The decision to putting down your dog :-(
 

Pitbull, Terrier, Sheepdog, Spaniel, or Chihuahua - If the dog bites, it is time to put it down.

To train a dog of a certain age to stop or placing it to someone else and HOPING it does not bit again will most likely not work.

Is it the dog owners fault, maybe. Is the dog just a nut-case, maybe. Is it a case of both, maybe. Either way, the decision is one of the hardest things a dog owner/lover can do - but the choice is important and has to be made to the best for potential kids/adults being victims of being bit in the future.

What many dog owners do not realize is that a dog can traumatize a child to be in fear of dogs for the rest of their LIFE when bitten. Big or small bite, it does not always matter. Sure there are kids/adults that toughens it out and are unaffected after being bitten by a dog - but many becomes afraid of dogs, forever.

I am a dog lover myself - have had dogs most of my life. Different kinds - A couple of Cocker Spaniels, one was nuts and had to be put down. A Great Dane, a Spaniel mix and an Australian Shepherd - The Shepherd will be put down this week, to my great dismay!

The Aussie has been the coolest dogs out of all the dogs I have had in my life. It is the most caregiving and cuddly thing you will ever see, and follows one step behind me, almost always!

But then his behavior started changing - his natural instinct of being a shepherd took more and more of his time, and he got more and more aggressive towards both un-known people/adults/kids as well as other dogs. He bit a 10 year old girl in the leg 2 days ago - provoked or not, he did it. He has to go, I cannot allow it to happen again - maybe this time in the face?!

You will be missed my friend.

:(

Poor dog ... I don't know what to say ..............

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you dont even know the situation that led to the bite and youre just going to get it put down ?

just wow

maybe the kids were screaming ? maybe they stood on its foot ? maybe anything fucking happened ?

anyways you just take the easy way out big guy and have the family pet killed

again

that is sad and for sure a hard decision to make

No.

This incident was clear - my daughter came home from school with a friend and the dog aggressively attacked her as she tried to run away. Sure, it was a "natural instinct" for a shepherd to gather his flock, but the girl is not a sheep.

Another time, and this time I do not think it was his fault, a child fell out of a jumper (you know, the ones kids use at birthdays etc.) onto the dog, which bit her in the stomach. And there has been at least two other bites, unprovoked by the people bitten.

To be honest, I have (because I love the dog) waited one bite too long. :2 cents:

Being a big guy or not - family dog or not - a dog that bites (multiple times and unprovoked) should be put to rest.

Maybe seek a new home for the dog?A farm as guard dog maybe?
I had a german sheppard rothweiler mix from a shelter.It was a good dog ,only he kept eating my house,after a few months my wife got fed up with him when she saw him devouring our new sofa.He had to leave,I put an ad in the local newspaper and in the evening a car junkyard owner called.He came to see the dog and he took him.A few weeks later I visited to check if he was treated ok.I never saw a happier dog.He was at his place.He could roam whole day and destroying stuff and he made a very good watchdog in the evening and night.
Please use any means necessary to avoid killing him.Maybe he just doesn't fit in your environment.

We are trying to do that, hard to get anyone to take in a dog that bites. He is too small for being a watchdog - intimidating - but not enough. We have our last resort hope for this one place that I am speaking with tomorrow. Hoping for the best, but it is doubtful they will take him.

In Norway it is a zero tolerance for dogs that bites...

So you have put down two dogs for behavior reasons ..... Sounds like an alfa, pack leader problem. You.

Or maybe the wrong dog breed for the environment. Again, you.

The common denominator in both cases, you.

Get a goldfish.

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L-Pink - you might be right. Problem is that these incidents has happened when I was not there.

Couldn't agree more - in fact, I would have been a lot harsher so kudos to you for saying what I would have said, only nicer :)

it doesn't matter WHEN they happened or who was in the house. Dogs need correction so they understand their place in the pack. They don't think like humans so stop trying to rationalise this. Hopefully, even with you being a "dog lover" you don't decide to have another dog because you don't seem equipped to handle them.

We deliberately bought a Boxer. They have a great temperament towards children.

His size and boisterousness scares a few people, but he will not bite. He does like to jump up to put his feet on peoples shoulders, if he can reach and lick them. Training him not to and it's working.

The pestering he puts up with from children is amazing. I feel like biting the kids sometimes, he just wags his tail. Even when someone removes his food he thinks it's a game.

Very well said. This guys obviously is not the right person to own a big dog.

Sup Francois - Oystein here - This dog is small, 20 pounds and - but with that said, I can agree to that our family (and I) were probably not the right type of family for this kind of dog, and I surely should have done better research on the breed before buying it 6 years ago as a puppy.

An Aussie (this is a toy version) is a dog that should have access to vast fields and doing what it does best - Being a sheepdog. We do not live on a farm, nor do we have interest in doing agility training like I found out later is what they do best. Maybe he would have been a less stressed dog if we did, who knows. Too late now, unfortunately.

I am glad you guys brought up the point of the dog-owner and the dog being a fit. It is crucial, and in this case it could turn out to be what was the case of a misfit. Call me this, that or the other, but unlike TONS of other dog owners at least take I the action of ensuring the safety of potential HUMAN harm in the future. May sound harsh to a lot of people, but it is the responsible thing to do once it got to this point. :2 cents:

hard decison, but if it's around small children, better be safe than sorry ............:2 cents:

get the dog thoroughly checked by a vet. He may be acting out of fear because of a medical condition. He could be in pain.

Why don't you find another avenue besides killing him?

But I do feel for you though -- I've watched my Lab slowly go from a nice, happy go lucky dog to one that I have no idea what he's going to do on any given day. He can be intimidating and ornery, despite all the training he's had, and it breaks my heart to see him so scared of everything. I don't know what happened to him -- and I don't have kids -- but I wouldn't put him down.

I think you are doing the right thing. I have seen many dog owners laughing when their dog would growl, snap and even be proud if they chased down someone and try to bite them.

Unlike you these are the people that give dogs a bad rep.

I know you and spent some good times with you, honestly I did not put 1 and 1 together or my response would have been different. Anyone that knows you knows you are acting in the best interest of your family and people around you.

Get cats, I have 2 and they are best pets ever and kids love them. But if you do so, please do not have then declaw to save a piece of furniture ;)

Admittedly I think mostly of the safety of the children than anything else. It is how it should be - sadly a lot of dog owners do not. It always baffled me.

bronco67 - Already did and the vet made the final judgement and recommended putting him down UNLESS, and against all odds, we could find a new home for him where they can handle a dog with clear signs of mental disorders.

I figured you were unaware ;-)

And what you are saying is very true, sadly so... I have a friend in Los Angeles that had two Rat Terriers (vicious little things) - at a BBQ one day many years ago I walked by them with food in my hands, ready for a nice grub - I was maybe passing them by a couple of yards - they attacked my leg. Still wear the scars. I know for a fact that they bit at least a couple dozen other people after, that I KNOW OF - dogs were never put down.

No cats for me - I am allergic! But we have another dog, awesome thing and completely different behavior. We will get another one as a replacement, but this time after doing heavy research first.

Hit me up on skype when you got a minute jean.francois.laverdiere let's catch up

Exactly - Cannot win for losing....

And of course I really want to put this down:

http://design.mansionproductions.com...boards/215.jpg :(

I'm approaching a similar situation with Buddy.

He has never bitten anyone in his life, though. He's just getting very old.

What is it about the little dogs? They can be really nasty.

There's a pair of Shelties a few doors down from me, and they're the terror of my neighborhood. I think my boy has a few problems, but he's an angel compared to these anti-social demon dogs.

Did your little Aussie have any training? Herding breeds are not for everyone, and they need to be trained, otherwise they can get very frustrated without a job or lots of activity. This could translate into aggression. Does the dog get lots of exercise outdoors off leash, or is he just a house dog?

Dogs just dont change their personality if nothing else changed. First step would of been to take the dog to the vet to see if there was a problem. Or maybe actually train the dog. My dogs are all rescues from the pound. When we first got CJ ,he was mean. Thru training and understanding he become a great affectionate dog.