"agression" - or so a friend says.

[AgilityPup]

We have a great dane named Sasha, shes BIG, FAT, and a bridle. People tend to be scared of her just because of her looks... They never think about her personality...

Well, about a year ago, we had a VERY close friend of the family come over... My sister and I were upstairs, and my parents wern't home... Because our friend had been around Sasha, she thought she could just open the door and walk in... But thats not how it went... When Sasha saw her at the door, she barked, jumped up in the door, and was barking like she was "agressive", our friend then procceed to stick her hand IN THE DOOR, AND PAT SASHA! Apperatenly, Sasha then "bit" her, tearing the skin... BUT, thats not what I think happened... I think Sasha might have snapped, jerked her head around to the side and acted as if she was going to bite, making our friend pull her hand back and scrape it on the door.

After that night, our firend would tell everyone that came to our house when she was there to "watch out for that dog - she bites!"... Sasha, DOESNT bite, the only time I have seen her bite was when I was sliding down the hill on a crazy carpet, and screaming, she then tried to bite me, but I think it was just trying to stop me.

Anyway, what would you do about this? I have to be honest, I kinda like the fact that Sasha doesn't let people into the house unless we are there. We live in a place where we have atleast 3 people that REALLY freak me out - all of which come to our house... When I dont feel like putting up with them, I dont awnser the door, Sasha jumps at the door, and they leave........

I know a lot of you will think I needed to put her down or what ever, but please, bash light..

Thanks for reading.
Shay

 

[CAOgirl]

I honestly think if you keep the door locked you will avoid lots of problems... Mine always are... I couldnt imangine the outcome of a uninvited person in my house....

 

[AgilityPup]

Our door doesn't lock... Thats a lot of the reason why I am kinda happy...

Plus, someone standing out side the door waiting for it to be unlocked would drive Sasha nuts...

She hasn't done anything since, and because we have a 1/2 mile long drive way, when we see someone coming now, we go outside to greet them.

 

[Charliesmommy]

Charlie bit my mom when she walked in my house uninvited and unannounced and I praised him for it. That is EXACTLY what he is supposed to do.

 

[AgilityPup]

Good to know you're not all aginst the fact that she protect her house... And her people.

I didn't praise Sasha, but, when she can get the creeps to leave our farm, she gets some major treaties!

 

[FoxyWench]

that is a natural reaction and 100% what she SHOUDL be doing...
if you were walking down the street and she randomly bit someone then yes it would be a problem, but she was protecting her home, doing her job as a dog...anyoen stupid enough to just waltz right in needs their head checking.

in our house theres only 1 person able to just walk in and thats our neighbor zach (hes like family) and around so much he might as well live with us...the dogs will let him in without a problem...
stranger in the house however, if the insecant barking doesnt bug them enough to stay away Dodger will take it upon himself to make sure eveyrone knows that despite his size he can back a good whallop...

thats their job...dont take any offence to your frined...

from now on id put a sighn on your door, KNOCK AND WAIT! trespassers will be eaten.

 

[StaceyWebb]

I don't mind a dog protecting it's home and family, but keep in mind that having such a dog means having added responsibility. Taking steps to protect people should just be part of your routine, which it sounds like it already is.

My little mix girl, Callie, is protective, to a point. But I think it would take an extreme situation to make her bite. But I gate her when I first have someone in my house (once she meets them, she's fine with them). My Boxer girl is absolutely no use as a watch or guard dog - first of all, she can't hear if someone is breaking in, and secondly, if someone walks in, she's sooo happy to see them that she about falls over from wagging her nub so hard. So she doesn't get gated away, because she's not a threat at all.

It's just a matter of using common sense to keep your guests safe (since not all guests have common sense of their own!)

 

[squirtsmom]

I l ock the doors, and noone uninvited is allowed to come into my house.

 

[lubspaniel]

I second that! my door is always locked, we have alot of break in where I live.One night at 2am I heard someone trying to come in. :yikes: I looked out and see someone walk off. very scarry! like they were checking to see if it might be unlock or something.

 

[ToscasMom]

I think you dog did EXACTLY what your dog should have done. Stop an intruder! If you ask me, your friend had to have a screw loose for doing that. If she is telling people to Watch Out, she ought to add, "If you plan on just walking in without knocking". Who in their right mind does that anyways? To a dog, this is breaking and entering.

My cousin has an Akita and we adore each other. On occasion, I have used the key to get in there to feed her when my cousin is on a trip. Even though this dog and I have known and loved each other for YEARS, I still knock before I unlock the door and wait for her to know it's me and do her special howl to me before I unlock the door. I "ask" to come in. I wouldn't dream of just forcing my way into that home like your friend did. And the last thing I would do is stick my hand in there first! DOH. And that is EXACTLY what she did. She entered territory that is not hers without permission and didn't use a whit worth of grey matter when the dog gave signs that he was protecting his territory.

 

[AgilityPup]

She DOES have a screw loose, and I am serious! She has dogs, she should have known! Anyways, she just doesn't come into the house anymore unless one of us is there...

 

[Fruit bat]

Your 'Friend " gambled, bet she knows better now. I wouldn't consider her much of a friend if she would lie. But then again she might actually think that she was bitten.

 

[CelticxConnections]

Your dog did something good dogs do.

My oldest GSD, the sweetest baby I've meet, has chased several people off my land. Why? Because they where trespassing and none of my family was there to tell him it was alright. He would never do that if anyone told him it was alright.

 

[JTP]

Welcome to dane ownership where overly dramatic people grab up their 10 pound dogs, and run screaming at the sight of you, and your 130 pound dog.


Put her down, No way. Are you crazy, this could be a dog with great potential
Change some things about her, oh definitely.

In spite of what people have written in response, your dog does have some issues that may need to be dealt with, unless you want a guard dog that is risky to be taken outside the home, and want the dog biting can visitors. These problems can grow worse if unaddressed, and it is a liability to you, and your family.

Find some books, or at least some web sites that explain the various types of training to get an idea of what you want. Each type has its pros, and cons. There is protection, defensive, guard, attack, etc.... each one has variations in training to achieve the specific characteristics for that job.

I would not call her aggressive from what you have written, I would possibly call her fearful, and perhaps untrained, or unstable.
A confident dog would not carry on like yours, unless you have reinforced that behavior. Even then I would question their stability. because if you get excited at the door she may actually bite you in a frenzy

True, your friend is a freakin bonehead, but people are stupid, so that is no surprise. A lot of training is dedicated to preventing dumbasses from getting bitten by our dogs, unless we allow the bite.
Certain dogs cannot be taken anywhere because that guarding instinct has been so brought out, they are dangerous

This is not really a natural behavior for danes, the natural behavior for a dane is to get between you, and the percieved threat. They are natural protector, because they were bred to protect hunters from wild boar, by jumping in front of the hunter, to confront the pig

Now you do whatever you want to do, but I would fix the locks on my doors.
I understand that this seemingly fierce behavior is not a completely bad thing.
Indeed, I kinda like it
But it is unstable, and no matter what you want to think, or believe, your friend was bitten by your dog. If the teeth make contact, that is a bite in that situation. You friend is also a dumbass who had it coming; however, you need to have some control over when the dog is allowed to bite

My goal would be to make the dog quit feeding on drama though, as she frenzies with excitement around her, and that can be dangerous
You say she bit you when you were excited, so I think the dog feeds on that excited energy, and that is not a stable dog.

All that carrying on at the door is not necessary. The dog was not aggressive when it bit your friend, it was scared, and had no direction from you on what to do. When left on their own without training to fall back on, a dog will do whatever it decides is acceptable, and most natural for its personality
Given those particular circumstances, I don't think it was all that bad a deal, but you need to be able to control that stuff.

The dog should defer decisions to bite people to you, in most circumstances, unless trained to automatically bite, like when some retard tries to undo the lock from the outside .

It is just such a large liability issue, and a dog should have certain boundaries, and know them when it comes to biting humans, or any creature.


Training does not teach a dog to bite, they already are well equipped to do that, but it does teach them WHEN to bite, which is very important.
Perhaps you should set down and write a list of what you want from the dog, in all thing, and consult with a trainer, or somebody knowledgable to see what to pursue.
YOu may well want a guard dog, but you find a protection dog is better for your needs

Keep in mind several special things about a Dane, their bite pressue is well over 2000psi, more than most dogs, but also, they have a scissor bite, look in their mouth, and notice their rear teeth do not interlace, but instead immitate scissors. A dane can easily chop off a finger, or limb. Mine bite through thick sticks like nothing, and can bust a full size basket ball in one bite.

Just realize the loaded weapon you have on your hands, and seek to control it, so she can be a proper tool, and not a loose cannon

 

[Renee750il]

Heheh . . . most people WISH mine would bark. But they don't. They just wait. And I have a name for anyone who thinks it's okay to walk in the house without me being there and giving it the okay: SNACK.

Bimmer won't even allow my parents to walk in uninvited, and whatever Bimmer does, Kharma follows, and that's as it should be.

I would, though, think seriously about at least putting one of those chain locks on the inside of your door - for your own safety.

 

[oc_spirit]

Renee's idea about the chain lock is a really good one!!!! I would highly recommend that. OC will let anyone walk in the house but Ronan is a little more particular about who is allowed in and who isnt.

I think a person is a real dummy to walk in a house with a dog without the owner there unless the person REALLY knows the dog. I would brush off what this person is saying about Sasha. You know what she is and thats what matters.

 

[Cheetah]

People who come to my house can clearly see that there is a potentially aggressive dog inside. If I'm not here, she puts on quite a show at our picture window. If they try to come in anyway after that, then I don't feel sorry for them lol. Eevee WILL protect this house, and I encourage her to do so. My landlord's husband even tried to come over once when I wasn't here to let him in, and she would NOT let him in. I even told him that before he drove over here lmao... She will not let anyone in here, unless I am here to let them in the door first.

Seems perfectly natural to me - although, the biting YOU thing is kindof strange...

 

[AgilityPup]

The biting me, I still think was because she thought I was in danger or hurt... I was sliding, and REALLY screaming, and she was running along side of me, then grabbed me, and she stopped running, and braced her feet as if to say "I'll save you mama!"

 

[shadowfacedanes]

The biting me, I still think was because she thought I was in danger or hurt... I was sliding, and REALLY screaming, and she was running along side of me, then grabbed me, and she stopped running, and braced her feet as if to say "I'll save you mama!"

That sounds like typical dane mouthing. Hannah will mouth me if Jeff and I are play-fighting, sort of her way of "pulling me out of harms way".

As far as your friend and Sasha....I wouldn't worry. If someone stuck their arm in my door, Hannah would give them more than a "tear". Danes are protective of their homes. Anyone with common sense would know not to walk into a home with a large dog without being let in.

Hannah will not let anyone in, even if she knows them, if we are not by the door to "allow" the person in. Most of my danes have been like that. I see no reason why they should be reprimanded for it. It's their job. It's in their history to protect their property and their owners.

Hannah will go ballistic at the door when someone comes, and it's certainly not due to being fearful or unstable.

 

[shadowfacedanes]

Keep in mind several special things about a Dane, their bite pressue is well over 2000psi, more than most dogs, but also, they have a scissor bite, look in their mouth, and notice their rear teeth do not interlace, but instead immitate scissors. A dane can easily chop off a finger, or limb. Mine bite through thick sticks like nothing, and can bust a full size basket ball in one bite.

Just realize the loaded weapon you have on your hands, and seek to control it, so she can be a proper tool, and not a loose cannon

Just curious how you determined a danes bite pressure? Crocodiles thus far have registered the highest PSI of any animal on earth, and they register between 1500 and 2500 according to various tests. Are you saying a dane and a crocodile share the same strength?

From what I've researched, there is no accurate test to determine the psi of dog bites. From estimated research it has been stated that schutzhund trained pitbulls and rotties register at most 300 psi...