Anonymous wrote:Scratch what I said about a behaviorist. One is available tomorrow for an in home consult. I’ll likely book that.
Anonymous wrote:Good luck, OP! Sounds like a promising start, and good to hear you have a behaviorist coming. And even if it ultimately doesn't work out, I think your effort will give your daughter peace of mind that you tried and did the best you could for the dog.
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Today went even more smoothly! She wore a leash all day, but it mostly dragged on the floor. Instead of all the anxiety, they were calm enough to nap while in the same room! I gave treats when they were calm/apathetic in the same space. I am careful to police their behavior so they are not making the other one uncomfortable.
She has trouble with transitions and when my dog gets too rowdy. Voice command stops her now. The behaviorist is coming tomorrow, so I will discuss with her.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, how did it go?
We did it today, over the last few hours, actually. There was work stuff that came up, so I didn’t get up here until this afternoon.
It went better than I thought it would. They have not been off leash with one another yet. The whistle and bean bag trick seemed to stop her aggression in its tracks, but I’m not ready to trust it alone. They will sleep separated in the same house tonight, and I will see how it goes tomorrow. I’m not convinced it will work out, but I’m trying to be hopeful.
I don’t know if she isn’t quite smart enough, or if she is not really trying, but her attempts at attacking are not very effective. She thought about going for his neck, but kind of tried with the side of her mouth, with it open. My dog was confused. It’s not playful, but not really an attack.
My daughter and I had a talk about options, and minimizing stress for the dog as the priority. I had to put down my favorite dog a few months after my father died, and it was traumatic. It’s been more than 10 years, and I still can’t talk about it without crying. It was the right thing to do, and it still wrecked me. I had the benefit of being in my late 30s, and not 21, when my father died.
I saw the suggestion about the behaviorist. Those people have waiting lists that are weeks long. It’s not possible to find one on a holiday weekend.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, how did it go?
We did it today, over the last few hours, actually. There was work stuff that came up, so I didn’t get up here until this afternoon.
It went better than I thought it would. They have not been off leash with one another yet. The whistle and bean bag trick seemed to stop her aggression in its tracks, but I’m not ready to trust it alone. They will sleep separated in the same house tonight, and I will see how it goes tomorrow. I’m not convinced it will work out, but I’m trying to be hopeful.
I don’t know if she isn’t quite smart enough, or if she is not really trying, but her attempts at attacking are not very effective. She thought about going for his neck, but kind of tried with the side of her mouth, with it open. My dog was confused. It’s not playful, but not really an attack.
My daughter and I had a talk about options, and minimizing stress for the dog as the priority. I had to put down my favorite dog a few months after my father died, and it was traumatic. It’s been more than 10 years, and I still can’t talk about it without crying. It was the right thing to do, and it still wrecked me. I had the benefit of being in my late 30s, and not 21, when my father died.
I saw the suggestion about the behaviorist. Those people have waiting lists that are weeks long. It’s not possible to find one on a holiday weekend.
Anonymous wrote:OP, how did it go?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Describe the aggression.
My dog is aggressive with larger dogs, not smaller or same sized dogs. I've been able to foster a multitude of dogs, all smaller than he is.
She’s bitten dogs at the vet, and now has to be muzzled. She’s killed small animals in the yard. I tried to introduce her to my dog when I got him 2.5 years ago. She tried to attack him. She slipped the leash and my ex laid on top of her so we could get out of the yard.
I know it’s crazy. I think she should be euthanized, but my daughter says no. It is her decision.
Then your daughter needs to deal with it. Your daughter is essentially saying she prefers to have your dog killed painfully over having her father’s dog killed peacefully, and that’s not her choice to make.
She is swimming in grief and loss at the moment. She just lost her father.
Your daughter now hopes you or someone else takes in your ex's dangerous dog. If it's put at a shelter or rescue she won't be able to see it so I guess there's pressure on you. We have relatives stuck with pit care to help a DC. That is a line we are not willing to cross. At an apt building there were breed restrictions and some really nasty representaives of restricted breeds had "service dog" papers from sketch organizations.
When elevator doors opened no one got in if those thngs were there. FX has 31 dogs and 20 are readily identifiable as pit or pit mix. Out of all the dog breeds or mixes in that county.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Describe the aggression.
My dog is aggressive with larger dogs, not smaller or same sized dogs. I've been able to foster a multitude of dogs, all smaller than he is.
She’s bitten dogs at the vet, and now has to be muzzled. She’s killed small animals in the yard. I tried to introduce her to my dog when I got him 2.5 years ago. She tried to attack him. She slipped the leash and my ex laid on top of her so we could get out of the yard.
I know it’s crazy. I think she should be euthanized, but my daughter says no. It is her decision.
Then your daughter needs to deal with it. Your daughter is essentially saying she prefers to have your dog killed painfully over having her father’s dog killed peacefully, and that’s not her choice to make.
She is swimming in grief and loss at the moment. She just lost her father.