My dog broke 2 incisives at the trainer ! what should I Do ?

[mobeasto123]

Hi there ,

Today I was in the first of 3 days of training with my dog at the trainer after his 3 months training.. But when I was hugging my dog and inspecting him to be sure he was ok.. I found that he Broke 2 incisives (side by side) while his training. But now I don't know what to do with that . When I showed it to my trainer He seemed as surprised that I was. When I go back to the hotel I called my vet to ask about it cause they are really badly broken, so he told me that it could turn around 200-300 $ to get them off. But now what should I do .. Should I propose my trainer to get it off of the final bill or should I go home with my dog missing 2 teeth and don't say a word..

The trainer told me that he think it is his fault, It could be with the wood dummy ( kind of dumble) that he broke my dog teeth


Really I'm really sad about it cause I know my trainer did a great job on my dog but know my dog is not smiling right !!!

thanks

[birddog1968]

Never heard of a wood dowel breaking teeth........

Maybe the dog was fence fighting......

[Ahumphers91a]

I would propose that the trainer take the cost off the training bill, but you never know if he'll take the dog again. If he was any kind of person you'd think he would at least have offered to pay something, but was there a contract or anything you signed?

[Sharon]

I don't think a wooden dowel would do that. You'd have to chew on a cement block to chew off both of those. Was the dog working at escaping and going home? Was he force fetched improperly.?

I always feel that if an accident happens at the trainer, he pays.

If it could have happened anywhere and maybe before the dog got to the trainer, I pay.

[kninebirddog]

I seriously doubt the wooden dowel also...I am far more inclined to believing the dog pulling at the kennel panel in play to get out or in fight.. I have seen a dog do this literally made their mouth bleed and cracked a few teeth and destroyed the bottom part of a 10 ga chain link fence

[snips]

I see dogs pull at kennel fence too wanting to go work. We work dogs behind our kennels, so dogs go pretty crazy.

[ezzy333]

I see dogs pull at kennel fence too wanting to go work. We work dogs behind our kennels, so dogs go pretty crazy.

I have had one dog that broke it's teeth pulling on the kennel wire trying to go to th field. Only one I ever had break teeth. I don't think it could do that on wooden dowels.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

Depends on the wood. Pine or some other softwood probably not but if it were ash, birch, maple or oak could happen. The teeth that your dog broke are not very strong teeth and chip pretty easily.

[birddog1968]

Forcing with hardwood pretty common around these parts, softwood is thought to promote chomping.

[Meller]

Not knowing his training technic , some trainers hit down on the wooden dowel while in the dogs mouth to test or make the dog tighten his hold; not to say that this trainer done that just saying this is a possibility .

[bossman]

Lot's of good speculation, but the real question is do you trust your trainer? From your knowledge is he a person of good character? Afterall, many trainers out there and this is the one you picked. Unless you are sure it was negligence on the trainers part, I would take his word, pay the vet bills and move on.

[Mountaineer]

... I would take his word, pay the vet bills and move on.

Ditto.
Hope the dog is ok re infection.

[Ron R]

I would propose that the trainer take the cost off the training bill, but you never know if he'll take the dog again. If he was any kind of person you'd think he would at least have offered to pay something, but was there a contract or anything you signed?

The trainer is not responsible for any injuries from a broken tooth to a broken leg. They will take them to the vet but the owner is responsible for the bill. There is a certain risk invovled when sending a dog to a trainer that will be worked from horse and/or 4 wheeler. IMO, if the dog is not in any pain there is no reason to have his teeth fixed.

Good Luck

[Brittguy]

The trainer cares for each dog as he would his own. If a dog gets lost, hit by a car , etc that is just the breaks of letting dogs run loose or training. Everyone feels bad but the trainer usually has no liability.

[topher40]

I had an incident here at my kennel with a client dog a few years back. It was a dog just being a dog, no fault of mine or the owners. I tell EVERYONE that drops a dog off that I will take as good of care of this animal as they would, but animals are animals and can get themselves into trouble even in a lead box. Whether or not I have the dog or the owner does, something could happen any day. I did feel bad for the dog and the client and I insisted on paying half of the vet bill.

[mobeasto123]

I asked to know what you guys were doing in this situations.. It's not that I don't trust my trainer, I know I can fully trust him I just wanted to know .. If you guys say that I should be paying the bill that's what I'll do.. He just did a real great job on my dog and we will probably never know where the dog really broke his teeth ..

thanks guys

[AHGSP]

Any chance your pup is a rock chewer? I had a client dog here that is a rock chewer, as well as a cow chip eater. While here, she had a slab fracture of a pre-molar I believe it was and also came up with a intestinal parasite, most likely from eating cow chips . While I did offer to pay part of the bill, which would have hurt when you consider income and expenses, the owner insisted absolutely not. Owners feelings: She had previously fractured other teeth doing the same and had to have them repaired/removed and she could have eaten a cow or horse chip at a number of places that she was taken too routinely and that was the risk.

Some food for thought, as a Pro, we are lucky to make $10.00 an hour on a dog when expenses are taken out to run a kennel and the hours are added up that are spent not only training, but maintaining a clean and healthy kennel. A person can make that kind of money at a convenience store. If you're happy with the training provided your pup, do you really want to hold the trainer accountable to pay for the risk of having your pup there and bringing them along? I think if we were expected to pay for the risk associated with just having dogs, let alone training them where they can run into barb wire, broken sticks and limbs, a horses feet, a 4 wheeler, etc....; we'd have to maintain some pretty danged expensive insurances to cover the client dogs for potential injury and in turn, have to increase our cost, just to make a living.

Just my "Wooden Nickel's" worth.

[NJGriffNut]

I would ask the trainer to pay half. If the trainer doesn't pay, I wouldn't take another dog back to him. If he does pay, I'd take another dog back to him.

[Munster]

Didnt the trainer admit that it was his fault? Or that he thought it was his fault?

I would have had to offer to pay half if I thought that I causes the problem.

The only way I think a wooden buck could have done that is if Nolan RYan threw it to the dog!

Just do what your gut tells you to do. I agree trainers dont make alot, but maybe there is a compromise you to can work out.

[Fester]

I would hate to stick him with the bill unless I knew he was his fault, i know he was responsible for the dog but things happen to dogs, so I would ask myself, was it his fault? did he do a good job? am I gonna continue to use him? if he got all excited and chomped on a rock or something it could happen, I mean what if lightning struck him while the trainer had him whos fault would that be? I think when you are dealing with these type of dogs more things seem to happen to them by nature.
Fester

[ACooper]

There are countless ways a dog can break teeth. And just like any other injury/illness that happens by no fault of the trainer, the owner should be responsible for the vet costs. Things like this are just as likely to happen at home as they are a the trainer.

Are you 100% the dog didn't have tooth damage prior to going? Would you have checked as thoroughly when dropping off as you did when picking up?

[mobeasto123]

Thanks again, that's why I asked you before asking him to pay. He sais it could be his fault with the wooden dummy but he is not sure, as some of you said maybe it is that he just ate the kennel Door, maybe he chewed some rocks, maybe hé hitted a rock when he was running who knows. I know he feel really sad about it but a dog is a dog we can't Watch them 24/7 !!


Thanks again

David

[mobeasto123]

Yes Acooper I was sure he was ok when I dropped him to the trainer . Plus the day before I clean his teeth, ears, cut his nails and trim thé excess fur cause he was going for a long Time and there were no broken teeth but who knows maybe they were weak and as I said before we'll Never know.

[SHORTFAT]

Almost impossible to tell what broke the teeth if the dog aint sayin'! .. I once broke one of my own teeth biting into a soft pear... dentist said it was cracked and just finally gave way... it's too bad, but it should reenforce the need to get to know your dog's trainers on a more personal level... tuff to do sometimes, but it can make a big difference! You're in a difficult spot for sure! Hope it works out... keep us posted on how the trainer helps you deal with it. I would be upset if I thought the trainer didn't take good care of my dog! I'm not a trainer, but I can also see the fine line they have to walk between making a living and giving personal attention to every detail of every dog. Good luck!

[snips]

We had a dog here that ate pea gravel..Rick told him he would not charge him extra for the gravel.... :roll:

[Carolina Gundogs]

My Dixie female, in my signature block below, broke one of her lower canines pulling on the kennel wire when I let another dog out for training. Although she is not agressive in any other way towards other people or dogs (and very calm in the kennel), she will grab hold of the kennel wire and pull with her teeth once one of the other dogs are let out. When this happened a couple of years back, the vet already had a good idea of what happened so I do not think it is uncommon.

Unfortunately, the vet bill was right in the range you listed above but did include a teeth cleaning and a 3 year rabies vacine and also a kennel cough vaccine.

If this dog had been at a trainers, I do not know anything they could have done to prevent it. It would have been unrealistic for me to hold the trainer accountable IN MY CASE.


Thanks,
Timmy Suggs

[deke]

Ask him if he will pay half the bill. If he says no and gets mad just leave and never come back. If he agrees, then pay the full bill and bring your dog back becuase he is obviouslly a good guy.

[slistoe]

Or how about you just pay the bill because it is ludicrous to assume that there is anything the trainer could do to intentionally cause this in the dog unless he was throwing him fist sized rocks to catch in his mouth.

[ezzy333]

Or how about you just pay the bill because it is ludicrous to assume that there is anything the trainer could do to intentionally cause this in the dog unless he was throwing him fist sized rocks to catch in his mouth.

Amen

[mobeasto123]

Just to End this story.. When I was about to leave the trainer yesterday and sign at the bottom of the check.. I haven't tell a word on the teeth to the trainer cause I had decided to let it be like that.. He just gave me a new collar strap ( tritronic replacement strap), 10 live bird and I a little bargain on the price of his training. He told me that he wasn't feeling ok with the situation and He wanted me to get the dog at the vet to take off those freaky teeth.. I was pretty surpirsed cause We haven't talked about those teeth at all of the week-end and I didn't really wanted to after asking you folks what to do with It .. So I think we can tell it end up well and that my trainer Is a pretty cool guy ..

Thanks guys !!!

[kninebirddog]

Just to End this story.. When I was about to leave the trainer yesterday and sign at the bottom of the check.. I haven't tell a word on the teeth to the trainer cause I had decided to let it be like that.. He just gave me a new collar strap ( tritronic replacement strap), 10 live bird and I a little bargain on the price of his training. He told me that he wasn't feeling ok with the situation and He wanted me to get the dog at the vet to take off those freaky teeth.. I was pretty surpirsed cause We haven't talked about those teeth at all of the week-end and I didn't really wanted to after asking you folks what to do with It .. So I think we can tell it end up well and that my trainer Is a pretty cool guy ..

Thanks guy !!!

That is cool..

[tasi devil]

if the dog is not in pain,& the teeth are sound periodontally (under the gingiva), leave them be.
just inspect them regularly for any sign of redness around the gingiva, any mobility of the teeth, or any discomfort when chewing
once they are out it will allow all the other teeth to drift creating further problems.

.................tasi

[kninebirddog]

if the dog is not in pain,& the teeth are sound periodontally (under the gingiva), leave them be.
just inspect them regularly for any sign of redness around the gingiva, any mobility of the teeth, or any discomfort when chewing
once they are out it will allow all the other teeth to drift creating further problems.

.................tasi

Thanks for chiming in Tasi...seeing that do this for a living

[SHORTFAT]

Outstanding! It's always nice to see how well things work out when everyone involved acted like good people should! No blame was thrown out by the dog owner, and the trainer stepped up to make sure his client and his dog were taken care of in a professional manner. Just plain outstanding... mobeasto123, You and the trainer acted like good examples. Well done. Too often people don't act like this. I'm glad it worked out!

[bossman]

You and your trainer are both, obviously, men of good character. Congratulations to you both on setting such a good example...Thanks

[Anaconda Pintler]

BAHAHAHAHA THat sounds like Rick!

We had a dog here that ate pea gravel..Rick told him he would not charge him extra for the gravel.... :roll:

[ezzy333]

Another example of when you look for the good in a person you find it. Has always made me wonder why so many look for the bad all of the time but have to admit they find it since we usually find what we are looking for.

Ezzy