Poll to help make a hard decision. Please offer your input. Pics

[LegginMF12]

Cletus is my 9 yr old 115lb pit bull. Cletus was born in my home on Memorial Day weekend in 2003. When I have a pet such as a horse or dog it is considered a life time obligation for me. I have had several pets who spent their entire lives with me and died peacefully of old age.
Cletus has become very destructive of late and I have been unable to break the habit. He does not kill cats, chickens or other livestock. BUT.... he very much likes to have a taste of what they are eating even though he has food available 24/7. This is the damage done by him in the last 3 days. I am sick and tired of buying or scrounging wood to make repairs on a daily basis.

Meet Cletus


This is the old door that was on the shed, it is broke worse on the other side and we patched it up 4 times with chicken wire before completely replacing it yesterday.




This is the door to the COOP that he has broken into I don't know how many times. Note the missing piece, he literally at that piece.



This is the old hot tub where he hunts for squirrels.




This is the new door we just put up YESTERDAY, on the shed (I use the shed for the smaller chicks so they are not in with the adult chickens)




This was a little barrier I used to use to let the chicks see outside more while they were in the shed.



I am to the point that I am completely frustrated, yet feel that I have a responsibility to this dog. But he is ripping every structure we have as outbuildings apart. Should I keep him or send him to a no kill shelter? I feel guilty even asking this, but must admit my first thought when I walked out there today and saw the door, was to load up, shoot and bury, problem solved. I worry about who will adopt him and wonder if it would be kinder to put him to sleep. He has lived with me from birth and a new home may cause even more behavior issues.

 

[DCasper]

Wow, that is a tough one. I know how it is to be attached to a dog and still have problem with the dog. If he was mine, I would try confining him to a pen for a while and see what happens. Getting rid of him would not be one of my first options. If he is still a loveable pet, a pen might be a good thing to try. I hope things work out for you, good luck.

 

[greenpeeps]

Sorry I had to laugh, but oh how I've been there. I've learned 3 things that work for my pitt destroyers,

1, They hate the taste of vinegar, I spray it on everything they look at, 2, Big bones, I make sure there is always a bone. I know when they are gone because furniture gets eaten, and 3, the radio or TV helps to keep them from feeling so alone. Mine love animal planet. I hope this helps. Oh and look at that sweet smile, pittys have the best smiles : )

 

[WalkerH]

If he is already nine and he just started these behaviors...there is probably something out of whack. Has something changed recently in your life? I have never known of dogs just suddenly turning destructive. Owning two pits I understand their power, and their power of destruction and how infuriating it can be. I can only guess something recently changed. Also...I didn't have an issue with my pits with killing the chickens, but my Spitz has killed a couple. I know you don't have that issue, but perhaps you can try fencing him, invisafence has worked wonders for us.

 

[LegginMF12]

Sorry I had to laugh, but oh how I've been there. I've learned 3 things that work for my pitt destroyers,

1, They hate the taste of vinegar, I spray it on everything they look at, 2, Big bones, I make sure there is always a bone. I know when they are gone because furniture gets eaten, and 3, the radio or TV helps to keep them from feeling so alone. Mine love animal planet. I hope this helps. Oh and look at that sweet smile, pittys have the best smiles : )

Somebody is home pretty much 24/7. I can't do the bone thing as we have a pug and if treats are involved he gets possessive.

 

[LegginMF12]

If he is already nine and he just started these behaviors...there is probably something out of whack. Has something changed recently in your life? I have never known of dogs just suddenly turning destructive. Owning two pits I understand their power, and their power of destruction and how infuriating it can be. I can only guess something recently changed. Also...I didn't have an issue with my pits with killing the chickens, but my Spitz has killed a couple. I know you don't have that issue, but perhaps you can try fencing him, invisafence has worked wonders for us.

His mother died in late 2010. He is not the same dog. It is like he lost his mind and has not recovered from it. They had NEVER been separated form the day he was born. The only thing he kills is STRAY cats (never one that was living in the household) and squirrels. He is perfectly safe to leave around baby chicks, puppies ,2 day old piglets, he liked the piglet, slept with it all of the time. I am afraid that when Sammy died it did something to his mind and penning him is not the answer. He has always had acres of land to roam and penning him up would probably break his spirit. He doesn't deserve that.

 

[WalkerH]

Oh so the poor thing is just going through mourning. Yes, when our Rottie had to be put down, due to a stomach tumor, our Spitz went through it. Lost her hair, stopped eating, lost a lot of weight. We ended up getting another dog, which definitely helped...does he do fine with other dogs? Maybe a friend has a dog they would be willing to lend you to see if that helps at all.

 

[Delilah1337]

I have a 7 year old Pitbull Bubba and he has done the same thing. He chewed through the door of the spare bedroom just because he wants to see the driveway, then he chewed through the drywall by the front door because he wanted out. My boyfriend and I both have to work so we were in a pretty tight spot. Bubba has become very needy the last few months and we still havent quite figured out why, the only solution to the terrorizing we have found is lots of one on one attention. He has bad hips so he can't play too hard for longer than 10 minutes but he is so much happier now. I love on him as much as I can when Im home and boy what a change!
I am a total advocate of rehabilitation for dogs, especially Pitbulls. I agree that something must have changed with his routine or your family surroundings, sometimes even the smallest things can affect a dog. Before you do anything drastic I would take a look at what has gone on over the last few months and see if you can narrow anything down. I know how hard it is when the animals you love get destructive but I have found that with lots of hard work and dedication the actions can be reversed, well all the animals Ive had except my Shitzu, he just did what ever he wanted and nothihng worked

 

[LegginMF12]

Oh so the poor thing is just going through mourning. Yes, when our Rottie had to be put down, due to a stomach tumor, our Spitz went through it. Lost her hair, stopped eating, lost a lot of weight. We ended up getting another dog, which definitely helped...does he do fine with other dogs? Maybe a friend has a dog they would be willing to lend you to see if that helps at all.

We have a pug that he "tolerates". He has never been a play with other dogs kind of dog, he wouldn't even play with his mom and she would play with any dog she could.. Though he does love you to throw a stick for him, he doesn't bring it back he eats it on the spot. He is not a fighter, he usually just ignores other dogs unless the get right in his face, then he warns them off. He prefers prefers people over dogs. We quit letting him in the house because he has become so needy. It has been over a year since Sammy died. He is not recovering from it. I don't know how to help him anymore. The only time he is content is if he is actually touching you. We have not validated this behavior. When he is outside he whines at all of the windows and doors for hours.

 

[MustLoveHens]

Oh that's a tough spot to be in. Honestly, I would look at it this way. Cletus is a very cute dog and you have given him 9 terrific years, but he is an older dog that will be difficult to rehome due to his age and his breed. As great as pits can be that is the reality. Older dogs also are the ones that stay in shelters the longest and they are the hardest to adopt out.
Also, from what you have indicated he does not seem to be the most social and tolerant of dogs in certain situations. Another hurdle for a new home. Sometimes it's also a problem in shelters for the workers to handle as well.
I think that there is definately something going on. I would suggest a trip to your vet for a complete physical and blood panel. He may actually have a very real medical problem that is manifesting itself in his behavior problems. Talk to your vet and discuss the problems and what options you are considering, your vet may have a treatment that can help him. To me, he is showing separation anxiety big time and that could be the reason for the mass destruction. I know that there are meds that can help with that.
You could also consider having a trainer come in and assess the situation as well. Be frank with the trainer and that person might see something you might be missing. Use them as another tool to help to determine the final out come for Cletus.
IMHO, and I don't mean to come off as being harsh here, if he were mine, I'd see my vet and depending on the out come, I'd elect euthanasia. I myself can't see placing an elderly dog in a no kill shelter where he will languish away, always wondering when you will be back for him. If he truely is beyond help then, again in my opinion, I feel that it is your responsibility to see him through to the end. Even if that out come means a hard and painful decision lies ahead.
Again, I'm sorry if I seem hard or harsh, that is not my intent and I can only tell you what I would do in if I were in your place. I know you face a hard decision and wish I had a better solution to give you.