Dog behavior

[debietter]

My 3 and 1/2 year old Old English Bulldog has bit my husband several times. She has never been beat or anything like that. It seems that when we go to bed (she sleeps with us) if my husband leans over her to kiss her or me, she becomes defensive and attacks him. It happend again last night and even though I guess she won't be sleeping in our bed anymore, I'd still like to know why this started.

[jackie]

has she/he ever been crate trained?


i think this is the best thing for a dog of this nature. you don't want the biting to become a habit.

[Giselle]

It's perfectly normal dog behavior. The problem is you're not looking at it from the dog's point of view. Imagine you are your dog. You're sleeping soundly when, all of a sudden, this gigantic creature, much larger than you, leans over your head and practically smothers you. To dogs, this is not only a frightening gesture, but a dominant one, too. I also agree with crate training, but I also think that while crate training is a good idea, you need to understand why she acts like that. It could be fear biting because your husband (if leaning over) is performing a very dominant and distressing gesture. My Grey (thought to be one of the sweetest breeds) also growls whenever I lean over her. Tell your hubby to try not to lean over, and if he does, try to look for telltale signs of distress. She'll hold her ears back and crouch her head down and back away. For the time being, make her sleep in her own dog bed and continue NILIF (nothing in life is free).

[carrie]

Your dog is showing you that she believes herself to be the pack leader and she is NOT happy about the situation - she feels that she is not in total control of the pack (you and your husband) and is resorting the final weapon in the pack leader arsenal....physical control.
This dog should not be allowed to get onto your bed, your furniture or, I would suggest, even allowed into the bedroom.
This dog needs to have a stress relief - you need to treat her like a dog, take the responsibility of leading a human pack off of her and allow her to become a lower ranking member of the household.
Try it for a week - stop making a fuss of her when you come home, ignore her until she settles for a while. Stop giving her attention when she asks for it, ignore her until she has settled and then ask her to come to you for a fuss. Stop all treats unless they are rewards for commands.
Your dog hates the position of leader, wants you to take control and will be much happier and much more relaxed when it's natural position in the pack is restored.

[MaryJae]

Great advice given and I also agree on the crate training. If all else fails, you may also want to have a talk with an animal behaviorist to help you out.