Anonymous wrote:I really want to cry and hug your dog after reading this. Dogs are family too and sometimes they make mistakes!

Unfortunately if you try to hug the dog he will bite .

A bite is a bite, nip is just BS

Anonymous wrote:Posts like this are what give dog owners bad reputations. Look at all these people making excuses for this violent animal.

If OP were to take her lab to a vet and say she wanted to have the dog put down, given these facts, the vet would likely either refuse outright or agree and keep the dog to rehome. From OP's description, this is not a "violent animal."

Posts like this are what give dog owners bad reputations. Look at all these people making excuses for this violent animal.

In my family, its pretty common to tell children their pet "ran away" when either they died or needed to removed from the home. Not sure that is the best approach but it is an option. When I was a toddler, we had a big dog that I was told ran away...but years later was told they had to get rid of the go because of biting.

Your children being older can probably handle the truth. If you let them say goodbye I can imagine that they'll turn it into a big, dramatic affair but then be over most of the sadness pretty quickly.

Anonymous wrote:I really want to cry and hug your dog after reading this. Dogs are family too and sometimes they make mistakes!

Me three..don't give away your dog. Please consider the advice from those who understand what this is and what this is not. It is not a bad dog.he has a food issue and a dominance issue...and yes ..easily dealt with.

Food aggression is a completely manageable, trainable thing if you have the resources to hire a decent behaviorist. This is completely different than the dog lunging after someone for entering their house.

Anonymous wrote:
Do NOT keep this dog.
You are wise for putting 2 and 2 together (snapping at your son and biting to protect a food source).
This dog thinks it is the master in the house, and is friendly most of the time just because it usually gets its way.

Tell your children matter of factly that there is no other option than to try to see if a rescue wants the dog, because the dog has proven that it can act dangerously.

Really?

Food aggression is a particular problem. Snapping at a child, by a lab, is a means of communication, not an aggressive bite. Please don't spout nonsense.

...and of course fully disclose all these incidents to the rescue.

Do NOT keep this dog.
You are wise for putting 2 and 2 together (snapping at your son and biting to protect a food source).
This dog thinks it is the master in the house, and is friendly most of the time just because it usually gets its way.

Tell your children matter of factly that there is no other option than to try to see if a rescue wants the dog, because the dog has proven that it can act dangerously.

Anonymous wrote:I really want to cry and hug your dog after reading this. Dogs are family too and sometimes they make mistakes!

Me too!

I really want to cry and hug your dog after reading this. Dogs are family too and sometimes they make mistakes!

[b]OP, my brother and SIL had a rescue dog that had what you describe, food-agression. If a dog has this, it's probably smart for you to take serious measures. This is not something that is easily fixed--not something easily trained out of a dog. I don't know if it even CAN be trained out of a dog (maybe other PPs know). [b]

Bull S$%^

Of course this can be dealt with. Make an effort please before you decide to give away-kill this dog.

He has food aggression. That's a trainable thing, and it was caused by something at some point in the dog's life. I don't consider that a give away offense...at least not before you make an effort in training. Dogs don't talk- they use their mouths to talk- and there are a lot of breeds that have this inbred- like doxies...Labs really do not, so this really unusual.

I'm a big grownup (LOL) but my mother gave away dogs just like that when I was a kid. One bit someone once. One was messy, one pooped in house twice.I was really scarred by her indifference..and she really never liked dogs. She got them because she thought she was teaching us something. I was taught that their lives don't matter, and never to get attached.Needless to say, ai raised my kids with dogs... not all were easy, but they were family members.

I am all about not having an aggressive dog.. and by that I mean, random, unexplained episodes of snarling, biting, etc., and I would give the dog away under those circumstances. Your dog does not like having his food removed or threatened. I would try to deal with that first.

I think you do not like this dog, didn't really want a dog, etc. I think that because it doesn't seem as if this would be a heartbreaking thing for you- you wished they would take away your dog from the get go. Come on,now....

Thanks everyone. This is good advice.