Dog bit me, need help.

[Bailey's Mom]

In the absence of any obvious reason for the behaviour, take him to the vet for a full check up. Make sure he checks the mouth and ears for a possible abscess, and his skin around his collar for sores...his entire body for sores.
Go back and visualize your approach step-by-step, your walk, your attitude, his stance, his tail, position of his head - was it down between his shoulders or up? Was he vocalizing - whining, barking, growling? Was his tail pointing straight out, was it wagging? Were his lips curled back, was his mouth open and was he panting? Was he standing stiffly or licking his lips? The Devil (and the reason) are in the details.
Is there anything else that you would like to add, that you omitted, that would lend itself to clarifying the situation?
You didn't answer whether you were the dog's owner or whether it was a parent's or partner's dog. All you said is you were returning from school. The problem, as I see it, is you're saying a previously stable, 15 month old male Corso with whom you have enjoyed a good relationship, derailed and without provocation - a breed that is generally non biting - bit you, a familiar family member - without warning and without cause. You are in the enviable position of being able to explain the events leading up to the bite whereas the dog is mute on the subject.
If there was no negative history with the animal and nothing different in how you entered the yard, and if no medical reason can be found - no rabies, no distemper, no painful sore reacting to your touch, I'd be left with the impression that you left some pertinent details out.

 

[Jadotha]

I have a few questions:

You've mentioned his 'doggie house'.......is this a dog that is kept outside?
If so, how much daily contact and interaction does he have with you and other family members? I ask this because according to you, you walked over to him. He did not eagerly run over to greet you -- which seems rather odd to me unless he was tethered to the dog house.
What training has been done with him?

Re: The bite incident
Did you come home alone, or did friends accompany you at least to the gate? If so, were any of them raking the fence or 'baiting'/teasing the dog in any way which might have made him anxious?
Were you wearing a cap or hoodie?

What happened in the last interaction with him before the biting encounter?
What happened in the next interaction AFTER the biting encounter?

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Great questions Jadotha, I was going there next. I wondered if others were involved, and I was also going to ask about clothing, ball caps or sunglasses. My dog reacts to not being able to see your eyes. I also wondered if this dog was an outside dog, unable to run around and given no socialization. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[tojvan]

It was a warning bite, either in the dogs mind your not as close as you think you are clearly at the time he didn't appreciate what you were doing. If he meant to seriously attack you, you wouldn't be here right now.

 

[Jadotha]

My dog reacts to not being able to see your eyes

Yes, so does mine!

 

[qwertyuiop]

I have a few questions:

You've mentioned his 'doggie house'.......is this a dog that is kept outside?
If so, how much daily contact and interaction does he have with you and other family members? I ask this because according to you, you walked over to him. He did not eagerly run over to greet you -- which seems rather odd to me unless he was tethered to the dog house.
What training has been done with him?

Re: The bite incident
Did you come home alone, or did friends accompany you at least to the gate? If so, were any of them raking the fence or 'baiting'/teasing the dog in any way which might have made him anxious?
Were you wearing a cap or hoodie?

What happened in the last interaction with him before the biting encounter?
What happened in the next interaction AFTER the biting encounter?

Yes, he is kept outside.
There is a lot of contact, like every time a family member comes out they throw a ball or change his water or something.
He isn't tethered to the doggy house.
There wasn't any serious training done with him, just the sit command and go to your spot command.
I came home alone.
I wasn't wearing any head wear.

 

[qwertyuiop]

In the absence of any obvious reason for the behaviour, take him to the vet for a full check up. Make sure he checks the mouth and ears for a possible abscess, and his skin around his collar for sores...his entire body for sores.
Go back and visualize your approach step-by-step, your walk, your attitude, his stance, his tail, position of his head - was it down between his shoulders or up? Was he vocalizing - whining, barking, growling? Was his tail pointing straight out, was it wagging? Were his lips curled back, was his mouth open and was he panting? Was he standing stiffly or licking his lips? The Devil (and the reason) are in the details.
Is there anything else that you would like to add, that you omitted, that would lend itself to clarifying the situation?
You didn't answer whether you were the dog's owner or whether it was a parent's or partner's dog. All you said is you were returning from school. The problem, as I see it, is you're saying a previously stable, 15 month old male Corso with whom you have enjoyed a good relationship, derailed and without provocation - a breed that is generally non biting - bit you, a familiar family member - without warning and without cause. You are in the enviable position of being able to explain the events leading up to the bite whereas the dog is mute on the subject.
If there was no negative history with the animal and nothing different in how you entered the yard, and if no medical reason can be found - no rabies, no distemper, no painful sore reacting to your touch, I'd be left with the impression that you left some pertinent details out.

I know exactly what you mean about the details, and I know it does sound fishy,smelly, like it doesn't sound right, it surprised me too.
Here I'll try to describe everything that might help:

I was coming home, and over the fence I noticed Nero standing in the middle of the front yard looking at the street.
I opened fence gate and approached him, at this point I'm standing near him and I do not hear any growling/barking, he is just standing there.
I put my hand on his head and pet him, no reaction. As I was lowering my hand under his mouth to scratch his neck (I didn't even get to scratch it), he bites me and barks one time. I ran inside 'cause because it wasn't a small wound, his whole fang got inside my palm, and I was bleeding. I run inside to wash it with water and later I went to ER to get tetanus shot and to get it sanitized.

Now today when I came home from school I saw him laying down on the grass and the moment I entered the yard he went into his doggy house.

 

[angelbears]

What did your parents have to say about it?

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Where do you live - what state or province? What was the weather like where you are? What are the extremes, ie, hot or cold temps that the dog has to endure when living outside? is there shade, water, food? How many feedings a day? On the day in question, was it raining and thundering?

 

[DMikeM]

With the details I wonder if he has pain around the side of his face or under his chin. Possible ear infection even. Might have been a reaction to pain bite.

 

[Jadotha]

With the details I wonder if he has pain around the side of his face or under his chin. Possible ear infection even. Might have been a reaction to pain bite.

Yes, from what Qwerty has described, that indeed sounds quite likely! Nero didn't bite when initially touched on the head. It would also explain why -- if he associated pain with Querty -- why he went into his doggy house to avoid contact today.

I would strongly suggest taking him to the vet, asap!

 

[qwertyuiop]

What did your parents have to say about it?

Father was a bit worried because he may hurt someone else in a more serious way, and then he may have to be put down if he continues to be aggresive.

 

[qwertyuiop]

Where do you live - what state or province? What was the weather like where you are? What are the extremes, ie, hot or cold temps that the dog has to endure when living outside? is there shade, water, food? How many feedings a day? On the day in question, was it raining and thundering?

I live in Croatia, it's a small country in central/eastern Europe. Weather was cloudy, but not that much, sun was peeking behind clouds. Extremes - lowest temperature during winter would be -5, -10 extreme cases. Highest temperature, I'd say, maybe 30-35. He has water replaced a few times a day, even more when it's summer, food is available to him at all times as is shade. I fed him 3 times a day when he was a puppy, but since like 4 months he gets 2 meals per day (sometimes he doesn't even eat in the evening.) It wasn't raining and/or thundering on that day.

 

[angelbears]

With the details I wonder if he has pain around the side of his face or under his chin. Possible ear infection even. Might have been a reaction to pain bite.

I whole heartily agree. If you can't get him to the vet, suggest to your dad that he should at least check the pup for any signs of injury or infection.

 

[Jadotha]

Obviously it would be best to take him to a vet. But if you can't and your Father is going to attempt to examine the area, he may want to use a muzzle....

 

[musicdeb]

I knew that last statement was coming, "put the pup down." It's not the pup's fault. Mastiffs need to be near their family not outside IMO. He's not socialized and he's not loved, he's only fed and watered. Sad... I feel sorry for the pup.

 

[qwertyuiop]

I knew that last statement was coming, "put the pup down." It's not the pup's fault. Mastiffs need to be near their family not outside IMO. He's not socialized and he's not loved, he's only fed and watered. Sad... I feel sorry for the pup.

What ? Where did you read from my posts that we only give him water and food and we give him no love whatsoever ?
He goes twice a day for a walk and almost every day we play with him like fetch or teach him to give me the ball while he picks it up, or hes got a pull toy (he grabs it with his teeth and he pulls from one side and I from the other).

You are totally wrong when you say he is not loved and socialized.

 

[qwertyuiop]

I knew that last statement was coming, "put the pup down." It's not the pup's fault. Mastiffs need to be near their family not outside IMO. He's not socialized and he's not loved, he's only fed and watered. Sad... I feel sorry for the pup.

What ? Where did you read from my posts that we only give him water and food and we give him no love whatsoever ?
He goes twice a day for a walk and almost every day we play with him like fetch or teach him to give me the ball while he picks it up, or hes got a pull toy (he grabs it with his teeth and he pulls from one side and I from the other).

You are totally wrong when you say he is not loved and socialized.

Also: Think a little - if he becomes aggressive he becomes a ticking time bomb, which presents danger to our family and/or neighbourhood.

Is it worth it seeing in the newspapers how your dog killed a kid or a person on the street, or even your family member ?

This dog was presented with nothing more and nothing less than a loving welcome to our house where he was treated with great love and respect, seeing him reacting like this after how we behaved to him and how we treated him feels disheartening.
After he bit me I can't tell if that is the same dog I held in my lap while he was a puppy.

So please, stop with the prejudice, accusing, and blaming before you know the whole story.

Thanks

 

[mcleodcon]

Were you maybe wearing something different like a different hat or sunglasses, a new coat? something that he isn't used to seeing you wear? I know a dog who growls at its owners when they are wearing a hat or sunglasses or something that is causing their face to not fully be seen and the dog doesn't recognize them until they take it off.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

I agree with Deb, Mastiffs are family dogs who live, happily, with the family, in the warmth of the family home. They are "velcro dogs" who love their owners. They are complex, highly emotional, intelligent creatures that are unsuited to a lonely, loveless existence. Mastiffs are usually born into large litters, my girl was one of 15!!! From so much warmth and family to a lonely yard without training or stimulation, it must be very tedious.
My dog loves to be next to me, and often touching me in some way, just for the reassurance of our bond. I'm sure she would pine away and die without the warmth and love of an intimate family relationship.
So, notwithstanding the "bite", there is much you could do to give this dog a better life, a more fulfilling life. It would be a SIN to murder a dog because you failed to give him the love and attention he needed to survive happily. And that attention includes medical care in case there is a sore or abscess in the mouth or on the neck, Which Would Explain the Bite!
If there is anything else that you or anyone else did to make this dog bite, own up to it to your father and spare the poor dog's life. If you did nothing and are blameless, then DO SOMETHING! Become this dog's hero, get him medical help and choose to enrich his life in every way possible. I believe in blessings, you will be blessed for doing good for this animal.