A biter

[sumbirdy]

Uno has become a biter! He was well socialized as a puppy but lately he has started running up behind people and biting their legs. Everyone has been nice about it so far but I really want it to stop. I can't stand the fact that he might seriously injure someone. Can anyone help me to stop Uno from biting? It could be because he is going blind in his only eye and just can't see people as well anymore but I just don't know.

[Karen]

How old is he? What breed? What kind of training has he had?

[Freedom]

And also, what is causing the blindness? Diabetes, a cataract?

[sumbirdy]

He is almost 2 years old, catahoula/golden retriever/samoyed. Regretfully not much training. He has been socialized a lot throughout his life and always seemed to at least tolerate people.

He is going blind because he only has one eye and he strains that eye. He probably won't go blind for a few years yet but it is obvious that he doesn't see as well as he used to.

[agilityk9trainer]

If the mix of your dog is correct, he has some herding dog in him (Catahola and amazingly enough, Samoyed). The bitting of the backs of legs is indicitive of a herding dog. Without seeing your dog in action, I cannot say this is what is happening. However, the end result is the same. The dog is bitting. And, herding behaviors are actually a mild form of aggression that left out of control can turn into aggression. These behaviors often pop up between 18 months and 3 years of age.

I suggest you contact a local trainer with experience with herding dogs. They can give you a lot of great suggestions on how to control this. I don't like dealing with aggression issues over the internet as aggressions are very subtle. While this may be a herding form of aggression, it could also be fear aggression. You wouldn't treat the herding aggression the same as the fear aggression. The treatment of one would make the other worse and vice-versa.

So, go find a trainer in your area and get a few private lessons with them. Chances are with just a few lessons, you can get control of this issue. By ignoring it or seeking advice on the internet, the chances are the behavior will get worse.