pixiegirl
Cleopatra Jones
I find myself facing a choice that's a lot harder to make when the animal is actually yours... I am totally for putting down ANY agressive animal. But now that I may have one I'm not sure what to do. Here's the deal. We bring Murphy home and for the first couple days he's a little shy and reserved. He starts coming out of his shell more and more every day. First he constantly humps poor Mily and went as far as to lift his leg on her. He hadn't gotten nasty with her at all. Very dominant though. That's bothers me somewhat because she's twice his size and much stronger. I got him fully thinking she'd be the boss. Not a huge deal though as long as they're getting along.
Since he's still a strange dog I'm very careful how the kids act with him. Noah adores him and is use to being able to roll around on the ground with Mily. I supervise, supervise, supervise him with Murphy. Well the niht before last they (Noah and Murphy) were on the couch and Noah was trying to roll around with him. I was right on the recliner next to them watching every move. Noah rolled and buried his face in the couch. As he was rolling out and reaching for Murphy, Murphy snapped at him, right at his face. I got up and got Murphy off the couch, scolded him and put both he and Mily outside to totally dismantle the situation.
I let them back in after a few minutes and everything was fine. The dogs are running around playing with each other. Mily goes to lay in front of the fire place and Murphy comes running in the living room with something in his mouth. It's one of Grady's blocks. I go over and tell him to "drop it", he doesn't listen (I didn't really expect him to but you have to teach them somehow). I bent over to remove it from his mouth myself. He growled at me. I scolded him and then tried the replacement method which worked.
Yesterday I was at work and Brent at home with the dogs. He had them out back and when he went to let them back in they were a muddy mess. He got a towel and had both dogs right by the back door. Murphy first since he's the smaller and easier. He goes to wipe Murphy's feet and Murphy snapped at him. Brent put him in his crate and left him there until I got home. I let him out and everything was fine again for a while. He got another one of Grady's blocks. Brent went to take it from him and he snapped at Brent again. Brent snatched the block anyway and put Murphy in his bed again.
I went for the smaller male dog because with small kids in the house I wanted to do everything I could to prevent a dog fight. Looks like the dog fight isn't what I have to be concerned with. I will not have a snappy dog around my kids. Noah knows how to treat a dog but is still a kid and wants to play with them. When Murphy snapped at him Noah was doing nothing wrong. When Grady's in his walker Mily will come up to them and they'll swap a little spit. She sits beside him and licks his face while he grabs onto her. I won't let Murphy near him for fear that Grady will grab him and Murphy will bite him in the face. I don't know what to do. I have had little experience with agressive dogs and I don't know if it's something that can resolve itself with training or if I shouldn't take the chance. Had you asked me before I got him I'd of said he should be put down but now that he's mine I'm feeling differently.
Since he's still a strange dog I'm very careful how the kids act with him. Noah adores him and is use to being able to roll around on the ground with Mily. I supervise, supervise, supervise him with Murphy. Well the niht before last they (Noah and Murphy) were on the couch and Noah was trying to roll around with him. I was right on the recliner next to them watching every move. Noah rolled and buried his face in the couch. As he was rolling out and reaching for Murphy, Murphy snapped at him, right at his face. I got up and got Murphy off the couch, scolded him and put both he and Mily outside to totally dismantle the situation.
I let them back in after a few minutes and everything was fine. The dogs are running around playing with each other. Mily goes to lay in front of the fire place and Murphy comes running in the living room with something in his mouth. It's one of Grady's blocks. I go over and tell him to "drop it", he doesn't listen (I didn't really expect him to but you have to teach them somehow). I bent over to remove it from his mouth myself. He growled at me. I scolded him and then tried the replacement method which worked.
Yesterday I was at work and Brent at home with the dogs. He had them out back and when he went to let them back in they were a muddy mess. He got a towel and had both dogs right by the back door. Murphy first since he's the smaller and easier. He goes to wipe Murphy's feet and Murphy snapped at him. Brent put him in his crate and left him there until I got home. I let him out and everything was fine again for a while. He got another one of Grady's blocks. Brent went to take it from him and he snapped at Brent again. Brent snatched the block anyway and put Murphy in his bed again.
I went for the smaller male dog because with small kids in the house I wanted to do everything I could to prevent a dog fight. Looks like the dog fight isn't what I have to be concerned with. I will not have a snappy dog around my kids. Noah knows how to treat a dog but is still a kid and wants to play with them. When Murphy snapped at him Noah was doing nothing wrong. When Grady's in his walker Mily will come up to them and they'll swap a little spit. She sits beside him and licks his face while he grabs onto her. I won't let Murphy near him for fear that Grady will grab him and Murphy will bite him in the face. I don't know what to do. I have had little experience with agressive dogs and I don't know if it's something that can resolve itself with training or if I shouldn't take the chance. Had you asked me before I got him I'd of said he should be put down but now that he's mine I'm feeling differently.
