Snapping dog

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and to our new companion Riley. Riley is collie rottie cross (we think) and is approximately 5 years old.

He's only been with us a week, he had to leave his previous home as he uncharacteristically bite a child. He really is a big softie, and generally loves a stroke as much as his ball. He's very keen on people and likes to be with someone all the time.

However, this evening I was brushing him softly and he snapped at me. I'd given him a little brush earlier without any problems. This is probably my own fault for trying to brush him so early on but he's got so much long fur I don't want him getting all matted.

I can stroke him anywhere and he has no issues.

When he snapped I moved away, put the brush down then gave him a stroke as obviously he's telling me something is wrong. Just wondering what it might be.

Given his past, I'm a little concerned but I still trust him almost entirely.

I grew up around rescue dogs, and run a small ferret sanctuary but Riley is our first dog of our own so although everything doesn't feel completely new it does feel unfamiliar.

Just wondering if anyone had any guidance, advice, insight?

He needs his second vaccination injection Wednesday so he'll be getting a vet check over then just in case he's in pain.

The vet check is imperative to determine if there is an underlying medical/pain issue.

I would make sure that your vet knows in advance the dog may be touch sensitive in order for a muzzle to be available.
In the interim, if he is ok with the flat of your hand, I would use that to keep him used to being handled, however, the fact the he "uncharacteristically" snapped at a child and has now to you, means you need to take care and, if given the all clear by the vet perhaps get behavioural help.

Does the shelter you obtained him from have a resident behaviourist?

If this was a private rehome, how much do you really know about this dog?

Trust is built up over time, and I am afraid I would trust NO dog within only a week of knowing it.

my youngest dog wasn't keen on being brushed, she's never snapped but used to just want to run away. it could be that he's in pain so remember to mention it to the vet so the vet can make sure to check whether theirs any reason he may be in pain. if theirs no health reason it could be that he's not keen on being brushed. i helped poppy with this by giving her a treat then just one gentle stroke with the brush. later i would try again but 2 gentle strokes with the brush & treats all the time. i gradually built up how long i were brushing her for & now she's fine except for her tail, she still isn't keen on her tail being brushed but we're working on that. she gets given pieces of sausage which is an extra special treat for her when i'm brushing her tail. i always play with her after she's been brushed too so she knows fun comes after being brushed

I would imagine he`s been badly handled and has learned to snap as a warning when a growl didn`t work.
I think you were right to stop.
A week is early days. He will take months to fully trust you IMO so take it easy with him - he doesn`t know you have good intentions.
I wouldn`t worry about inexperience - in a crisis moment you did the right thing where others would have frightened or hurt the dog and made the situation worse.
I take scissors to matted fur. I don`t show my dogs so why not?
A good starter book for behaviour and training is Jean Donaldson`s The Culture Clash.

Just to say---I have known a couple of rotties who gave no warning growls. Don't know if it was due to bad experiences or just them.

Agree with everyone else.

I'd build trust by hand feeding and training and making sure he knows your expectations and the house 'rules' Not to be in any way 'punished' for anything but shown what is expected.

Additive/colouring free food, change gradually if he isn't on one already. Try and get him used to a muzzle before the vet visit---nice treats in it pate or similar smeared where he can lick it off easily. Just over his nose with you holding it to start with then do it up then on for a minute or so. You have time to sort it out if you do it for a few minutes several times a day.

Good luck.

rune

My cocker when little would not just do the whole regular puppy bitting but she would also REALLY go for you I have the scars to prove it!

She continued to do this up untill she was around 9 months of age I used all the kind methods but later found my parents had ignored my advice and were man handling her hence her aggression! Once I bored them into not using the old school methods things got better!

I changed her food to raw and almost instently saw a change in her character. But the bitting was a little more difficult to correct.

She too did not like to be brushed and would snap at me if I touched her ears. I got her trusting the brush by doing as you did I would stop if she went for me and try again when she was ready.

If she did bite Id tell her let go as she all ready new this and when she did I would give her lots of praise and a treat and that pretty much solved the problem, it took me a while to achieve but it worked.

Now she is a sweetie and the groomers love her too they say for a cocker she is well behaved ^^

I can also brush her now without her bitting me and dry her with a towel.

My 5 year old Lab X has Hip Arthritis and if I am too firm when I brush her rear legs / back I sometime get a show of teeth. I would check out at Vet before you go down any other paths.

I think what strikes me is it is a snap, which is just a warning, so it's just working out what the warning was for. Eliminate health reasons first IMO.

Is it a certain area he doesn't like being brushed, perhaps? My own dog, in the months following us adopting him, did not like having his belly, back legs or tail touched, let alone brushed - if you touched/brushed them, he would turn on your hand and bark at it. We handled the situation similarly to you, just backed off for that night. Eventually, he became comfortable with these areas being touched and brushed, though he will still mouth us occasionally if we touch his back paws.

As others have said, get him checked for any potential issues at the vet.

Agree with everyone really

My rescue girl would snap when being brushed too, its really just an ott warning that she dosent like what is going on - but sorfly softly really taking it slowly with lots of treats and she is mainly fine now (sometimes grumps when Im too rough brushing her bum)
But I very much agree with SB's point - in such a short space of time you really shouldnt be trusting her

When I say I trust him I mean his dog bed is in our bedroom and I don't feel he's going to start attacking us in the middle of the night. He comes to work with me and I wouldn't tell anyone not to go near him for fear of aggression. I don't let people stroke him in street but I wouldn't allow that anyway.

I guess compared to the rescue ferrets, some who need handling with gloves in the first week, he's a dream But different fish... or however the saying goes.

I can stroke him anywhere, he'll often roll on to his back for a belly stroke and I had been brushing him for around ten minutes. I guess he may have given me another warning he was uncomfortable that I maybe missed.

He came via his vet, who is a friend of mine, after biting the child. His vet and owner felt it was completely out of character as he had grown up with 3 children but it was their cousin who he had bitten while alone in a room with him.

I have an absolutely brilliant vet of my own and good relationship with them, but is the general consensus I'd have to muzzle him at vets after his snap? I really hate the idea of muzzles and would like to avoid using one at all costs.

He'll definitely be at vets tomorrow, if I felt he was in constant pain I would take him today.