Twice bitten...

[cgpriest]

I'm so happy to have found this site! I am looking for advice from knowledgeable Corgi owners.

Our 6-year-old Cardigan Corgi has recently started biting. She has escaped the yard (she's a housedog, and is never left outside for very long) and bit people walking or jogging near our house. She now has two strikes with Animal Control, and I do not know what to do!

We love this little girl - we've had her since she was 3 months. She was a great companion for our elderly Lab. After that dog passed on (at 16 years) we moved from Texas to Iowa. We then adopted a Lab-Shepherd mix named Gus. Tango stepped easily into the "alpha" position, athough she had been nicely submissive to our old girl. Gus is very meek - Tango usually wins their wrestling matches. They are good friends and do not fight.

Fast forward: Tango has never bitten anyone in the family - not even in play. She does not growl at us, except to grumble occasionally. She is talkative - TONS of personality. We now live in a high-pedestrian traffic area, and she HATES the walkers and joggers. If she is outside, she charges the fence and barks the "intruders" out of sight. We don't leave her out for very long unless someone is with her. This summer I was able to make some progress with the fence-charging, but it is still a problem.

This summer, Tango broke out of the yard and chased a woman (who, being afraid of dogs, ran away from Tango) and nipped her calf. Really, she was going for the capri-length hem of the lady's pants...but also scraped the skin. No blood, but it was decided that the skin was broken.

Strike one: Ten days' observation for rabies vaccination.

We located the weak points in our fence and fixed them, and tried to make the teenagers understand the importance of NOT leaving Tango outside for very long.

Yesterday, Tango got out of the fence - we think the wind blew the gate open - and bit a jogger. This was evidently a more severe bite, although Animal Control is not giving us details.

Strike Two: She's back at the vet's office for another ten days' observation.

Although the city will not force us to euthanize her until the third bite,we WOULD be liable - and may be now - if she bites again. I think that these were "herding" bites - not really aggression - but now that I look back at things, she HAS become more aggressive lately. She growls at our other dog if he comes near her in the kitchen - even if she's just drinking water. He is a bit of a pig, and I wrote it off as a warning to him to back off her food. She used to love playing with other dogs, but is more aggressive with them now, and was very aggressive with a young and very timid female Lab/Chow mix that my daughter's boyfriend recently adopted.

If she IS becoming more aggressive, I do NOT want to put anyone at risk - especially a child. If she bit a child - I couldn't live with myself.

I am not sure what to do - should I try to find her a home outside the city, where she wouldn't have so many pedestrian "threats" to deal with?

Would putting her to sleep be the more responsible thing to do? This is the hardest decision I have ever had to make - We love dogs, and consider them to be family members for as long as they live. We do not "get rid" of pets if they become inconvenient; we take dog ownership obligations very seriously. I feel like I have really let her down - I think the fence-charging was a sign of something more serious that I should have seen earlier.

Help! I need advice.

[glencorgi]

This is tough. First rule out any medical causes; have a complete work up and check out by your vet. Sudden behavioral changes can be the result of underlying medical problems. Especially have her thyroid checked. Also check the protein level in her food as too high of protein content can acerbate some problems.

Second, I recommend finding a behaviorist to help you analyze her behavior and triggers and hopefully find workable solutions. When herding, biting is as a last resort to control stock, not as a matter of course.

Have you talked with her breeder? Her breeder may be able to offer some insights as well.

Re-homing her still would leave you in a position of liability. Rescue would not be able to take her due to her history now and IF she would bite in the new home, then there is another kettle of fish.

As I said, tough shoes to be in, but hopefully you'll be able to find a cause that can be fixable or at least managed.

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

One thing for sure: something has set your hitherto love-everyone Corgi into a sad, sad spin.
It is not age. Is it changed circumstances that have stresed and confused her to breaking point.
She doesn't give out herding nips because such nips are usually just that - a nip rather than a bite.
It is something medical. I would think it most likely is. She could be suffering from something as yet undiagnosed.
Debbie has the steps in order - complete medical check and if that can't dig up a cause, then a Cesar Millan. Don't give her up. Vastly most people and most authorities don't understand dogs and don't want to.

[Michael Romanos]

One thing for sure: something has set your hitherto love-everyone Corgi into a sad, sad spin.
It is not age. Is it changed circumstances that have stresed and confused her to breaking point.
She doesn't give out herding nips because such nips are usually just that - a nip rather than a bite.
Is it somthing medical. I would think it most likely is. She could be suffering from somthing as yet undiagnosed.
Debbie has the steps in order - complete medical check and if that can't dig up a cause, then a Cesar Millan. Don't give her up. Vastly most people and most authorities don't understand dogs and don't want to.

[Pawsies]

I wouldn't recommend sending her to Caesar unless you actually want her to bite him (which may not be such a bad thing, just kidding)

Caesar works on a basis which is outdated and proved wrong.

I know of someone who had a different breed (but still a very active breed) and they had a lot of trouble with him and rehomed him to a farm.
It worked wonders for the dog. Maybe it could work for you too?

I agree that a behaviourist should be consulted, I also think this dog would be a lot better off in the country, at a farm. She could benefit from actually being worked and using that aggression in a useful way. (NB, I know corgis shouldn't act aggressively towards cattle/livestock but the sheer energy that this corgi would release, herding these creatures up, would probably counteract the aggression)

Otherwise why don't you take her outside on a leash? That way she can't ever escape and there is very little risk of bites occuring.

[cgpriest]

Thank you all for listening and thinking about this -

We did have a medical workup done a few months ago, when she had several accidents in the house. Everything checked out okay. I'll check back with the vet to see if there's anything else we should look for. They have her for the next 8 days, anyway!

Taking her out on a leash is what we have done - mostly - for the last four months. Unfortunately, with seven people in our family, this rule has not been consistently followed since school started again. (Both adults teach, and are gone during the day. The older kids are home on and off all day - and that is when she was out.) I simply cannot rely on the kids becoming more consistent about it. If it were just my husband and I, it could be done.

I was pretty sure that a rescue group wouldn't be able to take her, but I want to explore every avenue.

[MyPemCharlie]

I would recommend not ever leaving her alone outside without supervision. If she must absolutely be left outside alone for any length of time, you might consider putting a 12x6 foot chain link dog run in your backyard. Above anything, you must make absolutely sure she cannot escape and perform bite #3. You can lose your homeowner's insurance, have to pay for medical treatment, and face heavy civil fines (in Texas it's up to $10,000) in addition to losing Tango.

Is she getting enough exercise and regular daily walks? Often dogs who aren't exercised enough become frustrated, which can result in aggression.

As other's have said, rule out medical problems first. If it's not medical, a good behaviorist should be able to help you manage and keep your girl. Be sure to ask the behaviorist for references and talk to some of their clients before hiring.

[Michael Romanos]

Pawsies - I said "a Cesar Millan" not THE Cesar Millan. Despite what you have said, Cesar can be great with small dogs too.
Frustration can alter a dog's demeanor and make him/her depressed.

[cgpriest]

What a relief...

A long talk with Animal Control yielded comforting results. The officer said that in her opinion, my dog is neither vicious or aggressive, and they do NOT consider this incident a "bite", but a territorial reaction from a herding dog. It REALLY helped that this is about a Corgi, and not some bigger dog with a worse reputation.

Although we did have to do the ten day's quarantine...I think that may be their way of levying a fine for the dog getting loose. (At close to $300.00, it is quite a fine.)

When I spoke with the lady who was "bitten", to offer reimbursement, apologies, and assurances that measures were being taken, she said that her pants weren't torn - just "slobbered", and there was "a black-and-blue mark". I'm left wondering why, then, she made such a fuss - there was some talk in the neighborhood that I had to put to rest. She never came to me - I had to track her down. I can't really criticize her, though - my dog and I were at fault.

The Animal Control officer (who came to the scene and met my dog) said that if it were her dog, she would NOT consider euthanasia. She made some recommendations for my yard, which we have taken - Tango will no longer have access to the front yard at all, even though it is fenced, unless we are out there with her to play. I think this will be much less frustrating for her, because she won't be able to see nearly as much foot traffic.

Bottom line:the vet says she healthy and friendly, she is happy to be home, slightly hoarse from barking, and quite affectionate.

Thanks for all your support and advice!

[cgpriest]

I've added a picture of her in the gallery, and tried to put the photo on my profile too. Not sure if I did it right, though.

She's a cutie.

I didn't make it very clear - she is only outside without one of us for a few minutes at a time, and now the backyard is much safer and more secluded. I still don't want the kids to leave her out there, though - I HOPE this scared them enough to take this more seriously.

[MyPemCharlie]

Glad to hear that worked out well. She sure is a pretty girl!

[fogebotom]

I'm kind of in your neighborhood if you need any additional help-Cedar Rapids area.

Have you contacted her breeder? That really can be a big help if the breeder has a good knowledge of her bloodlines, health history of the parents and such.

I think part of this might be stress from the summer to fall change of the family. Many corgis don't do well to change and it may be her way of showing her displeasure.

Also, I will see if I can get any good recommendations for trainers in your area that might help. I have lots of friends out that way.

Cindy and the crew at Foggy Bottom
www.foggybottomusa.com

[Michael Romanos]

What a lot of fuss and officialdom and cost (donation???) over a nothingness. A bite is a bite - drawing blood/ripping clothes - not a nudge.