Dog bites are a very real concern in the dog training industry. A dog bite can change your active status to a pending working status. Or worse, it can end a career. We take aggressive dogs very seriously. From the form completion, to intake, and into their everyday training. We expect you to do the same if your dog is aggressive.
We have had our fair share of dogs that have tried to bite or attack us. This specific aggressive dog record has passed the required security clearance for general public knowledge. We were able to gain the archive access and make this available with minimal redactions.
I was on Day 4 with my new trainee. The first three days with this 100lbs plus big guy showed me what to expect going forward. The pickup day was one of the hardest days I’ve had to work through. This is when I met up with the owner to transfer their dog to me at a local park. He was big. He was ultra-aggressive. And he knew how to use his teeth. Getting him loaded into the back of my truck were some long intense moments that I’ll never forget. That’s a story for different day.
This big 100lbs plus dog came to us because we were his last stop before getting shipped off to the dog pound to be euthanized. This dog had already killed other dogs before. One of them was a family dog member. His resource guarding level was so high that his owners were fearful at select times. And they had small children living in the home who they were very concerned about.
There are some people that say dog owners are the ones that make dogs mean. And that all dogs are inherently good. That’s a big fat lie. I can share plenty of stories where dog owners tried so hard to give their dog a great life and their dog became scary aggressive after that. This big guy’s family did everything they could to give him a great pampered life. He just became a malicious dog because he got some confidence after his bad behavior got him what he wanted. And it grew worse from there.
Dog owners aren’t expecting their dog to become this big bad scary animal. And they don’t know how to handle those situations when they come up. His family was determined to do everything they could to save him.
Here’s some background information you need to know. This guy was always looking for a way to grab the throat or scruff of any animal and violently shake them until he broke their neck. Then he would fling the animal to the ground like a piece of trash. Yes, this guy was big. He was scary. And he knew how to go for the throat to kill.
It was Day 4 of this guy’s training that could have ended the life of a less experienced trainer. I always ensure a muzzle is worn at all times when taking on an aggressive dog. I was walking out of my front door with this guy. He was on my lefthand side. And my house setup has a small enclosed brick patio that extends about 12 feet from my front door to the patio door which leads outside to the driveway.
As we walked out my front door, this 100lbs plus guy started rubbing his body along my leg. The same way that happy dogs do it when they want some love as they push their body next to yours. I was so excited thinking that he was having a personality change towards me, I never looked at his body language or his tail. I started petting this guy as we were walking towards the door. I was telling him good boy that whole time. And as we are walking, he’s pushing me closer and closer to the wall on my right.
We were almost to my patio door and he had me right next to the wall. And that’s when it happened!
He set me up for a kill bite. This big 100lbs plus guy leaped from his powerful back legs straight up to my throat to bite me. I felt the hard rubber muzzle go right into the lefthand side of my throat while feeling his heavy breath growl bark magnify right into my ear.
My normally infrequent ringing ears went straight into this high pitch ring. And I went into survival mode. I instantly took my right hand and formed a knife shape while turning into my trainee. I took my right hand and brought it straight up between his left front leg and body and gave him a hard pop under the shoulder. Just like a wrestler does right before a shoulder drag take down. His muzzled chomping teeth turned away from my face and down towards my hand which was just enough of a window to take my open palm hand and press him against the wall. Then I pulled down hard on the leash to get his mouth away from my face and throat. Pulling him back down so he’s on all four of his legs now.
No sooner was he standing on all four of his legs, when he redirected and went for my throat again. He attempted to attack my throat 4 or 5 times during that moment. I don’t remember the exact amount. Only that it felt like a hundred times. My double leash system that I have employed for some time is what helped me manage and limit his further attempts to rip out my throat. That and he tired out quickly because he only had back leg power. He didn’t have the front leg strength that you see in other dogs that wear out their dog owner because they can hug the ground and pull you any which way they want. Similar to being in a ground fight in an octogen with an experienced fighter.
My previous non-dog related training experience is what helped me get out of that bad situation quickly. And my dog training experience plus the double leash system that I use to manage aggressive dogs kept me safe and him off balance for the remaining attacks.
Most trainers would call that day, take a break and restart later, or go back to basic work to help build that relationship up again. And rightly so. This is scary stuff. All those are all great methods. The dog trainers that find ways to work with these ultra-aggressive dogs with limited results because that dog is dangerous; is great work. Don’t lose sight of that. They share what they have found that works and what doesn’t. Yes, it is limited but it is a real chance for that dog to not be put down and have some sort of future life at home.
Our process to work through these issues is more unconventional since we keep working after these hard moments but it has a higher percentage of better results.
Once that whole fracas ended, I opened my patio door. We walked out together and started his training session. I’d like to say that everything worked great after that but this guy didn’t stop attacking me until day 5 of our training. Here’s the squeeze…
This guy has been home for over a year now. They have taken him places. They take him for enjoyable walks now. They have had him in front of complete strangers while he holds his sit command or down command. He doesn’t try to attack strangers anymore when he’s out with his owners. And, we even have an updated video on our Instagram channel of him performing multiple commands in a quiet setting away from people off the leash. This dog was not put down, dumped at the shelter, and he has been living a great life in their big new home with growing kids. We have helped other dogs just like this guy. And he hasn’t been our most dangerous one we have trained.
We have made great changes for dogs over the years.
Your dog is family.
So are we!
The dog breed, dog pictures, and family details were omitted for privacy concerns. And they know these events already.
