# My Aggressive border collie bit me



## Keeks (Jul 11, 2017)

Hi all. I don't know whether I'm here for advice or just to rant really. I have a male border collie. He's nearly 8. He was originally my boyfriends dog and when he moved in (5 years ago) he became my dog too. I've loved him and fed him and walked him and treated him well. But he has always been obsessed with my partner. He's extremely focussed on him. He has been aggressive to me for years. But not actually biting. Just growling at me if I touch my partner or if i scratch my own leg he comes at me snarling and I have to stop. He has seen the vet and there isn't any medical issues. This morning I went upstairs to wake my partner up. The dog absolutely flew at me across the bed. He literally sprang across the bed at 50 miles an hour, teeth bared, snarling and ready to bite. I screamed so loud. I managed to move an inch to the side and he just missed my kidney area with his teeth. He grazed my skin and tore my top so I know he wasn't just warning me. He was coming to bite. If I hadn't have moved he would have torn my innards out. I could have died and I'm not exaggerating. I've told my boyfriend the dog has to go. This is the final straw. I can't live in my own home petrified of an animal. So that's my morning summed up. I feel like crying. I love the dog so much. But there's only so much someone can take. I feel like a prisoner in my own home!


----------



## Mirandashell (Jan 10, 2017)

That sounds really scary! 

But I have to ask, what has your boyfriend done to train his dog out of this guarding behaviour?


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Keeks said:


> Hi all. I don't know whether I'm here for advice or just to rant really. I have a male border collie. He's nearly 8. He was originally my boyfriends dog and when he moved in (5 years ago) he became my dog too. I've loved him and fed him and walked him and treated him well. But he has always been obsessed with my partner. He's extremely focussed on him. He has been aggressive to me for years. But not actually biting. Just growling at me if I touch my partner or if i scratch my own leg he comes at me snarling and I have to stop. He has seen the vet and there isn't any medical issues. This morning I went upstairs to wake my partner up. The dog absolutely flew at me across the bed. He literally sprang across the bed at 50 miles an hour, teeth bared, snarling and ready to bite. I screamed so loud. I managed to move an inch to the side and he just missed my kidney area with his teeth. He grazed my skin and tore my top so I know he wasn't just warning me. He was coming to bite. If I hadn't have moved he would have torn my innards out. I could have died and I'm not exaggerating. I've told my boyfriend the dog has to go. This is the final straw. I can't live in my own home petrified of an animal. So that's my morning summed up. I feel like crying. I love the dog so much. But there's only so much someone can take. I feel like a prisoner in my own home!


Well apart from the fact that I very much doubt that this dog would have disembowelled you, I realise this must be very frightening. Personally I would not live with a dog like this.


----------



## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Keeks said:


> Hi all. I don't know whether I'm here for advice or just to rant really. I have a male border collie. He's nearly 8. He was originally my boyfriends dog and when he moved in (5 years ago) he became my dog too. I've loved him and fed him and walked him and treated him well. But he has always been obsessed with my partner. He's extremely focussed on him. He has been aggressive to me for years. But not actually biting. Just growling at me if I touch my partner or if i scratch my own leg he comes at me snarling and I have to stop. He has seen the vet and there isn't any medical issues. This morning I went upstairs to wake my partner up. The dog absolutely flew at me across the bed. He literally sprang across the bed at 50 miles an hour, teeth bared, snarling and ready to bite. I screamed so loud. I managed to move an inch to the side and he just missed my kidney area with his teeth. He grazed my skin and tore my top so I know he wasn't just warning me. He was coming to bite. If I hadn't have moved he would have torn my innards out. I could have died and I'm not exaggerating. I've told my boyfriend the dog has to go. This is the final straw. I can't live in my own home petrified of an animal. So that's my morning summed up. I feel like crying. I love the dog so much. But there's only so much someone can take. I feel like a prisoner in my own home!


I'm really sorry as it is very frightening when a dog flies at you with every intention of biting. From what you've said though I'm a bit surprised you didn't see that coming.

Are you suggesting that the dog is pts as it certainly won't be easy to re-home an 8 yr old with aggression issues?


----------



## Guest (Jul 11, 2017)

Keeks said:


> Hi all. I don't know whether I'm here for advice or just to rant really. I have a male border collie. He's nearly 8. He was originally my boyfriends dog and when he moved in (5 years ago) he became my dog too. I've loved him and fed him and walked him and treated him well. But he has always been obsessed with my partner. He's extremely focussed on him. He has been aggressive to me for years. But not actually biting. Just growling at me if I touch my partner or if i scratch my own leg he comes at me snarling and I have to stop. He has seen the vet and there isn't any medical issues. This morning I went upstairs to wake my partner up. The dog absolutely flew at me across the bed. He literally sprang across the bed at 50 miles an hour, teeth bared, snarling and ready to bite. I screamed so loud. I managed to move an inch to the side and he just missed my kidney area with his teeth. He grazed my skin and tore my top so I know he wasn't just warning me. He was coming to bite. If I hadn't have moved he would have torn my innards out. I could have died and I'm not exaggerating. I've told my boyfriend the dog has to go. This is the final straw. I can't live in my own home petrified of an animal. So that's my morning summed up. I feel like crying. I love the dog so much. But there's only so much someone can take. I feel like a prisoner in my own home!


First, just some clarification. Dogs don't miss. If he had intended to tear your innards out, he would have. The reason I'm telling you this is that although the display was scary and dramatic, that he only grazed your skin means he has good bite inhibition, and he wasn't intending to out and out hurt you, just give you a very adamant warning.
The bad news though is that without effective intervention, he will continue to escalate these warnings and at some point will bite you for real and do damage.

I think your best bet is to have a thorough evaluation done by a good professional, and decide from there what you want to do. If your OH has not made any efforts thus far to correct this behavior, I wouldn't count on him being very committed to following through with any training and management recommendations. Which means you have some hard decisions to make...

If you can share your general location, folks like @Twiggy and @smokeybear can recommend a good profesional in your area.


----------



## Keeks (Jul 11, 2017)

Hi all thanks for your replies. Yes it was very scary and I firmly believe if I didn't move he would have seriously hurt me. He didn't stop and graze me on purpose, he had full intentions to really bite me and only me moving stopped that. My OH is devoted to the dog and sees his aggression as an 'in the moment' thing. As in, he only thinks about it then and doesn't seem determined to do anything about it when the moment has gone. I've told him before that he should see a behaviour specialist but he doesn't seem to want to. I don't know why he's like this! It's like he doesn't care about anything other than the dog and that he loves the dog so much he's overlooking the problems.

He's just said he will take the dog to be put down. But then in the next sentence he said I'd be laughing at him being killed. God I can't live like this. I don't want the dog around me. But I'm not being blamed when I haven't done anything wrong. I've loved the dog with all my heart, I've tried to get him help but my partner isn't willing. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. 
Maybe things would be easier if my OH took the dog and himself and they lived happily ever after together.


----------



## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

In your situation, and if things were as bad as you are saying, i would have that dog PTS, or i would move out.


----------



## Keeks (Jul 11, 2017)

Nonnie said:


> In your situation, and if things were as bad as you are saying, i would have that dog PTS, or i would move out.


To be honest I agree. I love the dog but he couldn't be rehomed. He is extremely loyal to my OH and hates any other men. If he was my dog alone I would have him put to sleep. But if my OH is unwilling to put me and my safety first they will both have to go. Then he can do as he likes with his dog. I've tried my hardest to get him professional help with behaviour specialists etc but I think there's only so much I can do. I don't work and my partner does and he gets the money obviously so if he is unwilling to pay for it there's nothing I can do.


----------



## Mirandashell (Jan 10, 2017)

Are you able to work? If you can, you should really get a job cos being dependent on someone else is never a good position to be in.


----------



## Keeks (Jul 11, 2017)

Mirandashell said:


> Are you able to work? If you can, you should really get a job cos being dependent on someone else is never a good position to be in.


I'm at college at the moment and I'm planning on going back to work afterwards. I also have two kids which I should have mentioned earlier. They're obviously my main reason for wanting the dog out as well as my own safety. They are never left with the dog. Ever. I keep him separated.


----------



## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Sounds like the OH should be doing more training to follow up from the specialist trainers.


----------



## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

If your OH isn't taking this seriously, especially with their being kids around, then he needs to go imo. While I think if the dog had actually intended to harm you he'd likely have come at you again after missing (a true dog attack doesn't just stop) I think it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt. You need serious professional help with the situation AND you need your OH to be fully on board and realise that this is not a minor situation.

How does he react when the dog behaves aggressively towards you?


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

If OH can't take this seriously, he needs to be dumped. Better now than 10 years down the line.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's (secretly) pleased that his dog prefers him over you. An ego thing.


----------



## Darkangelwitch (Mar 16, 2016)

I agree with a lot of the comments above - if OH is not willing to get help to sort the dog out then either the dog goes or they both go - now that this has happened you have to think about your children.

Your OH is showing no respect for you, the children or the dog by letting this behaviour continue.


----------

