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Dogo - Heartbroken and Scared

Liz Kim

Member
My husband I adopted 7wks old Dogo about 3 years ago.

Never seen any dogs gentler than him and he loved all strangers. He was just one big cuddly bear. We would get compliments wherever we took him. He loves car rides so we would take road trips and take him out on trails as much as possible.

He is love of our life but just within a month he has gone through so much behavior transition which we were not ready.

When we go on plane trips, we would drop him off at kennel. The last time which was about a month ago, we dropped him off at kennel and he bit a person there who was trying to give him food. I was shocked because he has never been aggressive towards anyone. He seem to have become sensitive when he is sleepy and not fully awake and when approached he will stare at you with mean look. He never growled until after that incident. After brining him home, he would constantly growl and when he did we would leave him alone and void him. One morning as we got out the room and try to pat him like any other days, he actually bit my husband’s arm. Punctured and had to go Urgent care. After that … he was calm for few days and just last week, I was trying to wipe his drooling mouth, he didn’t give any growl or signs but tried attack my arm. I pulled back in time to be bitten and my husband pulled his collar back. We would always wipe his drool till now and not once has he shown any aggression. So we thought maybe I must have done something wrong to tick him. And than after 10mins my husband tried to wipe his drool and he tried to attack him. Again, luckily I grabbed hold of his collar and stopped him from attacking but if I didn’t stop him, could have been very bloody. And he is one strong dog, he weighs 125lbs. We had to call animal control cuz he was acting crazy and growling at us no matter what. I don’t know what the cause was but this was so frightening. We had never seen this side of him. He was baby till now but I don’t know what has happened. He is in animal control shelter and we miss him dearly, but not knowing his further aggression, we have decided to not bring him back. I am still trying to find out what could have gone wrong. All we did was give him love and care. We cry cuz we miss him so much. Do you think we can send him to training for behavioral? Will it be safe for us to be with him again? From doing many research online, seems like once they bite, they think biting is going to continue to get their ways. Please help!!!
 

glen

Super Moderator
Staff member
Somethong as happened for him to suddenly turn this way, and id say it was at the kennels,
I would get him home and try and have him checked out by a vet straight away, he could have an injury to his mouth or another health problem.
Your aware of his behaviour, make the vet aware, and go from there
 

Liz Kim

Member
Somethong as happened for him to suddenly turn this way, and id say it was at the kennels,
I would get him home and try and have him checked out by a vet straight away, he could have an injury to his mouth or another health problem.
Your aware of his behaviour, make the vet aware, and go from there
Thank you for your answer. I hope I will get lot more feed back from others too. I don' t know if its best to leave him at shelter or get him behavioral training.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I'm so very sorry this is happening. Glen is right. I'd get him to the vet for a complete checkup, including full blood panel with thyroid. As Glen said, make the vet aware of what's going on and see about medicating him beforehand. A behavior change this abrupt indicates something happened, be it at the kennel or with his health or both. Is it possible he's having issues with his eyes or ears? In pain somewhere? Have you seen any indications of seizures? Small ones don't look like much. Staring off, small twitches, head tremors - sometimes barely noticeable. Think and write every single thing you can think of down and take it with you to the vet. Are you in the US? Can I help you locate a veterinary behaviorist in your area? Punishment and force will make this worse. Please don't listen to advice saying to use those methods or that suggest you need to be the alpha. I suspect you'll hear plenty of that, but that's not in line with current behavioral learning. I feel it would be irresponsible to try to give you any training advice. You need professionals that can assess your situation first hand - a vet and a certified veterinary behaviorist. A regular vet isn't well versed in behavior which is why I'm pushing for the behaviorist so hard. Vet first for tests. Behaviorist next.

This is may be an unpopular opinion and I'm not saying this to hurt you, but dogs that bite aren't able to be placed. If you can't keep him then he'll most likely be euthanized by animal control. I suspect you already know this. I understand what a difficult decision behavioral euthanasia is, but if that ends up being the choice please consider having him sedated and being there with him instead of letting it be done by animal control or without you there. Contrary to what people are told, the animals DO look for you when you aren't there. My daughter is a technician and has tried to comfort far too many animals when their owners found it too hard to stay with them. I also want to tell you that if this is the choice you make then I can help you find a group with people that understand. No judgment.
 

glen

Super Moderator
Staff member
Thank you for your answer. I hope I will get lot more feed back from others too. I don' t know if its best to leave him at shelter or get him behavioral training.
My opinion is, he was a sweet boy, no problems, kennels, then a problem, something as happened. Not his fault, id seriously speak to a vet ect,
Boxergirl is amazing, she knows her stuff.
Please keep us updated.
Mastiffs are sensitive, it can take time and patience to get them ok if theyve had a trauma.
 

Liz Kim

Member
I'm so very sorry this is happening. Glen is right. I'd get him to the vet for a complete checkup, including full blood panel with thyroid. As Glen said, make the vet aware of what's going on and see about medicating him beforehand. A behavior change this abrupt indicates something happened, be it at the kennel or with his health or both. Is it possible he's having issues with his eyes or ears? In pain somewhere? Have you seen any indications of seizures? Small ones don't look like much. Staring off, small twitches, head tremors - sometimes barely noticeable. Think and write every single thing you can think of down and take it with you to the vet. Are you in the US? Can I help you locate a veterinary behaviorist in your area? Punishment and force will make this worse. Please don't listen to advice saying to use those methods or that suggest you need to be the alpha. I suspect you'll hear plenty of that, but that's not in line with current behavioral learning. I feel it would be irresponsible to try to give you any training advice. You need professionals that can assess your situation first hand - a vet and a certified veterinary behaviorist. A regular vet isn't well versed in behavior which is why I'm pushing for the behaviorist so hard. Vet first for tests. Behaviorist next.

This is may be an unpopular opinion and I'm not saying this to hurt you, but dogs that bite aren't able to be placed. If you can't keep him then he'll most likely be euthanized by animal control. I suspect you already know this. I understand what a difficult decision behavioral euthanasia is, but if that ends up being the choice please consider having him sedated and being there with him instead of letting it be done by animal control or without you there. Contrary to what people are told, the animals DO look for you when you aren't there. My daughter is a technician and has tried to comfort far too many animals when their owners found it too hard to stay with them. I also want to tell you that if this is the choice you make then I can help you find a group with people that understand. No judgment.
Boxergirl, thank you so much for your thoughts. We had his full blood checked about a month ago and everything was normal. And he did get neuter just about a week ago before all these incidents happened. What's shocking is he didn't give warning of any sort before biting and trying to attack. As of right now we are saddened but at same time afraid to risk our family and friends if they were to visit or even our lives since we are the ones living with him. I think my husband has made up the mind of not bringing him back since he was bitten and was about to be attacked. For sure there is some fear of being with him. I don't know what is the best for the dog and my husband. He is aggressive breed, therefore we were aware but we think, how can he bite the owner who never abused him. I am so confused at the same time.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I've been thinking about this all night.
Boxergirl, thank you so much for your thoughts. We had his full blood checked about a month ago and everything was normal. And he did get neuter just about a week ago before all these incidents happened. What's shocking is he didn't give warning of any sort before biting and trying to attack. As of right now we are saddened but at same time afraid to risk our family and friends if they were to visit or even our lives since we are the ones living with him. I think my husband has made up the mind of not bringing him back since he was bitten and was about to be attacked. For sure there is some fear of being with him. I don't know what is the best for the dog and my husband. He is aggressive breed, therefore we were aware but we think, how can he bite the owner who never abused him. I am so confused at the same time.

Was the vet check before the kennel visit or after?
 

Liz Kim

Member
I've been thinking about this all night.


Was the vet check before the kennel visit or after?

His blood was checked before going to kennel. And after we took him out of kennel we took him for neutering due to his incident of biting the worker at kennel cuz we thought maybe his aggression was due to too much testosterone.
 

Liz Kim

Member
I've been thinking about this all night.


Was the vet check before the kennel visit or after?
@Boxergirl, so my husband says he can't trust him any more. Do you think trust can be restored? He said he might live in fear if he can't trust him. So till now he says he can't seem to understand why he bit and tried to attack us. Do you think there is hope if we take him to certified behavior specialist? Any suggestions and comments will be appreciated. Thank you. I'm still trying to understand as well.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
It's hard to live with a dog that requires the specialized training and management that a dog with any aggression issues requires. Very hard. It's also not inexpensive. Behaviorists are expensive. A good one is worth every single penny, but it's not a small investment - especially for the initial visits. It also requires that EVERYONE be willing to do what the behaviorist says and be consistent. It takes a lot of dedication. It also takes a lot of time. Working with a dog with these issues isn't a short term thing. It's a lifetime.

I guess the things I would suggest would be all things that depend on if your husband is willing to put the time, effort, and money into working with a behaviorist for the rest of this dog's life. There's another thing to consider. Are you planning to have children? Do you have children?

So before I say anything else, can you answer the above questions? Also, have you noticed anything that could indicate seizures or other things that indicate pain? Did the vet manipulate his joints and check him over thoroughly before the neuter? Anything however small you noticed could be helpful. Would you mind sharing your location?
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
A few more questions. How has his behavior been at animal control? Any issues? I'm still inclined to think there's more going on than just behavioral. Can you explain what exactly happened at the kennel when he bit the worker? Can you share the kennel name? How long was he there? How do they handle the dogs there? What is the routine? How long was he at the kennel? The abrupt behavior change really indicates something is going on.
 

Liz Kim

Member
A few more questions. How has his behavior been at animal control? Any issues? I'm still inclined to think there's more going on than just behavioral. Can you explain what exactly happened at the kennel when he bit the worker? Can you share the kennel name? How long was he there? How do they handle the dogs there? What is the routine? How long was he at the kennel? The abrupt behavior change really indicates something is going on.
@Boxergirl So that day we called animal control due to his constant growl ...which took them about 4 hrs to come. By that time dog was already calm and sweet as can be to the patrols. Like I said, he is very friendly with strangers. That day my husband just escorted him to the animal control car and he hopped right in. That was last we saw of him. As for the kennel incident, I don't want to mention the name. We dropped him off on Saturday and received call on Wed. We were out of town when we received the call that the dog had bitten his worker who was trying to feed him. They said over the phone the worker went to hospital and got stitches and they just said to come pick him up and was not welcomed there anymore. The next day my husband went to pick him up and they just released him. Nothing further was said or done. This is first time we took him to this kennel since we were new in the area and found it on internet with good reviews. We are from Illinois but we moved to GA not long ago. So this was our first trip out of town and new kennel for the dog. Before in Illinois, he had no problems at kennel and everyone loved him. Like I said, due to this kennel incident we took him to get neuter after few days hoping this would make him less aggressive. Now I'm thinking it could of been too much of stress for the dog to deal with. Kennel and than surgery. As for your previous questions, Our kids are grown and they don't live with us. Just visits. There is no sign of seizure. If there was hope I want to put him in behavioral assessment. Money and time is always factor but I am trying to talk to my husband if he is willing. First, my husband has to be willing and be able to trust him. I know animal control can't keep him forever and time is ticking for the dog and for us. If I don't gain my husband trust to bring him home, I know I am hopeless to help him.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I think it's really important to call animal control and get an update on him and see what your timeline is. I strongly feel there's something else going on and this dog deserves a full veterinary evaluation and a behavioral consult. I wish you were still located in Illinois. I'm a Midwest girl. Grew up in Iowa, went to college in Illinois, and currently live in Indiana so I know have more contacts in this area. Our behaviorist is one of only 86 board certified behaviorists in the world and we see her in Jacksonville, Illinois. She's who I would have sent you to. It may be possible to see if she would do a Zoom consult with you, but I'm almost positive they'll want a full veterinary workup and her initial consult is expensive. You should be prepared for that.

I've gone over everything you've said again, and I really think something is going on or was going on. Please get a full update on his behavior from animal control and perhaps we can go from there? And remember - growling isn't a bad thing. It's the only way a dog has to communicate that they're uncomfortable with the situation. If at any time the growl was punished (I'm not saying you did) then dogs often stop giving warning. Growling is valuable communication. Just putting that out there to think about.
 

Liz Kim

Member
I think it's really important to call animal control and get an update on him and see what your timeline is. I strongly feel there's something else going on and this dog deserves a full veterinary evaluation and a behavioral consult. I wish you were still located in Illinois. I'm a Midwest girl. Grew up in Iowa, went to college in Illinois, and currently live in Indiana so I know have more contacts in this area. Our behaviorist is one of only 86 board certified behaviorists in the world and we see her in Jacksonville, Illinois. She's who I would have sent you to. It may be possible to see if she would do a Zoom consult with you, but I'm almost positive they'll want a full veterinary workup and her initial consult is expensive. You should be prepared for that.

I've gone over everything you've said again, and I really think something is going on or was going on. Please get a full update on his behavior from animal control and perhaps we can go from there? And remember - growling isn't a bad thing. It's the only way a dog has to communicate that they're uncomfortable with the situation. If at any time the growl was punished (I'm not saying you did) then dogs often stop giving warning. Growling is valuable communication. Just putting that out there to think about.
@boxerg
 

Liz Kim

Member
@Boxergirl I really appreciate your time and dedication for helping me. I wish I had good news but seems like my husband has given up on him. He said, if he brings him home, he will live in fear and cannot trust to be home with him. He feels we are risking our lives and he doesn't want to take any chance. Only way he will reconsider is if he can be 100% back to prior to all these happening if we took him to certified behaviorist or trainer, which doesn't seem practical since nothing is guaranteed. I am sad and hurt but what can I do at this point. If the animal control euthanizes, we will go and comfort him if they let us. I think I've run out of option at this point. If for some reason circumstances change I will post and keep in touch with you. Again, thank you so much. You've helped me greatly.
 

Liz Kim

Member
Please don't hesitate to private message me if you need anything.
So here is the update so far, our Dogo was in animal shelter for quarantine for 10 days and they called today to let us know they will find a rehabilitation center to work with him for adoption. I was so happy and relieved that he was not going to put to sleep. I don't know how the process work but I want to try to find our own rehabilitation center we can take and pay for. Is this same as behaviorist institute? I'm not sure if we can try or even they will let us find our own and perhaps try to get him assessed and rehabilitated and trained. We are thinking of boarding him there for few weeks until he can fully recover and be assessed and modify the behavior to become less aggressive. The location we are trying to find a center is Gainesville, Ga. @Boxergirl . I sent DM but not sure if you had chance to look. I would really like to get in touch with you since you seem to have lot of resources. I need to seek a good behaviorist who can handle Dogo Argentino, not just commercial trainer who thinks they can. I also wanted to give you more detail insight of our Dogo. I really want us to reunite with our Dogo. I miss him so dearly.