Have A Heart for A Chained Dog Week on February, 2025: Help! my cousin was bitten by our dog!?

Have A Heart for A Chained Dog Week 2025. Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week, February 7-14 - Advocacy for ... for Chained Dogs Week.

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You have had more than ample time to have the dog examined by the vet and vaccinated. Rabies is spread by the bite of an infected animal. Of course it is possible that this stray puppy was bitten by a raccoon or something, while being out in a flood. But your questions are best answered by a vet who will examine and observe your dog and give his experienced medical opinion.

If you pick up a stray and take it into your home, it makes you the owner of that dog. And as such, it is your responsibility to provide medical care...this dog should have been vetted IMMEDIATELY, and gotten its first round of vaccines.

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If the dog has been vetted and that was the information given you, so be it...however I would like to address the behavior/vicious question that you raise. Some people have mentioned the possibility of food aggression...and that can be very likely with a stray. Often, they seem happy go lucky and submissive when you first rescue them...because they are tired, hungry and possibly ill. And then when they are feeling healthier, they can become more protective of themselves...because that was what they had to do as a stray. You mentioned that your dog was playful and destructive...well, most puppies are! And chaining your dog does not teach him anything...it only serves to have your dog contained so you do not have to deal with destructive behavior. After the vet visit, you should have contacted a behaviorist. There is usually one attached to most shelters especially Humane Society shelters. A telephone consult is free...and they will be able to give you some very useful information.

I know this is a stray, BUT if you had adopted a puppy and posted a question about food aggression or strange behavior, this community would have probably given you tips on TRAINING. In fact, you may not want this pup after these past incidents, but if you start training him he will at least have a better chance at getting rehomed. But you have already taken steps to take this dog into your home and heart...you should now try to do the best thing for the dog so that it doesn't deteriorate into a situation where it is not fixable and the dog must be put down. That means training.

If you have never trained before, then look into private training or talk to someone who does know. You can pick up a few books on the subject..I often recommend My Smart Puppy by Brian Kilcommons, or Puppy Traiing for Dummies. Do the basics...sit, stay, come, down, off, leave it, watch me. the book will tell you how..make time to do 2 15 minute sessions a day. Start with positive reward, and if that does NOT work, it is time to repost. Also, the latest catchword in training now...is "nothing is for free". Your dog does need this! He must very quickly understand that his behavior will elicit either reward or consequence. And by consequence, I do not mean hitting, whacking , jerking around by the leash or any other physical form of punishment. A consequence can be removing the dog to time out, turning back on leash, stopping the activity that the dog wants to do, or even just a sharp NO or ignoring him.

It is not fair to rescue a dog and then chain him up. He needs to be taught not to be destructive.

Sometimes we get easy dogs, sometimes not. But if you do put in the time and effort, you will likely have a great pet. It is really not the norm for a dog to be genetically aggressive to humans...but it can happen. Try the training...and I hope both you and your dog are happy once you have learned how to communcate.

Help please..... 80+ lb dog?

Hello Annie!

I faced a similar problem as you are facing now way back in 2001 when I had to have a heart catheterization. My "puppy" {at that time, almost 80# pure-bred Black Lab} had a mind of her own, and I would be bed-ridden at my parents, who at that time were in their late 60s, early 70s and not up to wrangling a strong-headed dog! I bought an Innotek field training collar that could use either a controlled electrical "nick" or a vibration to remind her who is boss. After I was allowed out of bed, I had to use it to get her to listen ... I accidentally hit the electric shock, and all 4 feet cleared the drive ... it was the one and only time I had to "shock" her. Granted, she did not come near me for a day ... but she has been very faithful and loyal (not to mention obedient) to this day. After the 1 "shock", I have always used the vibration mode to remind her she had to listen to me! Just the mere suggestion that I will get the collar reminds her that I am in charge!

Attached are the links for similar products offered by Cabela's:

1)

2)

3)

And the Innotek training collar link:

1)

2)

3)

Yes, some may say this is cruel ... but in all honesty, if I have a dog (whether hunting dog or companion), I want it to listen! Now that I am crippled (I can't run, and walking can be an adventure) I would never consider anything but a field training collar to train my dogs!

Good luck!

How often do I need to walk my dog?

Once a week is definately not enough, especially for a dog that big! I have two small dogs, both under 20lbs each and we walk at least a couple of miles a day!

Taking care of a dog is a huge responsibility, and making sure that your dog is getting plenty of exercise is one of the most important things as far as taking care of the dog!

My neighbors have two dogs, a weimaraner (who spends half his day locked up inside and the other half chained up in the back yard on a chain that isn't even long enough for a small dog to move around on) and a boxer (who I hardly ever see out). I feel so sorry for these two dogs and it breaks my heart to see these people treat their dogs like this. Those are both large breed dogs with a lot of energy. They should be getting at LEAST one hour of exercise a day. Probably around two hours a day.

I'm sorry if sound pretty harsh, but I am tired of seeing people that have dogs that are too lazy to take care of them. Yeah you feed the dog, but just feeding a dog isn't truely taking care of that dog. You need to get off your A** and spend some time with your dog on a walk.

Read "Cesar's Way" by Cesar Millan the Dog Whisperer!