my dog bit me today

my 5 and half months old CAO volka (90+ lbs and 26 " at the withers) has a slight ear infection. normally he was good about putting drops in his ears,...and he is sweet and spoiled but can be stubborn and defiant at times like any big puppy. but today he refused the ear drops and he was more defiant than normal so in the end i had to wrestle him to the ground and hold his head tight ..this is when he bit be hard .. i put his ear drops but left with a bruised hand and a cut. i scolded him badly ...right now he is in the corner feeling sorry i hope. i have no experience with big dogs so far.. so i would like a comment from anybody who had a similar event.

You scared the crap out of your dog and got bit. Not surprising.

I'm sorry this happened to you, it's always very upsetting when something like this happens, but try not to take it personally. His ear probably hurts and you got into a physical confrontation with him so he got understandably upset. Unfortunately the scolding may make next time even worse as he'll dread it more. You want to try and make the experience as pleasant as possible so he doesn't want to fight you. It's best not to use force if possible. Would using treats make him more cooperative? It would be easier if someone else could feed him treats while you put the drops in. Something like cream cheese on a spoon might help keep him distracted.


If you can't find a way to make him more cooperative then I'd buy yourself a muzzle so you can give him his drops safely.

To be honest it's a little scary to me that someone with 'no experience' with big dogs has a CAO, but that's a topic for another day.

As you have found out, physically restraining some dogs is not going to work out very well. You may want to focus on more reward-based training...you want it to be his idea that behaving for you will get him good things. What about smearing something yummy on the wall (peanut butter?), let him lick it, and then while he is distracted do the ear drops? Go slow, make it a positive experience. You can also start conditioning him with lots of rewards to letting you handle him, GO SLOW over a few weeks.

Are you working with anyone with training experience SPECIFIC to this type of dog? They are not for the average owner and especially one who hasn't had large dogs before.

If you need help, I know people who have the breed and similar breeds who could offer some help.

Dogs are animals and when they are young and hurt and you push them beyond their threshold sometimes they bite.
It's unfortunate but it really doesn't sound like you are dealing with an aggression issue. I would work on touching her ears and positive associations

This and this. You really need to find a trainer who is familiar with this kind of dog.

Definitely find a trainer well-versed in positive reinforcement and STRONG breeds. Not because what happened was you dog being bad, but because you don't have the experience needed to safely raise this breed without guidance/a mentor. The fact that you thought scolding would be effective in doing anything but making your dog more confused and fearful worries me.

I'm not trying to be negative or hurtful, but you need some blunt reality if you want to make this work well. Your dog isn't mean or bad, as I am sure you realize. It hurts more than just physically to be harmed by a beloved pet, but your dog was simply scared and hurt and felt trapped. Give him some extra love!

thanx guys
actually i have a very good trainer but he is travelling right now he will be back in 2 weeks. i was really upset at Volka and at myself too. but the thing is that he normally tolerates ear drops very well, he just went crazy the other day. Today i was extra sweet with him all day and caressed his ears all day , and later at night i put the drops and he just stood still like he knew i was doing good for him!
i know my choice of getting him was a bit wrong but actually got him for many reasons:
1- i just like the way he looks and i wanted a big dog (he is a pure white CAO)
2- the way i got him is a long story but in short if i did not buy him , he was destined to be raised for fighting unfortunately like his parents.

Ok guys I know I'm going to feel very dumb, but what's CAO short for?

This! I think that there will be problems in my province in a few years since there are people breeding and selling them on kijiji.

Central Asian Ovcharka.

Ok thanks Beanie wouldn't have got this one lol