Just wondering, with the loss of the other dog, if this dog IS pulling rank stuff...dynamic shift.

I am SO sorry you (and your family) are having to experience this. Good for you though for getting help.

In full agreement with health check and professional trainer who specializes in aggression.

Also, want to add (as I am sure has been addressed in the thread somewhere) that it is critical that your daughter IS on board with evalutating the dog and is comfortable with proceeding.
That, IMO, is only fair. Humans come first.

Until work up and evaluation and plan in place, it is, like was mentioned vital dog is under complete control around your daughter (and you).

Who knows what really happened. Dogs, especially those with unknown histories can have some issues around food. Since you all had just finished eating, he was probably a bit "up" looking to get his share- and focused on that, and when she went to pet him, it about tweaked him. What I do not like from your story, is that the dog instead of a lashing out, growl/bite/bark, went into full attack mode. He may not have a very long fuse, and he may have never learned to not unleash full fury. Who knows? In any case, I echo what others have said- get him to a vet, rule out physical problems, and do not leave him loose with your daughter. Your PRIORITY is your daughter's safety, even if she is culpable in all of this. You would absolutely not forgive yourself if she were injured by this dog. You have also been bitten. So, get on the horn today to a good behaviourist and get that ball rolling too. Leave your dog on leash, attached to you, or crated when your daughter is home. The other thing, is that I would not allow him to sit with you while you eat. Feed him outside, and you eat inside while he is out.

So have you been to the vet? Something as simple as thyroid inbalance can cause sudden aggression.

If it is not a medical issue then I would either rehome or euthenize. Probably the latter since the dog is also dog aggressive.

There are too many good dogs in need of a home and your first priority is your daughter.

I hope I am never ever in your position. My dog is my heart but I hope I never put the well being of an animal over a child.

I just was on another forum and your daughter has posted the following....

****TEXT DELETED****

What can i do to still keep my dog or do I have no hope?"

I think this may explain some of the issues surrounding what happened.

Good Luck!

Edited by Connie Sutherland (03/10/2008 10:04 AM)
Edit reason: deleted copied text

Krystina,

Please do not copy and paste from another forum to this one with no URL or attribution.

You can give this material to the O.P. in a Private Message. I have given it to you in a PM.

I know you're trying to help. But aside from not knowing where this text came from, we don't take text from elsewhere and paste it here with no link. Always best to post a link with maybe a quote from it.

Thanks!

Does this mean there's more to this story then we've been told, or perhaps what the op may actually may know?


Randy

The daughter described the attack on another board. It was food-related, which might not have been clear.

Just kinda wondering, thanks for the clearification Connie.

I'm still in line with Mike S.

Randy

Hello today again,

When I posted this incident yesterday it wa based on what I was told. When I intervened the attack I wan't in the room, I ran in when I heard my daughter and my wife screaming. I asked specifically if they gave the dog food from the table and I was told "no", this came out last night when I had my family read through the post. I did not intentionally leave this information it out.

We do feed the dog outside and we do eat inside with him out. In this instance they were cleaning up the table after dinner. We had finished already ad the dog came in the house when they were cleaning the table. And apparently did give him food.

In any case, how does this relate to the other incidents? There was "no" food involved at all. And again last night the dog showed teeth at my daughter and me, when she simply called out to him.

Thanks for the help.

I read your daughter's description before it was deleted Mike, and I'm probably looking at it as if it was my family but in my opinion the way she describes it it is worse. I wouldnt care what triggered it or what training could possibly rehab this dog. He would never again have contact with my daughter.