Dog- need advice.

[GraciousGals]

New home would be my answer as well, maybe somewhere in the country where he could run and no concerns of children or neighbors close by, put a pet down before and it sure is nothing I would ever do again unless they where suffering and dying! At least try to rehome 1st before you take that road

 

[Kris5902]

New home would be my answer as well, maybe somewhere in the country where he could run and no concerns of children or neighbors close by, put a pet down before and it sure is nothing I would ever do again unless they where suffering and dying! At least try to rehome 1st before you take that road

Please read the entire thread and consider the possible consequences of inaction. Dogs with this history are incredibly hard to rehome. It is dangerous to pass him onto another owner. It takes a highly experienced animal handler to rehabilitate a dog like this, and the OP is rightly concerned for the welfare of her family!

The other animals the dog has already killed did not deserve their fate either. It is a bad situation all around, and this person is doing their best to minimize (edit 4spelling) the danger going forward. Dogs can be unpredictable, this one is unfortunately becoming predictable in killing other animals, and seems beyond the owners abilities to control (no offense or slight intended, and it seems that the environmental change was a trigger for this dog).

Please be considerate of the hardship this decision is causing before you pass judgement or criticize the decisions being made.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Daughter and SIL had the same argument over a very dominant German S H pointer male until the day he growled at their daughter.

My daughter had her face ripped open by a Rhodesian Ridgeback that had never shown human aggression prior to the attack on her - he did however have a history of aggression/killing against other animals. The owners had him euthanized a day too late for my daughter.

Please don't make the same mistake or pass the problem on to another person.

So sorry

 

[centrarchid]

Please read the entire thread and consider the possible consequences of inaction. Dogs with this history are incredibly hard to rehome. It is dangerous to pass him onto another owner. It takes a highly experienced animal handler to rehabilitate a dog like this, and the OP is rightly concerned for the welfare of her family!

The other animals the dog has already killed did not deserve their fate either. It is a bad situation all around, and this person is doing their best to minimize (edit 4spelling) the danger going forward. Dogs can be unpredictable, this one is unfortunately becoming predictable in killing other animals, and seems beyond the owners abilities to control (no offense or slight intended, and it seems that the environmental change was a trigger for this dog).

Please be considerate of the hardship this decision is causing before you pass judgement or criticize the decisions being made.

Your position is a judgement as well. Information provided by OP is fragmentary at best, hence my indicating earlier things do not add up. Much of the killing behavior I would not consider unusual with an LGD or LGD cross in a highly confined situation. I and people with working LGD's expect the dog to kill even other dogs trespassing onto their turf. The owners of those dogs are much more likely to be liable when their dogs trespass. That is an issue I have had to deal with as do farmers using LGD's. Where you might get into trouble is saying you are defending a backyard flock that is not considered legally in your jurisdiction as livestock.

The human-aggressive nature of the dog in question is not all that clear as emotions have made assessments of that difficult. That is why I suggested early on having an expert checking the dog first hand. There is a mismatch between what LGD's are often expected to do and what the OP is able to support, regardless the dog needs to be removed from the situation it is in. Part of the dog's breeding just is not being considered as most are trying to pigeon hole it as simply a pet.

Much of this is a consequence of LGD's being pressed into service as pets or where resources simply are not enough for the dogs involved. On the hole, we at this site and others have been promoting use of LGD's too much and the problem is coming back to bite somebody.

 

[Kris5902]

Your position is a judgement as well. Information provided by OP is fragmentary at best, hence my indicating earlier things do not add up. Much of the killing behavior I would not consider unusual with an LGD or LGD cross in a highly confined situation. I and people with working LGD's expect the dog to kill even other dogs trespassing onto their turf. The owners of those dogs are much more likely to be liable when their dogs trespass. That is an issue I have had to deal with as do farmers using LGD's. Where you might get into trouble is saying you are defending a backyard flock that is not considered legally in your jurisdiction as livestock.

The human-aggressive nature of the dog in question is not all that clear as emotions have made assessments of that difficult. That is why I suggested early on having an expert checking the dog first hand. There is a mismatch between what LGD's are often expected to do and what the OP is able to support, regardless the dog needs to be removed from the situation it is in. Part of the dog's breeding just is not being considered as most are trying to pigeon hole it as simply a pet.

Much of this is a consequence of LGD's being pressed into service as pets or where resources simply are not enough for the dogs involved. On the hole, we at this site and others have been promoting use of LGD's too much and the problem is coming back to bite somebody.

Yes, I offered my opinion on the matter, prior to a decision being made by the OP, as did several others. The cross Breed and breed trait have been highly discussed in regards to the behavior, and I did consider it in my opinion, though I didn’t specifically state that, I though it was implied in my commentary on breeds generally considered dangerous and the often unstable nature of hybrids. I don’t believe the OP obtained the dog specifically for LGD purposes, and it killed her flock and her cats as well.

Once the OP made an informed decision, having consulted a local rescue agency with experience in the matter, all our opinions are moot. I just find it a little callous to restate and plead for sparing the dog and rehoming it when the local rescue and OP have come to the conclusion that in this case it is not feasible or safe.

It’s a LGD Breed crossed with a retriever/sporting breed, it wasn’t properly trained as a LGD, and was most likely sold with the intent of being a pet.

I encourage everyone to thoroughly research ANY dog breed or the parent breeds of a dog before purchasing it. Most dog breeds have been specifically selected, sometimes for hundreds of years, for certain traits pertinent to the work they are intended for. Our border collies herd our sheep well with very minimal formal training on our part, the older dogs actually teach the younger ones, and it’s in their nature. An untrained/unbonded to a flock LGD breed is very dangerous.

Hopefully we can all learn something from this thread, and we should all let the OP move on in peace. Although the discussion is interesting we should find another thread to have it on out of respect for the OP and her situation and decision.

 

[centrarchid]

My post directed more at others for future situations. Take the emotion out.

 

[llombardo]

This dog was a bad fit for current owner / situation, from the start. Dogs more often than not require resources and a mindset that is appropriate for their needs.

Euthanizing is not a gift. It is a release, and in many cases when used on the animal, it is a selfish release for the human in charge that wants to simply move on because tired to situation.

Amen to this.

I have a houseful of animals and I am one person. Each animal requires different things and I give them what they need or it just doesn't work. Not all dogs fit it all households. If I didn't have a houseful and this dog came up locally I would take him in a minute. I have had some difficult dogs over 40 years and I never gave up on one and they all turned out ok.

In fact one of mine came from Lebanon, a complete street dog. I fostered him and he was adopted. It didn't work, I got him back. The rescue said he was considered hard to handle and would be destroyed. Well 5 years later I still have and he is finally calming down. It took 5 years, but he is alive, happy and healthy. I had to adjust and readjust many many times to make it work.

I no longer deal with the rescue that was going to give up on my dog. I do not want or need to deal with any group that simply is to overwhelmed and makes poor decisions.

 

[Kris5902]

All my best wishes and condolences,

I think further discussion should be moved elsewhere out of respect for the individuals decision in the matter.

I do not disagree with your statements regarding LGD’s @centrarchid, and am not offended or emotionally responding it. I do have an opinion; I stated it prior to the OPs decision, and feel that further debate on this situation is not respectful or productive to the OP.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Some no matter what have to be right fighters. Even if they have knowledge of the topic they must prove their point. Their ends justify their means. No matter what. And cannot be part of a empathetic conversation there’s no consideration. Why because they are somehow incapable of taking their knowledge and applying it in a considerate way. I have great respect for those who teach. You must be confident in knowledge and humble in your approach in order to have someone want to learn. It’s a skill. A skill that takes maturity and desire.
Some will always be “right fighters”

 

[chickens really]

Unless a person has dealt with an aggressive Dog other opinions are mute points.
I have an aggressive Dog and took years of training and I still don't trust him so he is chained up when outside and locked in the basement when company comes.
Arguing about who is right in this situation is ridiculous and unneeded.
Best wishes to the OP and their current situation. Never an easy decision to put any animal down although sometimes it's the right decision..