My bull terrier is defective. Her best buddy is one of our cats...
Posted on 07/10/2023 7:23:56 AM PDT by Lazamataz
My dog has a behavioral issue, and gets loose from time to time and kills cats... two so far. This is something that is making neighbors angry, obviously. Clearly the dog cannot stay here.
She is also perhaps the stupidest dog I have ever owned and is completely untrainable. We have successfully housebroken her. However, for the eating ritual, she WAS sitting when commanded, and began eating on the release command 'Okay', but she forgot half that training and now just stares at you when you release her.
Obviously we would never be able to train her not to kill cats.
I want to exhaust every option before I put her down. Is such a dog someone I want to give up to a shelter / rescue? Or is it best to just put her down?
The husky is a runner, both fast burst and marathon, a natural stalker and hunter, stubborn, virtually untrainable unless it's for running and usually a marvelous family dog. Hates cats! The pit side brings into mix the potential for overt or suppressed violent insanity. The only 100% solution is a trip to the woods and a 22LR in between the eyes. I recommend a rifle and not a handgun.
If you want to attempt the humane thing, go to a farm supply store and get the gear for an electric fence made to keep cattle in a field. Much less $$$ and more effective than the cute fence and collar things from pet supply big box store. If you have cattle, string the single wire about 3ft high and for dogs 1ft high. There are latches to engage/disengage at gates. Oh, it's great fun for kids as well! When no adult is looking, a kid will touch the wire once or twice. After that it's all fun and games though! Double dog dare a friend, younger sibling or cousin to touch that wire. Great childhood fun! Yes, I'm warped, grew up on a ranch.
Tall (6’) fence with Invisible Fence wire just inside.
My Invisible Fence type systems have held every dog I’ve had since 2000. Get the kind where you have a remote that activates the collar. I’ll look up my latest brand.
I had one leaped the 6’ fence, kinda climbed it at a run, during thunderstorms. Invis fence stopped it.
That’s rough. Owners may be able to get cops involved, try to get your dog put down.
Man, this sux. God bless, man.
It is a 9¢ solution and, done right, is instantaneous and painless.
What makes you think homesteaders want or need cats?
Is that why all these Chicagidiots keep abandoning Fluffy up here?
If you had a problem dog like that then I would have gladly taken it for my farm.
Since its a pit all I can offer is a bullet for the breeder.
You will never convince me it is the best solution in this situation.
Laz,
We have a furry companion exactly as you describe here. she was 6mos old when we got her after she passed through a couple of our relative’s homes that could not keep her.
She was obtained from the original owner who was beating her, a, puppy, and staking her out in the hot sun. Our nephew called to ask if I would take her in and said that she had a bad limp from the abuse she had endured.
I didn’t really want another dog as I still had memories of my last dog, a Yellow Lab that had been my companion for 14 years. After hearing of her story of being abused I told him to bring her to me and we would see how we got along.
She was full of energy, very independent and very affectionate. Loved to be held and petted.
What could I do?
At least I knew she would never be abused again as long as she was with me.
I have found that this breed of dog needs human interaction and loves the human physical touch. They do not like being alone and this one is not to be tied up outside away from her human companion.
She is now 5yrs old and I love her dearly It has taken patience and understanding the characteristics of the breed to come to our current place. She does have a high Prey Drive but that is what it is for those breeds. You have to know that and understand that. She is very intelligent but stubborn. She prefers to do what she wants but usually will respond after she thinks about it.
We have a few acres, with field fence, so she has plenty of room to run and play. She sleeps beside me each night and turns over on her back to get her belly rub and T L C each morning.
AS I said, this kind of dog is not a “Loner” they do not like being alone and they really enjoy the human caress. I really hope you can find a rescue that can take her and she and the next family can have lots of joy together. If I were younger, I probably would come to see her. But I am 86 yrs old and this will be my last furry companion. I thank her for being here for me.
Please give her a chance. Give her to a rescue that understands that kind of dog for rehoming. Please.
My bull terrier is defective. Her best buddy is one of our cats...
Touch? Triple dog dare to pee on the fence!
There is very little an electric shock collar cannot train out of dogs.
I had two you could not stop from fighting. Wild, uncontrollable, terrifying fighting. I would have kept both, but it would have been difficult keeping them isolated in different parts of the house and separated at all times, as they tried to get to each other, to have the terrifying fights, which they seemed to enjoy, and think fun, even as they came away from them bleeding.
The SportDog extra strength shock collars had the two begrudgingly accept each other, even when laying next to each other on the couch, with only the occasional growls of displeasure. It was a life changer.
Also, do not underestimate how dogs can find a place where they fit. When I was a kid, my parents visited a nursery, and as they were looking at plants with the owner, a wolf-hybrid trotted up to the treeline, looked majestic for a moment, and then disappeared into the trees. My mom asked the owner about it and he said it was owned by a neighbor and was scheduled to be put down because it was too violent and had tried to attack him several times. He apparently could not walk it so he let it out of the house and hoped for the best until he could have it put down. My mom insisted on meeting the neighbor and took it.
I was born, it latched onto me, and honestly that dog was one of the key factors molding my life. He was like a father to me growing up, and I still think of him regularly. He even saved me when I was like six and a German Shepherd came at me like it was going to attack me.
I would give the dog to a rescue, and let them find the right place for it. Dogs who don’t fit in one place can fit like a glove somewhere else.
All dogs should be on a leash when walking. Trainer said a dog may interpret a person coming at them & tripping towards you as aggression and with a leash, you can pull them off.
Yes, 100 percent. I posted before seeing this, but absolutely, this guy knows.
The key is the pavolovian response. The dug sees the cat, begins to do the unwanted behavior, and gets shocked. It will learn in two or three takes, the shock is being produced by the move to the cat, and it will just stand there.
I saw this with mine, who fought each other. The first time, they went to fight, and I hit the button on the shock collars, both of them jumped out of their skins, and stopped, and looked confused for a moment, then looked at me. They began to go toward each other aggressively again, I hit the button again, and they both jumped, and that was it. They knew not to fight.
The SportDog extra strength was the one I used, since the shocks are more powerful at the upper ranges. You can set the voltage from a one, which is a gentle tingle, up to a ten, which will make them yelp and jump in the air if need be. You can also teach them with a beep button which makes the collar beep, as a warning a shock will follow if they don’t knock it off. You can get to the point they will stop at the beep, without ever shocking them.
One advantage which really made me happy I got the collar was I could take them off leash, and always be in control of them. They learned when I said come to come, and that if I said no, they needed to stop what they were about to do. They got about a thousand units of happiness from being able to go off leash, for maybe ten units of unhappiness at not being able to fight, or ignore me while off leash. If they had a choice, they would have wanted to collars.
Worst case scenario, do not kill the dog, without seeing if you can find a family who will keep it inside, and only walk it on leash. Rescues can be good for that kind of thing.
100%.....LOLOL!!!
Laz,
Me again. It appears that you have chosen the wrong type of dog for your situation.
Pits, Huskys and Pitskys are working dogs that are high energy dogs that require lots of activity to burn off that energy. They are known to be very intelligent, independent, and difficult to train. They have a natural high Prey Drive, it’s just what they are. It’s strong and it’s natural for these breeds of dog. They chase and catch things that act like their natural prey.
They have feelings and emotions just like humans do. Happiness, fear, uncertainty, sadness. Sadness when we are getting ready to go to town and happiness when we return after only a couple of hours. The tail is wagging the whole dog.
You can learn to communicate with your companion if you pay attention to them and try to understand what they are trying to tell you. If I sit here much longer my big girl will slowly come in here and while looking at me will make a very soft noise. That means “come on Pappa it’s time to sleep”. I will get up from the computer and reach for my walker and she will beat me to the bedroom. Furry companions are so much more enjoyable when you can communicate with them and accept them as a member of the family rather than just a “Pet”. I talk to her as if she is a human child and I learn that she understands much more than I thought. She is such a blessing to me.
I mentioned that they are people dogs. Our Pitsky is beside either of us when inside the house. when we go outside she will wander around, doing her dog thing, but always keeping an eye on her Mamma or Pappa. When inside the house watching T V she much of the time she is sitting beside and leaning against one of us. Or laying down with her head on our leg for her pillow. How can you not love a dog like that?
They are strong and play rough. If they feel threatened they will attack to defend against the threat. Simple solution is don’t do it. I saw my neighbor lunging at the fence, making dog fight noises and my Pitsky responded accordingly. I had a few words with the neighbor then called a fence company to put up a 6 foot privacy fence.
The internet is a wonderful place to find out everything you want to know before you think about getting a pet. Dogs are real live animals who have personalities. and natural characteristics that must be taken into consideration to see if the dog will fit into your situation.
If you try to put a Pitsky in a place where only a mini-poodle should go, it isn’t going to work. We have an elderly retired nurse friend who lives alone in an apartment. Her daughter got her a dog for a companion, a young JRT ! Exactly what an elderly woman doesn’t need.
I guess what I am getting to is don’t blame the dog for your bad choice for your situation. And now the nice Pitsky is in danger of being put down because of your negligence.
With the right family who understands this kind of dog breed and the right/large fenced yard to run in, your Pitsky will be happy and bring happiness to her new family. A place where she will be a full participating member of the family, not just an after-thought. Our big girl is very inquisitive and has to know everything that is happening. When Mamma comes home from the store, the big girl has her nose in every bag to see what Mamma has brought her.
Please do the right thing and get your Pitsky to a rescue location that understands this breed of dog and can find her a proper loving forever home. Please, don’t have her killed just because you don’t/can’t understand her needs.
Thank You
F*** you.
We didn't 'choose' this dog. It wandered up to us when we were outside and wouldn't leave.
Please do the right thing and get your Pitsky to a rescue location that understands this breed of dog and can find her a proper loving forever home. Please, don’t have her killed just because you don’t/can’t understand her needs.
I understand plenty. We've called everywhere. There's not one space in any rescue or shelter.
If you can take it, and can arrange for its transport, she's got until 4:30 PM EST today.
I've tried a variety of options, she likes it outdoors, but she's an escape artist.
That is by far the exception as opposed to the rule. You have to train the dog by taking it to the border till it gets a shock. The dog will learn REAL fast.
Totally agree -- electric fences work if the dog is trained to "experience" the fence when it is first installed, and the owner maintains the collar and fence for at least two or three years.
Most, but not all, dog behavior problems are actually owner behavior problems—lack of consistent discipline. Many people get a dog for the fun part, not realizing the hard work it takes to educate this dependent, "teenage" household member.
That said, there certainly are crazy. lazy, stupid or predator dogs from puppyhood. Laz has to make that call—rigorous discipline and see what works; remote farm with no cats, but small wild prey in the nearby woods; or dirt nap for the sake of the community or his own schedule.
What an excellent suggestion!
Laz,
Where do you live in Georgia and what will happen at 4:30 today?
Very nice :)
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