Crying, I am the absolute worst mother in the world

[Mom2Deacon]

I feel so darn guilty right now. I thought I was doing the right thing and it is blowing up real good. As many of you know, I agreed to having the dog come here along with the cats. I thought it would be a great thing. I have been working with her on housebreaking and so on, since she was outside for so long. She has gone to parks, been groomed, up to date on shots, etc..

But she went to bite Hawke the other day and today, for no apparent reason, she bit him when he went to put on her leash. She didn't break the skin which is good news.

I can't keep a dog who is going to bite. I feel absolutely horrible. I just don't know what to do right now. Take her to the vet, the humane society, find her a place on my own....

I thought this would go so well. I gave the kids so much hope. I was enjoying having her around too. I feel like this is all my fault.

--Sara

[MamaC]

If you are willing, you might be able to find a trainer who can figure out what the dog's issues are and work with you and the dog to overcome them.

If you feel you must surrender the dog, I would suggest finding a "no-kill" shelter. They will screen applicants before releasing her to a new owner.

[Denise]

Is it possible she's hurting somehow? Sometimes dogs act out when they aren't feeling well. She also may feel out of sorts and overwhelmed w/ the changes.

[CButler]

Things happen beyond our control. You're doing the best you can!
I hope this is not too hard for the kids whatever you do.

[frizzyrazzy]

you're not the worst mother - the worst mother would just turn around and not care. You're going to find a solution to the situation and your going to protect your children. :)

[Judy&Alli]

Hugs Sara, You are not a bad mom!!!!!!

I cannot give you advice on what to do, but you will make the right decision because you ARE a good mom!

[Mom2Deacon]

Thank you guys. I am calmer now and really looking at it all. My first step will be to take her to the vet and discuss this with him, and also have him check her out in case she is not feeling well. For the moment, I will be getting her ready for walks.

I am concerned that she is only doing this to Hawke. And frankly I think Hawke may make her anxious. Hawke takes a different approach to her than the rest of us. He is loud and his tone is bossy with her. I ahve been teaching him that she doesn't like the way she talks to him. She prefers a more friendly, calmer stance. I have gotten her to do things for me that he couldn't because of how I approached her. I wonder if he makes her anxious, or if the entire house full of kids makes her anxious.

So, since I am wondering all of that, I will be taking her to the vet ASAP and then seeing what else can be done.

--Sara

[Ellen]

You are a wonderfully compassionate mother. You wanted to give the dog a better life. You tried. You must protect your children of course - that's what a loving mother does.

[frizzyrazzy]

could it be that Hawke doesn't like her or is a little afraid of her?? Maybe he is trying to just put on a good front and that's why his tone is a little different with her? (Or is that his personality in general?????)

[Mom2Deacon]

could it be that Hawke doesn't like her or is a little afraid of her?? Maybe he is trying to just put on a good front and that's why his tone is a little different with her? (Or is that his personality in general?????)

That is his personality in general. He does it to his brothers too. It is something his therapist is having him work on.

--Sara

[RosemaryCinNJ]

Sara...You are a terrific mom..no question about that...I wouldnt have a dog that tried to bite either, but the dog could possibly be trained..and definately talk to the vet for options as well. This is NOT your fault!!!

[Mom2Deacon]

Sara...You are a terrific mom..no question about that...I wouldnt have a dog that tried to bite either, but the dog could possibly be trained..and definately talk to the vet for options as well. This is NOT your fault!!!

I realize that it isn't my fault but it felt like that when I was typing this thread this morning. And there are times I can be too hard on myself. This morning was one of them.

I am now much calmer and am able to think more clearly. I still do not know what I am going to do. I am hoping that the vet will be able to help me with that.

--Sara

[Charliesmom]

Is Hawke ever alone with her? Is there a chance that he is rough with her when you are not looking? Pulling her by her collar or something? Since she is only after him I would look into that.
If you do need to find her a new home try and find a breed rescue or an all breed rescue.

[Deannas mom]

Everyone else has made some really good points. Dogs can be very teritoral (sp) and actually not like some people. Don't feel so bad..what you are doing so far is the right thing. We had to give away Achillies several months ago after he attacked my husband. He was showing aggressiveness in a lot of different situations. If your dog is only showing agression to towards your son it may be that he hurt him at one point that you are not aware of. See what the vet says, and if you are able to, a trainer is an excellent idea. The most important thing is to keep your family safe. I felt horrible having to give away our dog but we simply could not keep him.

[MelStan]

I don't know if this will help at all Sara..but we got a puppy about 8 months ago, and he started to become snappy quite early on. If we approached him while he was sleeping he would growl and snap at us.
I was really worried and thought we needed to find another home for him. But it turned out that he'd had a couple of bad experiences while he was sleeping (my youngest tripped over him one night, and Charlie tried to pick him up another time, and most likely hurt him without meaning to, because he yelped. The dog that is ;))
So once we'd worked out what was causing the behaviour, and made sure we left him alone when he was sleeping, he stopped growling, etc.
He obviously feels secure now, and has a great temperament :cwds:
I think taking him to the vet is a great idea, and I hope you can work out what is causing the problem. It's very stressful I know!

[Becky Stevens mom]

Now Sara, you know that we all think the world of you and we also know what a sweet, loving Mom you are. Im so sorry this happened. A pp pointed out that sometimes dogs will do this if they are in pain, so I think it would be a good idea to take the dog to the vet and see whats going on. I am hoping for the best and sending good vibes your way:cwds:

[sisterbeth43]

Sara, just wanted to put my 2cents worth in. I think you are a wonderful mom. I know things must be very hard trying to raise 4 boys on your own. You will get the problem taken care of. Does Hawke like the dog? Sometimes animals sense when a person doesn't really like them. Just a thought.

[sam1nat2]

Is this a good sized dog? If she didn't break the skin, most likely it was because she didn't want to.
Dogs often "smack" with their teeth, it is more of a warning than an aggressive thing. This happened when Sam was a baby and was crawling on our lab at the time. They were inseparable and the dog never left his side when he was home for 9 years---

[Omo2three]

When our dog was a puppy he had issues with biting and snapping...I took a dog training class with him and it helped. After a 6 wk class he could heel, sit, I could take his food away without him snapping...and a changed dog.

I am glad he didn't break the skin,

When my dog was run over by the car...he bit into my arm, but didn't break the skin...it was because he was hurt and scared. IF you can eliminate those factors...you may be able to keep the dog.

Hope the vet can help you!

your not a bad mom....you care...so your a caring mom..and in my book that makes you wonderful.