Bruno the tire eating dog—is he haunted by a puppyhood memory?

Bruno, a 7-year-old mixed breed from South Auckland, went on a tire eating rampage, but his owners say it wasn’t his fault. He is haunted by a bad memory from his puppyhood.

First he attacked a tire on a patrolling police car. The sergeant drove away to change the tire and came back to investigate only to have Bruno eat through a second tire. Then when another patrol car and the animal control vehicle came to help, he punctured those tires as well.

Bruno’s owner, Fay Gock, said that Bruno is normally a docile dog, but he attacks certain tires because he was run over before his first birthday. She explained:

"He would have a go at their tyres because it was the tyre that ran him over. The tyre has registered in his memory. He doesn’t attack the tyres of all vehicles, only a few models trigger a reaction."

His family isn’t sure if he is reacting to the sound of the engine or the tires and they aren’t sure how to train him not to attack certain cars.

Animal behaviorist Les Slade said it was likely Bruno was suffering from something similar to post-traumatic stress. "He's biting tyres after that stressful situation ... Animals learn from their first experience of things, like humans do."

Bruno had been left in the garage where he can come and go as he pleases, but animal control won’t release Bruno until the owners agree to keep him confined. Source

Comments

[Foley Monster and Pocket]

Poor Bruno. The taste of revenge is sweet. But rubbery

[Jack]

Bruno needs a doggy shrink. What a funny story

[jackie]

I don't belive he cant be trained..he's too smart.they're just lazy.

[cube]

To paraphrase Bugs Bunny... some dogs lead such interesting lives.

[Jimmy]

Maybe he only bites the ones that aren't steel belted radials?

[Tracey]

Wow, what an interesting doggy habit. One of my dogs used to chew the mudflaps on our car ... one corner is eaten away and there are nibble marks everywhere.

[all star tire]

That sounds like he did have a tough life,

[Tyres Castle Bromwich]

What a peculiar story, it's quite remarkable that he can remember such an incident. It really must have traumatised him for him not to be able to let that memory go. It's bad news for those cars but everyone's entitled to their own bit of revenge in my book.