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?
Gift it to Obama. I hear he likes dog.
“Half husky, half pit”. She was neglected as a puppy and has poor socialization, but she is as sweet as can be and since she grew up with a brother, she is also good with other dogs”
You say you have to train her in 1-2 weeks. As a lifetime dog owner myself, I seriously doubt you can train her in that short amount of time to stop killing the neighborhood cats. I agree with the others who think she should probably be put down. Husky/pit mix is a terrible combination, IMO. She may be sweet to you now, but with that combo [Husky/Pit], and the fact that she is killing cats, I wouldn’t be surprised if she escalates in her attacks now that she has the taste of blood. She may not escalate in killing beyond cats right now, but IMO I foresee a bigger problem with her in the future.
I think you know deep down what to do, you just want affirmation you are making the right decision? IF this was my dog doing this.....one who continued to escape containment and killing cats, I would put her down. I would not want to give my problem to another person. Sad to say, there really is no training some dogs. Best of luck Laz and sorry if putting her down is what you end up doing, but I do think it would be the right decision.
Killing cats is a capital crime. If you don't hunt, a vet will execute it for you at modest cost.
You could always mine the area just outside the fence.
“Perhaps bribe it with a game of Midnight Fetch! I’m told something like that worked in the inner cities, years ago.”
Read something somewhere about that. But the dog didn’t always bring back what they threw out there.
wy69
They seem to be like us human males in that regard.
Dogs are a LOT like people.
Some are just bad seeds.
Some have a bad childhood and are fixable.
A pro trainer can tell the difference.
I have been a dog owner all my life, as are most of my family and friends. My advice is to put the dog down. The dog is a killer as are most pits and pit mixes. Huskies are also known to not like cats. You will never train the behavior out of this dog. My concern would be when does it go after things other than cats. Say small children. Giving it to a rescue or shelter doesn’t solve the dog behavioral problems, it just solves your problem. Shelters are full of pits and mixes that no one wants. I think it is more fair to the dog to put it down than make it live in a 3X6 concrete cage the rest of its life.
I too have lost cats. Primarily to the coyotes. There are other people that want to protect the coyotes.
Where I live now, the cats get bitten by poisonous snakes. But it’s illegal to kill a rattlesnake here!
I joke about everything, even my own death.
Don’t take life so serious, you’ll never make it out alive.
Very hard decision to make, but I agree with the majority here who are saying that based on the circumstances it would be best for the dog to be put down. The idea of rehoming it gives me anxiety and dread.
We have a beloved pit grand-dog that we often babysit. So the above is not said flippantly or with malice toward dogs or pit breeds.
So sorry you have to make this hard decision.
I will be flamed by everyone I have read so far, although I have read only a few.
First, my qualifications to comment:
I own a large number of hunting hounds. I have owned more than 20 every year for more than 60 years.
All serious hunters use “training collars”, or to be blunt, shocking collars.
Learn how to put the collar on in a way that the electrodes are tight against the skin or you will have another dead cat.
Let the dog see the cat and the instant he moves toward the cat, zap him/her.
Be sure it is a cat that is expendable in case you don’t do it correctly.
Once will not cure the dog. You will need to put the collar on every time you take it out until it is cured of the desire to kill cats, and you can’t take your eyes off the dog for even one instant
Do not shout, call or in any way use anything other than the collar because the goal is to make the dog think it is the cat that caused the shock.
If you can’t do this, find someone who is willing to and give the dog to them for the rest of its life.
This method is used by coon hunters, rabbit hunters, bear hunters, fox hunters, etc.
That said, I have owned only a very few that did not get it.And one last thing....some dogs get so upset over the shock that they panic and run for miles, so on the first trial you need to be well away from busy roads, etc.
I would find a farmer with a lot of barn cats. They learn how to defend themselves and will go up a tree like a squirrel. That will keep some cat lover from breaking your nose.
The dog needs to be seen by a vet who is certified as a veterinary behaviorist to see what can be done training/medical wise for your dog. The prey drive will probably always be there so keeping the dog leashed or securely confined outside your house is a must.
As for being too dumb to learn, it may be the method used. I advise against using any negative reinforcement especially punishment as it probably just frustrates and discourages the dog. Worse it may cause fear resulting in a fight or flight response.
I know a lot of people have success with clicker training.
You could try that. There is also bridge and target training which I am not that familiar with.
What breed is the dog? Certain breeds are smarter than others. Keep in mind you probably do not need the level of training say for a border collie doing trials. It may be enough to have the basics mastered and the good nature of a house pet.
Put the animal down, it is de-trained for some reason out of your control, and will continue it anywhere else. A shame, but there it is. The farm here would not tolerate this,especially killing cats which are the ratters keeping the rodents down. Sorry, Laz it’s a hard thing to deal with.
That is the shittiest most irresponsible load of biscuit I have read here. Shame on you. I doubt the dog is beyond help but if another home can’t be found humane euthanasia is the alternative. Not taking a loving pet and shooting it. This is not Old Yeller.
Do you have young children? I would not advise having that breed in a house with young children. What made you choose her?
Knowing breed characteristics and as you say, the dog seems not so smart, it may be a ticking timebomb. It seems to be a bad mix of breeds and one that should have never happened.
Sorry for writing this casual assessment.
I meant to add a comment similar to this in my post.
Thanks for making the point.
My total experience is with hunting hounds. Pit and Huskys would not be tolerated...but the shocking collr is a very good tool for anyone who wants to try.
Neighbors in base housing had a chow. He had killed three cats at their previous base and my wife watched him kill one of our other neighbors’ cats. Very traumatic for her, she’s a cat lover (and was 8 months pregnant, flew down the steps to try to save the cat).
It is not just harsh but does not work. Creating fear through beatings just means the dog will be more likely to respond with a fight or flight instinct. Sometimes negative reinforcement may be necessary but it is done immediately and quickly.
What about a pen? You can get temporary fencing at most farm supply stores.
Your reply is a good one.
I have had dogs who would kill baby chicks but otherwise were fine pets. Solution, never let them be free in a cage with baby chicks. I question how this dog “gets out sometimes”.
However I had a friend who raised show boxers but was not a trainer. She had no control over her animals, could not even get them to come when called. We used to go to a school with a large fenced area to let the dogs off leash. One time her dogs saw a racoon. My border collies came to me at once when called. her dogs chased, caught, and killed the racoon. She had no hope of stopping this behavior, but they did not go for cats. (Don’t know why). Anyway, the solution is in the training, and someone needs to do it or the dog needs to always be on leash. (or have an escape proof back yard). Being in a rental is an issue here. Landlords are not pleased to accomodate renters pets.
This dog could be given to a rescue, but the receivers need to know about the behavior. By the way, my Border Collies ran with my friends Boxers and only once had a tift. The Border Collie submitted immediately and no further attack was made. I guess I was lucky at that — the Boxers did kill, but only the one time that I saw. But they too were not trainable, at least by my friend.
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