[Yogi]

He's 4 years old and you only had him 3 weeks? I'm certainly no expert here, but from my "other dog" experience, you are a stranger to him at 3 weeks. I wouldn't "hover" over a 4 year old stranger with meaty dog bones. I think that's just asking to be bit.

Feed him regular food and get him on a schedule. Give him time to learn and adjust to you and your personalities.

You can't say he's a "biter" when you've only had a full grown dog for 3 weeks.

I think he's chewing on a juicy piece of meat bone when along comes a total stranger grabbing at that bone. Heck, I'd bite you too.

I wouldn't fee him that. Not yet. Don't put the cart before the horse. First, get him to know and love you and get him fixed on a strict schedule before starting to feed him raw diets and tossing meat bones all over the place.

Give the guy a few months to settle into his new home and keep him strictly on kibble and puppy schedule.

When he jumps up on the couch and starts licking your face, then I'd begin to ease up on him a bit.

But, that's just me. Some of you might disagree, but that's what I'd do.

Tom

 

[Yogi]

It seems like you're getting pretty much the same comments from everyone here. Our advice all seems to be quite identical. Will you please give this dog more than a 3 week chance to get to know you and work harder with him?

Have you made any decisions yet?

 

[Yogi]

Haven't heard from you in a while. How's it going?

 

[Yogi]

Well that's great. I'm very happy for you and him.

Funny thing about dogs though. Sometimes as they age, you just don't really know what's going to happen. I had a strange occurance this weekend with Ruger, my girlfriends older Boston.

I've known and raised him since a baby. He is now 3 years old.

If he is chewing on a Nylabone, NEVER try to take it from him or even go near his face. He will viciously bite at you as if you were a stranger.

I'm thinking that this was improper upbringing by my girlfriend. She should have kicked this in the butt right from the very first time he tried this. But, she didn't. Now, it's gotten out of hand. So much out of hand, the Ruger actually fully bit me last night out of aggression.

No dog bites me in my house and lives to tell about it. Yes, Christmas eve and all, I made her take that dog out of my house before I kill it. She took Ruger and left.

I was very upset that I was bit like this from a dog I knew since a pup. My feelings were hurt, so to speak. I'm not certain that it's 100% her fault, but I think she should have repeatadly given him a bone, taken it back away from him and given him a treat....over and over and over again so that he knows that it's okay for her to take the bone and he'll be rewarded for it.

I'm not sure if this is the best way to handle the situation, but regardless of what method she used, it should have been done as soon as he started acting like this.

Now, I'm afraid I do not want to see Ruger again. At least not until she makes some corrective moves with him. I'm extremely mad at him right now and I certainly don't want him around Yogi.

Oh, and Merry Christmas by the way