Help my dog is trying to bite people!

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spottydottypony

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I have a 1 yr old JRT bitch who i bred myself. She has always been a bit of a barker at people and other dogs (i have 5 dogs). When i walk her either alone or with my other dogs she has always barked at people. Now she has started running after any person on the horizon and today was jumping up trying to bite someone very nastily!! Luckily i know the person but i am worried if she does this to a stranger or child. She also bit my friend on the hand. She was on her lead and my friend went to stroke her, she was barking and i warned her not to. My dog nipped her hand. This was bad enough but today her behavior was bad. What shall i do?? I am going to muzzle her when i take her out but i am worried in case she gets out of my garden and bites someone??
 
I'd have her muzzled and leashed (long line or flexi if you must)

Your friend was a bit of an idiot but running up to strangers in this way is not on as you know.
If she had been a bigger dog it would not have ended well for this person or for her!

Has she always been like this? Have you allowed her to get away with bolshy behaviour - did you allow the barking?
If you bred her yourself, did the parents show any of these tendencies? What about her littermates?

I was going to query a medical issue but running up to a stranger and trying to bite them, which especially for a small dog, does show a bit of guts and willingness to take on a human being - which is not present in the vast majority of pet dogs who bite out of fear or pain or desperation.

If you are worried about your garden, keep her in the house or get a dog run constructed. If you are prepared to manage this behaviour you are going to have to be very clear in setting her boundaries and you will always have to be vigilant even after you think you have cracked it.
If not then you have to think about her future.

None of us on here can practically tell you how to deal with it as in, how to act immediately, because we cannot see the dog or how or when she is acting or what impact your actions and reactions are having.
What I would say is that I would be stepping in with whatever motivator or corrector you choose to use, before she is even *thinking* about going in for a bite, or indeed, before the barking starts.
I would also seek out a trainer or behaviourist ASAP.
 
What CC says. You need help from someone who is on the spot, who can see what she and you are doing and help you both.
 
Both her parents and other litter pups show no signs of this behavior. I have mother and father at home as well as another sibling. She is very clingy, wants to be in your face all the time. My friend was warned she would bite her but continued! I am going to muzzle her and keep her on a leash i cannot risk her biting anyone. Could it be hormonal?? I always tell her off for barking and have tried to take her mind off anyone walking past by playing with her or changing direction but this does not work. The minute she spots a person could be 100 yards away she runs off like shes possessed.
 
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If she was not corrected in the beginning and told this was unacceptable then this behaviour is just a natural escalation. The fact she is only a year old and now taking on people is a worry but this is not insurmountable, if you feel you are not capable of dealing with this then you do need to seek the help of a professional who will show you how to divert her attention on to you. In the mean time keep her muzzled and if you are walking and see people walking in the distance change direction, it goes without saying she must be kept on a lead.
 
If she is that type of dog, love me love me, pet me NOW then she decides when the petting stops, I would ignore her and not allow her to get in your face like that, if she is dictating when she gets attention. Might not be relevant but all part of the mix, if she is calling all the shots/doing all the defending/if she thinks she is the one who has to make all the decisions this may be a part of the problem.
I would be controlling all her movements in the house also, not letting her have free run, bouncing on and off furniture, charging through doors, having certain places where she may sit, but that's just me, I do this with a much bigger dog with a very big attitude and it has improved his behaviour.
 
I think you need professional help. A good dog trainer will be able to assess and give you a plan to follow.

I had a friend with a JR who displayed these behaviours, my friend was not an idiot. They did rehome to someone with lots of experience who thought they could cope, the dog is still biting. I do think, that like some humans there are some who are just trouble waiting to happen.
 
one of my dogs is a nipper. He's young, very anxious and fearful. It's his default - he'll nip (never break skin) and shrink back. By contrast his brother's default is to run away. When he first nipped I was so shocked and sad - it was my brother who stupidly approached him and bent down over him. I now have to ask people not to go up to him to give him attention, can't have him around my nephew and niece (hes terrified of kids especially and barks). I think the important thing was me to understand why he was doing it - eliminating the opportunity of him doing it again all whilst working towards getting better more acceptable behaviour (i.e. taking him out more, lots of BAT training). I think the important thing is to understand why you're getting the behaviour then you can make a plan to manage it!
 
I don't think this is the kind of thing you can get help for on the internet. Keep her on a lead and muzzled for everyone's sake and contact a reputable behaviourist to help you.

Behaviour modification techniques are successful for a lot of dogs and if that fails there are quite a few advances in medications nowadays that might help. A visit to the vet is always a good idea to check for any signs of pain (teeth?), hormone levels and thyroid levels.

I don't know what your plans were for her but best not to breed from a bitch with this kind of temperament problem.
 
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