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In short, our family was visiting with my SIL and her family over the holiday weekend and her dog- a blue heeler- BIT me on the leg. Background: we haven't seen the dog in almost a year and he's about 15-18 months old now. He was always a biter when he was a puppy and a jumper but it wasn't anything serious, just puppy bites. He recently got fixed and my BIL has been training him to do various tricks and the like and when we saw him this trip, he was much calmer and mellow. Anyway, here's the sequence of events when we arrived:.
He's bitten before. And it wasn't corrected properly and now they have a bigger dog who is a biter.
Hopefully the dog goes to someone who will spend the time to correctly train and socialize the dog.
I agree with others that this sounds like herding behavior, not aggression biting. The heeler instinct for using their mouth and teeth while herding is stronger than other breeds.
The situation you described sounds to me like your behavior with the bee business aroused the dog's instinct for keeping things under control and on par. You were doing something unusual and unexpected (to the dog) - which means (to the dog) that his job is to get things back to normal. Which is what he was trying to get you to do. At least, that is what I suspect, based on what you have told us.
I also agree that this is a dog who needs more activity and involvement with his owners in their daily routines. Find somebody with a farm or a house in the country where the dog can watch over the chickens or geese. Or, if there are no farm animals, where he can at least chase the squirrels!
Some years ago, I was in a similar situation. I was able to take the dog myself, and foster the dog until I could find a more suitable home for it. Not sure you would want to take this on - but if you could - it would be a better outcome for the dog. It wasn't a good solution, as I was traveling for work at the time, but it was better than leaving the dog with the owner (who was entirely unlikely to find a good home for the dog, or to treat him right).
If you could convince them to get a heeler rescue group involved, that would be an ideal solution.
I agree with others that this sounds like herding behavior, not aggression biting. The heeler instinct for using their mouth and teeth while herding is stronger than other breeds.
The situation you described sounds to me like your behavior with the bee business aroused the dog's instinct for keeping things under control and on par. You were doing something unusual and unexpected (to the dog) - which means (to the dog) that his job is to get things back to normal. Which is what he was trying to get you to do. At least, that is what I suspect, based on what you have told us.
I also agree that this is a dog who needs more activity and involvement with his owners in their daily routines. Find somebody with a farm or a house in the country where the dog can watch over the chickens or geese. Or, if there are no farm animals, where he can at least chase the squirrels!
Some years ago, I was in a similar situation. I was able to take the dog myself, and foster the dog until I could find a more suitable home for it. Not sure you would want to take this on - but if you could - it would be a better outcome for the dog. It wasn't a good solution, as I was traveling for work at the time, but it was better than leaving the dog with the owner (who was entirely unlikely to find a good home for the dog, or to treat him right).
If you could convince them to get a heeler rescue group involved, that would be an ideal solution.
Your assessment sounds spot on- I was just the unlucky one who got bit. Now, if the dog had bit one of our kids in the same way, some serious damage may have been done so I'm glad that he took his instincts out on me instead of one of them. I also agree that my SIL and her family aren't able to give the dog the kind of activity that he needs, mainly because they aren't home most of the time and because they just aren't dedicated enough to figure out what he needs. That particular breed has become very popular around their area and appears to be more of a status symbol rather than what the breed was intended for.
As for me taking the dog, there is no way that is going to happen. Not only do I live 3 states away from them but as I stated in another post, my DH and I only want to get a dog when we are sure we have the proper time and attention to give to it. Leaving a dog in a backyard all day long is not what we are going to do. I also can only hope that my SIL finds a good home for the dog and that he can roam more and have a "job" that is breed specific.
And me being a "cat person" really has nothing to do with this dog biting me- I've been around dogs my entire life and have yet to have an experience like this. I may prefer cats at this moment but that doesn't mean I hate dogs or anything like that. I know plenty of lovable pups and enjoy being around them.
I think the poster who made the comment about you being a cat person was joking.
Your assessment sounds spot on- I was just the unlucky one who got bit. Now, if the dog had bit one of our kids in the same way, some serious damage may have been done so I'm glad that he took his instincts out on me instead of one of them. I also agree that my SIL and her family aren't able to give the dog the kind of activity that he needs, mainly because they aren't home most of the time and because they just aren't dedicated enough to figure out what he needs. That particular breed has become very popular around their area and appears to be more of a status symbol rather than what the breed was intended for.
As for me taking the dog, there is no way that is going to happen. Not only do I live 3 states away from them but as I stated in another post, my DH and I only want to get a dog when we are sure we have the proper time and attention to give to it. Leaving a dog in a backyard all day long is not what we are going to do. I also can only hope that my SIL finds a good home for the dog and that he can roam more and have a "job" that is breed specific.
Not necessarily. My father has a GSD--another herding breed--who is not trained at all and who "bites" but only because he gets excited when I play with him and his brother. My father never plays with them; so, when I come over and play with them (throwing the ball), they are super happy about it and one of them gets so excited that he nips me when we play (usually when I turn my back). And, yeah, it HURTS but it is definitely not aggression.
The dog may have been just trying to get your attention so that you would play with him (again). Herding breeds especially LOVE to play, perhaps b/c they have so much energy. However, I've also noticed that it is how they bond with people.
I know this sounds weird but that "bite" might actually have been a compliment.
A few more minutes go by and a bee is buzzing around my face and I hurry away from it, as I have a bad allergy. I didn't see it but everyone else saw the dog "herd me" and nip at my feet. All were puzzled.
THIS explains 99.9999% of everything...
part 1: "all were puzzled"
hey have a healer and they were puzzled when the dog started trying to HEAL a human who was acting abnormally (to the dogs mind you are acting oddly by trying to "escape" form the bee, he felt the need to control the situation (because the other humans obviously wernt) instinct told hum, human is crazy, human is breaking rank, human is not in herd, get human back in herd and did EACTLY what healers do...he tried to put you back with the herd...
this is why healers and kids tned not to mix, the fact he didn't nip you then is pretty good self control on his part to be honest....
the fact that his owners and all the other humans wre confused by this behavior mean they have NO comprehension of the high drive working breed hey have adde to their family...the hearding instinct in a healer is surpassed by only working border collies, and healers were bred specifically to NIP at the heals of stubborn cattle to get them to move where they want them.
2: this dog herded you once...herding/healing is a show of dominance, he fact that his human didn't correct the situation/tell the dog that his reaction was unnessicary and that THEY have control of the situation simply solidified in the dogs mind that the new human (YOU) are part of HIS herd and can be treated as such...
the dog was sleeping...you passed through his omfort zone, he probably startled and reacted EXACTLY how he would react to cattle that gets too close to the dogs personal space...he NIPED to get you to move...instinct told him cattle in space, nip to move it..
if hed bitten youd have more than 2 small puncture wounds and a buise...
it wasn't YOUR fault...not in a deliberate way...
but...it wasn't the dogs fault either...they have a high drive working beed with an natural ingrained instinct to NIP at the heels of large animals...
Healers are not like any other herding or sheparding breed because of that nipping behavior...until they understand what a healer is, thyell never be able to properly address the problem or teach the dog good/proper self control.
2: this dog herded you once...herding/healing is a show of dominance,
if hed bitten youd have more than 2 small puncture wounds and a buise...
it wasn't YOUR fault...not in a deliberate way...
but...it wasn't the dogs fault either...they have a high drive working beed with an natural ingrained instinct to NIP at the heels of large animals...
Healers are not like any other herding or sheparding breed because of that nipping behavior...until they understand what a healer is, thyell never be able to properly address the problem or teach the dog good/proper self control.
Yes, agree, except need to take a tiny point of issue with the bolded part. Unlike border collies who control their herd via eye and stalking behaviors, heelers control and move cattle very differently via gripping- taking hold of the animal, usually the rear leg (why they are called "heelers") it is bred into them to do this. So, it isn't "dominance", but rather instinct that causes them to herd and grip/nip, in this case they gripped a human.
A minor point and otherwise agree.
When I got my blue heeler 7 years ago now, she drove me nuts herding/gripping/getting right up to my legs to control my movement. It took awhile but trained that out of her. With my border collie- same thing- he tried to herd me but through bc style herding- took different method to teach him that herding the human wasn't a good thing.
Sad situation for this dog and hope it gets rehomed with someone familiar with the breed.
I agree with others that this sounds like herding behavior, not aggression biting. The heeler instinct for using their mouth and teeth while herding is stronger than other breeds.
The situation you described sounds to me like your behavior with the bee business aroused the dog's instinct for keeping things under control and on par. You were doing something unusual and unexpected (to the dog) - which means (to the dog) that his job is to get things back to normal. Which is what he was trying to get you to do. At least, that is what I suspect, based on what you have told us.
I also agree that this is a dog who needs more activity and involvement with his owners in their daily routines. Find somebody with a farm or a house in the country where the dog can watch over the chickens or geese. Or, if there are no farm animals, where he can at least chase the squirrels!
Some years ago, I was in a similar situation. I was able to take the dog myself, and foster the dog until I could find a more suitable home for it. Not sure you would want to take this on - but if you could - it would be a better outcome for the dog. It wasn't a good solution, as I was traveling for work at the time, but it was better than leaving the dog with the owner (who was entirely unlikely to find a good home for the dog, or to treat him right).
If you could convince them to get a heeler rescue group involved, that would be an ideal solution.
Yes, agree, except need to take a tiny point of issue with the bolded part. Unlike border collies who control their herd via eye and stalking behaviors, heelers control and move cattle very differently via gripping- taking hold of the animal, usually the rear leg (why they are called "heelers") it is bred into them to do this. So, it isn't "dominance", but rather instinct that causes them to herd and grip/nip, in this case they gripped a human.
A minor point and otherwise agree.
When I got my blue heeler 7 years ago now, she drove me nuts herding/gripping/getting right up to my legs to control my movement. It took awhile but trained that out of her. With my border collie- same thing- he tried to herd me but through bc style herding- took different method to teach him that herding the human wasn't a good thing.
Sad situation for this dog and hope it gets rehomed with someone familiar with the breed.
Again, yup. Heelers...and some other herding breeds, such as Aussies...instinctually grip to control stock. They are born to control anything that moves and must be taught what movers are not appropriate to grip as well as be adequately mentally and physically exercised. Too much unreleased energy easily rears it's ugly head into instinctual behaviors like gripping.
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