This is a sad story...

I have a buddy on Virginia's Eastern Shore with a 2 year old Chessie male. He has owned and hunted several Chessies over the years. I hooked him up with the breeder, who I have known (for over 20 years) to train and produce excellent Chessies. The line is outstanding, the dog is smart, and in excellent health. He has two seasons of hunting experience, with over 100 wild duck retrieves last season. He is steady to the gun, but does not know hand signals. This is an Eastern Shore meat dog, but a littermate is already doing MH level work in the AKC. He is of average size, about 95 pounds, no fat. He has NOT been neutered and is good around kids. He lives in an outdoor kennel.

One problem: he just bit a visitor (adult male, about 50 years old). The owner's wife is scared it will bite one of the grandchildren and absolutely insists the dog must go. My buddy is heartbroken but wants to keep the wife, so .....

Free dog. Need more details? PM me.

Thanks, Jim.

What provoked the bite?

He bit a 16 year old kid who is 6 foot tall.

A guy had been doing work in the yard near the kennel. The dog was upset by all this activity and a little riled up. The yard man left. A guy with two sons (both over 16) came over to pick up some softshells.

The father petted the dog, which was now running loose. The owner was nearby. The dog ran over to one of the boys who is 6 foot tall. The dog ran up fast, the kid was scared, and he threw his arm up, thinking the dog was going to jump on him. Bit him on the arm. A quick hit and run.

People come over all the time and pet this dog. He is not a mean animal, but he does bark when a strange car pulls up. I'm guessing if you brought this dog in the house he would calm down with a little more socialization.

The guy's wife won't allow a dog in the house. Never has. Bad situation. He needs to find a home for the dog.

devils advocate here, who is responsible for the next bite?

do not make this a chessie thing!!!

I give this speech to every client who brings in a dog that has bitten someone.

I realize there might have been mitigating circumstances, but I don't care, he bit someone and that is unacceptable behavior.
people are not to be bitten, under any circumstance.

sorry about the rant.

fjwrt
Please don't assume the worst, Non of us were there. I had a friend who their chessy was awesome around people. One day someone stranger came around jumped out of the car and came running up their sidewalk, all of a sudden the stranger realized there was a big dog coming at him, he did the same thing threw his arms up and as tjhe dog was coming he just had his mouth open (not in a biting or aggressive way but more of a pant from running way) the dog jumped up and his teeth just accidentally touched the guys arm. First thing he said "destroy that dog he just bit me or I'm gonna sue you". The owner was standing right there when it happened. She said no way the dog didn't aggressivly go after you and now you are tresspassing on my property.

Moral of the story sometimes I think people are too quick to judge

Vicki,
unfortunately in my profession I have to worry about what a lawyer will see and do? like I said I did not want it to be a chessie thing, I think this way no matter what dog it is. I hope it was an honest mistake, but I hear every day "how sweet my dog is" while it is trying to bite my hand or head, or how this dog has never bitten anyone while it is trying to bite me

It was not my intention to start a Chessie bashing thread.

I'm trying to find a suitable home for the dog, and I have to disclose the breed!

The dog will be put down if they can't find a home for it. And the guy does have 4 or 5 grandchildren, so it's not worth the chance of a second bite to him.

I can tell you he is heartbroken over the whole matter. If anyone wants contact info, please let me know.

I am on the side of letting--demanding- the dog be put down.

The problem is serious enough that the owner is afraid of their own dog, that is enough to convince me it is more than an isolated, provoked incident. Period. Even if it is not, I do not feel there is any reason not to err on the side of caution. Better a good dog down than a biter placed in an unsuspecting home that is ill equpipped to deal with the issue of aggression.

Why do people want to pass the responsibility of doing the right thing on to the next person instead of taking it upon themselves? This attitude is a threat to the entire concept of pet ownership. It is certainly surprising that any Chessie lovers would advocate placing this dog. Is this just what your breed is like? I know it is not, but thats the attitude your acceptance portrays to the public--and the courts. Chessies frequently appear on breed specific legislation as being
"malicious". Were this my breed, I would do everything possible to dispell that myth. Placing this dog only enhances that opinion of this fine breed.

Then, there is the liability issue. The owner is aware of the problem as evidenced by their fear. Giving the dog away could result in serious liabilty for them.

Then there is the moral issue. Why would somoen NOT want to prevent someone else from being bitten? The next one could be a headline story: " Child mauled to death by vicious Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Owner says the dog was our pet and had never shown any signs........ ". Now, who is that helping.

Should my child ever be mauled by a vicious dog you can be damn sure I will go after anyone who may have been aware the dog was a biter and allowed the dog to be placed. Adopt a pet, look out!!

Dont mean to ruffle any feathers, this is just a pet peeve of mine.

GER

This was posted to me on another forum

"Juli, tell the owner that NY Rescue will be more than glad to take this guy in and find him a home that is suitable for him & his needs. Other
Chessie rescue groups can not & will not take dogs in with a bite history. But we do. Have him contact me direct. Hope we can help.

Sandie

chessy@onlineimage.com "

For what it's worth, I believe every dog should get a second chance..provided the first 'bite' was not a mauling, but as in this case, a quick bite and run....

here is a great story about a young golden that had some serious problems...he went to a professional trainer, who offered to take him in and adopt him...and now he is doing incredibly well...


http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums ... ever+lucky


http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums ... ever+lucky

Juli

Biting is not just about being Chessies. (Hard for me to admit, but in all fairness..... )

We put down our Male Chocolate Lab "Buster The Wonder Dog (Or So He Thought)" because he bit The Fabulous Mary Ann (aka: She Who Must Be Obeyed). he was immediately mortified and remorseful to the point of being pitiful.

We were dealing with some signs of a disorder referred to as "canine cognitive dysfunction" which causes confusion about everyday tasks and everyday experiences. Affected dogs may have almost any behavioral change. Most commonly the symptoms are more along the line of forgetting housebreaking routines, forgetting how to go up/down stairs, forgetting habits like showing up in the kitchen at dinnertime or going outside and then seeming not to know why they did that --- and repeating the process over and over.

However, increases or decreases in aggression are sometimes seen.

There is a medication that helps some dogs with this problem, selegiline (Anipryl). It is expensive (about $50 to $70 dollars per month) but only about half of affected dogs seem to improve a lot in their overall attitude when it is used.

Buster did not.

I broke my heart, but we have little kids around the house, and elderly visitors who loved to pet Buster.

We did the responsible thing and ensured he never bit anyone again.

Kudos to you Sully on doing the correct, albeit hard, thing to do.

Juli,

That story is a sweet one. I have a friend who has a dog that was taken in as an aggressive dog, also a Golden, who now is a wonderful dog that has achieved greatness in the OB ring, nearing an OTCH title.

There are a relatively few people who are equipped to take in a dog like this and have positive results. There are TONS of dogs who are in this position. For every example you cite of a success, I can cite dozens that are not. The situation is not the same in your example, or mine, as it is in this case or most others.

Your example is turned out good because there was a person equipped to handle the dog. Unfortunately, this is not often the case.

I believe that a large percent of this type of dog COULD be rehabilitated in the right setting but the right settings are far too rare. To use a success story such as the one you cross posted to justify giving potentially dangerous dogs to people not capable of handling them is irresponsible--even criminal IMO.

I know a story of a dog with a happy ending is a feel good thing, but it does not justify endangering the lives of friends and family as well as threatening the very existence of pet ownership. For every aggressive dog being placed, there is a sweet, loving non aggressive dog being put down because there is no one to love it. Why not try to place the BEST unwanted dogs and leave the dogs with the most baggage behind?

As for the notion that the dog may have had just cause for a bite, unless I know that a qualified person has made the assessment the dog is safe there is absolutely NO reason to make excuses for the dog and assume it is safe. This is especially true when you have an owner that is getting rid of a dog because they are afraid of it. In years of consulting I have rarely found a person that exagerates the danger. Overwhelmingly they make excuses and deny the problem, often times living in fear of their own animals.

There is nothing wrong with admitting a dog is not safe. Not when there is so much on the line.

GER

GER

Maybe a lucky thing they don't put down people for appearing rabid.

I'll start that list of nominees, Rick:

• Rev. Jeremiah Wright
  
• Howard Dean
  
• Osama Bin Ladin
  
• Laura Ingram
  
• Mayor Nagin
  
• Jane Fonda

My 85lb 10month male old bit my neibors wife abought a week ago. Well no acuall chomp, scraped the skin no blood scared the heck out of her more than anything. Real similiar to thread starter. I was heading out to the truck no leash she was walking in the street at the curb and Bull didnt know she was there, neither did I. He heard her went to back of truck barked she jumped back raised her arms and he mouthed her. Shes not happy about it NOR was I Bull came strait to me and I repremanded and layed on him in drive way. It wasnt an attack neibors husband and I talked about it and agreed no more off leash in front yard as well as he was comfortable with the fact if it were to have been an attack my dog is so big it would have been a hospitial visit. I AM STILL NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT NOR DO I TRUST MY DOG AROUND STRANGERS IN OR WITHIN 50ft OF MY YARD. I have other neibors that reach across the fence to pet him all the time so i dont understand why it happened. I can take this dog to the park ANYONE can pet him he could give a rip about other dogs only cares about my kids and wife at home or in truck. I wouldnt want to be on reciving end of a home invasion or thinkin you could walk off with one of my kids. If I or my wife introduces a person to the dog its all good if not you might not to want to be in my yard or house. Bottom line hes still an animal with instincts and needs to treated as such.