Baalaur attacked my wife

[Blackenst9]

I know I've been off here for a long while. Honestly had some replies that really offended me so I stopped checking in.
I've had an emergency happen today though and hope some of the experts here can help.

Baalaur attacked Anna this am. I was not present and will do my best to give the correct chain of events.

Baalaur had been a bit aggressive as he just turned one is not neutered. It's been handlers easily with little force.
Today Anna was sitting on the floor with his head in her lap. He would start to growl so she gently redirected him with no negative outcome. After the third time she said "off" and began to stand up. He then attacked her head and face. She has several puncture wounds on her head and one on her eyelid. She said he wouldn't stop. He bit her arms as she tried to get him off of her and outside.
I rushed home from work in the ambulance (I'm a firefighter/paramedic) she is ok. More emotionally traumatized than anything. I went out back to check on Baalaur and he acted as if nothing was wrong.
He has NEVER been abused, beaten, or miss treated. He has been pinned but never forcefully or when he is excited.
I can't imagine not having him in my life but can't have him attacking. What if that would've been my 13 old daugher?
If you don't have a helpful voice to offer please refrain fr commenting. This is hard enough without Being told I'm a shitty owner or that sort of comment. That's why I stopped being an active part of the site.
He is loved and spoiled. He is my best friend. This was unprovoked as he is my wife's "furry" child due to our deciding against having children.

 

[Blackenst9]

Please forgive the typo's. I wrote this from my phone...

 

[JerseyFirefighter]

First and foremost I am really sorry this happened. Im not one to make an assessment on dog behavior such as this, but will ask the cursory questions that some will also ask. Have you noticed any change in his behavior prior to this? Any sickness, medical condition, or recent events that could have stirred the behavior? Could you recount the series of the days events leading up to the attack?

I hope this is an isolated occurrence, and that someone can delve further into the dog phsyci than I can. Good luck!

 

[Asteria]

I have no direct answer for you. And I'm sure others will come along and offer advice from experience or better knowledge of this particular type of incident. However, some dogs can have an illness that affects them mentally. Hoping it's not the case, but a trip to the vet for some yearly blood work might be a good idea.

 

[StarlightDobe]

I cannot imagine the members of this site being mean or derogatory at all, they are a great kind bunch of people. I do not have any advice as I do not know dog behaviour or training methods, but I think there are a few real good "dog people" on here who could give you sound advice. I hope you find a solution to the problem and that your dog and wife can get back the relationship they had prior.

 

[Blackenst9]

We have an appointment with the vet tomorrow. Our friend that is a K-9 officer trainer went over and helped with the initial meeting after the incident as I had to get back to work.
We have a tentative plan for the immediate few days until I can get off shift and be home to help.
No recent illness or odd behavior. A bit aggressive towards the other dogs but easily managed with redirection.

 

[Rosco]

I'm sorry to hear this and hope your wife is ok! I really don't have any advice for you but was wondering how old your dog is? I had a dog before that snapped at my mom and it was then discovered he had a brain tumor that caused him to lash out at her(he was 12 at the time). I hope this was an isolated situation for you and nothing serious with your dog.

 

[first dob]

I'm so sorry to hear this! I'm new to the site so I don't remember you. But I really can't imagine what you're going through!
I has a male that wasn't fixed & when he "matured" he did become more aggressive. Have you considered having him fixed?

 

[MicheleM]

First of all, how is your wife?? I'm hoping the hospital has put her on a strong antibiotic and hopefully it's an IV antibiotic that will give her daily for a week or so.

A one year old male that hasn't been altered shouldn't have aggression towards people or other dogs. I don't know his history and can't remember your relationship with his breeder but you have a serious situation on your hands!

I would bring him into the vet and rule out any medical problems, I would find a Good trainer in your area that has experience with dominant or fearful issues and in the meantime I would buy a muzzle. I think both of you have to be consistent in your training with him, firm but with praise and love.

I wish you luck with him, I hope you get the guidance you need, and your wife recovers quickly from this horrible episode.

 

[Rits]

I agree, take him to the vet to double check everything. Make sure there isn't anything going on, on the inside. Also, you mentioned that he is your wife's furry child - does she baby him sometimes? That could cause issues if he doesn't see her as a pack leader. Be sure to have her start practicing NILIF if you already haven't yet. A trainer might be a good idea too to get a look at him interacting with your wife from a third person's point of view. Good luck and please keep us updated.

Nothing in Life is Free
http://www.cairnrescue.com/docs/NILIF.pdf

 

[suzy hans jacks]

I have been bit repeatedly by a dog and can certainly empathize with your struggle in the days ahead. My largest suggestion is kennel basics. The animal will have to be re-broke and re-socialized do to severity of the attack. This will be something that is very important to both your animal's mental health but also in reestablishing a bond of trust and respect between your wife and the animal. For the time being, it is time out and just the basics, ie potty, yard exercise, food and kennel. If anyone who has ever had a teenager knows...they will rebel to a point and regret it later as parents and pack leaders we have to hold our ground and show no fear.

 

[Dragonborn]

I dont have any advice here at all.. just wishing that ur wife makes a complete recovery... So horrible this happened!

 

[dh8]

Hope Anna is ok. The kind of bite you describe with not stopping is fairly typical for a Doberman bite as they use a scissor motion. It's scary and seems to go for a long time but damage is done in seconds.

Given what occurred, a vet check is spot on and neutering should be scheduled at that visit if it hasn't already been done. This is a must given what happened. You may want him to stay intact for show, breeding or to allow him to fully develop but his testosterone is what drives the attack. It's like gas fueling an explosion when exposed to a simple spark.

You also mention he is spoiled and loved. Spoiling a dog is not good. Like others said, I would start again from the basics. The dog lying on Anna is the dog telling Anna he owns her. It may be fine for many dogs to lay their heads on their owners lap but it is not ok for your dog because of his dominance. Do not allow Baalaur to sit at your level, lean on you or use you as a pillow. He should be on the floor and sleep in his own bed on the floor. It's convenient for us to have the dog next to us on the couch for lazy petting but to the dog it means you are both on the same level of importance in the home and your dog takes that very seriously.

In starting from the beginning I recommend at least 1hr good solid exercise in addition to long am and pm controlled walks where Baalaur is beside or behind you but not in front or deciding where and when he will go sniff. You allow him to "go sniff" as a reward for his obedience and walking nicely at your side. Even if you don't care if he goes and sniffs everything, his deciding where and when he sniffs is him telling you he is in charge of the walk and directing you. These small things add up. well exercised dogs don't have pent up energy to help the testosterone fuel the fire.

No spoiling. Your dog needs to earn his food and your affection in his training. Work on the commands like "leave it", "drop it", "off", "stay" where you dog has to yield to you like dropping their toy when they really want to play. I'm not saying to be mean but to make him earn the food and affection you want to give him.

I'm also not entirely sure what you mean by redirecting his aggression toward Anna. If you are in control, you can redirect your dog's attention away from something else but you can't really redirect your dog when you are the focus of his aggression. At that moment he is in total control and he is correcting you. He seems fine afterward because he is fine. He corrected Anna and moved on. he wasn't trying to attack and kill or maim. In his mind he was correcting her and when she didn't listen repeatedly, he took the next step. Learning Baalaur's triggers and warnings and correcting before the aggression erupts is what needs to happen.

The latest Doberman we adopted had a vague story about biting a volunteer in the face. We carefully tested his limits and saw he gave crystal clear warnings. First was short and intense still silence followed either by a scary warning air snap or bite attempt if we didn't catch the earliest warning in time. In working with him I carefully and slowly push his limits, then correct the second his first warning starts. He gets rewards when he follows any command or correction properly. I don't do holds or anything like that. If I have to physically control a dog, I'm not really in control is how I see it.

I would recommend working at least once or twice with a dog behavior expert so you can get an unbiased assessment of what you need to change and have all his early warnings pointed out so it doesn't escalate to growling or snapping as you work with him. He has to be neutered if he isn't already but the signals to him that he is an equal or in charge (like walking ahead of you, using you as a pillow, sitting at your level and his not obeying corrections when given) also have to change.

I know it's awful now and everyone is upset but this is a workable situation and the problems can be corrected. Good luck.

 

[MyBuddy]

Welcome back. I do remember you and I am SO sorry this happened!! It must have been so frightening and traumatic! I have never been bitten or attacked in any way but I don't think you have to actually have to have that happen to be able to empathize with something like this. What I imagine in my head is bad enough. I feel so bad for your wife. I know for me, it would be the emotional scars that would effect me the most. Correcting and retraining your dog is one thing. Getting back her confidence will be another. It breaks my heart that you all are in this position.

I wish I had great advice for you but what others are saying are wonderful and something that I would follow also. NILIF especially! Back to basics and turning your wife and everyone else in the household into Pack Leaders.

The dog lying on Anna is the dog telling Anna he owns her. It may be fine for many dogs to lay their heads on their owners lap but it is not ok for your dog because of his dominance. Do not allow Baalaur to sit at your level, lean on you or use you as a pillow. He should be on the floor and sleep in his own bed on the floor. It's convenient for us to have the dog next to us on the couch for lazy petting but to the dog it means you are both on the same level of importance in the home and your dog takes that very seriously.

I feel this is great advice and something that a lot of people don't even think of. Like she said, a lot of dogs may be fine with this. Either by their nature or by the fact that Pack order has been established and maintained. But for a dog that still shows aggression, maintaining yourself as 'top dog' is so important and something as seemingly 'unimportant' as leaning on you, is like owning you.

I'm also not entirely sure what you mean by redirecting his aggression toward Anna. If you are in control, you can redirect your dog's attention away from something else but you can't really redirect your dog when you are the focus of his aggression. At that moment he is in total control and he is correcting you. He seems fine afterward because he is fine. He corrected Anna and moved on. he wasn't trying to attack and kill or maim. In his mind he was correcting her and when she didn't listen repeatedly, he took the next step. Learning Baalaur's triggers and warnings and correcting before the aggression erupts is what needs to happen.

I think this makes perfect sense.

I would recommend working at least once or twice with a dog behavior expert so you can get an unbiased assessment of what you need to change and have all his early warnings pointed out so it doesn't escalate to growling or snapping as you work with him.

And this would be a very good idea. It gives you another set of eyes that may see something you didn't or don't. Which is so common with a lot of things in life. I've done it before with something as simple as selling my home. I said, I'm so used to seeing my home and everything in it that I had a friend of a friend come over that never saw my house and give me her opinion. I remained opened minded to whatever criticism she may have and it was really informative!

I really wish you the best with this and hope you will stick around and keep us updated on your progress with Baalaur. Good luck!

 

[dh8]

Please let us know how Anna is doing. I know it was a scary thing.

I give you LOADS of credit for stepping up to see what you can do to correct the situation instead of dumping your dog, which so many people do. You are AWESOME! I work with problems like this all the time and they are definitely correctable. If you correct all the miscommunications that lead up to aggression, you no longer see the aggression.

I love working with animals because I constantly have to challenge myself and change things in me that absolutely benefit both me and my dogs. I really like working with cats too but that's a different story.

 

[JerseyFirefighter]

Hope Anna is ok. The kind of bite you describe with not stopping is fairly typical for a Doberman bite as they use a scissor motion. It's scary and seems to go for a long time but damage is done in seconds.

Given what occurred, a vet check is spot on and neutering should be scheduled at that visit if it hasn't already been done. This is a must given what happened. You may want him to stay intact for show, breeding or to allow him to fully develop but his testosterone is what drives the attack. It's like gas fueling an explosion when exposed to a simple spark.

You also mention he is spoiled and loved. Spoiling a dog is not good. Like others said, I would start again from the basics. The dog lying on Anna is the dog telling Anna he owns her. It may be fine for many dogs to lay their heads on their owners lap but it is not ok for your dog because of his dominance. Do not allow Baalaur to sit at your level, lean on you or use you as a pillow. He should be on the floor and sleep in his own bed on the floor. It's convenient for us to have the dog next to us on the couch for lazy petting but to the dog it means you are both on the same level of importance in the home and your dog takes that very seriously.

In starting from the beginning I recommend at least 1hr good solid exercise in addition to long am and pm controlled walks where Baalaur is beside or behind you but not in front or deciding where and when he will go sniff. You allow him to "go sniff" as a reward for his obedience and walking nicely at your side. Even if you don't care if he goes and sniffs everything, his deciding where and when he sniffs is him telling you he is in charge of the walk and directing you. These small things add up. well exercised dogs don't have pent up energy to help the testosterone fuel the fire.

No spoiling. Your dog needs to earn his food and your affection in his training. Work on the commands like "leave it", "drop it", "off", "stay" where you dog has to yield to you like dropping their toy when they really want to play. I'm not saying to be mean but to make him earn the food and affection you want to give him.

I'm also not entirely sure what you mean by redirecting his aggression toward Anna. If you are in control, you can redirect your dog's attention away from something else but you can't really redirect your dog when you are the focus of his aggression. At that moment he is in total control and he is correcting you. He seems fine afterward because he is fine. He corrected Anna and moved on. he wasn't trying to attack and kill or maim. In his mind he was correcting her and when she didn't listen repeatedly, he took the next step. Learning Baalaur's triggers and warnings and correcting before the aggression erupts is what needs to happen.

The latest Doberman we adopted had a vague story about biting a volunteer in the face. We carefully tested his limits and saw he gave crystal clear warnings. First was short and intense still silence followed either by a scary warning air snap or bite attempt if we didn't catch the earliest warning in time. In working with him I carefully and slowly push his limits, then correct the second his first warning starts. He gets rewards when he follows any command or correction properly. I don't do holds or anything like that. If I have to physically control a dog, I'm not really in control is how I see it.

I would recommend working at least once or twice with a dog behavior expert so you can get an unbiased assessment of what you need to change and have all his early warnings pointed out so it doesn't escalate to growling or snapping as you work with him. He has to be neutered if he isn't already but the signals to him that he is an equal or in charge (like walking ahead of you, using you as a pillow, sitting at your level and his not obeying corrections when given) also have to change.

I know it's awful now and everyone is upset but this is a workable situation and the problems can be corrected. Good luck.

What a wonderful observation. Thank you for your insight. Gave me tips to consider in the future.

 

[dobex3]

First of all, how is your wife?? I'm hoping the hospital has put her on a strong antibiotic and hopefully it's an IV antibiotic that will give her daily for a week or so.

A one year old male that hasn't been altered shouldn't have aggression towards people or other dogs. I don't know his history and can't remember your relationship with his breeder but you have a serious situation on your hands!

I would bring him into the vet and rule out any medical problems, I would find a Good trainer in your area that has experience with dominant or fearful issues and in the meantime I would buy a muzzle. I think both of you have to be consistent in your training with him, firm but with praise and love.

I wish you luck with him, I hope you get the guidance you need, and your wife recovers quickly from this horrible episode.

I am reposting Michele's comments, because I cant agree with her more. Regardless, of pack leader stuff that some believe, a dog, especially one that you raised from puppyhood, should NOT NEVER EVER be showing this level of aggression toward his "parents". This situation is very serious and some dogs are bred with a serious mental instability.
I think vet first, and next, the most excellent trainer that you can afford,that is knowledgeable in aggressive or dominant dogs.
Do you know the history of his breeder and of their line of dogs?

I am wishing your wife a speedy recovery and the best for you both and your boy.

Unfortunately, I do know from being involved in rescue, and a rescue that gives every dog a complete chance, not a rescue that puts down because of cage, food, animal or leash aggression - that sometimes a dog is just unstable. Period.

oh, my two year old, unaltered boy that is built like a brick wall, is spoiled like a prince, sleeps in bed with me, gets his way more often than not and is cuddled and kissed constantly, would never think about hurting his mama. This is not about who is in charge. This is about a dog out of control. Most likely, not due to anything you did or did not do.

 

[suzy hans jacks]

You also mention he is spoiled and loved. Spoiling a dog is not good. Like others said, I would start again from the basics. The dog lying on Anna is the dog telling Anna he owns her. It may be fine for many dogs to lay their heads on their owners lap but it is not ok for your dog because of his dominance. Do not allow Baalaur to sit at your level, lean on you or use you as a pillow. He should be on the floor and sleep in his own bed on the floor. It's convenient for us to have the dog next to us on the couch for lazy petting but to the dog it means you are both on the same level of importance in the home and your dog takes that very seriously.

No spoiling. Your dog needs to earn his food and your affection in his training. Work on the commands like "leave it", "drop it", "off", "stay" where you dog has to yield to you like dropping their toy when they really want to play. I'm not saying to be mean but to make him earn the food and affection you want to give him.

I'm also not entirely sure what you mean by redirecting his aggression toward Anna. If you are in control, you can redirect your dog's attention away from something else but you can't really redirect your dog when you are the focus of his aggression. At that moment he is in total control and he is correcting you. He seems fine afterward because he is fine. He corrected Anna and moved on. he wasn't trying to attack and kill or maim. In his mind he was correcting her and when she didn't listen repeatedly, he took the next step. Learning Baalaur's triggers and warnings and correcting before the aggression erupts is what needs to happen.

I completely agreed with your post but only wanted to add that companion owners do not use the same language as trainers and handlers. "Spoil" can mean they reward freely and do not abuse or neglect said Dobie. This is a careful distinction to be noted as there is a sincere bond between the three of them.

I will add that while the behavior is alarming, it is explainable and I am glad it was Anna and not the 13 year old child that was dominated. The easiest way to explain the animal's logic to a companion owner is the teenage effect. Every teenager coming of age with challenge the weaker parent. They will attempt to dominate, this is natural and a normal way of testing out skill sets. It is very important for both the Dobie and Anna to re bond and re socialize. Anna is going to have to re break Baalaur and assert herself as the Dominant of the house and while the bond is sincere between him and his male owner...he really can only act as the back up right now.

You are correct in the fact that the animal should be taught his place and why I suggested a sincere time out. That includes earning free time. That Dobie would not be allowed to be unmuzzled in my home, out of his kennel, until he was completely submissive to Anna. He would be leashed to Anna's hip and would only be allowed to eat from her hand after following commands. This builds trust and teaches placement in the animal's mind. Every where Anna is that dog should be tethered to her and she should ignore him except for commands for about a week to two weeks. When he is not with her and when Anna needs a break...he is to be kenneled. This is also a perfect time to introduce a lightly dosed shock collar in case he is a little thick headed.

Anna should be taught how to deal with a animal bite and how to avoid head shots. I love sleeping with my dogs and feel very safe in doing so, but those companions were fixed and not left intact. I am the Dominant and have had my fist and hand in their mouths since pups.

~Have faith this too shall pass

 

[Dobs4ever]

Always hate to read when this happens and sadly if we give advice that is contrary to what one feels is right, even with the best intentions it is taken wrong.

He has been pinned but never forcefully or when he is excited. I can't imagine not having him in my life but can't have him attacking. What if that would've been my 13 old daugher? If you don't have a helpful voice to offer please refrain fr commenting. This is hard enough without Being told I'm a shitty owner or that sort of comment. That's why I stopped being an active part of the site.

I may have been one of the offenders as I am strongly opposed to pinning a puppy and most likely I said so. Said it could lead to problems later and now you are seeing the result of an incorrect method being used.

While you might neuter him you will find sadly that neutering is not a magical answer and most likely will not resolve the problem as it is already out of hand. - I recommend finding a good Schutzhund trainer who can show you the correct way to work with him. It will b harder now because I am sure at this point your wife is afraid of him and scared for your daughter. Trust is lost and it will take time for him to earn it back. There are a lot of things that went wrong -

First wife getting up put her in dominant position and he resented it as he does not see her as a leader. Spoiling is another problem. These dogs are not for everyone because they are a dominant breed NOT A CHILD and not even HUMAN. They are animal and work on animal instincts. When you treat them like a baby it does not fulfil them but can actually frustrate them to the point of part of your problem.

This is something your vet will not correct - While it is not a bad idea to have the thyroid checked I doubt you will find a physical problem for a behavior issue as in this case.

Please understand it is not because you are not a fit owner - you are just not knowledgeable on proper handling of a doberman and you are getting ready for a crash course - Right now the dog is in control. You might benefit from studying Nothing in Life is free - training method - google it and there are several sites. Then go find a good working dog trainer who is familiar with Dobermans not just GSD and start the road to recovery for you all.

Dogs need exercise, training and a job with guidance to good behavior. It has a name and it is tough love.

Contact the breeder as they should be able to help you with how to handle this dog - if they can't help they are useless and should not be breeding. JMHO

Good luck and glad you came back for help.

 

[Blackenst9]

Baalaur had a long training session with a k-9 officer yesterday. Most of what you all are saying is being done. He earns his out if crate time. He is muzzled when he's not crated.

Anna is ok. More upset and hurt emotionally then anything. But to this incredible lady's credit. 1 hour after the incident she was in the back yard working with him. I've been at work for 48 hrs and she is handeling everything. She's a wonderful woman and loves her dogs. She will not be swayed.

The K9 officer is the best trainer we have in the area. This is not a small town but Doberman experts are not here. Baalaur is one of 4 dobes in the city. Vet appointment as soon as we can get him in.

Thank you all for your assistance and guidance. We aren't giving up on him and hope that within 6 months life will be at a point where Baalaur is trusted and knows his place.

The breeder has not (probably will not) answer email calls or texts. I don't care about his bloodlines. He's my best friend and I won't give up on him.

I know these dogs aren't for everyone and I know it's not a child or human. But to a wife unable to give birth it's what we have.

Here is a few random pics of my boy.