I need help with a biting situation- Here is the story in a large nutshell LOL.
I have a 10 year old female spayed Aussie Cattle Dog and an 11 year old femalespayed Aussie Shepherd as well as a 5 year old neutered male cat and 3 children aged 12, 8 and 3. As you can see we love animals and I have experience with cattle/herd type dogs. I have some training experience but not a ton. My olderdogs are getting on in years and one is having some health problems and probably won't be around much longer. I decided to adopt another dog and the local animal shelter had an adult male neut. Corgi that seemed a pretty good fit.We brought him home and he has really grown on me. He and the cat do not get along at all and that is an issue, but the more important one is with my 3 yr old daughter.
Our little corgi was very shy at first, he was turned in as a "stray" but I know he was a family dog because he was in good shape and walks on a leash and is neutered. After he was here a few weeks his real personality came out. He is very lovable to everyone but especially attached to me. He is very pushy and has established himself as the top dog over the female dogs, which has stressed my ACD a bit but she is getting too old to care too much. He is showing aggression towards my too younger children. He has growled a couple times at my older son. I know he thinks he can dominate them. He has agression with guarding his toys and food, and also if he is startled. Two days ago he was laying down and my 3 yr old was running around and bumped into him, startled him, and he snapped at her. I considered it an accident. This evening he was eating and he is very aggressive with his food (and he is well fed!). His food dish is in the bathroom right off the kitchen and she ran in there to use the potty and he bit her arm. The skin wasn't broken, but bruised and scratched a little. Needless to say I am really concerned. I love my dogs and try to take all the usual precautions, but I am sick to my stomach because I am afraid he might do this again. I love this little guy and have really bonded with him.
I don't know what to do at this point besides seperating him. Advice please!
Answer:
We too went and did a corgi rescue some years back.......same situation. Corky was adorable and lovable and wonderful, for a few weeks then his true personality came out! He was an alpha male and extremely dominant! He would NOT accept an alpha roll, he refused to follow any commands given unless he chose to and would become aggressive to a high degree if givena chance. These hardy dogs are cattle herders. They are independent thinkers and strong minded and very strong willed. They truly are a big dog in a little dog body! Some of them are delightful companions but many are Attila the Hun! I am betting you need to have him evaluated by an behaviorist who can tell if there are some serious issues here. Corgi's are mouthy dogs and do tend to use their teeth rather more than they should. They often get along great with cats but are not always as good with other dogs.... Our corgi adored the cats and they got along well with him but he bullied the GSD's terribly and when the fighting got out of control, for his sake, we rehomed him with someone who had no other pets and was not interested in being alpha to the dog. The dog ruled there with a single guy and the two were very happy together... It was best for Corky and for us. In the meantime, do NOT leave him alone with your kids! I am guessing he was not a "stray" but an abandoned dog because someone could not deal with his dominant nature..
Answer:
Thank you for responding. Sounds like Finn to a "T". He is a real handful with the cat, I have to keep them seperated and my kitty has adjusted but isn't the same. The cat will not be dominated by ANY dog, he is a large and strong 17 pound male.
Finn (the corgi) is every much as aggresive and dominant as my ACD but I guess being male makes him more of a turd. Like I said, I know the herd dog personality and have taught my children to be alphas to the dogs. We live in a semi rural area where there are many chained dogs and other situations that bug me, so I would be very selective in placing him in another home. He only had one week left at the county animal shelter when we took him home.
How does one find a behaviorist in their area? Is there a web database? Thanks for responding!
Answer:
Depends on the area you are in but if you have a vet you trust, ask them. They should be able to put you in touch with a behaviorist... Or if you are fortunate enough to have a vet college near you, they will certainly know. A lot of "trainers" will call themselves behaviorists but are not. A true behaviorist is a vet who has had specialized training........and you may need that. You may also get lucky and find a really good trainer who has experience in dealing with a dog like this.... in the meantime, you may want to look into the NILIF and see if it helps.... and good luck!
Answer:
I really don't think a behaviorist can help this problem as the issues with the 3 year old were clearly things that were not the dogs fault. It should be expected that if a dog is startled he will react. Not saying it is ok, just that it is to be expected. This is why the rules are always ----- never go near a dog when it is sleeping, eating or with its puppies. (along with several others)
Why he growled at your son, I have no idea but I'll bet there is an explanation that your son either had or was doing something that the dog saw as a threat. Again, not saying that it is acceptable behavior just that there is an explanation. If you notice - each incident was NOT agressive behavior but reactionary.
These are good examples of why manyshelters & rescues do not adopt into homes with kids under 10 or 12. If you rehome the dog, how can anyone guarantee there will never be any kids around? Relatives, neighbors etc. with kids. If you are going to keep the dog, you are going to have to take a good look at your childrens behavior & if you can't control their actions & behavior then keep the dog seperated from them. Certainly not a good deal for the dog.
It would be a good idea to contact a corgi rescue to ask for advice as they know their dogs well & are usually very good at offering assistance, suggestions etc.