Dog Advice Please

[Bulletdance]

Hey everyone, I could reallllllly use some advice right now. My cat recently passed away and to cheer me up my sister was very kind and got me a dog. There's a huge problem though. He's a bassat/corgi mix and I severly underestimated how much excerize and strick training he needs. We were told he was brought back once for biting a 4 year old girl. We figured the kid was probably just too rough wth him. Then he got out of the house on me and I ran got him by the collar picked him up and he bit me hard and broke the skin. That whole innocent lead to my sickness bothering me horribly for the next two days. I was still able to walk him and play with him, but today my brother came over to see him. He reached his hand over the fence to pet the dog and the dog bit him too. I told my bro to come in and hold his hand out while I assure the dog it's okay for him to be there and hold him. It didn't work, the dog just kept trying to go after him snapping like a mad man. The dog is very attached to me and it kills me to think of taking him back, but I feel at this point I just can't handle him. I already caught the nieghbors kids once jumping in to our yard without asking to play with him. He didn't do anything, but I warned them and they still stuck thier hands through the fence to pet him. He's not even house trained so I feel like I have to watch him every second. Any advice on this would be appreciated. Do you think I am doing the right thing by wanting to take him back?

[Aleu]

Corgi's have a very strong herding instinct that does involve nipping and often biting. If they're not worked with and socialized at a young age... Then it can prove to be a problem later in life. One of my professers told me of an aggresive Corgi that had to be rehomed to a farm. Instead of taking him back to the shelter, is there place where you rehome him instead?

[GormanGhaste]

Taking him back is probably the best thing you can do. If you kept him and he bit a neighbor child, he might end up being euthanized.

[Bonita]

I dont know too much about dogs (cat person), but if you can't get him to stop biting it might be best to find him a new home. When I was little I got mauled by a German Shepherd because they couldn't get him to stop biting people. He ended up getting put down because of the damage he did to my face and I loved that dog. Id hate it if your doggy bit someone and a parent demanding to have him put down as well.

[Sesamee]

Honestly finding a new home is just passing your problem onto someone else. You have the dog so he's your responsibility right now. Dogs bite for many different reasons. Biting when a collar is grabbed is quite common. Most dogs don't like hands rushing towards their face. Some tolerate it better than others. This dog has probably learned that biting when a hand grabs his collar, something he is uncomfortable with, means the hand will be taken away. It works, why wouldn't he keep doing it the future?

You need professional help if you are going to keep this dog. Giving a dog away who has a bite history means it will probably bite again and be put down. It won't solve anything really. It just means you won't have to deal with the decision to either work with the dog or euthanize him.

My friend is a canine behaviorist and you wouldn't believe the dogs that totally do a 180 with their behavior. If you love this dog at all please try professional help before killing him or having someone else do the dirty work. From your description he doesn't sound like a bad dog, just one who has been failed before by humans and deserves a chance. I can help put you in contact with trainers in your area who use positive training techniques if you're interested.

[Electraa]

Don't give him away because you can't deal with it. That's selfish, in my honest and rather blunt opinion.

First off, bring him inside. It's not hard to house train a dog, take him outside every morning and night before bed. Tell him repeatedly "Outside outside" or something similar(My smallest dog always tells me when she has to go out, either by getting a bit frantic or pestering me, it's quite cute). Get him used too listening to YOU, and if you see him show signs of aggression. IE: Lip upturning, ear flattening, tail lowering, remove whomever he is showing aggression to out of the room \ area, and scold him. You need too show him that he can't do that, it's called discipline.

I have several aggressive dogs who adore me and my Mother, but around other people they would rather attack them than anything else. It's just their nature. Dog's see you apart of their pack, as their alpha, and if it seems that something is bothering you, they react. It also may be that, if you keep him outside in a pen, that he's stressed around children.

Just give him some TLC and work with him, it's quite easy once you get used too it.

Sorry for being rather blunt by the way. ^^; I hope everything works out.

[Bulletdance]

Thanks everyone. I decided to have a trainer come out and look at him. If the trainer thinks he can be made to be safe with an effort I feel I can handle I will keep him. If not I know one other person who is experienced with training dogs who really wants him and may be able to take him. If that fails and I don't think I can be what he needs or keep him from biting anyone else I will take him back to the shelter.