Problems with the new but old dog...

Could Tasha be in constant pain from her arthritis? Perhaps she needs to be on some medication for her arthritis. When my Danny got older he would snarl and snap at larger dogs that wanted to play with him because he didn't want to get hurt.
 
Sounds familiar!! Seems like one of them is always being told "no". :rolleyes2: .... To be honest, things were improving a bit a few weeks ago, but the old girl is a bit arthritic and ended up injuring herself chasing after Miko, so now she even MORE cranky than she was before! One step forward... 9 steps back!

That's too bad, I feel for you. We were a bit luckier because even though JP is a bit of a princess, she is always super friendly with every person she meets. I wish you all the best in getting to a workable solution.
 
She bit me!!!!

So tonight I was in the kitchen with both Miko and Tasha... getting them to sit, down, paw, touch, etc... Treats were being given equally... Miko's turn, Tasha's turn, Miko's turn, and so on... So I'm handing Miko a treat and she lunges at my hand as it reaches Miko's mouth and she bites my baby finger... HARD! :mad: I yell "HEY" and proceed to call the dog every name in the book and tell SO "Your &^&# dog bit me!!!!".... He doesn't move or react in any way shape or form... continues to watch tv. So I went into the washroom to run my finger under cold water (no broken skin, but still teeth marks an hour later) and I end up bursting into tears. I've never been bitten by a dog in my life!! Anyway, FINALLY after about 10 mins SO gets up and comes to see if I'm ok. I burst into tears again... still shaking from the shock of being bitten... and tell him that no, I'm not ok. Anyway... long story short... I get the impression he thinks I'm being dramatic... he's insisting that she's never bitten anyone before (I'm sure he thinks I must have done something to her!)... I assure you... I didn't do anything!! Miko was at least a foot away from her.. nothing startled her... nothing touched her. It was completely unprovoked!! I don't know what to do now... I'm think I'm more hurt by SO's attitude than I am about the d*mn dog! I don't care that she's never bitten anyone before... she bit ME today!!! :(
 
So sorry to hear that.

Tasha should have immediately been removed from the room as calmly as possible and given a time out. That DEFINITELY IS NOT acceptable behavior on Tasha or your husband's part.

I don't blame you for being upset. :(
 
Oh no, so sorry!
I would be so mad
Maybe your hubby thinks you shoulda left well enough alone and not try and 'train' the b*tch of a dog... He seriously may be overwhelmed.. I fear this is not a good mix for you guys at all :o
 
Now that you know he's not going to do anyting to fix the situation, I would be giving corrections. It is *never* acceptable for a dog to bite. A correction or time out is going to have to be your responsibility. If he won't react, you have to. Especially since you have kids. What if it had been a kid instead of you that was bitten? The dog needs to understand here and now that biting is not a behavior that will be tolerated. It doesn't matter if it's never happened before... and chances are, it HAS happened before... you all have only had the dog for 3 months. What happened when the dog was with his ex is anyones guess. Being obnoxious is one thing, biting is another thing entirely, and needs to be treated seriously. He doesn't seem to see it as serious, so I wouldn't go running to him if something happens. And, technically despite it not being your idea, or something you even want, the dog is now both of yours.
Once you have dealt with the situation (if it were to happen again), I would calmly go to him and tell him what happened, what you did to correct the situation, explain why the correction was given, and why it is unacceptable, and I would bring up concerns over the dog grabbing a child. The dog biting is just further proof that rules need to be put in place, and carried out for both dogs. Things are clearly escalating because the dog is allowed to get away with anything it pleases.
Frankly, you are a better person than I. The little brat would either be straightened up and learn the rules of the household with both people making sure rules are carried out, or the dog would be gone. I will not live with a dog like that. Despite me having ten dogs (9 shelties and a BC), none of mine are allowed to behave like that. It's not that they've all started as perfect angels either. The BC came from what I found out later to be a line known for aggressive behavior and dominant behavior, and another two of mine, in the wrong hands, could be fairly dominant dogs, and walk all over someone. However, rules were put in place from the get go, and any unacceptable behavior is corrected as I will not live with a dog who behaves badly.
 
I'm so sorry that you were bitten.

Honestly, I think the worst part about this scenario is the effect that it's having on your relationship with your SO. It sounds like this is becoming an issue that neither of you will ever think "clearly" when it comes to this dog. It's one of those cyclical arguments...and you have to stop the cycle.

The dog is just a dog. You and your husband have got to get on the same page. If he is basically accusing you of lying about the dog...that is a huge issue. Your SO thinks you are lying to further your argument that the dog is no good.

I would be concerned about the long term implications of an argument like this...I think you need to have a serious relationship talk--with or without bringing up the dog. He called you a liar. If I were you, I would feel very vulnerable, scared (for you or your children should the dog lash out again), uncomfortable in my own home, and alone.

A good SO supports you no matter what--and he's not. Time for a serious talk.
 
I'm so sorry that you were bitten.

Honestly, I think the worst part about this scenario is the effect that it's having on your relationship with your SO. It sounds like this is becoming an issue that neither of you will ever think "clearly" when it comes to this dog. It's one of those cyclical arguments...and you have to stop the cycle.

The dog is just a dog. You and your husband have got to get on the same page. If he is basically accusing you of lying about the dog...that is a huge issue. Your SO thinks you are lying to further your argument that the dog is no good.

I would be concerned about the long term implications of an argument like this...I think you need to have a serious relationship talk--with or without bringing up the dog. He called you a liar. If I were you, I would feel very vulnerable, scared (for you or your children should the dog lash out again), uncomfortable in my own home, and alone.

A good SO supports you no matter what--and he's not. Time for a serious talk.

No, SO didn't accuse me of lying… I just felt like he didn't believe me. I felt like he was minimizing the issue and thinking I was being dramatic… I felt like he was thinking and implying things like… "How badly could it have really hurt?" … "Oh gosh, it's just a little dog" … I was looking for him to see that this was a big issue (regardless of the fact that she's little and didn't actually chew my finger off). He just wanted to apologize that it happened to me and move on… never really acknowledging that the fact that she bit someone is an actual problem.

Anyway, we've discussed it ad nauseum now and I think we're in agreement on a few more things about the dog…

1. If I'm ever to truly feel like she is "our" dog, then she should be living my the rules that he and I have both agreed upon… the same rules Miko lives by.

2. If she steps outside the line of acceptable behaviour I will be dealing with it as if she were my dog - with no fear of defensiveness or over-protection from SO. (he's much more of a softy than I am … I'm not mean or harsh… but I'm definitely more firm than he is!)

… and that's that. Hopefully this latest incident and the fall-out has forced us to set out some ground rules on how to move forward and stop this silly little dog from creating misery in our household.

Thanks for everyone's input. It's really helpful to hear from others who can see where I coming from. Sometimes I wonder if I'm overly sensitive or resentful about things… but in all honesty I think I've been pretty cool over-all and I'm trying to make things work. Unfortunately Tasha isn't offering much assistance in the process.
 
I think it's great you guys are on the same page! Consistency is always good in training a dog and I think you have a plan that will allow exactly that.:yes:

Hopefully, this will bring progress with the old gal. Best of luck!:smile2:
 
I think it's great you guys are on the same page! Consistency is always good in training a dog and I think you have a plan that will allow exactly that.:yes:

Hopefully, this will bring progress with the old gal. Best of luck!:smile2:

now are there pics of the little B*tch? :o She's probably still pretty good to look at :D
 
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