# Help! She tried to bite me!



## Siese (Feb 25, 2011)

Okay, I still can't believe I'm posting in the AGGRESSION section about this sweet dog.

I have the sweetest 3 year old GSD/Border Collie mix dog named Lucy. She's always been very sweet and smart. I mean, so smart that I barely had to work with her at all. She just really GOT living with me, you know?

Anyway, now that it's getting colder at night, I've been letting her climb up in my lap in my favorite leather recliner for a couple of hours before bed. This was only the second time I let her do it. She crawled up in the chair with me and laid down, but I was a tad uncomfortable, so I wrapped one arm under her and tried to resituate her. Lucy growled (first time she's ever growled at me!) so I let go and looked at my boyfriend, who had his Surprised Face on. He's never seen her act like that either. So, thinking it was a fluke or that maybe my arm was uncomfortable underneath her, I tried again in a different way, this time with my arm around her chest. She growled again and PUT HER MOUTH ON MY HAND. Not hard, but definitely in a way she meant to be interpreted as a warning. I still didn't really expect her to bite me, so I tried one more time (third time's the charm, right?) and this time she growled and turned toward my face, but she didn't actually bite me.

I just don't understand why she'd do this. She's never been aggressive or dominant with me, so I don't understand why she'd crawl up in my lap and then start growling at me every time I moved! She used to be allowed on the furniture at my old apartment (over a year ago) but not since then, and back then she'd lay in my lap or on the couch and was always really sweet about it, no matter how I moved her or tugged on her or whatever. I just don't understand the sudden change in her. I really can't stress how out of the norm this was. My other dog wasn't even in the room, so that wasn't the issue. The other dog was in her crate in the bedroom (they're wild when I let them out together).

Was she just being territorial of me/the chair? Did she think I was moving her to make her get down? Should I not let her on the furniture/in my lap anymore?


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

You might want to rule out an injury.She has previously been comfotable being in your lap w/ no problem being moved. Lucky had a similar issue w/ me and we found out he had strained his muscles in his neck.after he snapped at me and toothed my forehead.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

Yup, time for a vet visit. Sounds like a pain response.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Make sure she's not hurt...

And I'd stop letting her up on me on that chair. If she tries, don't make an issue of it, just stand up and guide her away from the chair. Keep standing up and moving her away or use your 'go lay down' command. Timing is everything with this, for the time being, just know that chair is yours until this is worked out.


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## sharkey19 (Sep 25, 2011)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> Make sure she's not hurt...
> 
> And I'd stop letting her up on me on that chair. If she tries, don't make an issue of it, just stand up and guide her away from the chair. Keep standing up and moving her away or use your 'go lay down' command. Timing is everything with this, for the time being, just know that chair is yours until this is worked out.


Ditto. Get her checked out in case she was painful for some reason, and once that is ruled out, I would definitely not be letting her on the furniture.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Pain! That's a pain response. Dogs are amazing at masking pain and sometimes it takes something like this to make you aware of an injury. 

Any time your dog acts in an extreme, uncharacteristic way the first thing you should do is make a vet appt.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

The only times my, otherwise sweet, dogs growl is when they are in pain. Definitely, check it out.


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## Siese (Feb 25, 2011)

Okay, thanks for the advice everybody. I'll definitely take her to the vet ASAP to rule out an injury! Better to be safe than sorry, right?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i'm on the have her checked out by a vet train. also dont allow her up on the furniture anymore either just in case.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I'm going to be the devils advocate. 

What if she doesn't have an injury or isn't in pain? I would definitely set some ground rules. If she growls on you, gives you a warning or even goes at your face, that is absolutely unacceptable and she'd be off the recliner, off me for good. 

She's a dog and even the sweet loving dogs have their boundaries and may not appreciate to be moved around on your lap or even called on your lap. Dogs will be dogs, will be dogs, will be dogs. 

For some reason she was uncomfortable with what you did, whether she's in pain or not you can find out by taking her to the vet but let's face it. Every dog, even the sweet ones, can and will give you a warning if they don't like what you do with them, so let's not excuse everything with pain, please.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Mrs.K said:


> *Dogs will be dogs, will be dogs, will be dogs*.


Sometimes we forget this. Yes cute & cuddley but a dog is a dog.


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## 4loveofadog (Mar 3, 2010)

Siese said:


> Okay, I still can't believe I'm posting in the AGGRESSION section about this sweet dog.
> 
> I have the sweetest 3 year old GSD/Border Collie mix dog named Lucy. She's always been very sweet and smart. I mean, so smart that I barely had to work with her at all. She just really GOT living with me, you know?
> 
> ...


 was just curious how your dog was after taking her to the vet. did the vet find anything wrong with her? has she shown any more aggression.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Every bit of that does sound like some type of pain response. Is this cuddling normal for her? I wonder if there is something going on inside. But whatever. I would definitely rule out the physical before considering anything behavioral. 

I think it is the grabbing of the hand, without biting down that makes me think that it is a pain response. She is not trying to take over, she is not trying to hurt you, she is trying to TELL you something. That something is, don't hurt me, what you are doing is going to hurt me. That is my guess.


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