I am scared of my dog. Help

Over the last week I have become scared of my dog. He is a 15 month old cross rescue dog lab/terrier. We have had a few issues with aggression. However my confidence with him now is very low, last week he was not himself and had been sick one day. I got up the following morning to take him for a walk and I approached him (mistakenly) from behind and as I tried to put his lead on he bit my hand. I have tried on a few occaisions over the weekend with some success. However when I have been unsure putting his lead on he has bit me again..

I really dont know what to do, as the thought of me trying to put his lead on again really scares me.. I dont blame the dog as he is just mirroring how I feel... I dont know how I can get my confidence back with handling him..

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Has he been to the vet for thorough healthchecks to see whether this aggression could be down to a health issue? If he's been poorly lately then it could be related to something health-wise. For example, maybe he's having problems with his sight which is why he's biting when you're approaching him from particular angles? Or perhaps a muscular or nerve issue causing pain in the neck, making him sensitive to having the collar touched.
Once you've ruled out health reasons then I would definately recommend a behaviourist. The APBC website might help find one locally. In my opinion, with a dog with aggression issues it's very important to find a behaviourist who uses positive methods as the last thing you need to do is use negative methods on a dog who may be acting out of fear or pain.
http://www.apbc.org.uk

I would imagine that this needs professional help, possibly on a one to one basis.

First of all, contacting the place where you got him from might yield some help.......especially if it is the Dogs Trust or similar. They have qualified people to deal with problems post adoption.

You clearly cannot go on like this, because it will only get worse, so looking for a good dog behaviourist in your area might be the next step.........they need to come to your home and see what is going on, before addressing the problem.

What a shame - I am sure that this can be sorted out. I hope so anyway.

Oh! thats really sad for both you and him.
You realised that approaching from behind caused him to become unnerved and obviously your nervousness now is travelling down to him making him very unsure.
Whats he like if you play with toys with him, giving treats etc.,
Have you tried putting the lead on and when he's good giving praise via a treat.
If your confidence has gone have you tried a trainer/behaviourist to not only reassure him but to reassure you and (sorry) train you too.....this maybe all thats needed to regain the trust between the two of you

Hey thanks for the post....

I have tried with my wife giving him treats and me putting the lead on, but I am so nervous around him and I can see in his body language it is making him nervous too!!

We do have a dog trainer and she is coming to the house early feb to help with this... For now my wife or daughter will be taking him for walks... until I can get my confidence back with him..(he has been OK with them because they are not scared around him)

I had been fine for the 8 months we have had him its just this last week, he has bit me 4 times and my confidence around him has totally gone!

Thank you for taking the time to post..

Alot of animals dogs, cats etc., will behave like this if your nervous....nothing you can not put right, it just needs you to overcome your nerves with a little help. I think your doing right at the moment, how about them leading him and you walking him with them alongside, try giving treats when your out as he sits at roads etc., this gives him & you time to rebond, if you feel your losing your nerve let your wife or daughter take over the lead, giving you time to take deep breaths and regain your nerve. I think it could help till your trainer comes along

If he is fine with other members of your family, then it really is just you and him..........in the short term. It can soon be sorted, so don't worry and you will be enjoying him too before too long.

However, the fact that your rescue chap is happy to bite when he is unnerved does need careful watching. Your behaviourist will be able to advise.

Lovely post.

We had the same problem with Dexter when we first adopted him. For the first month, he went to bite us every time we touched him or tried to make him get off the sofa, for instance. For the first three or four months he was still turning as though to bite on a regular basis.

In his third week here I called the rescue where we'd found him, and asked for their advice. They recommended a dog trainer in my area and I booked an appointment - the guy wasn't that great but he did assess Dexter and gave me advice on how best to approach him.

I urge you to contact the rescue where you got your dog - you need support and advice. You've already been bitten once and it is vital that you are all safe and that anyone who comes into contact with this dog is safe too.

I'm sure the rescue will be glad to help you - let us know how you get on.

Oh, and just to say, don't despair Six months on and Dexter is a different dog. Yes all cases are different, but don't assume it will always be this way with your dog. It might just take some time. Best of luck.


edited to add

- Just read your second post; if he's bitten you four times then no wonder you're nervous!

Is it possible that the dog is more fearful of men? This does happen fairly often with rescue dogs from what I've been told.

It's great that a trainer is coming. Make sure you are happy with everything she suggests and if for any reason you're not comfortable, do remember there are many trainers out there. I just say this because I've experienced a few less than great trainers and classes before finding a good one

Hey,

Thanks guys for all your help... It is much appreciated...

Yes I need to some how build my confidence back up with him..Will be happy to walk him and interact with him with treats and praise etc...with help from my wife/daughter...

Thanks again... You have helped to calm me down..