Community Chat

[Mominohio]

On 6/21/2014 jaxs mom said:

I'm talking about a professional dog behaviorist and trainer. Showing and grooming doesn't make someone a professional dog trainer or behaviorist with experience in rehabilitating dogs that bite.

This isn't something available to everyone based on location and finances. It is great if you can do it, but never a guarantee that it will fix the problem.

OP, you have a very heartbreaking decision, but before anyone is more seriously hurt, you have to follow your gut with this one, and not let your heart rule. I'm so sorry this is happening, as we know pets like this aren't evil, they are either victims of abuse or not mentally stable, neither of which is within their control, and it is so sad.

[Tzu4u]

On 6/21/2014 Jingles5 said:

Wadzilla, I think you'll make the right choice.

I had a friend with a very similar situation. After various bouts with the ER and heavy doses of antibiotics as a result of injuries from a pet she loved, she ultimately chose euthanasia. It was incredibly sad, traumatic and emotional, but for the best.

God bless.

ETA: I should have mentioned this. At the time she was going through this, she too read stories shared by other heartbroken pet owners who had been in similar tragic situations. It was eye opening to read them.

Thank you.

[Lilysmom]

Wadzlla, I read the article. It's a tough situation. I grew up with a big fear of dogs. I have been attacked twice ... Once by a German Shepard and once by a Doberman. Both were terrifying experiences for me and I keep my distance from these breeds even today by instinct. My husband and I have owned Labs for 30 years so I have come a long way almost conquering my fear. We mourn the loss of our dogs as we would mourn the loss of a family member so I understand your close connection with your pet. It seems to me that, as dogs age, any aggressive tendencies seem to become more pronounced rather than less. I wonder what the parents of your grandchild would have to say about the situation. If it were me, I would euthanize the dog for fear that the child would be harmed. There is no easy way to sugarcoat it I'm afraid. There is the physical damage that can be caused by a bite or something worse. Equally as debilitating is the emotional fear the child would carry through his/her life from such an attack. I speak from personal experience. My best wishes to you, Wadzlla. God bless. LM

[CamilleP]

I am so sorry your Boston has become a danger to all around him, but I concur with your decision. I did Rescue for my breed for many years, and had to euthanise two dogs who were surrendered to me, one had Rage Epilepsy, which the owner's niece, who surrendered him when her uncle had a stroke and went into a nursing home, did not realize. The other was surrendered with no mention at all of his propensity for unprovoked biting, and I was lucky I prevented the first bite he attempted on a passerby on the sidewalk, or I'd have been liable in a lawsuit. When one has a dog in their care who is so unpredictable and dangerous as to bite and draw blood, if management (crating, isolation, confinement) can't insure safety, then euthanasia is the final option. If they could talk and tell us what is wrong, we'd be able to help them, but we can't, so sometimes, we have to opt for that final option. You have my deep sympathy!

[Bird mama]

Wadzilla, I am sorry that you find yourself in this position. I may be in the bird phase of my life now, but my prior companions were dogs.

I guess I look at it this way - the risk of your dog biting someone who will not be understanding is high. If that happens and it's reported, the authorities will take your dog into quarantine, heaven knows where for heaven knows how long. The end result could be euthanasia, done their way.

I don't say any of this lightly, my heart is pounding in my chest for you. You know your little Boston Terrier better than anyone. You have extensive life experience with dogs. You've given your little one a good life. You are in the position to assure him a good death, your way, in a calm environment with a veterinarian familiar to your little one.

God Bless You -

[Tzu4u]

On 6/21/2014 CamilleP said:

I am so sorry your Boston has become a danger to all around him, but I concur with your decision. I did Rescue for my breed for many years, and had to euthanise two dogs who were surrendered to me, one had Rage Epilepsy, which the owner's niece, who surrendered him when her uncle had a stroke and went into a nursing home, did not realize. The other was surrendered with no mention at all of his propensity for unprovoked biting, and I was lucky I prevented the first bite he attempted on a passerby on the sidewalk, or I'd have been liable in a lawsuit. When one has a dog in their care who is so unpredictable and dangerous as to bite and draw blood, if management (crating, isolation, confinement) can't insure safety, then euthanasia is the final option. If they could talk and tell us what is wrong, we'd be able to help them, but we can't, so sometimes, we have to opt for that final option. You have my deep sympathy!

Thank you. This is very hard. As a rescuer, this is not the option I easily choose. Your words mean a lot to me.

[nagrom]

I did read the article you posted. In the first case the dog bit three times in two seconds sounding like more than one location on the forearm. Has yours done that too? I am suggesting that you look online for levels of dog bite. There may be some that give six levels or seven levels. Each level describes the extent of the bite. For the highest level is death, next to highest level is severe injury in more than one body part and deeper than 1/2 inch. See where your dog fits in comparison. If your dog is not biting deeper than 1/4 inch in one location, you might be able to figure what is the trigger or if it is idiopathic. If you are looking for professionals to help you, check online website APDT and enter in your zipcode. You need a behaviorist and not just a trainer. These are the certified trainers that are experienced in dog aggression. Most of the time there are signals that dogs give warning of a problem but most owners are not aware or fast enough to see them before the dog acts out. I think the websites listed here may really give you enough information to sort out what you will do. Also in the past when your dog did bite try to remember exactly what depth of bite and what location. Has the dog moved from one level of bite to another. Professional behaviorists determine after the dog reaches a particular level if he can be controlled or if it has reached a level beyond human intervention. Btw APDT stands for Association of Professional Dog Trainers and is world wide positive reinforcement trainers as well as many behaviorists and vets. Vet schools and humane societies as well as trainers send their staff to their seminars to assist in teaching and handling difficult dogs.

Good luck and know when you have made your decision that it was the best or may be for the best. It is always hard when dogs are part of your life and family. I too have had dogs that bit. Our first dog when I was six bit my sister in the face when she tried to clear the kitchen table after a meal. He went on to bite several people and in more than one body part. He was euthanized and rightfully so. All the other dogs that followed were just fine and had no other bad experiences. We tend to think it was something we did wrong or could be an undiagnosed illness. Why do we blame ourselves? Simply we are human. Dogs are not. We judge the standard by human behavior. Different species have other standards. Once we learn some of the other normal standards we can understand and move on. Turid Rugaas has a booklet out and several videos that are easy to understand and learn on how dogs interpret our actions. Her book and videos are "Calming Signals" . There are many other good books out there but it helps us understand what dogs are communicating with us and other dogs too.

Please update when you can. As humans we are concerned and want what is best for our family and pets.

[CrazyDaisy]

Almost every dog with an issue can be trained or managed to allow them as well a their family to live safely and happily together. Given the fact the OP claims to have ""put up with this behavior"" and ""given the benefit of a doubt"" for years indicates little effort has been made to get to the bottom of the problem. Sadly it is always the animal who suffers.

[gardenman]

There are mentally ill people who will attack without provocation and there are similar issues in animals including domesticated animals. Some people ascribe god-like qualities to animals and assume everything is the fault of the owner, but in reality there are dogs that have a mental makeup that makes them more prone to biting. There are some dogs who will never bite no matter the provocation and there are some dogs who will bite reflexively and without hesitation for no apparent reason and with no warning.

I think the easy answer in this case is to have one of those here who's sure they can train the dog out of biting to adopt the dog and assume responsibility for it. The dog gets a good home, they get a chance to prove they're right, and everyone lives happily ever after. If nothing else it may very well teach the new owner that not every issue is the fault of the owner and that not every issue can be trained out of a dog, or is the fault of an unobservant owner. It's a win win situation. The dog lives and they get to prove their point, or the dog gets to bite someone new and perhaps teach them a thing or two.

[Another new name Sue]

On 6/21/2014 nagrom said:

I did read the article you posted. In the first case the dog bit three times in two seconds sounding like more than one location on the forearm. Has yours done that too? I am suggesting that you look online for levels of dog bite. There may be some that give six levels or seven levels. Each level describes the extent of the bite. For the highest level is death, next to highest level is severe injury in more than one body part and deeper than 1/2 inch. See where your dog fits in comparison. If your dog is not biting deeper than 1/4 inch in one location, you might be able to figure what is the trigger or if it is idiopathic. If you are looking for professionals to help you, check online website APDT and enter in your zipcode. You need a behaviorist and not just a trainer. These are the certified trainers that are experienced in dog aggression. Most of the time there are signals that dogs give warning of a problem but most owners are not aware or fast enough to see them before the dog acts out. I think the websites listed here may really give you enough information to sort out what you will do. Also in the past when your dog did bite try to remember exactly what depth of bite and what location. Has the dog moved from one level of bite to another. Professional behaviorists determine after the dog reaches a particular level if he can be controlled or if it has reached a level beyond human intervention. Btw APDT stands for Association of Professional Dog Trainers and is world wide positive reinforcement trainers as well as many behaviorists and vets. Vet schools and humane societies as well as trainers send their staff to their seminars to assist in teaching and handling difficult dogs.

Good luck and know when you have made your decision that it was the best or may be for the best. It is always hard when dogs are part of your life and family. I too have had dogs that bit. Our first dog when I was six bit my sister in the face when she tried to clear the kitchen table after a meal. He went on to bite several people and in more than one body part. He was euthanized and rightfully so. All the other dogs that followed were just fine and had no other bad experiences. We tend to think it was something we did wrong or could be an undiagnosed illness. Why do we blame ourselves? Simply we are human. Dogs are not. We judge the standard by human behavior. Different species have other standards. Once we learn some of the other normal standards we can understand and move on. Turid Rugaas has a booklet out and several videos that are easy to understand and learn on how dogs interpret our actions. Her book and videos are "Calming Signals" . There are many other good books out there but it helps us understand what dogs are communicating with us and other dogs too.

Please update when you can. As humans we are concerned and want what is best for our family and pets.

Dog bite levels? Well, this may be a legitimate way of looking at the issue, but it sounds silly to me. Any dog that bites could bite at any level.

Another comment--remember the viral video of the cat body-slamming the dog who was attacking the little boy? If not for the cat, that dog could have severely injured the child. The dog owners may have known that he was aggressive but were not careful enough to keep him contained. So any dog who bites is a risk no matter how careful people are. Things happen.

My Westie does not bite, but if my toddler grandkids are petting him, I'm right there to make sure the dog doesn't get nervous and the kids are gentle.