Bulldogs World

I would seek another opinion from another certified behaviorist. Has the behaviorist done anything to help with training methods or she just put the dog on meds? Hopefully Lynne will see your message here and can assist you with a referral.

This is a dangerous dog and yes he may be in pain...but IMO that doesn't warrant attacking and biting. Do you own a home? You could have some serious legal troubles if he bites someone. I've had 2 dogs with torn CCL's and they were not in pain. Surgery is hard on them, so I will agree with your vet on this one.  Unfortunately not all dogs can be rehabilitated. You don't know his background or how he was raised and that has alot to do with temperment as well as genetics. Sounds like he had a rough upbringing. Not all bulldogs are nice.

Good Luck

I would think that the pain he is in is a huge contributing factor. But the vet is right to worry about being unable to do the proper recovery. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place! You are doing a wonderful thing to give this hurting, wounded dog a chance, Bless you for that!

I HIGHLY highly recommend calling a CPDT-KA trainer. You can find one that specializwes in aggression. What is better about them than the veterinary behaviorist is that they come to your home and make you a personalized plan based on your individual family dynamics. We found one for Audrey that we were very happy with. She came to our house for a consult first, to make sure we were all a good fit for each other, then made our plan for Audrey. It was not as expensive as I thought it was going to be, much less actually than what the veterinary behaviorist was going to be. And the vet beahviorist did NOT come to our house, we would have had to take Audrey to his office.  Her plan was for 3 sessions, a week apart in our home. The next step for us is to work on a few issues with Audrey and get them soild, then take Audrey out to meet other dogs. She will go wherever we want her to go.

http://www.apdt.com/

In the meantime, the only thing I can think of is make sure that YOU direct everything in his life. Do not leave toys out, you give him a toy to play with then put it  away when YOU decide it's time for it to go away. You don't pet him if he comes to you, you go to him and pet him when it's YOUR choice. Do not just put his food bowl down and let him eat, YOU tell him when it's OK to eat. Sounds like you need a timeout spot too. Does he have a crate he likes to go in? I understand the basics of what trainers have told me and how they apply to MY dog, but it's hard for me to translate that into what would be good for other dogs. I really think the CPDT would be the best thing for you!

Good luck!

I am not questioning what the vet behaviorist prescribed for you dog, but I didn't think clomicalm was prescribed for aggression. If my memory is correct, Prozac is more commonly prescribed. In fact, I think clomicalm can increase the incidence of aggression. I'll have to dig up my notes from a seminar I attended but it may be worth it for you to consult with the behaviorist about it. And as I am sure, both vets have stressed to you that meds are not a cure all and have to be used in conjunction with a training/behavior modification program.

Since you have no real history of this dog, his aggression could be the result of so many variables, lack of social experience, abuse, seizure disorder, head trauma, hyperthyroidism, distemper, pain, illness, diet, exercise and the list goes on. Has the vet done a complete exam? Maybe his tail area continues to cause him pain, is he on any pain meds? Are his ears and teeth clean/infection free?

Yours is a very difficult situation. Most aggression is not directed at the owners, that's what makes this difficult. Someone has to be able to safely work with the dog and when the dog is threatening to the owners, who else can work with the dog? From what you have written, there seems to be no consistent triggers which is another factor that makes this hard to work with.

I know you are desperate, been there-done that. Unfortunately, in your case, advice from the internet is sorely inadequate. I do wish all of you the best of luck, my heart goes out to you.

If you need to talk to someone that is impartial, e-mail me.

Heather, my heart goes out to you. I cannot tell you what to do as obviously every situation is different. My first bully Arthur (RIP) started biting us at 7 months of age. He had been through obedience training and could do a 20 minute down/stay with me out of the room. He was loving as all bullies are. 99.9% of the time, a sweetheart. The bites were totally unprovoked. I hired a top behaviourist who teaches at the Vet College here in Ontario. We followed every single thing she said to do. My vet put him on Elavil. We saw no change at all. Now he lunged at my granddaughter`s face once, and another child too. I said I would try one more thing before putting him down, which was my vet`s advice.  I took him to a vet who specializes in behaviour issues. I did everything he said to do. I really wanted to save him and knew I would have gone to the ends of the earth to help him. He tried to attack my vet once. He bit me badly one night. My hand was bleeding badly from 6 deep bite marks. I still have the scars. I took him to the emerg clinic and put him down then and there. My head ruled my heart finally. I knew in time he would have badly hurt someone, worse yet, a child. I would never have forgiven myself. He loved going to the vet (any vet) We fed him cookies as the needle went in. He just put his head down and that was it. I actually felt a mixture of grief and relief at the same time. My vet believes he could have had pain, or perhaps a brain issue. BTW, he came from a top breeder in Canada, well known to BDW, not a pet store or anything like that. He was a beautiful pure white boy. His life was short, just 4 years. My boy Arthur. My dream come true, my first bully.

Whatever you decide to do will be the right decision, I am sure. Best of luck to you with this very difficult situation.