i really need help! my 7month old retriever attacks me!... he will suddenly wrinkle his nose up and bear his teeth at me and he will bite me and not let go, sometimes it takes my whole family to drag him off me.. ive tried saying no in a deep voice, making a high pitched noise, tried ignoring him and walking away but he chases me and bites me again, tried growling at him etc, ive tried evrything. i now have to walk around all day with a bottle of chew detterent in my hand ready for the next time hes going to go for me.
i really cant understand it because i do nothing to provoke him! and im also the one who walks, feeds, trains, plays with and cares for him etc.
its really getting to me.. as i do nothing but love him and i dont get it back, he is also a very big pup for his age wich makes it more horrible when i am home alone with him. he's neutered. and all his brothers, sisters and his parents are lovely tempremented as ive met them all on many occasions.

please help me!

You really need an expereinced person to interpret what he is doingby seeing it themselves.  Thsi may be OTT play biting or it could be agggression and from what you say we cannot really guess.

Is he insured.  If so you should be able to get your vbet to refer you to aq reputable behaviourist who may be able to tell you what is going on and how to alter the way you manage him, as there seems to be serious miscommunication going on. 

Has he had a full check up at the vets.  Thyroid problems can manifest in aggressive behaviour out of the blue, as can tumours etc.  Physcial or chemical reasons ned to be ruled out.

Hi i dont think your dog hates you it's probably some other reason, why dont you try what brainless has said. You will need someone to watch to see what happens when he attacks you and why he's doing it. good luck

Regards franks

Who walks him, feeds him and trains him?   I would presume its not you as it sounds to me that he has noticed your quite high up in the family pack and yet have not really been part of his upbringing, so he is challenging your position.
My advice would be for you to start doing all his feeding, insisting he sit before you give it to him.  Call him to you occasionally (on your terms) and ask him to sit before rewarding him.   Join a dog training club and you take him and you train him.
You also do all his walks. 
You taking over his care in this way will make you very important to him rather than a rival.  It is important that until you have got that respect and bond of love from him that noone else feeds, walks or trains him.

You really must take action now before you get hurt.

Bev

Bev - I really think you need to read the original post again, carefully :)

Whoops, Sorry missed that bit somehow (another senior moment lol)

Bev

...I thought it was just me that got those, Bev :)

thanks guys,
he does have a condition called megaesophagus ( i think ive spelt that right) can that make dogs aggressive?

As you say he has megaesophagus this means that he is bringing up food and digestive juices. Its possible that this occurs when you are around and he is now associating his pain and discomfort with you. Unfortunately this has become a learnt response and will now take a lot of help to get over. Seek more advice from your vet. From what we have read on the internet this can be quite a serious condition and can either occur from an early age or later in life.

Whether the aggression is associated with this or has other behavioural issues to it you should seek veterinary advice first and then see a very good behaviourist, preferably one who knows the condition. Where are you?

im nearish birmingham , more near to sutton coldfield. thats a good point youve made, and yes he has a vets appointment for tuesday anyway for his condition so i will ask them about it. they allways seem to think i mean play biting though, as him bieng a puppy and a golden retreiver, not agression. even tho i have the scratches etc on my arms and legs where he has got me! and because he looks so sweet and is so nice to strangers no one believes me really

he's just attacked me again!!! :'(

Can you think back to when the biting really started. What triggered it.  Is it only when your family are around.

A few years ago, after my old Lab died, I bought an working English Springer Spaniel (Connie).  All was fine and we were doing very well in training, but when she was 7 months old she turned against me. And the fight was on, it was very much me or her.  Not only did she growl, snarl and bare teeth, but would attack me from a distance of 40feet, she would run at full pelt if I was not facing her, literally pounce, hit me in the back and sink her teeth into my shoulder. This happened on more than one occassion.  I was the only person she has ever bitten, she was an angel with everyone else. 

Unfortunately her anger for me stemmed from love, it only happened when I was in the company of others, or if I petted another dog.  Also unfortunately I did not realise this soon enough and got her a companion, another ESS (Megan). Well that was the beginning of world war 3, and that lasted until I lost Connie,  Megan and Connie could never be in the same room together, and Connie could never tolerate me being with Megan.  Connie could never tolerate me speaking to anyone, and her training came to a standstill.  She became so defiant I nearly completely gave up on her.  Her attitude did not change until she was around 15 months old and did eventually become a trial winner, But her attitude unfortunately never changed, but at least I did have the knowledge of cause and was able to defer most of her anger.

She never once attacked another person or dog, only myself and Megan.

Kay

he'll do it anytime, and he sounds the same as your dog in a way, as in the running from a distance just to get me!.. he used to mouth as a puppy but learned that was wrong and stopped, he was lovely for a week or so and then turned nasty! i dont *think* its jelousy because he will still go for me if im in a room on my own, he'll even go for me when im fussing him sometimes! anythink will trigger him off,, fussing him (allthough that ones not to often) walking away from him, coming near him, sitting down on the sofa, sometimes all i have to do is look somewhere in his direction and its nose wrinkled, teeth showing, growl going and before i know it teeth in my arm or leg! its kinda getting a bit hard to cope with him as ive put up with it for a long time now

I'd go down the behaviourist route, sorry.  If it helps any, I do now how you feel :(
Kay

Have you thought of contacting golden retriever rescue?  They don't only rescue dogs but will give help and advice to owners of golden retrievers too and might be able to point you in the right direction.

If you look under the Breed Council webpage on http://www.goldenretrievers.co.uk/application/rescue/index.php you will be able to find the nearest rescue co-ordinator to where you live.

Wishing you the very best of luck in resolving this.

I really believe that this behaviour is linked, albeit in his past, to his existing medical condition. But now he is doing it because he associates you with discomfort, through no fault of your own. There will be no rhyme or reason to you for what he is doing but in his mind he has very real issues with you. The more times, as a puppy, that he was in pain from his condition, that you were present, the more this behaviour has been reinforced. His medical condition needs proper control by the vet before you can even begin to address this problem from the behaviour side - otherwise you may compound the problem.
You must see the vet on Tuesday and get them to refer you to a behaviourist in your area and, at the same time, your vet must appraise the behaviourist of his medical history. Only if the behaviourist knows all the facts can they help you both. In the meantime (till Tuesday at least) try to distance yourself from him so you do not put yourself in a vulnerable position. Any confrontation between you will only deepen the problem. I know it's hard but it may only be for a short period of time until you get that referal. Good Luck. :-)

thanks for the advice evryone you have really helped! and i will get the vet to pass me on to a behaviourist asap.. thanks again! xoxoxoxoxox

You must be a very patient person! If any of my dogs did that to me, no joke, I would throttle them! I really hope you find an answer for this, it must be terrible. I seriously don't know how you have restrained yourself! Good luck, let us know how it goes. :-)

Id love to know the outcome of this....

He would seem to be fairly controlled in these attacks -- if he werent, you wouldnt have scratches, you would have had STITCHES by now....

Em

thanks!! and i dont have stitches Yet because i have a very nice family who intervene before it gets that far!! and its not just scratches its cuts and bruises too!

p.s does anyone no anymore about megaesophagus? im really worried about him he keeps bien sick and having a runny tum tonight :(

If you type it into your search engine you will get up loads of links about it.
Here are a couple.
http://www.brightleaf.com/rusty/megaesophagus.htm
http://www.gsdhelpline.com/swallow.htm
http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00133.htm
http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/GI%20disorders/megaesophagus.htm
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_megaesophagus.html

Hope this helps and let us know how you get on at the vets.

Bev

I have a Labrador and he was neutered at 14 months old,  (he's 11 years old now).  My vet told me that if you neuter them before they are a year old, they stay "puppified" all the time, presumably he meant still acting like a youngster, even when they're older.

Perhaps this and a combination of what the others have said is the reason, especially the condition that he suffers from.

Just wondered why you had him neutered?  Was he like this before he had the op? and how old was he when he was neutered.  Seems very young to have a pup "done".

he was very snappy before he was neutered yes, and we had it done because girl dogs live nextdoor and his breeder comes and visits and her girls arn't spayed as she breeds. he was 5 and a half months old when he had the op. ive never had a puppy before, only older rescue dogs and my vet advised me to have it done at that age.

but anyway i took him to the vets today and they gave me the number of a behaviorist and they took a blood test for something called mysthenia gravis. they have told me not to call the behaviorist until we have the results though just so we know what is going on. hes on some medicine again to try stop him being sick and some antibiotics.

thanks so much for all your advice and i will let you all know what happens when i get his results on friday night.
xoxoxox

My Megan was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis when she was three.  She showed none of the symptoms your dog is showing, and most certainly not the snapping. before diagnosed and medication was prescribed, she was unable to walk more than 5 metres before collapsing, Myasthenia Gravis is characterized by neuromuscular weakness . Early in myasthenia gravis there is a tendency for subtle to fairly noticeable weakness of one or more legs. When dogs with this disease are tired they may have drooping of the facial muscles and it is not uncommon for there to be oculomotor problems, as well. Voice changes are also not uncommon with myasthenia gravis. This is an acquired immune mediated disorder most of the time when it occurs in older dogs. It is more common in large breed dogs, with German shepherds supposedly being the most commonly affectedbreed.

Megan went on to live a very full and happy life after medication, through trial and error finally kicked in.

Edited to add:  Whenever megaesophagus is diagnosed, myasthenia gravis (MG) should be suspected. Conversely, whenever myasthenia gravis is diagnosed, chest X-rays should be done to evaluate the esophagus, in case megaesophagus is present.

You should get your results from the test back tomorrow.  The tests are done on Serum which are chilled overnight.

Dogs can be maintained well for a long time with this disease. The more attention paid to prevention of aspiration pneumonia, the better the long term prognosis. In addition, many other medications interfere with the actions of the anticholinesterase drugs, so careful thought must be given to the choice of medications to treat other problems in dogs affected with myasthenia gravis.

A number of dogs with acquired MG will have remissions from the disease. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the antibodies to anticholinesterase receptors prior to treatment and at regular intervals during treatment. Recurrences of the disease after remission can occur, so vigilance is required throughout the lifespan of affected dogs.

Very few vets have ever seen this disease and when Megan was diagnosed she was the teaching aid at Royal Dick in Edinburgh, Her only claim to fame.

Have came back and edited again.  Sorry that whole post seems really bad, but after living with a dog with this condition for 9 years, I spent a lot of time researching it to keep her well. 

And to say I hope you find a solution to your pups problem.  If you need any further info on MG, PM me, It's not as bad as it looks in writen word :)

his legs do shake sometimes and he sometimes only blinks one eye, i Think thats why they were testing him for it. it dosent do anything really bad to the dog if they have it? like is it just treated with tablets?
i still cant understand him, just now i went upstares to get my mobile, and have come back down with several scratches on my arm and a cut on my finger and one on my knuckle :(

Hi, I kept going in and editing, but to make it simple.  Here goes.  It took nearly 6 months to get Megans medication right, as I said it was trial and error.  But once the correct dosage and type it was 3 tablets per day for life.  Megan was a working ESS and had boundless energy, but was very ill for around 18months and no vets could diagnose.  A young vet over from France doing his years transfer with Royal Dick had seen it once in France and decided to test, it was positive. It was actually a great relief to be able to start finding medication and she went into remmission very quickly, but after a while the medication stopped being as effective, so it was simply a case of correcting dosage until we found a balance.  Megan went on to live a very active life until she was 9.  It was a brain tumour that took her in the end, not the MG.

So, dont be disheartened if diagnosis is MG, it is treatable.  Other problems are associated with MG, Megaesphogus and phnuemia are two most common ones.

Can anyone tell us what is happening about this poor dog and owner?

hi agen all,

his test results came back and he does Not have mysthenia gravis wich is good, so we are going back to the vets tomorrow night and they are going to pass us on to a behaviourist or try do something as he's getting worse.. he even went for my friend today i got him off before he properly bit her though (luckily she's used to it as her newfoundland used to bite at about 3months old but he got better)

so im just going to have to see what the vet says!

hopefully they can help!

xx

Hi,
How awful for you!! I am afraid that a few male pups try it on domination thing.
Who's Boss!! But!! not them. If a Sam pup got a little dominante, you deepen
your voice say NO!! and role it on its back. Is the pup to big to try it?
But!! if he see's any weakness!!! he will think he's gaffa!!!
Regards
Denese

Sorry, alpha rolls would be the last thing I would try with this dog.  This method went out with the ark thank God and confrontational methods can be extremely dangerous with large breeds and at 7 months old this dog could do some serious damage.

Hi tohme,
I admit I am suprised at a retrevier being nasty. I supose I stand firm with my Sams,
because, I know the breed. I wouldn't personaly have a dog that was nasty.
Or I was frighten of.
As we have to many children in the family, including foster children.
Regards
Denese

Yeah, I'm with Tohme on this one. I just hope his poor owner finds help somehow. :-(

hi,

i was just wondering if anyone was online now with any advice, i was just having a lovely game with my dog and all the sudden he jumped onto my back and pinned me down on the floor, i spent about 10 minutes trying to get up again, my hands, arms, and legs are red raw and cut and my back is scratched. im home alone so i couldnt get anyone to help me. im in tears now as it was horrible, he's getting worse, he noramlly stops after a few minutes. im so worried and scared now.

Have just had a quick glance through your earlier posts - firstly, I hope you have him safely shut away from you just now and secondly if you are injured you'd best see a doctor.

I couldn't even begin to pretend to know how to help you with this behaviour - IMO actual agression cannot be dealt with over the internet and his behaviour doesn't read as being anything other than agression.  I take it he has not yet seen a behaviourist?  At the very least your vet ought to see this dog again - for all you know he could have a brain tumour or some other serious underlying medical cause which sets off this unpredictable but highly dangerous behaviour.  There can be no pleasure living with a dog that frightens you - please get professional help a.s.a.p. - including for yourself if your injuries are severe.  I'm very sorry for what you're going through :(  Take care, and any necessary precautions not to be alone with this dog.  Teri

I completely agree with Teri here. You have to make sure you are not left alone with this dog, invest in a huge crate and make sure he is in it before anyone goes out. TBH, harsh as it seems, I could not live with a dog who did that to me. I really don't know how you do it. This seems to have been going on for a very long time. Where is the behaviourist you mentioned finding? The only other Goldie I ever met who was like this turned out to have a brain tumor, although your dog is very young so that is unlikely. She would freak out and attack whoever was nearest for no apparent reason and became obsessed with guarding the stairs. She never attacked as badly as you describe your dog doing though. Please get some help, before your dog does some real damage and certainly before he finishes growing!

Just one other thing, what does his breeder say about this? This won't go down well, but I have to admit, if it were me I would be seriously considering having this dog pts. He sounds like he means business and is going to get bigger, stronger and nastier. Imagine what he will be like when his horones kick off?! Sorry, not much help I know but I have to admit I am very worried about you coming to some serious harm because of your dog. :-( <<<hugs>>> Take care please.

I agree wih Teri. One thing that I have not seen mentioned yet -did this pup come from a responsible breeder with good quality dogs, all health testing done etc? (Eyes, hips, elbows, hearts.) Has  EPILEPSY been mentioned ?  Unfortunately aggression in Goldens is becoming more and more common in badly bred ones. There is also one particular line of show dogs where sadly you do occasionally see aggressive dogs. In fact I have had one myself, then a friend of mine got a new pup and my heart just sank when she mentioned the breeding -a year or two later her dog had to be taken out of the showring as he would attack people. :( And his owner is a trainer with LOADS of experience.

It's such a sad story this. PLEASE try to see a behaviourist, don't put yourself at risk, and it doesn't sound as if you have done anything wrong, you have just been very, very unlucky. What does the breeder say about his behaviour?

Marianne

did you get domeone expereinced like a behaviourist or good trainer to see what is going on between you and your dog, as suggested over a month ago????

We can only go by your interpretaion of events which may not be accurate to what is actually happening.  You either have somehow got a bad relationship with yoru dog through misunderstandigns on one or other part or there is a serious mental/neurological problem with him.

If the situation is as would seem from the posts that this is totally unprovoked agression then I would have the dog put to sleep.

Sounds like he thinks he is the dominate one and wants to make sure you know it. I'd roll and get him on his back so you are over him and then punch him with all you got. Normally i don't condone violence against animals but this is a very serious case that could escalate to him attacking others in your home, including children.

This is of course after a vet exam to make sure there is no brain cancer, injury, testostornoe levels are normal, etc.

I also would not tolerate this dog or his behavior.

I would not recommend this course of action at all for any dog, let alone one who has aggressive tendencies.  This so called 'Alpha roll' theory is fraught with dangers (like getting your face bitten off!) and is seriously flawed in it's background - an Alpha does not push the other dog over, the submissive dog OFFERS the roll as a submissive gesture, it can NOT be initiated by an Alpha dog, let alone a mere human.

Ditto Digger

I'd roll and get him on his back so you are over him and then punch him with all you got

That is outrageous!!  Don't some people learn anything from reading these forums?  Whether you don't normally condone violence or not Saundra, that is totally out of order. :o

Ditto Jackyjat.  It is likely to bring about an escalation, not prevent one.

>I'd roll and get him on his back so you are over him and then punch him with all you got.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. That would be of absolutely no benefit at all.

I admire your dedication to this dog. I think I've got problems with my GSD but nothing in comparison to your problems. If my dog was behaving like yours I would pts. I only suffer Gabi's problems because I love her, it must be difficult to love a dog that attacks you.The first time she attacked me for no reason would be her last. 

hi all,

thanks for all your replys. and yes he came from a good reputable breeder and had all the tests, allthough his mother died when the pups were about 6weeks old, they were looked after very well. the breeder knows what is going on as we keep in touch and she is so upset about the situation. i have thought about having him put to sleep as i know it sounds horrible but he really is a danger. theres a little girl down my road, about 4, who loves to stroke him, But i get so worried as she makes high pitched noises etc and exictes him, so i have to keep him away from her just incase. also, he tries to go for my neck, is this normall in agression as ive heard thats  what dogs do when they want to kill .. hopefully not though.
he is a very large dog for his age, his brothers and sisters look like tiny pups compared to him, and he is going to be one hell of a big dog when hes full grown!

and with the behaviorist i was told to wait till we got the mysthania gravis test results, so i did, and im going to phone the vets for one as the one they gave me never answers there phone! but i will phone the vets tonight and  ring the behaviorist first thing in the morning.

i did try rolling him onto his back quite a while ago, he goes calm for litterally 1second, then kicks me away with all his legs!

and thanks to all who replyed, yesterdays 'attack' have left me with bruised hands, a cut on my arm, leg and back, but im fine :-)

Hi again - glad you're not seriously hurt :)  Although you might be next time!  Please don't under any circumstances try to "roll" or "dominate" this dog   It might just be the last thing you ever do with any flesh left on your face!

I hope you can see a behaviourist immediately - good ones will be very busy I'd imagine, although may see you as an emergency.  In the meantime don't trust this dog at all or put yourself in a situation where no-one is around to assist you should he flare again.  Best wishes, Teri

This is so sad, I do feel for you. :( You've tried so hard where most people would have given up immediately. PLEASE muzzle him when you are out with him so that he doesn't end up hurting anybody else, you have to play safe.

It may be that you will have no other choice than to out him to sleep. I know how easy it is to say but how hard it is to do when it is YOUR dog. I was in the same situation myself years ago with a dog (different breed). I did have her put to sleep in the end.

Marianne

PLEASE muzzle him when you are out with him so that he doesn't end up hurting anybody else, you have to play safe.
- Would putting a muzzle on him in the house help at all, or when his in this mood or whatever it is when his aggressive, to teach him its wrong by putting a muzzle on?? I dont actually know if this would help to get him out of this or whether it would stress him out? was just wondering whether this would help at all?
I really feel for this poor lady and her dog :(

Im just a pet owner and cannot give constructive advice on your heartbreaking situation.  But I have been thinking about this on and off for the last couple of days.

If the dog had a medical disorder wouldnt it just attack whoever was nearest at the time and not pick out one particular person to vent its agression.  I knew a rottie that was 8 and the most loveable thing on 4 legs, one day he savaged a customer in the hardware shop his owner had.  He did it several times after that and would just savage whoever was near when he had a "funny turn" (although muzzled after first episode). It transpired he had a brain tumour which was causing his behaviour and his random attacks.