Posted on 07/21/2020 6:24:09 AM PDT by BubbaBasher
If the dog is a biter, that many bites is way too many. Especially biting children—not matter who is at fault.
I had to do this. The vet told me the dog was “just not right.” It sucked, but we could not have a dog that was dangerous to our little children, and the other little children in the neighborhood.
It is not fun. But you know that its right.
I will be thinking of you as you go through this.
That's what I have been doing. Due to the virus the vet is only doing curbside pickup where they take the dog from you in the parking lot. I was not able to be with him when this happened.
Yep. Our county also destroys biters.
I’ve always been a cat person until I got into politics ( running my own group) and the only dog breed I was drawn to was GSD. Got one with papers from the deep woods of East TX never would consider anything in this breed except raising from a pup. Hassel is now 13 years and it’s a matter of days before we will put him down he is losing control of hips. We brought in a puppy from same breeder..he herded the new pup around the den and helped steer him to food bowl when he first got to his new home. Now he will show his teeth at times when puppy (now 4 months and already a dozer) but no serious fighting or aggression from senior Shep...but I’m paranoid anyway and try to separate them most of the time. I have fencing that allows for several options...plus indoors.My GSD so far from this breeder have never shown aggressive temperaments.Both males.
Since your dog is older and the potential is there for random aggression...I think the best choice is to put him down. There are plenty of dogs with a great temperament that need a home.
The dog that bit me was very small, but one of the five punctures went directly into a vein and it bled for 24 hours. If the dog had been ill, it would have been even worse for me than it was.
Dog behaviors towards strangers are a direct reflection of the values of the owner.
Do yourself a favor when you consider buying your next dog. Buy it from a reputable AKC breeder. Do your research. Read about the breed that best fits what you want in a dog. Ask to see the parents of the puppy you are buying.
Almost all “lab mix” dogs sold at shelters are part pit bull. The reason they are sold as a lab mix is because the rescues know that many home owners insurance companies will drop your coverage if you have a Pit Bull and several other breeds.
American Staffordshire (Pit Bull) Terriers were bred to fight bulls in a ring(pit). Their genetic makeup is inherently a fighting breed. They were bred over hundreds of years to bite the bull on the snout and not let go. So, were Bull dogs. ALL terriers were bred to hunt and kill vermin.
DO NOT be sold on the idea that you can TRAIN this genetic trait out of this animal. It is no different than trying to train a beagle not to sniff the ground for scent and chase a rabbit.
ALL canines were bred for a specific purposes through thousands of years of selective breeding. When you buy a “mutt” or a rescue, you have no idea what you are getting. That is why most AKC dog breeds are more expensive. This does not mean you can not get a bad apple, so to speak. However, most good breeders (like me) do not breed a dog/bitch IF it has some genetic defect or personality issue.
You may spend more money up front for an AKC registered dog. However, in the long run, you will tend to have less vet bills and behavior problems.
Five bites, five! And you're wondering about this? He should've been killed 3-4 bites ago.
An opinion from a non-dog owner.
I appreciate your dilemna but you seem to be torn between caring for the dog verses caring for others. If there is no way to stop the dog from biting, I think you have to choose what is most important-1) keeping the dog and risk people getting infections or seriously hurt and you lawsuits, or 2) putting him down. I have a cousin who was blinded and her face mauled by their St. Bernard (which was thought to be a gentle dog) when it turned on her. So don’t discount that possibility.
I have been around dog owners who keep their dogs when they are blind, immobile, can’t hear, etc. I can’t understand the love and attachment behind this sort of attitude. So you need to decide what is best.
Big enough to be a danger to others, particularly any little kid who might run afoul of him. Put down.
Neighbor’s dog was like that. Then he bit our other neighbor one too many times.
Then the state — not the owner — made the decision to put the dog down.
I have been in your position a couple of times.
For the record, I am a big dog lover. I have two newfoundlands and a Aussy Shepherd. This is the fewest dogs we have had in about two decades.
To keep this somewhat short, dog biting is a potentially very serious legal and safety issue. After a bite you will be talking to the local animal control officer at the Sheriff department, and for the record my experience with them was positive. So the decision depends on your environment to a large degree. Can you protect your dog from itself? Can you protect others, especially kids? You will be betting, one way or the other.
Just so you know I know of what I speak, we put down two dogs for biting. One was a beautiful Newfie, 180 pounds and sweet and tolerant as any dog,,,until he is awaken from a sleep when he goes Kujo, and put my wife in the emergency room, twice. (I would have ended it the first time but she insisted not to put him down the first time). The other was a Pit Bull we rescued, and as he aged he got much more agressive with other animals, and would chase and attack them. After my neighbors dog got ripped apart (I paid the $800 vet bill) I had no choice. I insist on a high priority on having wonderful neighbors, which I do.
My experience is that biting with a particular dog, does not get better with time. I would suggest a dog behavior training expert.
I understand all that, but if the dog has a history of biting, why don’t you just control the dog?
I have a Malinois that has done protection since she was 4 months old. If she bites anyone, it won’t be a nip, it’ll be ugly. She is well-trained and controllable, but I still muzzle her when around anyone except us, kids, and grandchildren who she absolutely loves. Put a muzzle on him while in public and let him live. It’ll be cheaper than putting him down.
Elvis Presley - Old Shep (1956) [Digitally Remastered]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3dvzeRaKZo
Love dogs. But yours needs to go to dog heaven. Do it.
How heartbreaking!
You don’t really have a lot of good options here. Do talk with your Vet (without the dog) to see if there are some drugs that might work.
Biting is simply unacceptable in a pet dog. Even a small dog can badly disfigure a child or seriously injure an elderly person. The litigation will be awful and in a lot counties the outcome (death for the dog) is pretty much preordained.
Isolating a dog is tedious and doesn’t really do them any favors since they are social animals. If you go the trainer route, it will be expensive since your dog can’t be in a class or group setting and may need to be boarded with the trainer. A lot of trainers will not accept a biter.
Your dog may accept an opposite sex puppy but then again, he may not and you’d be devastated if the puppy was seriously injured.
Honestly, it may be kinder to send him over the Rainbow Bridge in a humane and peaceful setting. We put down one dog (just terminally ill) at home. There are Vets who offer this service and she was very, very kind. It’s expensive but we thought the experience was worth it. Our Penny didn’t have a moment of fear or pain.
a muzzle is $29.95
I’m sorry you’re in that situation. It sounds like you rescued a dog and gave him 8 good years. That’s something to be proud of. With his companion gone, it sounds like it’s time for him to go too.
Thats no way to live.
Dog behaviors towards strangers are a direct reflection of the values of the owner.
you left out “and prior unknown owners”
I have to assume you know nothing about dogs then. Military and police dogs wear them, they eat and drink with a muzzle. It isn’t any different than a leash or a harness. It is a device to control the dog.
There’s no reason to kill this dog, muzzle her when she’s in public.
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