Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 09:47     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids

OP,

I fail to understand you and I hope you are making this up.

If the dog has attacked you several times, you should have gotten a trainer after the first lunge and bite.
After several attacks, no professional help, and young children, this dog is beyond help.

He needs to be put to sleep humanely.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 09:45     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:Thank you all. I have known for weeks that getting rid of him is the answer but it's just so hard. He saved my life and I don't know how to be without him. But the kids come first, always.

We have had him for 6 years. The kids are 1 and 2.

To explain the abuse and inbreeding, I do know for a fact that he was abused because it was done by my own family member which is how I ended up with him. The inbreeding is due to the backyard breeder he was purchased from by my family member. His papers show the same dog on both sides.

We have spoken with a local trainer and she isn't sure she can take him on since he is so protective of our property that she hasn't been able to get out of the car when she has tried to come see him. Honestly, even if he was able to be trained, I don't think we could ever trust him around our children because of how he has acted in the past. He has never attacked the kids, but he has attacked DH and me several times.

We have also spoken with a local rescue and they won't consider him until/unless the trainer can see him and make a recommendation. I will look into breed-specific rescues.

I don't know where to go from here. I'm heartbroken and scared. No matter what I do, it's the wrong thing.


HOLY SHIT - put the dog down today! He attacked you and your husband and you are still letting this dog have access to your 1 and 2 year olds? The dog is significantly bigger than your kids and could easily kill them in a matter of moments. I don't understand how this is even a question. If you rehome him you are just kicking the can down the road and making it someone else's problem.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 09:42     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
This is abuse and neglect of your children. If I knew you personally I would call CPS. Get rid of the dog TODAY.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 09:39     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:Thank you all. I have known for weeks that getting rid of him is the answer but it's just so hard. He saved my life and I don't know how to be without him. But the kids come first, always.

We have had him for 6 years. The kids are 1 and 2.

To explain the abuse and inbreeding, I do know for a fact that he was abused because it was done by my own family member which is how I ended up with him. The inbreeding is due to the backyard breeder he was purchased from by my family member. His papers show the same dog on both sides.

We have spoken with a local trainer and she isn't sure she can take him on since he is so protective of our property that she hasn't been able to get out of the car when she has tried to come see him. Honestly, even if he was able to be trained, I don't think we could ever trust him around our children because of how he has acted in the past. He has never attacked the kids, but he has attacked DH and me several times.

We have also spoken with a local rescue and they won't consider him until/unless the trainer can see him and make a recommendation. I will look into breed-specific rescues.

I don't know where to go from here. I'm heartbroken and scared. No matter what I do, it's the wrong thing.


This is a little strange to me. Most trainers are, by nature of the job, very experienced with aggressive dogs. How was she unable to get out of the car? Can you muzzle the dog in order for the trainer to evaluate him? Or try a different trainer? We fostered a dog that went into rescue for this exact reason (became aggressive toward new baby) and he eventually was too aggressive for even us to keep, so the end game may still be euthanization, but if you're this concerned about it, at least try to get him into rescue. But I would not continue putting yourselves at risk. And I say that as the owner of an abused, probably inbred, dog-aggressive (not toward people) dog. It's not worth your safety. Let professionals handle it.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 08:15     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What are the chances of a breed-specific rescue taking him?


Pittbull rescues will take aggressive dogs back, ship them to a shelter in another state, give them a fake stress test then adopt them out as a "loving family dog" who is great with just the right kids.

That is what happened to many pitbull victims, including that sputhern VA woman who was disemboweled by her rescue pitbull the day they brought it home. He was a rescue dog that had been returned in several states for aggression and biting. The rescues just moved him around to attack again.


I had to do some internet research to confirm what you said here about the mauling in Virginia. How absolutely devastating to learn that at least one of those dogs had previously snapped at his pregnant owner.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 00:37     Subject: Re:Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
I think you are a troll because I don't think anyone can be this obtuse, but on th off chance you are for real, you need to euthanize the dog. Do not put the dog in rescue. Would you leave a loaded gun around a toddler? That's what you are doing here.

I am a dog lover, have had both rescues and purebreds. The right thing to do here is to euthanize the dog. Do you honestly think she'd be happy in another household? She's already an anxious mess. I think rehoming here is more cruel than euthanasia in this case.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 00:29     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
I can't believe you are taking such a big risk with your baby and toddler. It is like saying you keep a loaded gun in another room or just outside and hope your toddler doesn't somehow figure out how to get into the other room or open a door to the outside. You need to put the dog to sleep. You really aren't thinking rationally. You gave the dog a good life for 7 years. It is time to move on.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 00:13     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:What are the chances of a breed-specific rescue taking him?


Pittbull rescues will take aggressive dogs back, ship them to a shelter in another state, give them a fake stress test then adopt them out as a "loving family dog" who is great with just the right kids.

That is what happened to many pitbull victims, including that sputhern VA woman who was disemboweled by her rescue pitbull the day they brought it home. He was a rescue dog that had been returned in several states for aggression and biting. The rescues just moved him around to attack again.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2018 00:10     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
What are the chances of a breed-specific rescue taking him?
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2018 23:34     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take him to meet the trainer on a neutral ground. Muzzle him before the meeting. See how that goes. Muzzle and crate at home while you are doing the eval.


Even if you did this and he seemed fine, could you really trust this dog around your child? Or anyone really? No. In a moment of stress, like the child tripping and falling on the dog, the dog is going to revert to his old behavior. And if you rehomed this dog and then this dog bit another person, how would you feel about that? That you knew this dog was dangerous but you passed him to another family.

I'm sorry, I love dogs, I have had pets my entire life, but this dog needs to be euthanized.


+1
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2018 23:26     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Your aggressive dog should be put down.

Pittbulls are deadly creatures. That dog is not worth your childrens' or their friends' limbs, faces or lives.

This question is a no brainer.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2018 22:53     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:Take him to meet the trainer on a neutral ground. Muzzle him before the meeting. See how that goes. Muzzle and crate at home while you are doing the eval.


Even if you did this and he seemed fine, could you really trust this dog around your child? Or anyone really? No. In a moment of stress, like the child tripping and falling on the dog, the dog is going to revert to his old behavior. And if you rehomed this dog and then this dog bit another person, how would you feel about that? That you knew this dog was dangerous but you passed him to another family.

I'm sorry, I love dogs, I have had pets my entire life, but this dog needs to be euthanized.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2018 22:40     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Take him to meet the trainer on a neutral ground. Muzzle him before the meeting. See how that goes. Muzzle and crate at home while you are doing the eval.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2018 22:12     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:He has attacked both you and your husband SEVERAL times and the trainer can’t even get close to him? I’m sorry, this dog will never be a good pet for anyone. You need to protect your children. I’m sorry.


He had gotten better while I was pregnant with #2 and a little before, so we had hoped maybe things were turning around. He ended up attacking DH a couple times near the end of my pregnancy. Since then, it hasn't happened as often as it did before. But obviously anything at all is too much, especially with kids involved.


The training starts when you get the dog, not when he starts having problems.

I am sorry, op.
Anonymous
Post 02/14/2018 22:06     Subject: Aggressive Dog + Little Kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:He has attacked both you and your husband SEVERAL times and the trainer can’t even get close to him? I’m sorry, this dog will never be a good pet for anyone. You need to protect your children. I’m sorry.


He had gotten better while I was pregnant with #2 and a little before, so we had hoped maybe things were turning around. He ended up attacking DH a couple times near the end of my pregnancy. Since then, it hasn't happened as often as it did before. But obviously anything at all is too much, especially with kids involved.


I’m really sorry but you need to euthanize him. I know it’s heartbreaking (I have a family member who had to have an aggressive dog euthanized, and he wasn’t nearly as aggressive as you describe your dog being), but there is no other responsible action that you can take.


Thank you for your reassurance. Like I said, we have known for weeks at least that we needed to get rid of him one way or another, it's just so hard and feels like there isn't a "good" solution. We have had him for a long time. He feels like our first baby and he saved my life. I hate to give up on him. I keep thinking he's only 7, what if he could be rehabilitated and go to a home with no children or other pets?