vaccinatoion/titer questions

[Kye&Rio]

Both my girls had all their puppy shots, and now it's been a year since their last ones and it's "update time".

I don't want to vaccinate when it's not necessary, so I'm getting titers done on both of them.

My question has to do with my dog who is rather fear aggressive and has bitten two children, the first one twice and the second one once, and although it was months ago and we've done alot of training, it's still a cause for concern.

Where I live takes rabies titers in place of a vaccination, so I'm left wondering if I should titer her for it, and vaccinate if necessary, or if I should just play it super safe and just get her a rabies jab either way, and titers for everything else?

I just don't want there to ever be a question should it happen again and get reported...I dunno. I just want to do right by my little Rio but I'm kinda on the fence about what I should do.

 

[Criosphynx]

not sure what your asking....are you afriad they are going to bite the techs? Or that you legally can't use titers as proof of rabies?


why do you keep allowing her to interact with children?

 

[Brattina88]

Well, it depends on your area... If the accept titers then you could go that way. But if it were me personally I'd do the rabies as required by law (here is 3 years) and titer for the rest. I don't know if it's worth the risk if your dog bites again. But that's just me

 

[theresa92841]

Maybe somebody in Canada would chime in . . . but my thoughts would be to just go ahead and vaccinate for rabies. At least until you hit a point where you feel like you have worked enough with Rio so that fear biting is not a risk anymore.

 

[Kye&Rio]

not sure what your asking....are you afriad they are going to bite the techs? Or that you legally can't use titers as proof of rabies?


why do you keep allowing her to interact with children?

I'm asking if I should just get the rabies jab done and titer for everthing else, or titer for rabies too and vaccinate if her immunity isn't at a desirable level.

I'm not scared she'll bite the techs, and I can legally use titers as proof of immunity to rabies. So that's not the question.

And I do not allow her to interact with children, she's fear aggressive and she bites them, so because of that I don't "keep allowing her to interact with children".

Well, it depends on your area... If the accept titers then you could go that way. But if it were me personally I'd do the rabies as required by law (here is 3 years) and titer for the rest. I don't know if it's worth the risk if your dog bites again. But that's just me

Yeah see that's what I'm thinkin'.

Maybe somebody in Canada would chime in . . . but my thoughts would be to just go ahead and vaccinate for rabies. At least until you hit a point where you feel like you have worked enough with Rio so that fear biting is not a risk anymore.

My thoughts exactly, just wanted to see what other people would do

 

[Criosphynx]

And I do not allow her to interact with children, she's fear aggressive and she bites them, so because of that I don't "keep allowing her to interact with children".

My question has to do with my dog who is rather fear aggressive and has bitten two children, the first one twice and the second one once, and although it was months ago and we've done alot of training, it's still a cause for concern.

so, what you really mean is you don't allow it anymore. That or Iam misunderstanding som'thing. My impression is you have allowed her to bite a child three times which is why i asked. Once is enough for me.

 

[colliewog]

Well, it depends on your area... If the accept titers then you could go that way. But if it were me personally I'd do the rabies as required by law (here is 3 years) and titer for the rest. I don't know if it's worth the risk if your dog bites again. But that's just me

Same thing I was going to say ...

 

[MandyPug]

Just do three year rabies jabs and get titres for the rest. Animal control can be a bitch even if you've done titres and they say they allow it. Best be safe than sorry.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

I wouldn't titer for rabies. It generally isn't considered acceptable proof. Everything else is.. rabies generally isn't. If where you are getting your info from is wrong and our dog does bite someone you could be in some pretty deep trouble with your dog's life in the balance. Dr. Dodds gave a seminar here last year and even she suggested people not titer for rabies as it's more often than not, not seen as proof.

 

[Kye&Rio]

so, what you really mean is you don't allow it anymore. That or Iam misunderstanding som'thing. My impression is you have allowed her to bite a child three times which is why i asked. Once is enough for me.

Ha, you think I "allowed" it at all? The first time was a surprise, she was running around with my other dog and my friend's dog, and their son was there too, and at one point she darted up behind him and nipped him. Her being 8-ish months old, we chaulked it up to being over-excited but she nipped him again a few minutes later, and my ex-boyfriend very wrongly punished her pretty severely and after that, she was scared of kids. The last time it happened, I got a phone call at work saying she bit another kid. The people at the house with her knew she was like that, but still let them out to play with the strange little boy who came over. He ran, she darted up and bit him. Alot of control I had there. And I was in-tears furious at the people at the house when it happened, they knew just as well as I did what would happen when kids flail about like little dorkheads, lol.

Trust me, once is enough for me too. Rio has a pretty crappy story that you guys don't know about yet so the impression I'm getting is that you think I just allow her to interact with kids over and over and she bites them over and over and to be honest your comments are frustrating me because I didn't rescue her and work my balls off with her to get this kind of jazz. When I first got her I couldn't touch her and she wouldn't look at me and she flinched and ran every time someone moved and I had to change her name cuz she'd cower. Knowing that, and then seeing what happened with the first little boy, you wouldn't imagine I did it on purpose. She's also played beautifully with one 7 year old boy so the potential for betterment is there, I just need to find chilled out kids who understand that she's scared and who aren't afraid themselves. We got lucky that one time, we brought him over for that particular reason and he did awesome. Anyways, way off topic here...

Just do three year rabies jabs and get titres for the rest. Animal control can be a bitch even if you've done titres and they say they allow it. Best be safe than sorry.

Yeah I was gonna tell you, I called the holistic vets again yesterday to get some more information, I always get the same girl and she's so nice, lol. Anyways, Edmonton apparently doesn't even have a rabies law.

I've basically decided to titer for everything else, like you said, and jab for rabies. I wonder about Kye though? People always say "my dog will never bite anyone" and I'd say the same thing about Kye, but who knows, right?

 

[theresa92841]

I always believe that under the right circumstances any dog can get scared and can bite. It is part of their nature.

Even little Gigi. She never did it before and never did it since. She was really shy when I first got her. We were traveling cross country for Christmas. We were in a hotel room, and I stepped out for 1 second to throw something in the trash outside my room. When I opened the door, she bolted out and wouldn't come to me. She was very spooked. She ran out in front of cars on Route 66.

We finally lured her into the lobby of the motel. She ran behind some people. They reached down to pick her up. She felt cornered and she bit. Luckily, she didn't break the skin.

But anyway, I just mean it as an example of how when a dog is frightened, they may use their teeth and bite even if they never have before.

 

[Bigpoodleperson]

Its not worth the risk to me. I would vaccinate both dogs for rabies. If they were to bite someone they would have to be quarintened (regardless of their vaccanation status). If they show Any aggression while under quarintene then they will be euthanized and tested for rabies. You have a much higher chance of getting your dogs back if they have actually had the vaccine.
Rabies is actually a pretty strong threat, and depending on where you live they can gave different views. One vet i know says that if Any pet bites someone and isnt UTD on vaccines where she is then they are euthanized and tested, no choice, no quarintene.

 

[StillandSilent]

I wouldn't titer the rabies. I have a child-hater dog, and in the terrible circumstance that he somehow bit one, I would rather have the current shot then have to worry that the titer wasn't proof enough.

 

[bubbatd]

I wouldn't do the rabies titer either . Some areas and states need proof of rabie shots and you never know where a bite might take place . My neighbor's beautiful collie was PTS so that her brain could be tested . This was years years ago , but she bit a child in the face and then they felt that head bites went right to the brain .

 

[PoodleMommy]

I have one dog who also hates kids, so I know how it is.

I think you are doing the smart thing regarding rabies because you never know when the law will change, someone will successfully challenge it, or you visit an area that doesnt accept titers.

 

[RawFedDogs]

If titers is legal proof of rabies immunity in your area, thats absolutely the way to go. Rabies vaccine has been linked to aggression in dogs. You don't want to add to the problem you already have.

 

[Criosphynx]

We only know what you tell us. You said YOUR dog has bitten children three times and did not elaborate. Iam supposed to read your mind? Thats why I asked, and I did not attack you, I simply asked and you dodged the question, which is why I asked a second time. Your statements were scary and concerning. You still did not say anything about the third bite which IMO is an intentional ommision at this point

yet so the impression I'm getting is that you think I just allow her to interact with kids over and over and she bites them over and over and to be honest your comments are frustrating me

Thats the impression you gave. If you didn't allow the dog near kids, it wouldn't happen. I don't see how you are not seeing the coralation. Iam assuming you are an adult in your household thus can prevent dog/kid contact. The fact shes bitten three times is frustrating to ME.

Heck, its your dog, your money, and your liability, its just bizzare to me that it could happen three times when you openly admit the dog has a problem.

 

[PoodleMommy]

You still did not say anything about the third bite which IMO is an intentional ommision at this point

The first time was a surprise, she was running around with my other dog and my friend's dog, and their son was there too, and at one point she darted up behind him and nipped him. Her being 8-ish months old, we chaulked it up to being over-excited but she nipped him again a few minutes later, and my ex-boyfriend very wrongly punished her pretty severely and after that, she was scared of kids. The last time it happened, I got a phone call at work saying she bit another kid. The people at the house with her knew she was like that, but still let them out to play with the strange little boy who came over. He ran, she darted up and bit him. Alot of control I had there. And I was in-tears furious at the people at the house when it happened, they knew just as well as I did what would happen when kids flail about like little dorkheads, lol.

/characters needed.

 

[Criosphynx]

my mistake

I did not interpret "nipped him" as a bite. I don't see them as the same thing personally.

 

[gecko_mom]

Very friendly site you guys got goin on here.

I know you don't know Madison or her dogs yet. But you aren't being very helpful, or giving her a chance to post her experience.

She has a rescue dog that came from a hellish existence. Instead of debating the semantics of the 'dog bite/nip', how about some helpful suggestions regarding the rabies vaccine?

We just came from a board that got nasty. Jumping all over a newbie is not a way to make friends.

One of my dogs is terrified of kids. I don't plan to have kids. However, kids are a part of this world and are unavoidable. Madison has never intentionally put her dogs or anyone's kids at risk. I think you are more interested in the past than helping her help Rio so she is safer around kids.