93 responses to “Euthanizing aggressive dogs”

  1. Missy

    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

  2. Missy

    Opps. I meant to say we have two dogs total in the household. Kasho is a male and the other female.

  3. Kim

    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.

  4. Kim

    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

  5. Kim

    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

  6. Bev

    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.

  7. Kat

    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.

  8. Kat

    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.

  9. Kim

    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

  10. 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.

  11. Rich

    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

  12. Kim

    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

  13. Kim

    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!

  14. Y

    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.

  15. peggy

    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.

  16. jen hoffman

    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.

  17. Ciao

    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.

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