Ouch!!

Gazza

Well-Known Member
Over the last 30 + years I have kept and work all sorts of dogs. German Shepherds, labs, border collie, spaniels and a BMH. I presently have 3 springers (7, 9 and 12 years old, 2 still working and one retired) and the BMH.
Had the four dogs out for a short bit of exercise this morning, nothing much as it was getting warm. Dogs had a short run about and then a splash in the burn. Put the dogs back in their kennels. The two younger spaniels share. Although these two dogs usually get along they can have a bit of "debate" now and again but nothing serious.
Shortly after being put into their kennels I heard a bit of growling going on and shouted my usual "enough" which normally puts a stop to any further nonsense. A while later I went into their kennel to replace the cow matting that I had power washed earlier. As I went into the run both dogs ran into the sleeping compartment. On leaning over the compartment to close the top the older dog suddenly turned and sunk his teeth into my elbow and held. I could see the look on the dogs face "oh sh!t what have I done" and he let go but bottom line is that I now have a painful and punctured elbow and the big question of why and what am I going to do about it. In 30 + years of dogs I can honestly say that this is the first I have been bitten by my own dog.
Anybody else and I would be saying "one way walk" but although this dog can be aggressive toward other male dogs he is a very responsive, loyal dog and has never shown any aggression towards me or anybody else. Don't think it is heat related as he was not hot after being out and their kennels are in shade, could possibly be that he was in a wary/alert disposition after the growling session but whether to give him the benefit of the doubt????
 
Heatstroke, Carney my wee goldie can get stroppy when the sun gets to her. (She has never bit) As much the extra light as heat could be the problem. As it is out of charachter I would not be hastie. Might just be a stinker of a headache and taken by surprise, Jim
 
No kids 223 (have grand kids but dogs are always in kennels when they are here.

Definately out of character Jim. Had this dog from six week old pup and although you have to watch him at times with other male dogs he has never been aggressive towards a person. I am going to watch his behaviour over the next few days just in case there is something medical going on. I can recall a mates poodle that turned a bit odd. Brain tumour.
 
Maybe the heat but i read that spaniels are the most likely dogs to bite but you being an ex Snorkie maybe he has an aquired taste??
 
bullet,cant be trusted

do you have kids ?

9 years old and never done anything like this before yet suddenly cannot be trusted!?

Gazza, as you know I currently have several dogs as well and I have owned a lot more in the past. Once a few years ago I was letting them all squeeze through strands in a fence and one of the labs managed to fold the 2 wires over her back leg trapping her foot and leaving her hanging. She was squealing and as I grabbed her to free her she bit my hand. She was limping for days after so it must have been sore. Anyway, just as she got free she went crazy trying to lick the hand she had bitten. She actually pushed the other hand away to get at the one she nipped. She knew what she had done. She never once did anything similar again. Personally I would be inclined to monitor it for a bit before making a decision.

There appear to be many differing factors in this story that combined could have played a part in what happened. If you can control his exposure to other people and dogs until happy again then that is what I would do.

Hope it works out.

I'm a grumpy **** when its this hot as well!!!
 
Are you sure you did not just catch him by surprise/frightened by suddenly appearing over the top of him ?
I speak from a bit of experience, my old lurcher decided to empty the bin one day. A bad idea as I caught him in the act, well he had his head in the bag still.
So of course I crept up behind him and grabbed him. I have never seen a dog move so quickly as he spun around and nailed me on the wrist.
As with you he realised he had done wrong, I would have trusted him as much as any dog both before and after.
Providing it does not happen again I would put it down as one of those things, after all s**t happens.

Just my humble opinion,

ATB

Nick.
 
First off get down to vets and get him a jag in case he has caught something. My big Vizsla bit me one day when he caught his balls on barbed wire. He was just lashing out at anything that went to flip him back over the fence anyway he has never done anything like it since but by fe ck did it hurt. I say give him the benifit but watch what is going on might just be old age and if that is the case that one way walk is going to be your only option.
 
bullet,cant be trusted

do you have kids ?

You must have a lot of experience with dogs (I think not) if you would pull the trigger for that these are working dogs not pit bulls or rottweillers .

Jimbo top of the class, spaniels suffer from heat stroke pretty badly , thick coat big floppy ears heat doesn't dissipate easily ,Ive seen it with my own on a few occasions .

In the warmest of days like we have had in the last couple of days I only walk them where there is water courses the springers spend most of there walk in the dam or the river, they know what is good for them .
 
If it was a young dog/middle aged and you had kids and it was out of its kennel when it happened, I would be inclined to put it down.

BUT it could be so many things as said before, heatstroke etc. It could also be going slightly deaf and feeling vulnerable because of this and hadn't realised you were behind it and looming over it. If someone did that to me i'd probably punch first ask questions later. Give him the benefit of doubt, if he has been trusted all his life, its more likely you caused the problem(accidently)
Don't sneak up on him etc, fight or flight and if he can't move as quick as he once did he just dfended himself
 
bullet,cant be trusted

do you have kids ?

Best to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and leave no doubt . Keep an eye on the dog for a day or two see how he moves , if its eating okay , run your hands over it check for lumps and bumps , check his teeth maybe get a vet to look . Ive been bitten by my dogs before and so have alot of hunt staff , theres usualy a reason for it
 
I'd be willing to bet Gazza a pint n a curry there will be no repeat of that as the dog knows it was wrong?
 
my mate springer bit him bad last year i saw it happen dogs eyes rolled back took it to vet he said it had had a fit due to age and heat exhaustion
 
Hi Gazza,

That's a horrible situation to be in. You are right to think about it hard such as, what was I doing and could I have scared him so he has bitten first? Others have mentioned children and I have a low threshold for euthanasia when it comes to dogs who bite where children are around, as wounds are often facial. So I think you need to monitor him carefully. Getting him checked out for illness, or simple pain is worth while. If your elbow is punctured, it would also be worth checking you out if it is close to the joint!
 
Its probably not even the hot weather, from the sounds of it the two dogs had been having a bit of a ruck prior to this. You surprised one it thought it was the other and got a bite in there quick. Only you know your dogs but bearing in mind its not a house dog and doesn't mix with children etc the odds of it happening again are slim and if it does its likely to be you that gets bitten. Personally my dogs would get the benefit of the doubt in that situation, had it warned you and then done it then its different.

One of the funniest things I've seen was a driven day while the beaters were standing talking after a drive on a byway, a lycra clad cyclist came past and ran over my mates springers tail. That turned round and had his leg cue lots of shouting and abuse and trying to hit the dog with his bike. It hadn't actually broken the skin but its what happens when you surprise dogs fortunately nothing came of it but with 20 witnesses you'd hope sense would have prevailed.
 
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