The dog in question is Cowboy, a Springer /lab mix. I have had him since he was 5 minths old and he is 9 now. This dog was abused as a puppy before I got him. He has always been very high needs but we have stuck by him and trained him. He actually obeys well, but only me. He is loving . but very high strung. he cannot be outdoors for more than a few minutes because he will either jump a 6 foot fence, dig under it or go straight through if all else fails. He is indoors all the time. When we leave he either comes along or for shorter times we crate him.
Cowboy has always been dominant. I worked with a dog trainer and learned how to handle him. But over the years he has not really improved. He is still a fear biter, and very snappy in general. He has bit my fiance and he has snapped at children.
I found him a home but they gave him back (this was a couple without kids!) because they were unable to handle his dominant behavior. I am inclined to have him put down because with age he has become much more unpredictable and it is becoming unsafe around smaller kids.
I really tried. Unless I can find a farm where he can just run and there are very experienced dog owners there AND no kids....I just see no other way. I cannot let someone else be fooled by his cute looks and let them adopt him...did that and they just don't "get" this dog...
I am taking him to the vet tomorrow for a consultation (he is otherwise healthy) and very likely will have him put down.
I don't see many other choices for you, Anna. We have a very high strung dalmatian but luckily she can tolerate being outside full time. We have been through training with her but nothing has ever calmed her down to a point that I feel confident about her with my dd. She's about 15 now and lives outside with my other incontinent dal. I really, really miss having them inside as part of the family, but I just have to put my dd first.
You are not wrong for consider euthanasia as a humane option for Cowboy.
Honestly, I wouldn't want him around my children or dh, but don't really know what I would do.... We have a 15mo Bassett Hound that was abused until we got him 6 mos, ago, and he is the sweetest, most loving laid back dog in the world! Despite his abuse, too! ) Maybe the vet would have a better idea, but I wouldn't hesitate to find another home for him/shelter/ something! ASAP!
Location: Sometimes the light's all shining on me, other times I can barely see
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maybe the vet could give him some tranquilizers? Persoanally I'd put him in a no-kill shelter rather than have him euthanized.
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This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. ~ Dalai Lama
Thing is, there are so few people who can deal with his behavior and even my friend who is a breeder and is a dog expert has a hard time "reading" this dog and cannot predict him well.
I would be worried that the no-kills shelter would adopt him out to someone who does not believe his behavioral issues, brings him around kids anyway (even if the adopter has none of their own) and a tragedy may result..
Location: moving to BFE with the lady and all the wees
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if you go to a good no kill sheler they would not ever adopt a dog out to a family that couldn't handle him...that is kinda the whole point of a no kill shelter. they do behavioral evaluations on the dogs and match them with families that they could have successful lives with. I would jsut star calling your local no-kills and ask them how they would handle a special needs dog (after of course explaining what exactly his special needs are)
and doggies can take proac etc now...maybe that would help him feel less anxiety and thus be able to be more happy and trustworthy..good luck anyway. I hope you are able to find a solution that is better than euthanasia (((hugs))) too since am sure this is hard for you
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“ That child is an abomination! ... Her mother deserves a punishment greater than anything in history.
Death! It cannot come too quickly for that child or for the one who spawned her! ”
We had one dog we were never able to truly get him over his dominant issues. He was fine with my husband. My husband never had a problem with him. He was actually fine with the children too. He bit me a number of times (badly) and I wanted to get rid of him. My husband thought he could be rehabilitated "he's never bit the girls right?" was his thought. I had terrible feelings about the whole thing and my feelings became my worst nightmare as some of you know. If you don't, take a look at the link, under my name, in my siggy line.
We had him in training, even built up to the shock collar. My husband even asked the vet to pull out all his canines, which the vet wouldn't do.
The dog started being fine with me on the dominance issue and then went down the rung to the next lowest puppy on the pole, which was my daughter. He bit her just once and walked away, he was clueless. And in that one simple bite, he ripped her nose completely off the bone and above her upper teeth. So in that respect, it only takes once. Keep that thought in mind. Other then the dominace issue, he was a super smart, beautiful dog. <Stupid dog>
Bottom line, if you dog gets out and he decides to pull a dominance issue on some unsuspecting child or person, you will have a hefty lawsuit on your hands. Plus, if it is your own child, let me personally say, you will never forgive yourself.
I am truly sorry you must make such a hefty decision. My thoughts are with you.
I don't know the dog. I have helped with saving many dogs out of the shelter. I have seen dogs that were supposed to be rehabilitated get put down because they bit a person, a dog (always bad) and one six people! I've seen many dogs turn out to be wonderful friends. You say your friend is an expert. I don't know your friend. I would get an expert oppinion of someone who has worked with shelter dogs and even rehabilitated some dog aggresive dogs/people aggresive dogs. Generally, people aggresive dogs are beyond help and need to be put down, and dog aggresive are more likely to be helped (unless pit in our county anyways where we have a ring somewhere and of course it isn't the pits fault but the bad people). No one is ever 100% able to say what a dog will or will not do. I am a Vegan even who thinks that there are cases where it is in the best interest of the other dogs and people in the community to put some dogs down. I always want to say no don't euthanize in every situation and give the dog to a rescuer with lots of experience. Maybe talking to an experienced rescuer and getting their personal oppnion may help, but I've also been around some that couldn't handle hearing that a dog they tried so hard to get rescued got put down for biting that sometimes no one would even tell them.
My vote is for a rescue or shelter instead of the end, but once again, I don't know the dog. Peace to you no matter what your decision is. I hope the one that tormented your dog as a puppy has a miserable life for ruining a perfectly good dog. I wish I could some how change the dog and make it free of what causes it to act aggressively. I really wish I could so something.
See if you can get in touch with Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab Utah. They are on the web, I called them about a dog I had who was thunderphobic. They are VERY helpful and have contacts throughout the US and world even... www.bestfriends.org or 1-435-644-2001. Good Luck
And, if you can't find a placement, then putting him down is probably the best for everyone involved.
Christina
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Christina
Mama to Nadine 12/12/01.
loving life, growing and learning every day.
I don't know if I would put him down, but I think I would definately look for an experienced rescue that would properly evaluate and place him. Good luck!
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Maryalene
Proud Mama to Madeline, Donny and Max
Location: ~Maine...but temporarily living in texas, going to midwifery school
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The no kill shelters I have visited all have said they do a temperment testing of the dogs/animals before they will take them. They don't want to take any/all animals because they don't want to see them sit in the kennels indefinitelyand be driven crazy (which many do). HTH
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heather
soulmate to simon, mama to liam, maeve and wee lad, finnian.
"now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. it is to grow in open air, and to eat and sleep with the earth." - walt whitman
ASAP!
Jordan 12/97
Trea 12/06 
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