

I hope it help too. I think the biggest improvement with Pebbles when she was a puppy was the bolting out the door. The book helped me to stop it almost immediately

[Valenie]

Originally Posted by cowgirlc

The shepherds are 15 weeks old and for the most part they are outdoors, when it gets to hot outside I bring them inside and they are crated. Mind you Gizmo is always placed in another room out of the way when I am handling the shepherds, by the way the shepherds are my husbands primary dogs and the mom is also here but again outdoors. On this day, you are right, I was rushing to the door when I saw that they had gotten out and yes I was being verbal at the time and just was not thinking as Gizmo followed behind me. A great deal should have been done differently, however I cannot un-do what had been done, and now that you guys mention it Gizmo was probally trying to protect me, I know none of this is his fault, I am the responsible party here.

One thing I would like and have thought about is not having the shepherd here at all, because hubby is not really steeping up to handle their care and I do not want to have something like this happen again so I am looking at that option as well. I am have always just had Gizmo to tend to and would like to keep it that way.

So sorry this happened. But I understand I have a 3 year old and I have my self jerked him up and gave him a swat when he refused to hold hands and almost ran out in front of a car . I felt horrible afterward. But now he does always hold hands.... Just work on it and do what you got to do to solve the problem.

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by ragincajun

Cowgirl, sorry this happened to you. Hopefully you can get Gizmo help to realize that he cannot bite in any circumstance. Especially to bite a human. I love dogs but Human > Dog any day of the week IMO.

For those attacking her here, she expressed remorse and we posting for help...not your personal critique. I would wonder if those responses violate the YT terms and agreements. Per the forum rules:

..do not personally attack anyone or their opinions.
YT is not the place for rude, snide, or disrespectful remarks towards your fellow member or YT.
Personal attacks are not acceptable.

Sorry if this is a bit OT but I felt that Cowgirl needed support and not bashing. Support or ignore.

Seriously?

[Teresa Ford]

Originally Posted by Teresamag

I'm really sorry you had this happen - I know it's horrible to feel like you did something wrong in the heat of the moment -something you would normally not do. It took a lot of courage to tell us about it - I'm sorry you are getting some "heat" for doing it - you already know it's not right & you feel bad about doing it. Most importantly of all now is that it happened, Gizmo will be ok, you will be ok (as long as you take care of the wound) and you are looking for ways to remedy the situation. IMO alot of small dogs don't have the "leadership" they need - this leads to confusion and insecurity in the dog because they think they have to be "pack leader" since you are not doing it. Especially with new dogs in the house - Gizmo may think he has to be the boss - since you were being verbal and upset about the shepard puppies being out Gizmo may have been trying to "take care" of the situation on his own. He may not have done it appropriately but it really isn't his job. You have gotten some really good suggestions here, having him on a leash is a great idea, a trainer is also a good suggestion, making sure he is neutered is a must (I don't know if he is or not). If you are not able to hire a trainer or until a trainer can come I would suggest you implement the NIFIF (Nothing In Life is Free) concept to help Gizmo realize that YOU are qualified and are his pack leader. Here is an article I wrote about NIFIF - Good Luck
Teresa

That's very frustrating isn't it? You are right to be concerned and to look at fixing this before it gets worse. One thing I always ask right away - is your boy neutered? Sometimes hormones can make a dominate dog worse and dogs sometimes think they can challenge the "pack leader" or try to assume the position themselves. If he isn't neutered I would suggest you check in with your vet about getting this done as well as making some changes in your home.

#1 if you are able enroll him in an obedience class and do either # 2 or #3.
#2 work with an animal behaviorist or
#3 Teach him that you are the "pack leader" and do the Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) program.

You can google this program and find sites that tell exactly how to implement the program but basically it means acting like a good "pack leader" so he will respect you. (Growling, biting, food or resource (you) guarding is a show of disrespect or trying to take over leadership). Some things you can do in this program is making your dog work for everything - food, attention, exercise, etc. I.E. he has to sit before you put his supper bowl down. Make sure you eat before feeding him (pack leaders always eat first and lower ranking animals eat after). Always make sure you are the one who allows him outside and you go out before him, he has to follow you. For the time being don't allow him to sleep with you or be higher than you on the couch. Allowing him to precede you out the door, be higher than you on the couch, sleeping in your bed, eating when you eat are all signs that he is equal to you or higher than you in the pack and just enforce his right to be disrespectful or to let him think he can take over.

A dog that knows his place in the pack is much happier and feels more secure. After all, it's your job as pack leader to provide food and keep the pack safe and he won't have to worry about it. If you have a spouse or children make sure they participate in the program as well. The dog should always be below them in pack ranking also, otherwise he will try to push the kids/spouse around too.

Good luck with your boy, you can PM me if you have any questions about this program. It works wonders with dogs.

Teresa

:thum bup: Excellent advice. Start over clean slate. I also love How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete another good book a I often recomend is Dog Perfect
by Sarah Hodgson . You may PM me too.