I am so excited, I think this is the first thread that I’ve ever posted that has gotten up to 9 pages and even spawned a spin-off!
Incidentally, and totally off-topic, I was bitten by a dog today (NO, not my own!). I went to pick up my kids who were staying at a friend’s house, where they have been many times. I walked in, and my son ran to me, and the sheltie (whom I have met many times, and even taken care of once when the owners were away) ran up behind my son and bit my leg. It was a quick snap, not hard, and no damage. I was wearing jeans and it didn’t tear fabric or skin…basically just a pinch. I was caught off guard and I said the dog’s name, and he immediately sat down. I don’t like it when people anthropomorphize, but I do think the dog was genuinely remorseful. I stayed for a while to chat and give the kids time to clean up their messes, and the dog came over and laid by my feet. I don’t worry at all about sending my kids back there or about the dog biting my kids or anyone else. I think he was guarding his house and my son and didn’t immediately recognize me. Also, my friend did not come to the door to let me in, but rather called for me to just come in, which I think caught the dog off guard. So anyway, that prompted me to come back and leave an update on the puppy in case anyone is interested.
We did consult and involve the breeder before making our decision. This is our 3rd dog from her and we have a great relationship and I want to keep it that way. We considered this possible solution only because the threat to human safety is minimal. My SIL lives on a large farm, where they have few visitors. The kids are all older (high school or college). She already has 4 adult dogs, and her dogsitter happens to be her father, and he was not only up to the challenge but wanting to help as well. We did also consult two dog trainers.
We got this puppy at 8 weeks, which is younger than the other two we got (they were 12 and 14 weeks). I do believe now looking back that he probably could have benefitted from more time with his mother and that he perhaps did not learn sufficient bite inhibition as a previous poster suggested. At his young age and in consideration of that, none of us felt that euthanasia was the only or even necessarily the best option at this point. My SIL is employing a type of flooding training. She has enlisted willing adult family members including her father, myself, my husband and her brother to name a few, to visit the home frequently and dispense the puppy’s food into his bowl a few pieces at a time when we do. This is to help him associate “strangers/visitors” with good things. I also think it has been very helpful for him to be around the other dogs and I feel he is taking cues from them. He appears to be 2nd in command.
Obviously, it is way too soon to declare this a success, but things are looking positive. It helps that he is young, food motivated, more curious than fearful, and a fast learner. Flooding obviously does not work with every dog and if a dog is truly afraid of strangers or severely aggressive with them I certainly wouldn’t recommend it, but at this point it looks like this puppy was a good candidate for this type of reprogramming. I’ll try to remember to update again after more time has passed.
My SIL does not travel often, and when they do, her father is the caretaker of the dogs. We are lucky to have a multi-species vet who does house calls. If the dog needs to go to some sort of specialist vet, he will be muzzled. Other than that he won’t leave the farm. It’s a great fit for him. We travel a lot, and we take our dogs with us (camping), and we have small children, and very frequent visitors, including other small children who come for play dates. Therefore, we were a poor fit for this puppy. I’m very fortunate that my SIL was willing to attempt this. With 4 dogs already, they certainly were not looking for another one, but my SIL and one of her daughters in particular have really bonded with him and again, so far he appears to be fitting in well.
Also, I’m happy to report that my daughter was in no way traumatized and is not fearful of dogs or animals. My son might have been a little different though, he’s younger and more timid. We are fortunate to own another dog who has absolutely the best personality on the planet. We don’t know what he is (mutt from a rescue) but he is my daughter’s constant companion. I agree with the other posters, I definitely don’t want my kids to be traumatized or afraid of dogs.
We got our first shar pei before we had kids. At the time I was unaware of their reputation for personality issues or their history as fighting dogs. Had I known, they probably would not have been my first choice. However, we did do enough research to find an excellent breeder, and were lucky to have owned two of the best examples of the breed that ever existed. They have been wonderful dogs for us. It’s hard to describe their personalities, but I think people who have owned dogs like them will understand what I’m trying to convey; they are so expressive and almost human. They are loving and kind without being needy, and while our first two were not aggressive or leery of strangers, they were always silently watchful and on guard. I have owned other breeds, but I have loved my shar peis most. I feel like they truly bond with their owners. I have owned other very loving and friendly dogs, but they were different. I feel like they would bond with any person who fed them cheese. It’s hard to convey in words what I love most about them, but I’m sure there are others on this board who get what I’m trying to say, who have a favorite breed or type of dog as well. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
My husband and I have not yet decided if we will get another shar pei, but if we do, it will be older so that the breeder will have more time to evaluate the temperament.
