my dog bit my neighbour

[Mikey]

I have a 10 month old GSD and he is usually quite an amiale chap although he does bark at strangers. Yesterday as we were returning from the park my neighbour across from my house came out to tell me she had received a parcel for me, he charged at her and nipped her on her thigh and broke skin and it did bleed a bit(not deep but nevertheless the teeth had gotten through.
He has a few months ago lunged and nipped my neighbour from across the road. But he was always able to runa round and play with kids around the park and had actually done so just before coming in that day.
He barks at some people but is not usually bothered by other people around.
My neighbour wants me to get rid of him, I donot want to. What do you advise.
Thanks

[poeluvr]

have you socialised him enough with older ppl, try that. what is the neighbour gonna do if u dont get rid of him. try obedience classes, they would help i think

[Doberluv]

You better get yourself a reputable, certified behaviorist to come and see the dog in person. This is a bummer and not a good way to instill a good, neighborly feeling. How well was this dog socialized as a puppy? Something is wrong here. Do you have a fence? If not, that would be an absolute requirement or you're going to get your *** sued and the dog destroyed....no question about it. I feel for you. This has to be a really upsetting thing. Do get a fence no matter what, if you want to try and see if you can do anything with this dog. Keep us posted.

[Stanna]

I agree with Doberluv.

There's plenty you can do, but you need a hands on professional to guide you for sure. Not an area you can afford any mistakes or casual advice alone.

Also, do check up on your professionals references and methods. Ask others if they think their methods are ok etc. Some problems can be made worse with the wrong treatment, such as physical punishment or such.

Let your neighbor know what you are doing, too.

[Renee750il]

To quote Robert Frost ("Mending Wall") "good fences make good neighbors."

http://www.bartleby.com/118/2.html

[showpug]

#1, this dog is biting, not nipping. Biting and nipping are very serious! Your dog drew blood and that is a big deal make sure your dog is current on it's rabies vaccine. If he is not, and your neighbor reports a bite that drew blood your dog will be forced into quarantine or worse, euthanized. #2 Why is this dog not kept on a lead at ALL TIMES given it's history? This dog is a liability and needs professional help. You have to be willing to put the time and $ into fixing this, or you will pay later. I don't mean to sound harsh and I know you love your dog, but this is serious and needs to be treated that way! If your dog is not neutered, get him neutered and make sure he knows that you are very dissapointed in him when he acts like that. He is a young dog and this kind of behavior gets worse as dogs mature. :(

[3furkids]

I agree. Your dog need professional Hands on Help and quick!

[Renee750il]

You know, Mikey, something no one - myself included - has asked: has your neighbor by any chance been teasing or harrassing your dog?

Stop and really think about everything she's said and done and how she's acted around you and analyze it.

I always say, no dog bites without a reason, and there's ALWAYS a human behind the reason . . .

[candy722]

Your dog is being very protective. IT 's possible from genetics. My other dog was like that I made sure I kept him away from others. THey were just born like that it has nothing to do with you raising him like that sometimes.

[casablanca1]

A dog who bites a person strongly enough to break skin and draw blood when he's only 10 months old is an unusually dominant or an unusually fearful dog. A trainer could probably help you figure out which, and what to do about it. I'd advise getting a legal opinion on how best to react to keep your neighbor happy and keep the situation out of court. I would certainly never let him out of your direct control, ie, off a short leash. It's sad for him to lose his freedom to run in the local park, but you don't have a choice unless you want to be completely irresponsible and insure someone else gets bit. You must be aware of the responsibility you've accepted in bringing a large predator into an imperfect human society - no matter why the dog bites, it's your fault if it happens again.

[showpug]

Totally agree casablanca1!!!!

[Debi]

maybe I've read this incorrectly...but this dog is wonderful around all people, including playing with children in the park....but bit this neighbor. hmmmm, I'm thinking like Renee....how did the neighbor approach the house? Maybe the neighbor is doing something odd. YES, I fully acknowledge that a dog shouldn't bite...but this dog sounds socialised to me. I like the fence idea, naturally. I wouldn't have your neighbor bring packages over anymore...that's for certain. I'm wondering about the bite...bleeding..ok, but maybe this neighbor really frightened the dog..panicked..pulled away quickly. I don't know...this just seems that odd to me. Your neighbor wanting you to get rid of the dog tells me that she doesn't like it to begin with...I bet that was her feeling prior to this 'bite'. I'd work with the dog.....but I'd tell that neighbor to stay home. When you're not home, you can't really be sure what is going on.

[Debi]

Ok..I read your post again. I see you mentioned your dog nipped at another neighbor? Are you sure it wasn't the usual puppy nipping? YES..AGAIN..I know there's some work to do on that issue...it just doesn't sound as serious as they think it is. My dog will still sometimes nip my hubby's ankle....this is done in absolute play, but it can hurt. (both dogs see hubby as a big play toy when he comes home from work...we're working on that) sounds like you are working with your dog, and he is still a puppy. I'd still get the fence, tho!