Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have recently taken in an abused male Great Dane from a shelter he was being held in, until his time ran out. I saw him, and fell in love with him right away. But I've been having trouble with him wanting to bite people that get close to him or me, even with family. He's became protective of me since I spent the first few weeks laying with him and getting him back to health. Is there anything I could do to make him stop wanting to try and bite people when they get to close? I've tried telling him no in a soft voice and he freaks out and runs from me from time to time.

Any help would be appreciated, I love him to death and I just want the best for him.

IMO you need professional help with this.
There are lots of good books that deal with aggression/fear/phobia etc. but its important to determine trigger & that may not be obvious. The dog's age may also be a factor. AND from experience, something physical could cause this. I'd see a vet as soon as possible for a complete work- up, especially the dogs skeletal soundness then get a referral to a behaviorist that does NOT use force/negative methods. Be prepared for a long (expensive) treatment.
So wonderful of you to rescue, but am sorry for your problem. Hope you get the help you need, soon. Keep us posted.

I'm carrying him to the vet this Monday morning to get his/her opinion on his biting. For the most part I have been trying to teach him that not everyone is going to hurt him, I had my mom visit me today and instead of having people just trying to pet him, I've been letting him come up on his own. So far it seems to work, I've had to invest in a muzzle since I'm so worried that he's gonna bite someone or someones child when I carry him out to the bathroom and for walks.

I'm also gonna look into some classes to carry him to where he could be worked with one on one with someone who understands abuse cases and these types of dogs. I'm just thankful he has sorta warmed up to my mom. I'm not really sure about his age, but he does have graying around his muzzle.