dog biting ankles

Question
Dear Kristen, I am having a single but big problem with my dog that I hope you can help me with.  I have been searching for answers and even paid $500 for dog training, and I am still having the problem as recent as today.  
Casey is my 4 year old American Eskimo dog.  I adopted him when he was 1.  When I adopted him, he had lime disease, which I have kept monitored (he is presently on an antibiotic "cycle" as his level was at 71, a bit above the norm).  My problem is with him biting peoples ankles.  He did it the first time three years ago at the pet store, then a year or so later to the cable TV guy, then again today the furnace guy. The first time was off the property and the dog had to be quarantined for 14 days.  I had to pay for the 14 days spent at the vet plus $180 to the woman he bit.  The second time was at the cable TV guy's ankle as he was going up the stairs in the house.  I am lucky that he didn't complain.  Today he bit the furnace repair man, who told me afterword that the dog had punctured the skin and he had to go to the medical center for treating the wound and receiving antibiotics.  So now I have to worry if animal control will call again to have him quarantined for 14 days, plus wonder what it will cost this time for treatment.  I need to stop his unprovoked biting. When the dog does this it is a surprise, he is energetic and easily excited but is not what you would call an aggressive dog.  I don't tolerate aggressive behavior with him, I don't play tug of war or try to pull things from his mouth.  When I tell him to come or sit, he does.  He likes to sit on my lap and is well behaved when I bring him to my sisters house and there are people there. He loves squeaky toys and always has them around to play with.  He is not rough with them, nor does he ever chew or rip anything.  He is not caged or confined to any area.  He is well taken care of and in fact last month had his teeth cleaned and received his annual shots, along with the antibiotics, which are for six weeks.  He is definitely spoiled but he listens when I tell him something, except for this.  I can't continue to have this happen once or twice a year and need to know what I can do.  I can't practice with him because I couldn't "get" him to do it, it is unprovoked.  At the pet store, I had him on a leash and he very aggressively bit the ankle of a woman simply walking by him.  He bit the cable TV guy's ankle as he was walking up the stairs - myself and the dog behind him.  Today he bit the furnace guy's ankle as he was leaving the house, despite him petting the dog when he came into the house.  It isn't following a pattern - whether standing still, walking up stairs or walking forward.  He is not provoked, no one is "threatening" him.  If I confine him to a room he cries and wants to come out, but I sometimes cannot take a chance that he will not attack their leg.  When it happens, I am always most concerned for the "victim" and do not immediately yell "NO" to him.  When I do tell him, he is "excited" and I'm not sure he even knows what he did wrong.  The woman at dog training told me to keep him on a short leash in the house.  She seemed like a nut, no one-on-one training with the dog, it was all written notes!!  I am at my wits end and I hope you can help, or perhaps refer me to someone or maybe a DVD or something that might help.  I have been searching for answers on the Internet but there is nothing quite like this.  He is not a puppy, nor do I play rough with him.  He is content playing with his squeaky toys when he wants to and will even bring them over to me if I ask him to.  He is really a sweet and loveable dog, he follows me everywhere and is always good with people he is familiar with. He is always well behaved when he is at someone else's house.  He puts his head down when scolded (like if he has an accident on the carpet, which is only if I'm not home and he can't get out in time), and even screams if he catches himself against the thorns on the rose bush in the back yard.  About once a week he goes for a ride in the truck, though I don't walk him around anywhere because of this problem.  He is alright at my sisters house, but I do not trust walking him on a leash or having him around "strangers" in the house, especially if they are standing or walking.  He does bark when the doorbell rings, or when he hears the mailman or UPS truck.  I apologize for the length of this letter but I am trying to be a specific as possible.  I am afraid that if I keep him on a short leash in the house it will not only scare visitors but perhaps even encourage him to be aggressive when let loose.  I want him to understand that he is not "dominant", that he has to listen, yet I have not been able to prevent this.   Also, as I mentioned, when it does happen, my concern is for the person bit, and I don't think physically hitting the dog after its too late would be advantageous.  He seems so excited/confused at the time that I don't believe he knows what he did wrong.  Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated!!   

Sincerely,  

Gerald Cardini  

Answer
Hello Gerald. I had an American Eskimo dog for about two years (it actually belonged to my then-boyfriend). I couldn't imagine having him in my lap, though! *laugh* I do not think your dog has a dominance problem at all. It sounds as if he respects you. I think his ankle nipping is due to prey drive. In all of the instances you mentioned, it sounds as if the people he has bitten were moving at a fairly brisk pace. I do not think he was being aggressive; he just couldn't help but go after the person's quickly moving feet. I have a 6 month old German shepherd puppy who is the same way; anything that moves is fair game to her. She is only playing, but those teeth *hurt*!

You are right that physically hitting the dog is not going to accomplish anything. American Eskimo dogs are, by nature, wary of strangers. I think that you should put the dog away when you have strangers in your home, or keep him on a 6 foot leash and do not allow him to get close enough to them to bite. Alert barking is normal with this breed.  


If you take him out in public, I believe he should be on a short leash (2-4 feet max) and training collar. I normally do not recommend head halters for dogs, but it may be helpful in your situation since he's so unpredictable and you cannot set up training situations to replicate the behavior. The only brand of head halter I recommend for dogs is the EasyWay collar, made by NewTrix. Here is the link to their website:

http://www.newtrix.ca/docs/ourproducts.php

It has the leash attachment at the back of the head rather than under the chin, which is much safer and does not run the risk of suddenly snapping the dog's head to either side if he suddenly jerks on the leash. It works exactly the same as the Gentle Leader or Halti head halter. When the leash is tightened, the nose loop constricts such that the dog's mouth is pulled closed. The following page shows it fitted to my dog, with some more details and explanations of how it works:

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/pup/EasyWay.html

Some dogs will not accept a head halter, no matter how you try to introduce the concept. The head halter also removes your ability to administer a leash correction; you should never jerk or pop the leash with a head halter.

Another option would be to get a safety muzzle for him to wear when you take him out in public. It should allow him to open his mouth to pant or bark, but should have a closed front to keep him from being able to bite. Here are some links to muzzles that I like for this purpose:

http://www.fordogtrainers.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1457

http://www.leather-creations.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=57

http://www.dogmuzzle.com/leatnobitdog.html

http://www.leerburg.com/708.htm#709 (Jafco style)