Chavhorse
Well-Known Member
I have owned Muttley now for 8 years since finding him as a 5 month old stray whilst I was living in Cyprus.
Muttley is a collie X and has always been snappy, it was not a problem when I was living in Cyprus as I was living on my own in a house with no neighbours and people very seldom came to the house.
Five years ago I met my now Husband and moved to Holland with Muttley and my other two Cyprus strays both Beagle crosses, since then he has bitten people on a number of occasions, my husband three times (once badly enough to need stitches) Our cleaner badly on the arm (this was someone he knew well and who had looked after the dogs when we went away on holidays), he has snapped at but not connected with both of my stepsons and my niece who came to visit.
We got the the stage where if people were coming to the house Muttley would be put into our bedroom for the duration of the visit. The other two dogs are complete dolts so they stay as they enjoy the company of other people and I feel it is not right to deprive them of this.
We are moving back to the UK in a weeks time, both my Husband and I have many friends there some with young children and our respective families all of whom we want to spend a lot of time with once we are back in the UK.
What has brought things to a head is last night we had a BBQ for our close friends to say goodbye, a group of friends arrived an hour early and Muttley was still in the main house, I went to put him away and he bit me on the hand drawing blood then he ran into the garden went up to a friend and promptly bit him on the hand puncturing his hand and causeing a lot of blood loss. Not the best start to the evening! My husband managed to put him on his lead and put him in our bedroom where he stayed for the remainder of the evening.
We had a long chat about it this morning and realised we have two choices, one to ensure he is always muzzled when other people are around and continue to lock him away when visitors come or and we are both struggling with this one maybe it is kinder to put him to sleep before we add to his stress by moving him again.
It is a crap situation to be in and we keep vascilating but as Husband keeps saying when we are in the UK we will Never forgive ourselves should he bite one of our friends children and they will in turn quite rightly never forgive us, also he says at least if we take him for a long walk and put him to sleep with us there before we move it is in our control and he goes in an environment that he is comfortable in rather than something happening in the UK and him being taken away .
This is so difficult any sane input would be welcomed this is made all the more difficult as he is now fast asleep cross my lap snoring his head off.
Help!
Muttley is a collie X and has always been snappy, it was not a problem when I was living in Cyprus as I was living on my own in a house with no neighbours and people very seldom came to the house.
Five years ago I met my now Husband and moved to Holland with Muttley and my other two Cyprus strays both Beagle crosses, since then he has bitten people on a number of occasions, my husband three times (once badly enough to need stitches) Our cleaner badly on the arm (this was someone he knew well and who had looked after the dogs when we went away on holidays), he has snapped at but not connected with both of my stepsons and my niece who came to visit.
We got the the stage where if people were coming to the house Muttley would be put into our bedroom for the duration of the visit. The other two dogs are complete dolts so they stay as they enjoy the company of other people and I feel it is not right to deprive them of this.
We are moving back to the UK in a weeks time, both my Husband and I have many friends there some with young children and our respective families all of whom we want to spend a lot of time with once we are back in the UK.
What has brought things to a head is last night we had a BBQ for our close friends to say goodbye, a group of friends arrived an hour early and Muttley was still in the main house, I went to put him away and he bit me on the hand drawing blood then he ran into the garden went up to a friend and promptly bit him on the hand puncturing his hand and causeing a lot of blood loss. Not the best start to the evening! My husband managed to put him on his lead and put him in our bedroom where he stayed for the remainder of the evening.
We had a long chat about it this morning and realised we have two choices, one to ensure he is always muzzled when other people are around and continue to lock him away when visitors come or and we are both struggling with this one maybe it is kinder to put him to sleep before we add to his stress by moving him again.
It is a crap situation to be in and we keep vascilating but as Husband keeps saying when we are in the UK we will Never forgive ourselves should he bite one of our friends children and they will in turn quite rightly never forgive us, also he says at least if we take him for a long walk and put him to sleep with us there before we move it is in our control and he goes in an environment that he is comfortable in rather than something happening in the UK and him being taken away .
This is so difficult any sane input would be welcomed this is made all the more difficult as he is now fast asleep cross my lap snoring his head off.
Help!
