Posted on 07/21/2020 6:24:09 AM PDT by BubbaBasher
I've had two dogs that I rescued 8 years ago. I started off with one but his separation anxiety was so bad I got the second one to keep him company. They were very attached to each other. Two weeks ago I had put the first one to sleep due to a severe medical issue.
The second one has bitten 5 people over the last 8 years only drawing blood of a vet assistant yesterday. The others were nips. He has snipped at several young children too. I have made many attempts to socialize him to no avail. He just gets left at home now to avoid any further issues. He is 9 years old. I have looked into getting him a companion but he has rejected the two candidates I was interested in. (fights and growls)
He is very gentle and affectionate to me and has two other humans and one dog that he likes. I have no doubt that he would have been put down long ago if someone else had adopted him.
After the bite yesterday I am considering putting him to sleep but I've never put down a dog that wasn't sick and I am highly conflicted. What's everyone's opinion?
One of our vets would not tolerate such a dog because of having to put down so many good dogs at the pound. One of our dogs got nasty with him and the vet threatened to shoot him. My husband had to do a choke hold on said dog, afterward tbe dog was good.
The dog will be trouble for you unless you are willing to go Alpha.
The dog I have currently have was described as low key in the adoption web site. He was pretty excited during the meet, but we took him in. With in the first month he bit me on the hand with 6 stitches (my fault) and has bit 5 other people in front of me. None drew blood. He is also the craziest high energy dog there is in the world, 0 -60 in 1 second personality.
For the first year I never petted him, just talked to him. Now on year 6, he is the best dog I have ever had.
He is super smart (only 1 lab before him was smarter), and was passed around before I got him, it took him 2 years before he trusted me/us.
Now that he is older he talks to us more often and answers questions with grunts. Very affectionate lap sitter.
I collapsed in the snow (tired and intentionally) during the plague bugout and he came over and grabbed my hand to pull me up, saved my life (not really but he was trying).
We refer to him as old “crotchety old man” and just don’t let him get close to anyone to bite. He just does not trust anyone else.
We have always had 2 labs at a time, but have come to realization he just wants to be the only dog and he gets all our love.
His hips are starting to go, but he is happy with us,
loves his family, wants to do his job, Good Boy!
If you don’t want him, put him up for adoption before down please. Just be truthful about his behavior.
Your dog isn’t healthy if it is biting people.
Hope that helps.
I had a lab that became very aggressive at age two. We took him to training classes, etc. He was especially aggressive towards children when off leash.
I gave him to the local rescue with the instructions that he should not be placed with anyone who had children.
We checked back with them a few weeks later. They had put him to sleep. He had tried to bite two people when he was with them. They were very surprised that we had kept him as long as we did. Sometimes dogs, just like humans, are mentally ill/defective.
It is not an easy decision. The question you have to ask yourself is it worth a child getting bit in the face? Not only would you ruin a child’s life, but rightfully subject yourself to a million dollar plus LAWSUIT that could bankrupt your family.
I don’t know what to say.
Dogs are much better than TV.
Puppies do smell like puppies. Dogs that I’ve had act differently around them.
That’s a dangerous size for that type of behavior. I would suggest that the dog be put down for the safety of all and children most of all........
What does your DVM say?
I’d consult with a DVM for sure. There may be underlying condition(s) that could be a contributing factor to this behavior.
If it is determined this is normal demeanor of the dog, you do have options in not allowing the dog contact with others. It can be challenge - but it sounds like it would be worth it as the dog socializes well with you.
Speaking as a person who loves animals but eho has been bitten by a strange dog, you will not enjoy the protracted legal wrangling with the next person he bites; God forbid he injures a child.
If the previous bites you mentioned had happened in our county and had been reported, the county would have confiscated your dog and destroyed it after the second or third bite.
So if you choose to end his life voluntarily, you can at least work with the vet to make his passing as humane as possible, properly sedated first and handled peacefully.
I am sorry for you. Unfortunately your dog’s antisocial behavior will probably never ever change.
Does the dog give you more grief than joy?
Your kind and gentle dog has bitten 5 people that you know of (including small children as you state) and drew blood on a vet.
I am very sorry, but the answer has written itself.
His was a good-sized dog, but still, a biter or even nipper is going to cause problems.
Man, you can't have him biting at children.
Tough situation.
Euthanasia....otherwise he is a loose cannon...
Is it possible to just keep him away from others? I understand it’s not possible during vet visits, but maybe a muzzle would come in handy for that.
7 or 8 years ago, we had pure bred border terrier that we loved. Rusty was a handsome and fun little dude. In the morning he would run into the room, jump on the bed, and literally dig the covers off me so he could lick me to death. He was obedient and loved people, and was great in every way, except... he had a very strong natural prey instinct, and that extended to small white dogs for some reason. On two occasions, we had to pry his teeth off of two dogs he saw and attacked, once in a training class. The first time my wife’s hand was cut badly and she given strong antibiotics that she’s still suffering effects from. The second time I knew he had to go. I could not afford the liability, and we are very fortunate no one sued us. We drove him back to the breeder in another state. My daughter, who worked in a vet clinic, said there was something mentally wrong with him that could not be fixed. He was never abused or mistreated. But he was not mentally healthy. If the breeder had not lived out in the country where he could run around without encountering strange dogs, he would have had to be put down. He suddenly died outside there shortly thereafter anyway. It was a sad time.
You are responsible for what the animal does now that you know he bites people. This is not a human being. A court can order to him to be put down anyway as a known danger, after he has harmed somebody else and you have been financially ruined. For the sake of others and yourself, he should be put to sleep humanely.
I can’t comment on this b/c I had to put my beloved 10-year old Shih-Tzu down last week. Still crying.
With that said, we’ve had two rescues, one pit mix the other retriever mix - the shelter knew nothing of their past lives before the adoption, both were strays.
Best dogs we’ve ever had. Lots of great dogs out there that need homes, but it’s hard b/c of past abuse or neglect. Our big girl was neglected and it took about a year for her to come out of her shell.
Nope ... the left have turned on dogs too. They're now targeting police dogs.
That being said after 5 bites, it's time...
Sad story!
My neighbor had a similar experience - he bought a yellow lab from a breeder that became vicious after it left the puppy stage. It would come to our shared back fence and throw itself against the fence - snarling, growling and viciously barking. If the fence weren’t there, I kno’w he would have attacked me and my dogs. Never seen anything like it, yellow labs are usually friendly family dogs.
Neighbor finally took it back to the breeder, I don’t think he could control it. There was another one like that in my dog training class, a black lab that could not be controlled. The trainer said there was something wrong with the dog’s brain and to get rid of it ASAP.
Similar case a few years back with a friend. They built a pen in the back yard and penned the dog during the day and if people were at house. The put in a nice dog house and kept the area clean. Muzzle the dog when out for walks or not penned. Sounds cruel, but the dog adjusted and lived out it’s life, well loved and cared for.
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