If your dog is a biter, it's time to come clean. Be honest. Shout it from the rooftops. Tell your family, your neighbors, your mailman, your friends. And tell yourself. Make no excuses. Repeat after me: My dog bites.
Then answer this question: A dog snarls, growls, curls his lip and bares his teeth at you. What is he communicating?
A. I love you!
B. Let's play!
C. Come on over here and give me some sugar!
D. Stay away. I'm warning you, pal.
If only all multiple-choice questions in life — and school — were so easy.
My inbox overfloweth with tales of woe from the owners of biters. I am sympathetic to a point, but most of these people are not being honest. They ask for help, all the while making excuses — for themselves, and for their snapping, snarling little angels.
Case in point, a recent e-mail: "We took a 3-month-old poodle from a friend about two years ago. The first week I had him, I bent down to fix his food bowl, and he tried to bite my hand. Since, the aggression has become much worse. He defends and protects his possessions. He has bitten my daughter four times. Last week, he lunged and attacked her, ripping her hand open. The only reason for that attack was she started to walk toward a blanket he was guarding.
"I have called the vet MANY times since this began. The vet recommended a dog behaviorist, which my daughter simply cannot afford. The vet also claims neutering this dog may stop the aggression. We are animal lovers, and some suggest we are just too weak and nice to have a dog. We are both heartbroken over the suggestion to put him down. He is 2 years old and extremely intelligent. Please, I beg of you for any suggestions? I have ordered a muzzle over the Internet. Will neutering him help? I know this sounds crazy, but we are attached to this dog and love him so much."
It doesn't just sound crazy. While she's busy falling in love, her dog's busy gnawing on her daughter's hand. Sad story, but this woman is not being honest. She's looking for a quick fix.
For two years now, the vet has been telling her that neutering her dog might help, and it might. But she's still asking for second opinions on a procedure that, with millions of homeless animals in this country, should be a matter of course for all dog owners.
As to her vet's recommendation of an animal behaviorist: can't afford it. I'll infer that training is also cost-prohibitive and was never done. It's a shame. A "2-year-old, extremely intelligent" dog might benefit from professional training. Putting the dog down is not the only option, nor is it the best option. I can't help but wonder why she would take in an aggressive dog to begin with. Did the previous owner, her "friend," fail to mention it?
I'm sure you'll find parts of this next e-mail as telling as I did: "My husband and I adopted a Pekingese who was abused and neglected. He was shy and would bite if scared or approached too quickly. We learned how to deal with his aggression. We even hired a personal dog behaviorist to help us work on snapping and distrust of strangers. It's been almost a year, and many of his behaviors have gotten better — if I'm the one in charge of him.
"However, since he has chosen me as his favorite, he has taken to biting my husband if he approaches me. He also has a history of biting our friends or guests in our home if they walk too close to him or come too close to me. He is so touchy that, whenever we leave town for the weekend and have a dog sitter watch him, they have to be really careful about how they put a leash on him! They often get bit, too.
"He cannot be trusted around children — so our hopes to have kids one day do not warrant him in our lives. I guess I'm looking for some advice on what we should do next. Never did I think our decision to adopt a dog would lead to so much stress and heartache."
I'm baffled. This woman admits to knowing she was bringing a biter into their home, even though she and her husband want to have children! Again with the dishonesty: Her friends have been bit, guests in their home have been bit; hubby sounds like a regular Scooby snack. Scenarios like this are why insurance companies are withholding homeowners coverage for some dog owners. People aren't being honest. As a result, people are getting hurt.
A biter by any other name is still a biter. Until we're honest and objective about our pets, the number of dog bites in this country will continue to rise. Don't get rid of the dog, get rid of the problem! Make no excuses. Repeat after me: My dog bites.
Woof!
Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619. © Creators Syndicate Inc.