u/kianburnell

Sorry this is a long one.

Hi. I really need some help with a dog we have just rescued.

Here is some background and information on the dog

\-name Atari

\-age 2years 9months

\-breed cane corso mix (unsure with what we think some kind of bully/pittie breed)

\- acquired her from a rescue

\- she was rescued as a young pup found as a stray ( around 6-8month old)

\-she was in the rescue for 300 days before we took her home (the rescue referred to her as institutionalised as she had never had a proper home)

\- usually such a well mannered, polite, well behaved corso

\-weary of strangers (expected she's bred to be)

\- a tiny bit fearful of barking/growling/stiff body language dogs (guessing from bad experience as a stray) also fearful of things that sound like dogs (car exhaust pops, low engine growls)

So, when I take her on a walk and let her off the lead to let her have more freedom she seems to go crazy and start biting my arms, clothes, jumping at my face and recently she's ever started to bite legs and ankles.

To give a more clear example this is what happened this morning.

\- taken for a walk at 6:20am on a slip lead

\- walk her to a quiet grassy spot with no one around.

\- drop the lead on the quiet grassy spot and start walking away to get the dogs attention.

\- she follows in a heel.

\- I tell her to sit, she sits

\- I scatter treats, she goes to find them.

\- we practice sit and stay.

\- put her in a sit, walk away, she stays I come back with a treat

\- do a few reps of this.

\-last rep I come back to give a treat, she goes wild starts jumping at me and biting.

\- maybe she wants to play tug, I pull her rope from around my neck.

\- will not redirect.

\- stops for a second after being told no.

\- try to redirect again with rope

\- ignored rope and bites arms and hands instead.

\- im now cut and bleeding from her bites.

\- will not stop, will not be redirected, will not listen to commands.

\- she rips the pocket off of my jacket

\- I'm forced to physically restrain her by grabbing her head and mouth to get my arm out of her mouth.

\- goes to re-bite, I'm forced to pin her for my safety.

\- grab the slip lead to control her and let her up

\- she starts biting at arms and hands again

\- forced to pull up on the slip lead to choke her off my arms

Now I don't like being this physical with my dog, I hate it, I know it can damage the relationship with her and she has let out a little yelp when I had to pin her. It hurts my heart so much but when she is pulling my skin (my clothes are replaceable, my skin hurts a lot more) and ripping it, unfortunately I don't have much other choice because she won't listen.

I try everything everyone says. Redirect, ignore, scatter treats, turn your back, cross your arms, walk away. It just doesn't work. If she starts getting bitey in the house she redirects with a toy quite well.

We have worked with a "trainer" who has said "oh this is an easy fix" but everything we have been told to do but her doesn't work and I'm not willing to stand there whilst Atari is biting me waiting for her to get bored a smaller dog maybe but not a 30kg corso with a bite force stronger than a lion.

Please any advice would be great and yes I know pinning her is not recommended I really don't want to do that so please don't tell me it's wrong, I know. I had no other choice. Please I need other alternatives which aren't the previously mentioned methods.

​

Sorry this is a long one.

Hi. I really need some help with a dog we have just rescued.

Here is some background and information on the dog

\-name Atari

\-age 2years 9months

\-breed cane corso mix (unsure with what we think some kind of bully/pittie breed)

\- acquired her from a rescue

\- she was rescued as a young pup found as a stray ( around 6-8month old)

\-she was in the rescue for 300 days before we took her home (the rescue referred to her as institutionalised as she had never had a proper home)

\- usually such a well mannered, polite, well behaved corso

\-weary of strangers (expected she's bred to be)

\- a tiny bit fearful of barking/growling/stiff body language dogs (guessing from bad experience as a stray) also fearful of things that sound like dogs (car exhaust pops, low engine growls)

So, when I take her on a walk and let her off the lead to let her have more freedom she seems to go crazy and start biting my arms, clothes, jumping at my face and recently she's ever started to bite legs and ankles.

To give a more clear example this is what happened this morning.

\- taken for a walk at 6:20am on a slip lead

\- walk her to a quiet grassy spot with no one around.

\- drop the lead on the quiet grassy spot and start walking away to get the dogs attention.

\- she follows in a heel.

\- I tell her to sit, she sits

\- I scatter treats, she goes to find them.

\- we practice sit and stay.

\- put her in a sit, walk away, she stays I come back with a treat

\- do a few reps of this.

\-last rep I come back to give a treat, she goes wild starts jumping at me and biting.

\- maybe she wants to play tug, I pull her rope from around my neck.

\- will not redirect.

\- stops for a second after being told no.

\- try to redirect again with rope

\- ignored rope and bites arms and hands instead.

\- im now cut and bleeding from her bites.

\- will not stop, will not be redirected, will not listen to commands.

\- she rips the pocket off of my jacket

\- I'm forced to physically restrain her by grabbing her head and mouth to get my arm out of her mouth.

\- goes to re-bite, I'm forced to pin her for my safety.

\- grab the slip lead to control her and let her up

\- she starts biting at arms and hands again

\- forced to pull up on the slip lead to choke her off my arms

Now I don't like being this physical with my dog, I hate it, I know it can damage the relationship with her and she has let out a little yelp when I had to pin her. It hurts my heart so much but when she is pulling my skin (my clothes are replaceable, my skin hurts a lot more) and ripping it, unfortunately I don't have much other choice because she won't listen.

I try everything everyone says. Redirect, ignore, scatter treats, turn your back, cross your arms, walk away. It just doesn't work. If she starts getting bitey in the house she redirects with a toy quite well.

We have worked with a "trainer" who has said "oh this is an easy fix" but everything we have been told to do but her doesn't work and I'm not willing to stand there whilst Atari is biting me waiting for her to get bored a smaller dog maybe but not a 30kg corso with a bite force stronger than a lion.

Please any advice would be great and yes I know pinning her is not recommended I really don't want to do that so please don't tell me it's wrong, I know. I had no other choice. Please I need other alternatives which aren't the previously mentioned methods.

Help with biting on walks

Sorry this is a long one.

Hi. I really need some help with a dog we have just rescued.

Here is some background and information on the dog

\-name Atari

\-age 2years 9months

\-breed cane corso mix (unsure with what we think some kind of bully/pittie breed)

\- acquired her from a rescue

\- she was rescued as a young pup found as a stray ( around 6-8month old)

\-she was in the rescue for 300 days before we took her home (the rescue referred to her as institutionalised as she had never had a proper home)

\- usually such a well mannered, polite, well behaved corso

\-weary of strangers (expected she's bred to be)

\- a tiny bit fearful of barking/growling/stiff body language dogs (guessing from bad experience as a stray) also fearful of things that sound like dogs (car exhaust pops, low engine growls)

So, when I take her on a walk and let her off the lead to let her have more freedom she seems to go crazy and start biting my arms, clothes, jumping at my face and recently she's ever started to bite legs and ankles.

To give a more clear example this is what happened this morning.

\- taken for a walk at 6:20am on a slip lead

\- walk her to a quiet grassy spot with no one around.

\- drop the lead on the quiet grassy spot and start walking away to get the dogs attention.

\- she follows in a heel.

\- I tell her to sit, she sits

\- I scatter treats, she goes to find them.

\- we practice sit and stay.

\- put her in a sit, walk away, she stays I come back with a treat

\- do a few reps of this.

\-last rep I come back to give a treat, she goes wild starts jumping at me and biting.

\- maybe she wants to play tug, I pull her rope from around my neck.

\- will not redirect.

\- stops for a second after being told no.

\- try to redirect again with rope

\- ignored rope and bites arms and hands instead.

\- im now cut and bleeding from her bites.

\- will not stop, will not be redirected, will not listen to commands.

\- she rips the pocket off of my jacket

\- I'm forced to physically restrain her by grabbing her head and mouth to get my arm out of her mouth.

\- goes to re-bite, I'm forced to pin her for my safety.

\- grab the slip lead to control her and let her up

\- she starts biting at arms and hands again

\- forced to pull up on the slip lead to choke her off my arms

Now I don't like being this physical with my dog, I hate it, I know it can damage the relationship with her and she has let out a little yelp when I had to pin her. It hurts my heart so much but when she is pulling my skin (my clothes are replaceable, my skin hurts a lot more) and ripping it, unfortunately I don't have much other choice because she won't listen.

I try everything everyone says. Redirect, ignore, scatter treats, turn your back, cross your arms, walk away. It just doesn't work. If she starts getting bitey in the house she redirects with a toy quite well.

We have worked with a "trainer" who has said "oh this is an easy fix" but everything we have been told to do but her doesn't work and I'm not willing to stand there whilst Atari is biting me waiting for her to get bored a smaller dog maybe but not a 30kg corso with a bite force stronger than a lion.

Please any advice would be great and yes I know pinning her is not recommended I really don't want to do that so please don't tell me it's wrong, I know. I had no other choice. Please I need other alternatives which aren't the previously mentioned methods.

Edit: picture of my beautiful lady in the comments