A Jack Russell terrier type dog (not pictured) was euthanized in a local pound last week because of his extremely aggressive behavior, according to 4LuvofDog.com, a Fargo dog rescue. Because of the dog’s aggression, he was considered by the pound to be ”unadoptable.”
My immediate reaction was shock. Was there really no one in the area capable of helping this dog? How can a group call themselves a rescue if they aren’t willing to rescue every dog? Why didn’t I help him?
My more logical self reminded me that I hadn’t volunteered to foster this dog even before I knew he was aggressive. I also realize dogs are euthanized every day, including healthy dogs, young dogs and friendly dogs. This dog was not friendly and probably not healthy either.
When is it acceptable to kill a dog due to aggression issues? Is it ever OK?
Obviously there is no correct answer. But sooner or later, anyone involved in dog rescue and even some who aren’t will play a part in making this choice.
My simplified answer: There are circumstances when the best choice is to kill the dog.
That being said, I also believe every dog can be rehabilitated to the point of living an almost normal and safe life. It’s just that resources are usually unavailable, the risk of a person getting injured is too great and more laws are out there banning dangerous dogs.
I admire 4 Luv of Dog Rescue for honestly posting info about the impounded terrier on its home page and admitting he would not be rescued. I’m sure the organization will get at least some negative feedback for this choice.
No other shelter or rescue group in the area stepped up to help the terrier either. Adopt-A-Pet of Fargo Moorhead did not. The F-M Humane Society did not. 4 Luv of Dog Rescue was the only group I am aware of that at least acknowledged the dog. 11/27/09 edit: The pound would not release this dog.
No one helped this dog, and everyone who is a true dog lover should feel at fault for the result.
Euthanizing an aggressive dog
My own parents – two of the world’s greatest dog lovers – had their aggressive spaniel “dealt with” when I was about 3 years old.
I’m not sure if Abby ever got a new home, but her chances were not good. Dog aggression is a serious issue, even more serious when a 3-year-old and a baby are at risk.
In his book “A Good Dog,” Jon Katz wrote about the intense bond he shared with one of his rescued border collies, Orson. Anyone who criticized Jon’s decision to euthanize Orson after the dog attacked multiple people is missing something.
Confinement, medical treatment and endless rehabilitation are always choices, but not necessarily options in the best interest of the dog or the people who love him. No dog is worth the life of a human.
As for the terrier supposedly euthanized in Fargo last week, he is one example of why more work needs to be done – more communication, more education, better information on training, on socialization, on exercise and adoption.
It’s not just the big dogs, the shepherd mixes and the pitbulls that end up as victims. It is every dog.
Do you believe it is right to euthanize an aggressive dog?
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After I adopted my dog (boxer mix) from a local humane society, I discovered that he had severe anxiety issues. The first day I had him he nipped me twice when he became extremely anxious. The first bite occurred when I was attempting to walk with him on leash through a gate in my yard. He began to pull and lunge towards the gate and when I pulled him back he lunged toward me and bit my shin. He didn’t hurt me and it was more of a nip than a bit but it was still frightening. I was so taken aback by this that I stood there in shock. Once I was calm enough to walk with him we both walked through the gate. He seemed less anxious after waiting in the yard for several minutes but when i brought him into my house he became anxious again. At this point I felt like I adopted a crazy dog and I was uncomfortable with being alone with him in fear that he might bite me again or attack me. So I had him stay in the garage with plenty of food, water, and toys to play with, until my friend arrived home.
The first time I left the garage, Kasho seemed content with my departure. Twenty minutes after initially leaving him in the garage I went to check on him. When I went to remove the mats Kasho seemed very playful and wanted my attention so I felt like this was good dog behavior, so I stayed and tossed the ball for him for over half an hour. He was fine until I tried to leave. He saw that I was walking towards the door and he blocked the door with his body and began jumping towards me. At one point he nipped at my face but luckily I grabbed a tennis racket and blocked him just in time before he could nip me again. His face must have hit the racket because he cowered away from me but then walked back towards me in a more calm submissive manner.
After this incident I wanted to return him to the shelter but my friend convinced me that Kasho was anxious because he was in a new environment and that he was just experiencing anxiety. I decided to give him a longer period to adjust, given that he just came from a stressful shelter environment and the new environment could be adding to his stress.
However, I’ve had Kasho for over two months now and I’ve witnessed him have fear aggression around other dogs, dog-dog aggression and redirected aggression towards my-self and my friend when we’ve intervened to prevent him from lunging at other dogs.
He’s been in scuffs at the dog park on two separate occasions. In each event the other dogs were not being aggressive towards him. He is not aggressive towards all dogs, as he lives comfortably with our other dog and has played successfully with other dogs, but it seems to be with unfamiliar young dogs and confident dogs.
Today he jumped our fence and a neighbors fence in an attempt to attack two other dogs who were on a walk. A few hours after this when he was inside, he lunged at our living room window when a man and two of his dogs were walking by our house.
He’s been to obedience training and I’ve talked with several specialists who all suggest putting him down. But amid his negative dog to dog behavior, he can be a nice, loving, obedient dog when other unfamiliar dogs are not around.
Part of me feels that it would be best to put him down to prevent him from hurting other dogs or another person, but I also feel like I should keep trying to rehabilitate him.
Don’t really know what do. Any advice?
Thanks
We have two dogs in the household
Opps. I meant to say we have two dogs total in the household. Kasho is a male and the other female.
Gosh, what a hard choice. I hate to say either way without actually meeting him. Boxers are big, powerful dogs, though. Sooner or later someone will get seriously hurt if something isn’t done now about his behavior.
I do believe all dogs can be rehabilitated. But in most cases the resources are not available for that rehabilitation. You have a very difficult case on your hands, especially since he is leaping over your fence. Unfortunately he needs a lot of exercise, and it’s difficult to provide this when he can’t run in your yard and shouldn’t be visiting the dog park, either. I realize it is also difficult to walk/run him on a leash when he wants to attack other dogs, but he needs to be walked every single day.
I hate to hear about specialists who recommend putting dogs down, but in some cases it is the safest option. And a life of confinement (whether it’s in your house, a kennel or a shelter) is no life for any dog.
So … really only you know the best answer and I would respect you either way. The dog needs a lot of patience, desensitization training, exercise, exercise, exercise and more patience.
So, I would go with your gut feeling. If you feel unsafe around him, then maybe the answer is euthanizing him. Don’t put the dog before your own safety or the safety of your family/friends/strangers. Only you know if you can safely control this dog.
Let’s say you are going to try to keep working with him. I’m assuming you have a muzzle for him? If not, get one. Use treats to help him associate the muzzle with good experiences.
I noticed you said he got very anxious around the gate and also the door of your garage. Does he associate these barriers with you leaving? Doorways and gates would be one area to work on desensitizing him by walking through them with him over and over and over rewarding him when he is calm. And then doing the same exercise while leaving him on one side.
I recommend positive reinforcement training with him because of his anxiety and tendency to react. I could see him reacting negatively to something such as a prong collar. I sharp correction around his neck could cause him to bite.
While out on walks and also in your yard and at the window, I would use his favorite treats (like, his absolute favorite whether it’s chicken, hotdogs or whatever) to teach him to look at you with a “watch” command rather than focus on the other dogs. And keep working on all his general obedience to make sure you have control over him at all times. Can he sit and stay reliably 99 percent of the time with no distractions? Then progress to small distractions and keep challenging him.
See if there are any other trainers in your area who might be able to help. Perhaps the humane society has some additional resources.
Good luck, be safe, and let me know what you decide. Try not to feel guilty. You are not the one who failed on this dog.
Thank you.
I’m going to take him to dog aggression therapy to see if they can help us. His obedience is great when he is indoors away from other unfamiliar dogs, but outside it depends on if there are other dogs around or other animals.
For exercise we usually run in the morning and walk for 20minutes at night. In the early evening we do training obedience drills. It use to be nearly impossible to get through the house door without him jumping on me and barking hysterically when I’d leave but with practice he now lies down on his pillow and waits until I leave before he gets up to look out the window. I’ve also been giving him treats when we begin to approach a house or a walker with a dog so that he associates dogs with good stuff. But even so, he still gets pretty anxious with some dogs and depending on the other dog he still will lunge or bark.
I’ve been using a muzzle on him and he does not have use of the backyard anymore, at least until he can respect the fence again and his aggression issues are resolved. The backyard was nice for him to use to chase and be chased by our other dog, but at this point I can’t trust him in it, even when I’m with him in the yard and he’s not leashed.
Thank you so much for your input. I will try walking back and forth through the doors and gates with him. Usually I use the gentle walker but since he’s wearing a muzzle now, I’m using a front harness.
Fingers crossed.
Well it sounds like you are doing all the right things. Keep me posted, and I wish you the best. I am happy to hear you are working with him and giving him a chance, but do be careful. Let me know what they suggest at the aggression therapy.
Dear Missy,
I, like you, am continuing to work with my aggressive dog, and I definitely ALWAYS use a muzzle when on walks: with an aggressive dog, you’d be foolish not to. My dog is small, however, 18 pounds, a terrier mix, and he has no aversion to the muzzle or to me unless I try to take a very yummy treat away from him. (I’ve learned NEVER to do that, but rather to distract him with the idea of a tastier treat; he drops the item, follows me, I give him a Milkbone and then swoop back to get the other item.) Anyway, I just wanted to chime in that you are being kind and brave to want to work with a fairly large dog with such aggression issues. Some would say you are courting disaster. Was he likely taken to the shelter for this very issue? Please realize that, like my dog, he may be help-able but he will never be actually trustworthy: it is up to you to control him 101% of the time. I have read a lot on the subject of dog aggression, and I just wanted to say that if at some point you feel that this dog is just too dangerous to you and others, that he is wearing you down psychologically, that he is perhaps hurting your own body as you try to walk him, you should not feel guilty for giving him a quick, peaceful, painless transition to Dog Heaven through euthanasia. I think this would be more humane than returning him to any shelter situations, where his problems would only continue, and worse things could possibly happen down the road, God forbid.
Kim, thank you so much for checking back. I’m glad to hear it is going well with your dog. Thank you for your suggestions. It’s always helpful for dog owners to hear from someone going through a similar issue. There are so many aggressive dogs out there and loving owners who aren’t sure what to do with these dogs.
Hi Lindsay,
Another tip for Dogs That Pull & Lunge: put a regular body harness on them with good fit, not loose, and clip the leash not to the back but to the FRONT (at chest) ring. This will decrease the pulling by about 90%! A regular harness is easier on the under-arms of the dog than the Easy-Walk or other no-pull harnesses that can really chafe. With my system, a dog that likes to lunge at fast-movers (like my dog!) will still try to do that, but the rest of the time, the physics of pulling have been disarmed. It’s a great little adjustment that yields welcome results for ye olde human shoulder and arme!
I am also curious: what is the latest with Missy and her aggressive boxer mix? I haven’t seen any posts from her here. I am always very interested in how others handle their aggressive dogs!
Thanks, Kim
I would also like to know how Missy and her boxer are doing.
Thanks for the tip about the harness. I am not a fan of harnesses, however I’ve used the Gentle Leader’s anti-pull harness and that works well for an excitable pitbull I run. I never use regular harnesses except on very well behaved dogs, old and slow dogs or really small dogs. But, I haven’t tried clipping the leash at the chest, so I will keep that in mind.
I used a chain Martingale on Fred for about a year, no-slip off the head, but he pulls hard against it, and of course the collar is designed to close tighter to a certain degree (but not actually choke!), and after months of this, I felt there could be damage to the trachea/esophagus of the dog. The Gentle Leader looks attractive but not secure enough. The Easy-Walk harness can be cruel in causing chafing.
The regular harness now is much kinder to him, and as I said, the physics of pulling have been foiled through attaching the leash at the chest. I’m curious as to why you don’t use harnesses generally. Are you afraid the dogs will slip out? Not enough control?
All the best, K
I don’t use harnesses because I have no control over a dog on a harness if it’s over 30 pounds or so. I’ve had a few dogs slip out of them, too.
I prefer prong collars because most dogs will not pull hard against them and therefore they will not hurt their trachea like the could with a regular buckle collar. I also use regular slip/choke leads on a lot of dogs or Haltis. The Halti is better than the Gentle Leader because it has an extra strap that clips to the leash and collar.
We have a Yorkie, Buddy who was purchased at the mall and we found out later he had kennel cough. Well, that was just the beginning. Buddy was hospitalized when he was less than 6 mos. old. He almost died. We spent over $2K for his care and loved him to pieces but noticed a change in him when he was almost a year old. Before Buddy was 2 he was biting guests and growled horribley at men as if he was going to attack. Buddy is now 4 and living in a new home with me for the last two years with a Beagle (male) and a Dachsund (female). He’s been very aggressive with the Beagle even though he’s smaller. Training has cost me over $1000 but hasn’t worked.
We’ve gone to the hopital with severe bits from him. I spent money on a behaviorist, a one on one trainer and more recently (last 6 mos.) he’s been on 5 mil. of Clomicalm the Vet recommended. We have an old school Vet whom I respect very much. The first time I brought Buddy to him, he had to use a muzzle , then asked me why was I keeping this dog. Buddy bit again last week and very badly with the live in person who’s home we share. This person is not a stranger to Buddy. I feel I’ve done all I can for him and have to make a horrible decision to put him down because he’s so aggressive and dangerous. Our neighbors no longer come in our yard and friends have abandoned us. We can deal with this becasue we love him and I know he loves us. But I do think when he was young and very sick, he didn’t end up being wired right. I hope I can be forgiven for the decision I’m making but I can’t afford to send him to a farm because I hear they take these poor dogs to fight with others. That would be a horrible death for my little Buddy.
His trainer is very proud we’ve kept him alive this long and she told me I’ve done all that I can do except heavily medicate him but what kind of quality life would that be for him? I even looked into taking all his teeth out but the Trainer told me he’d still bit and make a very bad bruise .
Does anyone have any ideas? We can’t have the grandchildren over unless they call first and we isolate Buddy which doesn’t make him happy. We can’t even go away for a weekend because we have no one to care for an aggressive dog. Believe me; this is tough. The guilt is overwhelming. He’s going to the Vet for evaluation next week. I’ll make the decision then. Thanks for reading this.
I can’t judge you either way. You know what the best answer is. I hate to hear that a dog is going to be put down due to a behavior problem, but you said you have tried everything you can. You have to keep everyone else safe, particularly your grandchildren.
I don’t know the exact history of your dog and your relationship with him over the years. But most of the small, aggressive dogs that I see are given no exercise. They are also carried around like babies and coddled so therefore they don’t get the socialization they need. They become very fearful of anything new. They are rewarded for any kind of aggression because they are picked up all the time and given affection whenever they growl or bark. This empowers them, as they are held at a higher status. Breeds like Yorkies need strong leadership and a lot of exercise, like an hour walk every single day at least.
Now, I’m not saying you have done anything wrong because I don’t know your full story. You said you have done everything you can, so I just wanted to give you something to consider. You obviously love your dog very much, and I am so sorry you have to make such a difficult choice. I agree 100 percent that medicating him is not the answer. That is not a life for a dog. And a life in confinement is not a life, either.
Please keep me posted.
I have a Jack Russell named Arlo that has been with me for five years. He has shown aggression towards other people for about the last three years. I started working with a trainer in Austin who put him into isolation training. So he is now crate trained and stays in his crate 24/7 except for food and exercise. This has been going on for over a month.
The problem is, according to my trainer, he hasn’t been ready for “phase 2″ of the training, as he will still bite me (with muzzle on) when I correct him.
I am moving from Austin to San Angelo in less than a month. The nearest trainer that works with aggressive dogs will be 2 hours away. I am afraid to take Arlo with me as I will be living with other people and another dog and he is not completely rehabilitated. My fear is he will bite someone and have to pay the ultimate price.
My other fear is I can’t find another option for him. I asked my trainer to take him in and rehabilitate in house so he can be adopted, but she has no room for him. I can’t just adopt him to anyone as he has aggression issues and who knows what would end up happening…
I’ve contacted the breeder, but they will not return my emails or calls. I do know that his dad was very aggressive.
I emailed JRT rescue of Texas, and about a dozen other rescues, but they do not take aggressive animals.
I want Arlo to have a second chance. I am angry and heartbroken about the situation. I don’t want to fail Arlo. His behaviors go far beyond my skill level. I am running out of options, but I can’t fathom driving him to the vet to be euthanized. I want him to work with someone with the experience and ability to rehabilitate him. Unfortunately time and money are not on our side.
Sad situation. I wish I wasn’t part of the problem, but I shouldn’t have denied that it was a problem for so long and sought help sooner.
Gosh, I’m so sorry you have to deal with this and I wish I had a solution but I don’t.
I do believe he can be rehabilitated, but only if time and resources are available. It sounds like he has neither. I’m not exactly sure how aggressive he is, but you don’t want to be living with a ticking time bomb. It’s not worth a serious injury to a human.
Thanks for admitting that you were part of the problem. The owner is often at fault and usually in denial. Still, I know you love your dog and have always wanted what is best for him.
I’m sure you’ve asked all of these rescues if there are any other rescues/trainers they would recommend? And can your trainer recommend any other trainers who might be able to take him? Could there possibly be a trainer in San Angelo who could help and lives closer than two hours away?
Personally, I would never keep a dog in complete isolation under any circumstance. That is no life for a dog. Jack Russell terriers need a lot of exercise, like 10 miles of running per day. And they are intelligent dogs. Having no outlet for his mental and physical energy will only frustrate him further.
I really do wish you the best. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for the kind words Lindsay. This has been one of the hardest times in my life. Fingers crossed that we can work out a solution for little Arlo. I’ll never have another dog if I fail this one. I don’t deserve the privilege.
Best of luck to you! I hope something works out, but be safe. Trust your instincts and do what you know is best.
To Kat
These stories are so sad. I always feel for everyone involved, including of course the dog. A life in a crate is no life, and a biting dog is no pet. Seems euthanasia would actually be the kindest thing in this case. Once your vet does it, Kat, I think you will feel relieved and that you did the right thing. It was not necessarily your fault, if you adopted this dog well after puppyhood and if he really comes from an aggressive gene line. Genes are truly powerful (see the NOVA segment on foxes and wolves–changed my thinking forever), and sometimes no amount of absolutely vital early socialization and tons of exercise will tame a biting animal. Be safe, and take care. ~Kim
Thanks for the advice, Kim!
Hi Lindsay,
Hope all is well with you. Just thought I’d let you know that my little pooch is hanging in there pretty well. I so sympathize with the various dog owners that write in here. If Jacky, the beastie-boy, tended to bite even me, that would probably be the end of him, but thank God he only wants to eat others, children, squirrels, etc. Hence the muzzle on every single exit from the home. I feel so sorry for him at times: he really seems to have a deep, deep issue. Aged 11 now & adopted, as you’ll recall, he’s been with me for 16 months, gets 2 decent walks every single day plus several other shorter outings and fun things at home, and STILL he goes ballistic at certain stimuli. Screeching and running kids particularly rile him up, as well as the mere sight of other dogs. The muzzle and a very attentive hold on the leash are what lie between Jacky and the needle. For warmer weather, I am using a basket muzzle, more air flow. The nylon one is really fine, too; he manages to bark lustily and pant despite it. The basket muzzle is great, by the way, for beasties that like to eat yuchy things off the ground (no doubt you know this already — but for others, maybe a good tip). Have a good day, Lindsay.
Kim, thanks for the update! I’m glad Jacky is doing OK. Thanks for taking such good care of him!
I had to Euthanize my Shepard/Mix yesterday. Dan was a rescue dog who we adopted 10 months ago. We were told that he was 14 weeks old when we adopted him. He was on the small emaciated side. When I brought him to the vet, I was told he was more like 6 months old. I was familiar with dogs and already owned a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Dan had issues right from the start, mostly involving food agression and territorial problems. We worked with him all the time. He seemed to be getting better accept with the food, so we enlisted the help of a trainer who was well experienced with Shepards. We put Dan on a very strict regiment, he was crated from the day we bought him. He was not allowed in our bedrooms. We tried to re-establish the pack order in the house. It was not until we had him 6 months when he bit my wife and I on the same day. There would be four more biting incidents. Some involved food, some territorial, and one simply unprovoked and un -predictable. This dog had character and was a great dog 99% of the time. We went two months without any incident and it seemed like we were making great progress. He put on weight and his demeanor seemed to mellow where he was always relaxed. Then he bit my daughter on the hand- unprovoked followed by a loud growl. She is an adult. We struggled with our decision. After discussing with the trainer and our vet we had to put Dan down. We could not risk him biting our kids in the face or causing further damage. Both my wife and daughter had to go on anibiotics after the bites. It was one of the hardest days of my life bringing him to the Vet. I have worked in Emergency Services for 30 years, and have never cried as much as I did on that day. We knew Dan probably had a tough first 5 months growing up on the streets and being in shelters. These were important developmental months for him and he was not socialized correctly. We were told that we were playing catch up with him, and his behaviour would probably continue to excacerbate itself in different areas everytime we corrected one. We know we made the correct and responsible decision. We did not have the means and resources to train dan 24/7 which is what the trainer said would probably take just to maintain his good behavior. The dog would never be able to be trusted. I stayed with Dan until he was gone. It was the toughest thing I have ever gone through, but I was with him and he did not die alone in some cold shelter.
Thank You
Thank you so much for sharing your story about Dan. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I know you made the best choice for your family as well as Dan. I can tell you loved him very much, understood him and knew when to help him go. You gave him the best possible life he could’ve had.
Thank You for your kind words. It means a lot.
Hi Lindsay,
Long time no talk! How are you and your pups? Fred & I are very well, enjoying the park these summer months. But I have a problem! What have you ever used that works well to stop a dog from barking? I got a complaint from a neighbour yesterday, distressing! Today I am going to look for a nylon muzzle that will keep Fred’s mouth more closed as we exit and enter the building–those are the only problem zones for barking. (In the park, he wears the basket, to stop eating from the ground, and he can bark freely with that, but there, it is OK.)
Thanks so much for any suggestions! Also, what do you think of the devocalization operation?
Kim
A lot of dogs are calmer and quieter with the nylon-type muzzles on. Others are not.
You could get an electronic anti-bark collar which would give him a vibration when he barks. You would of course want to reward him with food the second he stops barking. I’ve seen some dogs that have responded very well to these collars. They become much calmer, happier dogs because they are in relaxed state of mind. They get to go out and enjoy themselves more often.
I’m sure you’ve considered this, but if he is food motivated, just distract him with hotdogs or chicken or whatever his favorite food is when you are walking through those problem zones. Teach him a command such as “watch” and reward him for looking at you.
I am not in favor of devocalization operations. It seems inhumane to me when there are so many other options. Now, does that mean it should never be considered? Of course not. Every dog and every situation is different. I would use it as a last resort. And in Fred’s case, I know he has a lot on the line because of his aggression issues, so if this devocalization surgery would help keep his behavior in check, then maybe it would be worth it.
Glad you two are doing well! Ace and I are enjoying our summer time outdoors, too.
Thanks, Lindsey, for the quick and detailed reply! I do use food to distract, but even that, in certain situations like close-contact in hallways, does not work. You know Fred. Alas. I am hoping that I can find a muzzle that fits him just that bit tighter around the snout, so as to muffle his volume in the halls, keep his mouth more closed. The vibration collars put me off–I have never tried them but don’t resonate to the idea. Maybe I should consider them. Absolutely, devoc would be a sad, last resort. I hate the idea, too, but if that or the needle were his only 2 options… I LIKE that Fred barks in the big park when a strange man gets too close to us! He is a truly great little body guard, and I weigh only 99 pounds! No, I will not do devoc.
I think that since I own my co-op apt. and am basically very considerate and abiding by all rules and not taking Fred out too early or too late, we will be OK. You know, the kids in the building truly make more and longer noise than Fred and the other barkers!
Thanks for writing to me, Lindsay. I’m glad you and Ace are well!
Well maybe the new muzzle will help a bit, then. And keep some yummy jerky treats on hand anyway
I keep seeing articles like this that seem fine with euthanizing animals because they are aggressive. Why are humans putting their stupid lives above that of animals? Humans have no more right to life than any other creature. It makes me sick to constantly hear the disregard for animal life. Humans capture animals, train them for generations to make them submissive, then kill them at the drop of a hat if they do something a human doesn’t like. It’s no better than slavery. Anyone who says otherwise is obviously a selfish person.
So no dog should ever be euthanized for any reason?
How do we euthanize a dog who is so aggressive the vet cannot get close to her? She’s a Queensland Heeler, 8yrs old and starting to slow down. Extreme aggression and we’ve done training, everything books and people have suggested. We are very careful with her as she has bitten both my husband and I. Keep her confined when we have company. Walk her daily which she loves and she loves riding in the car – barking at people. We have thought of euthanizing her but haven’t had the heart to do so. In any event, as she ages and there will come a point when she needs medical treatment we are left with a dog that the vet cannot get near. Is there any way, legally, to euthanize your own dog when the time comes for her to go to doggie heaven? I believe for her the most humane way would be to have my husband give her the shot since she loves him and he is allowed to touch and pet her. We live in Southern California.
I’m not sure what the laws are on that. That would be a good question to ask a vet. Otherwise, you would have to look into tranquilizing her first or something like that. I can understand why you would not want to go that route.
Can she see a vet if she wears a muzzle?
To Rich;
Thank you for your story. I am a multiple pet household and took in a dog a year ago that my vet thought might be ferrel. I have been in denial of this and just thought she was abused and that my patience, love, training and routine would change her. She was not a puppy when we got her but young enough that I thought she could change. All my dogs and cats have been rescues. Sadly I will be taking her to the vet tomorrow to be euthanized. She has not bit me, but has jumped our fence and aggressively gone after children, my other dogs, our visitors and has killed one of my cats. The hardest part for me is that I feel like I failed her. She is sweet towards me but does not always trust me. I have cried for several days, but do know this is the best for my other pets (especially my senior dog) and my neighbors.
And for Peggy;
The dog that I have been talking about is an 85 pound Akita mix. She will not go into a car, under any circumstance. I had asked my vet to come out to the house to do this; he was not comfortable with that just in case anything went wrong. He gave me a frequently used sedative, you may want to ask your vet about it when the time comes.
Thanks to all the understanding people on this website; it is a very difficult and gut wrenching decision to make. No one should be so easily to judge others until they can walk a day in their shoes.
Jen,
I am very sorry you have to make such a hard decision. I believe I would make the same choice if I were in your shoes. It sounds to me like you are doing the right thing. Take care.
Hi. Thanks for this post. This is an extremely important subject for me.
I am extremely uncomfortable around dogs. My mom’s dog, who is 11 this year, is one of the most frighteningly aggressive dogs I have ever been around. I grew up being afraid that he would bite me. He was the first dog I’d ever had and the only dog I grew up with.
When he was young, he was pretty good. We would take him on wailks and he was well-behaved. This is something I’d say was always positive about him, and even today, he can behave on a walk. I would occasionally give him a bath and brush him.
Somewhere, though, he changed. He began to hate baths so much that he would lunge at my mother and not let go if she tried to bathe him. He would become aggressive if you even attempted to brush him. The vets had to administer general anesthesia when we were finally able to take him to get groomed.
What scared me was about 10 years ago, my little brother was petting him, and he lunged and bit him in the face. He narrowly missed my brother’s eye. Since then, he had become so destructive that we cannot leave anything out. If we try to take anything from him, he will attack us. He has bitten every single member of my family and my boyfriend. I have a scar where he bit me when I was petting him.
A couple of months back, he got out when he wasn’t supposed to, so my boyfriend and I went to go get him. My boyfriend patted his knee and called forhim, and then the dog lunged at my boyfriend and snarled, chasing him through the house and finally getting a hold of his leg. I could not stop him. I was so scared I started crying. We did nothing but try to call him over and he just went berserk.
My mother does not think he is dangerous. I literally do not have people over anymore because I am afraid he will bite them, too. I have told her that I am too scared to try to take him to dog training or dog obedience school (he hates cars), and so she tells me to just deal with it, and that considering euthanesia is cruel. But I think it’s crueler to put your family and other pets at risk. He can be nice sometimes, but as he’s gotten older, the times when he’s nice are outnumbered by the times he’s aggressive and destructive.
I am guessing that your mom is adding to his aggression by nurturing him when he is unstable. That’s too bad that she is putting a dog before you and her other family members and even herself. This dog is a serious liability and she could face a lawsuit if he ever bites someone who decides to report it. The right thing would be to get professional training with a trainer who will come to your house. The other reasonable option would be to put the dog down.
Thank you for the reply!
I am willing to look and do what I can before we resort to something like putting him down. How can I usually go about finding someone specialized in working with dogs like that?
Even though I’ve told my mom that I feel like the best option for the sake of everyone’s safety would be to humanely put him down. It would be extremely hard for me, and everyone, especially my mom. I’ve recently had a cat put down because she was suffering from a miserable disease, and even then, I felt tremendously guilty, like I did the wrong thing, or took the easy way out, I guess.
Thanks again.