sad day for me

[dirtybernie]

hey all. we recently adopted a german sheperd. his last owner perished in a house fire so the family put him in the pound for adoption. hes been with us about 3wks and fit in with my family well. so last night i was out with a friend and my wife turned on the outside light and the bulb blew. anyway a neighbor came in without knocking and the dog either sleeping or not being able to see who she was took a good chomp at her leg. so she had to go to the hospital and the dog was taken for quarantine. my wife was the one to get the dog from the pound so it was very close to her or maybe she reminded it of its last owner however she doesnt want the dog back now in fear it will bite one of the kids. i just figured id share this in hopes that if someone isnt keeping the door locked with a dog in the house they will now. BTW ive told this neighbor several times to knock 1st but it never sunk in. hopefully it will now! bernie

[MowHoward2210]

What a shame, the dog just did what most dogs would have done. Your neighbor sounds a few brick shy. Just walking into someone's house unannounced is not only very rude, but dangerous! :mad:

[simple_john]

thats too bad db.. i mean technically the dog may have been doing what it was trained to do? protect his/your domain...


did she ever show any signs of aggrssion towards you or your family?

i guess nowadays you can never be too sure... hopefully they can find a home for the dog...

[jodyand]

Sorry to hear that but the dog was protecting his, your home. Somebody that wasn't suppose to be there coming in the house and the dog did what comes natural. I can under stand your wifes fears also but what if it wasn't your neighbor? I mean how well does your dog know the neighbor i think the dog was just doing his job.

[USN_ED]

Sorry to hear that Bernie. I doubt if that dog will ever bite one of your kids. It seems that it has adopted your family and your home. You might ask your wife to reconsider. It is very likely that the dog did exactly what it's previous owner trained it to do. Oh, and if the neighbor wants her medical bills paid, forget it. She walked in unannounced and in the dark. What the heck did she expect especially if you'd told her before not to do it.

Put the neighbor down not the dog. I know, I know that's not going to happen but their are some cases that just beg for it and it seems your neighbor is one.

ED

[jim235]

The dog was doing his/her 'thing'...protecting it's territory and people! Being new to your home...it hasn't yet learned to recognize the sounds and such of all neighbours, etc. Unless (very rare), it has shown ANY signs of aggressive behaviour towards any of your family members...very doubtful, it ever will. Dogs, will as a rule, only bite when they feel threatened or abused...and is usually the real reason, behind most of the stories we all hear about. I say, that dog deserves to at least be given a chance to prove it's self more. Keep in mind...it already lost one it 'loved' (house fire)...doesn't want to lose any more. Rude neighbours...can sure be a real pain!

[Jim_WV]

Bernie, yep sounds like the dog was a victim here as well, thats sad as it was just reacting to a situation out of the ordinary, not hardly fair. The neighbor should know better than just walking into someones house anyway as mentioned. I have great neighbors too, but we just don't do that, a knock at the door is expected, and it shows common courtesy for each other. Perhaps you're right, they may have learned now to knock first, but to that end you may have lost a good protector :fing20:

[dirtybernie]

the dog was never aggressive twords anyone. a little hyper at 1st but im just guessing it was because of being in a small pen. but i agree the dog was just doing his job. im dessperatly trying to convince the wife of this but its not working. im not going to get in a marital spat over a dog but i just hate losing it over stupidity.

[MowHoward2210]

Print off these opinions and show them to her, or get an opinion of a respected veterinarian or dog handler.

[dirtybernie]

:fing32: thanks for chiming in guys. i plan on showing this thread to the wife later. ive always been a german sheperd fan and finding the right one has been hard. so im going to keep trying! bernie.

[jim235]

I'm with Mow there! Keep in mind...animals, you can 'figure'...but stupid or rude people... you can't! Dogs, aren't called "man's best friend" for nothing! I'll bet...once the dog learns the sounds of all "regular" visitors to your house...it won't even budge, when it hears one approaching! I had a great Doberman like that...one neighbour tried "sneaking" over one day...just to see how my guy would act. Yup...right up at the different sound of Arnold, stomping up...instead of his normal gait. ;) I might add (not, that your youngsters are like this)...but some youngsters tease/torment a dog as in fun...a dog can only take so much, especially if/when tired/hot, etc...and has only one way of stopping it.

[sixchows]

I'm a little confused. As you may know(from my user ID) I have chows. Chows can be very aggressive especially when protecting family or territory.
I'm assuming if the dog was recently adopted, his shots are up to date. Why is he being observed? Wasn't he vaccinated for rabies?
MY oldest male is very aggressive. We found him running the streets and spent literally a few years breaking him of some bad habits. He is still a problem at times but nothing like he was. During the early years with him he had bitten all of us at least once. The trigger was usually my female's season or food. Now that his mate has passed on, that cause for aggression has ended. He also lets us reach for his food w/o incident as he has come to realize we would never hurt him. If any dog should have been put down, it's him. But knowing that if we didn't keep him and work with him, he faced certain death, or at best life in a cage in a no-kill facility, we stuck it out. He has turned into an overwhelming gaurd dog. If a neighbor or some other "intruder" ever entered he would surely do more than just "bite".
Sounds to me your dog was doing exactly what he was supposed to do! Why else have a dog? While a german shepard can be a friendly dog, it's not just a cute, cuddly, lap dog. The breed is known for it's high intelligence. The dog will think for itself as will the chow chow. The biggest difference in the two breeds is that sheperds will respond to commands where chow chows tend to ignore commands and do what they think is right.
Did you file charges against the neighbor for unlawful entry or something similar? It might be good idea to get something in motion. And don't fall for that "we are friends" BS! When some lawyer gets ahold of her, you can be sure friendship is out the window!

[chipmaker]

Its still common practice in lots of states even if shots are current, to quarantine the dog after a bite as they say while rabies vacine is good it is not 100% effective in all cases.

I am with you the dog was doing what it should have done, and a person that arbitrarily walks into anothers home especially when they had been told to knock first is kind of dense. I certainly would not put up with anayone just walking into my house even if they knocked and then entered. I control my doors and I open my doors to who I want in and when. I seriously doubt they will do anything with the dog if nothing comes up as far as rabies, and I would see a lawyer and my insurance agent ASAP.

Personally if I had a dog I had intended to keep around for protection or even giving me notice of someone there by barking and it was laying around sleeping, it would be history, and a new dog that is supposed to do what I want would be in its palce.

I went this same route as you awhile back when a dumba$$ walked into my house at night well past midnight, my doors are never locked, and I woke up to a lot of high pitched screaming and hollering, grabbed my 9mm and went into the living room where all the ruckus was coming from only to find a dude bleeding profusly with my female GSD firmly attached to his body parts and ripping the daylights out of him like a rag doll......I called the dog off, held him on the ground at gunpoint contrary to him wanting to get up due to his wounds, called the sherriff and held him until the sherriff got there. I informed them I was the one that would be holding the gun on the black guy on the floor, and to come in the back door and they could see what was going on before they entered, which they did. Once inside I laid my 9mm down on the table, and left the sherriff handle it. They had to carry him to the ER where it took a heap of stitches over 100, to close him up. His face was torn up, his arms and abdomen as well as one leg. The dog did her job..........and here its a law that the dog gets locked up for a bite for a quarantine period.......but as far as the sherriff was concerned, it was not gonna happen........and it didn't

A short time later I get a summons the idiot the dog ate up was suing me for his injuries........I pressed charges for tresspassing and illegal entry and a few other odds and ends at the recomendation of the DA, and the dude got prison time and lost his case against me as well.......

You really need to have a talk with that neighbor and tell her the ins and outs and using common sense on entering your property past the door......and check with your insurance agent and lawyer as well.......
est of luck to you and I just have a feeling you are going to come out ok on this deal.

[Archdean]

Just proves Dogs are smarter than People!! Your dog should be able to return and you both should Welcome him back with praise!! I was never very successful in convincing Wives of much of anything, especially mine but it really was your wife's friends fault and I'll bet she knows it now!!

If your dog had just thwarted a person with intent to harm she would be grateful I'm sure!!

Keep the Dog Educate the Friend!!!

[Kid Muddy]

I agree with erveyone else, Bernie, your dog was just doing its job. And a fine job it did. :congrats: Instead of punishing it by sending it back to the pound your wife should be grateful for such a watchdog. Your kids would be SAFER with a dog like that around. I say stick your neighbor in the pound and bring that dog back home where it belongs! :1106:

[slipshod]

We had a black lab that lived for 15 years, his name was "Slick". He was the nicest dog anyone could ever ask for a baby could play in his food dish while he was eating. I was working midnights and a drunken moron who claimed he was looking for my neighbor thought he had the right house and tried to walk right in at 2:30 am. That was a bad mistake, "slick" hit him chest high and drove him right off the porch the moment he stepped through the door. My wife and two young children were asleep in the house at the time. My wife heard the comotion and called the police, we had him arrested. My house, my wife, my children were his to protect and he did his job to the best of his ability. At no time was there any concideration given to doing anything other then maybe giving "slick" a big steak for a job well done.Since this incident I have seen the man who walked into my house in the middle of the night several times. Every time I see him he is wearing inmate green, now 20 or so years later he is a career felon and has been in and out of jail multiple times. Burglary, ****, possession of a weapon, and drugs to name a few of his shortcomings.

[glenn27]

yOU guys are right on the $$$. A dog- man's best friend (if he is treated right-will unconditionally love and protect "his domain"- be it home, territory, but I think they key to small kids/women who cannot take care of themselves. I have had many dogs-the last three "rescued" greyhounds from certain death, and if treated w/ kindness & love will go to end of the earth for you. But w/some idiot coming on my property. be glad it was only a dog-and not a .40 Cal., or 12-ga.. They bark over here, but bite w a y over there!!! Hope everything works out o.k.-
:trink40:

[chrpmaster]

Amen to all the comments

Bernie if you didn't live so far away I'd say bring the dog over here and I'll take him. Sounds like you found a great watchdog who was doing the right thing. he didn't go over to the neighbors looking for trouble just took care of what came his way the best way he could. I have a very active 7 year old son who tends to not be very careful around Max, my 120 pound Lab. Max has had to set my son straight a few times about how much he doesn't like squirt guns (aimed his way), him and his freinds chasing each other with sticks and anyone throwing stuff at him. I have never had any problem with the tactics Max uses (Generally barking very loudly at him and his friends and occasionaly nipping one of them though never breaking the skin or leaving a mark). I have always checked out the situation afterwards and found Max's judgement to be better than the humans. I also know my son and his friends would have had lots more problems with the wild animals and other dogs and cats in our woods had Max not been around keeping an eye on what was going on. Actually I can't imagine raising kids in my area without a dog to help out.

Andy

[DeereBob]

the dog was never aggressive twords anyone. a little hyper at 1st but im just guessing it was because of being in a small pen. but i agree the dog was just doing his job. im dessperatly trying to convince the wife of this but its not working. im not going to get in a marital spat over a dog but i just hate losing it over stupidity.

Bernie,
If either one of my dogs DIDN'T bite someone who came uninvited into our house I'd get rid of them. A dog's job is to protect his family, including the kids, which is exactly what you dog did and should be rewarded not re-incarcerated at the pound. If a dog won't provide protection than why have it? With all due respect to your wife, she is dead wrong on this one.

[Byron R]

Not trying to change thread but WHERES BERNIE...MIA.. :omg: Br.