# Help with biting incident!



## Risi (Jul 19, 2009)

Our 14 month old Havanese, Oban, bit my friend’s finger yesterday as the friend was reaching to pick up a flossy that Oban was guarding from her dog. Oban is a more dominant Havanese but has never bitten anyone. We gave him a lot of mouthing training as a puppy and I still really get into his mouth when I brush his teeth. But obviously, this was a very different situation because he was overly possessive of that flossy!

I would very much appreciate any advice on how to prevent this from happening in the future and on what kind of training we should be providing. In the meantime, Oban will not be allowed to share flossies with his play mates…

Risi


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

Hey Risi,
sorry to hear about the bite. it's always a bummer when that happens.

Did he gave any warning signs before he chomped? like growl, bark or bear teeth?

Does he usually show guarding behavior with other objects/food toward humans or other dogs?

Just trying to better understand what happened.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

That's awful  I'm sorry that happened. A trainer would likely tell you to start getting him used to being touched while he's eating, you probably should talk to one and get their advice an opinion as well. They are dogs and do have intrinsic responses to protect their food, I see it happen more with dogs protecting it from other dogs ie. growling or using their body to sheild their food, but I hope this was just a real isolated incident and your friend is alright. :grouphug:


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## Risi (Jul 19, 2009)

Oban has been protective of flossies and other chewy treats (Greenies, for example) with other dogs and this one in particular. He does not show it with me. Yesterday I gave him a Greenie and he left it. Or if he is chewing on it, I can walk up and take it. Unless, that is, there is another dog there who might get it if he doesn't have it. I can also put my hand in his food bowl while he is eating, scoop up food, and feed another dog. 

I am hoping that this was an isolated event and certainly will not allow Oban to have chewy treats like flossies when other dogs are around...


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

It sounds like you've been doing all the right things so let's hope that it was just an isolated incident. However, it is a scary situation! Putting up the treats when another dog is visiting is a very good idea!


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## Risi (Jul 19, 2009)

I received an excellent email from a local animal behaviorist. I thought that I should post it in case anyone else ever needs the information:

"It definitely sounds like Oban is suffering from possessive aggression; that is, he is willing to aggressively defend his possessions from other dogs. There are actually fourteen different types of aggression recognized in dogs; there may be overlap between the different types and any one dog may experience more than one type. No single type of aggression, however, predisposes a dog to developing other forms. That is, a dog who is aggressive to other dogs will not necessarily become aggressive with other animals, people, etc. Unfortunately, aggression is not a curable problem; it is a management issue. The key is determining how best to manage the dog's anxiety, restrict their access to the situations that cause the anxiety, and try to counter-condition them so that they start to view previously provocative situations as less threatening or stimulating. Some forms of aggression are, obviously, more manageable than others. If it is just edible-type items that Oban defends, it may be the case that he simply cannot have them when he is around other dogs. This is true for many dogs; they cannot share toys or food at the park or in another social situation and therefore should not be allowed to have toys/food or guard other dogs' toys/food."


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Risi said:


> I received an excellent email from a local animal behaviorist. I thought that I should post it in case anyone else ever needs the information:
> 
> "It definitely sounds like Oban is suffering from possessive aggression; that is, he is willing to aggressively defend his possessions from other dogs. There are actually fourteen different types of aggression recognized in dogs; there may be overlap between the different types and any one dog may experience more than one type. No single type of aggression, however, predisposes a dog to developing other forms. That is, a dog who is aggressive to other dogs will not necessarily become aggressive with other animals, people, etc. Unfortunately, aggression is not a curable problem; it is a management issue. The key is determining how best to manage the dog's anxiety, restrict their access to the situations that cause the anxiety, and try to counter-condition them so that they start to view previously provocative situations as less threatening or stimulating. Some forms of aggression are, obviously, more manageable than others. If it is just edible-type items that Oban defends, it may be the case that he simply cannot have them when he is around other dogs. This is true for many dogs; they cannot share toys or food at the park or in another social situation and therefore should not be allowed to have toys/food or guard other dogs' toys/food."


Hi Risi, glad you are concerned. Whenever someone gets bit it becomes a serious issue, even if the bite was superficial. I'm not sure that your friend 's letter, is clear to you or not? Although I agree with what she is saying, she seems a little unclear. Like she says , with counter conditioning and desensitization this problem is not just manageable but can be greatly improved. Management is just a stop gap method that doesn't solve the problem. To be safe ,it has to be worked on , not just avoided, or "managed". Management comes in DURING the D and C process to avoid setbacks. Somewhere she didn't see that your dog has already crossed from guarding against dogs, to guarding against your friend. D and C has to be generalized to all possibilities. She doesn't sound confident in the fact that this is more workable when she says it can't be cured, but managed. Although resource guarding is a normal and hardwired behavior, it is more than just manageable. I would recommend getting a professional with aggression experience. In the mean time, you might like to read the best book ever written on this subject , called MINE, by Jean Donaldson .


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