Dog Issue:

[GottaLuvIt]

Dog Issue: Sorry - long story.

I adopt older dogs. Adopted a bonded pair in 2019 and the old GSD was 13 and notes in file said “bites” and thus no heart worm meds. The dog never bit me and I had him tested - he had erlychia (sp?) and I treated it. Spent loads of money and put my heart into him. 6 months later he had tumor in chest and he was PTS. The other bonded dog is sweet lab mix but has emotional issues as well as joint issues.

I wanted something “young!” WELL - I adopted a young hound mix and he was cute, smart and healthy and was kind to my other dog and my cat and all was good … until he got into the cat room and started eating cat food. I walked in thinking this would be a minor issue and I would take him out of room and resecure the door.

The puppy hunched over the bowl of food and growled and lunged at me. I have been working non-stop with him for over three years - trying to train him and taking him to places to get obedience and behavioral help. He resource guards items like tissues and pieces of paper etc. I have divided my house up and I have baby gates everywhere so I can attempt to control his environment. I am exhausted after little success over 3 years.

Last month he resource guarded a person - a person he knows and likes came to do some work and the dog was outside when he came. The worker needed to have front door open so I went out and got the dog and was going to put him in his crate in my bedroom. I put leash on him and in about 5 steps he turned into CUJO and was biting and lunging (normal behavior when he gets upset over resource guarding). I managed to get him into the crate but then he was lunging and biting and rushing the door so I couldn’t get to lock door. The worker came and said “oh I can get it” but then he realized how dangerous that would be so he went and got his channel wrench and latched the gate.

I immediately got online and ordered CBD Oil from a company my vet had suggested for another dog. He has been on the CBD Oil for over a month and there haven’t been any episodes until today! I was IMPERFECT and working in my bedroom and had two boxes on the floor with items in them. I accidentally let him in and didn’t latch the baby gate to my room. I went in - I ALWAYS have dog biscuits with me. He hunched and looked at me out of the side of his eye. He went into full attack mode. Luckily he also is very food motivated and I started throwing biscuits. He actually got into the crate and I shut the door with my foot. I was able to lock latches by wrapping a towel around my hands to protect them from his teeth.

After my legs were wobbly and I feel sick - just so sick! He is a good dog until he isn’t. We just had semi-annual appt with vet last week and I described problems and although she has NEVER believed my before I said I has a witness. She wrote a script for Prozac - begrudgingly. I was hoping that CBD would help.

As usual - in 10 to 15 minutes he is happy and calm and wants to be let out of the crate.

He is only 3 1/2 he has a long life ahead of him. How much longer can I take this … when he is good he is VERY good and when he is bad he is VERY bad. This is ripping my soul part. I feel so … I am NOT a returner and in fact I would prefer that he be euthanized then live his life alone in a crate or even work abused. He was a stray when the found him alone fending for himself. There could be many reasons for his behavior but that is not the point. I will begin the Prozac but I feel like a complete failure.

Sorry for rambling - this is such a difficult issue.

I just lost my “boy” my last horse at the end of January and I still feel that I’m grieving! Thanks to anyone that bothered to read this long and rambling post.

[Bristol_Bay]

I would so much rather be consoling you next week for euthanizing a dangerous animal that reading the news article about your serious injuries or death by mauling.

There are a zillion sweet dogs that need rescuing. Just saying.

[GottaLuvIt]

@Bristol_Bay. I so agree with you. Everyone at the vet LOVES him - he is so cute and so obedient and so cooperative. Only my equine vet would do it for me and she is friends with my small animal vet and truly 98% of the time he is a gem. It is just his explosive episodes. This is why this situation is so very hard!

[SuzieQNutter]

I am so sorry, however it sounds like he has something like a brain tumour, or something like that, which causes aggression and is not the fault of the dog.

I would rather you euthanise this dog before anyone is hurt and yes there are so many good dogs out there that deserve to be loved by you.

I hope the prozac works, but then it is a question of how long it works for.

[ohmyheck]

I am so sorry @GottaLuvIt, for this situation and for the loss of your lovely horse.

Everybody has their own end point but I would not hesitate to euthanize this dog now.

Hang in there

[MHM]

I am so very sorry for your situation. It sounds awful.

[GottaLuvIt]

@ohmyheck. Thanks for your kind words about my “boy” (horse). I just got off the phone with my equine vet and she understands. My dog is cute and well behaved and everyone at the small animal office thinks he is an angel and that I’m exaggerating. I will try to video tape his behavior - but at the time it happens I am trying to get a safe place for him. As I said - in 5 - 10 minutes later he is all quiet and happy again.

[Irish_Ei_s]

This is not your fault.
Both of you are suffering these episodes.

Please grant yourselves the mercy of peace

[GottaLuvIt]

@MHM. Thank you. There seems to be no clear right or wrong here.

[GottaLuvIt]

@Irish_Ei_s. Thank you!

[ohmyheck]

@GottaLuvIt

My dog is cute and well behaved and everyone at the small animal office thinks he is an angel and that I’m exaggerating.

I find this very unfair considering what you’ve described with your dog. It just adds a whole other layer of guilt.

When you know you know.

[Bristol_Bay]

Yes, like, what kind of proof do they need? How many stitches? Or ER bills? Maybe a lawsuit?

Or maybe something like this?

Man Mauled to Death by Four Dogs in Jurupa Valley

[GottaLuvIt]

@ohmyheck. Thank you - I am not a very “confident” person to begin with and it makes me feel like I am wrong. But the dog having that reaction to being told he has to go inside and today’s episode over the boxes - telling me that I am wrong is totally unfair. I love my equine vet because she understands. This evening when I told her that the small animal vets office would NEVER euthanize him she agreed. She is the one that asked if I thought I could be safe and next time (there WILL be a next time) if I could capture on video. I love him so much but I have to be safe and my other pets deserve to be safe.

[GottaLuvIt]

@Bristol_Bay That is horrifying!

[Bristol_Bay]

There was a thread recently, the trigger for which was a rescuer whose two shorty bulls killed her.

I know I’m being overly dramatic here, but your fear comes through in your first post. He’s not a pack of dogs, but he could hurt someone.

We had a rescue maybe 15 years ago. She had been at the public shelter for a year. Not an attractive dog. But we brought her home and she seemed fine with our two dogs, until we realized she got very aggressive when the dogs were, say, at the fence barking at a passing dog. It got ugly when all the dogs were in the back of the truck, and this time, she bit our oldest dog (and my DH trying to separate them). A few weeks later, she full on attacked the poor dog. Neighbors came to her rescue and she survived after hours of surgery. It was horrible, and only a series of coincidences meant that the neighbor was home and I was even available to get her phone call. (DH and I were both teachers.)

I wanted to euthanize the attacker. DH argued against it and a friend of his took her. Friend had tenants on her property who were afraid of the dog, and the friend ended up getting bit because the rescue went after her old dog.

We ended up giving a big donation to a rescue to take her and we lost track of her.

I still think it would have been right to put her down.

[B_and_B]

You love this dog. And that is OK. That being said. You are also being held hostage by this dog. You are, in fact, in an abusive relationship.
Here is what jumped out at me: ‘you have gates all throughout your house to control him’ you always carry dog biscuits; you KNEW!! to wrap towels around your hands to close the latches on the crate…
That last one? I wouldn’t have thought of that, but you are doing it as a matter of course.
Close your eyes, if the dog suddenly vanished during the night…you would miss him. Of course you would. But if you even partially feel that you would be relieved…that you could take a deep breath and not worry about gates, biscuits, or getting him in his safe spot? You shouldn’t be worrying about being ‘imperfect’ about how you enter your bedroom, reread what you wrote here:

@GottaLuvIt

I was IMPERFECT and working in my bedroom and had two boxes on the floor with items in them. I accidentally let him in and didn’t latch the baby gate to my room. I went in - I ALWAYS have dog biscuits with me. He hunched and looked at me out of the side of his eye. He went into full attack mode.

[RMJacobs]

Euthanasia seems to be the clear choice here. I’m so sorry, but this dog is completely untrustworthy, and you are risking your life and the lives of other people and pets. I would not wait to video another episode–please put him down before you have a tragedy on your hands.

Hugs, Rebecca

[paintedpony]

You know what you need to do.

[ohmyheck]

Great post B_and_B and others.

However it sounds as if the OP’s clinic refuses to euthanize. I have no experience with a situation like this.

[ShenanAnna]

The OP said their equine vet will euth, I believe.