Can anyone tell me what is the right way to correct my dog when she attempts to bite someone? I would never hit my dog and that is a major no-no, so how do I make her understand that biting is wrong?

You need to provide a *lot* more detail...puppy, full grown dog, breed, type of 'biting' that the dog is doing. Is the dog biting you, your family, strangers? Is he just mouthing people or sending them to the hospital? A nipping puppy or a mouthy 'teenager' would be dealt with much differently than a fear biter or a dog that is showing dominance.

If you have any confusion click on Ed's Q&A section on behavioral problems, there's a lot of good info there.

Rick is correct. You need to provide a bit more info then I'm sure you will get plenty of help. Read up on the behavior issues on Ed's Q and A section. After that feel free to ask any question. We just need some more info on the dog. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I have a one and a half year old JRT that started nipping kids about 3 weeks ago. She never leaves even a mark and it's only strange children. Older children she does not seem to have a problem with. She never growls or anything before she does it and it's been twice, once at fingers and once at toes. However she was abused for a couple of days back in the summer by a few kids from the house next door, but never tried to bite them. I have posted once already on this and got some good advice about what needs to be done, I just need to know "how" to do it....?????

My own JRT was really upset and nasty the first time he saw my first grand baby. Because of his not so great temperment, hard corrections only put him in a defensive mode. Every time I picked up the grandbaby, I gave the dog a treat. Every time the baby cried, moved, or did anything, and the dog showed irritation, I put him on a down. When he came close to the baby(under extreamly close supervision) I gave him a treat. Eventually I could hold the baby in my lap, and the dog on my other knee(with the wife holding him on a leash). He was given treats for any positive move he mad while I held the baby. I did this with all three grand kids(even though he was fine with the second and third ones) and now, almost 5 yrs later, he adores all my grand kids. I still don't allow him around a lot of strange kids even though I have a great deal of control over him, and he doesn't show any resentment towards any of them. EVERYTHING involving children was ALWAYS a positive expierence with him.

Thanks for the advice...I hope I get the same results.

For those of you who have been following this and the other thread on my dog, I am writing to you tonight with a very heavy heart. Upon getting out of bed and getting breakfast this morning my dog was laying in the floor eating and one of my kids stepped in front of her to get to the trash can and she bit the child on the foot. Not hard but hard enough to leave marks on her toe. So I contacted the vet and he said at this point if she was turning on family members that her new training was not helping and the best thing for everyone would be to put the dog down. SO I got dressed and took my dog and picked up my friend and went on to the vet. Lucy was put to sleep around 1:00 p.m. today while I was holding her. It was quiet and painless (the most I could tell). She took in one deep breath, let it out and looked at me one last time and went to sleep forever. I brought the dog back home, dug a hole for her, put her and some of her favorite toys in with her and planted some holly and poinsettas on top. I can not even begin to tell you how empty amd heavy my heart is at this point, I put my own family member to sleep and it is truly devasting. Members, please, before you buy or adopt a dog do some research on the one you are wanting to get to know what to expect of it, find one that will adapt well to your family and tolerate no abuse to it from anyone. For those of you that responded with positive replys --thank you--, for those who didn't I really don't feel like hearing an I told you so....My best to everyone.
Lisa Farley

Lisa,

I don't think you will hear an "I told you so" from anyone on this board. We have all experienced the loss of a beloved pet (no matter the circumstances surrounding that loss). No one ever said this decision would be easy, or that you shouldn't feel any hurt or sadness or any sense of loss when making the decision. It is a terrible situation to have happened to you and your family. Try to think ahead to the future.

Best wishes to you.

No the decison was definitely not easy but one that had to be made. I guess the worse part of it is the guilt of having to do it. I rescued the dog from the shelter and it breaks my heart that she couldn't have had a better chance. My smallest child, age 4, is grieving very hard and that too breaks my heart. It is a tough time for us that will only heal in time, it takes a long time to mend a broken heart though. Especially that of a four year old little girl....

Sorry it didn't work out for you Lisa. My daughter reciently got her Pit bull from a rescue agency. The better ones are very carefull about matching up the right dog with the right owners. I definately wont knock the shelters, but they often aren't as careful about a good matchup. They are just happy to have placed another dog. It's a very personel decision to make, but my advice is to get a new dog/puppy right away. Look into the rescue organizations in your area.