To consider putting a 'healthy' dog down?

[monkeyfacegrace]

Im trying to make one of the hardest decisions of my life.

I own 3 Pugs, two of which are 12 & 13 and have been together their whole lives.

The 13yr old bitch is literally making our lives hell.

She used to bounce with energy, and be fun and lovely.

Now, from the minute she wakes up to the minute she sleeps, she yaps. She pulls over the bin numerous times a day. She wees and poos everywhere. She will always get the kids food at mealtimes. I have to lock her in the kitchen while we eat, which results in more fucking yapping. She bullies my 5yr old pug, causes fights, and is generally total hell to live with

Im a SAHM with 6 & 4yr olds, and she drives them mad too.

Ive battled this for the last year, but now Im at my wits end.

I cant bear the thought of rehoming. She is 13 and has never been an only dog. She is a pug so would rehome easily, but it would shatter me.
It would also kill me to put her down.

What the actual fuck do I do?

You need to take her to the vet. Is she yapping because she is deaf? She could be senile, have a brain parasite, there are numerous physical explanations. Tell your vet honestly the impact the problems are having on your family and get their opinion. Clearly if you are upset with the dog a lot of the time, she must be miserable.

Get vet beds which are soft and washable (we got them for an incontinent rabbit).

Rehoming is not really an option for a dog with arthritis/heart disease.

She has no idea Im upset with her. I cant tell her off, she is too old

poor thing having a start like that.

I don't think yabu at all if your dog has become incontinent. Of course if it's crapping all over the house because it does'nt get out then that's another matter entirely. I wouldn't hold out.much hope of a behaviorist being able to do much with a 13 year old. Cant teach an old dog new tricks and all that.

YANBU.

Don't be hard on yourself OP, you have given this poor dog a marvellous life by rescuing her from puppy farm hell. She is clearly no longer happy, and quite possibly in pain.

Any decent vet, seeing you at the end of your tether like this, will probably gently give you the 'permission' you seek to end her misery.

It sounds like you have tried everything, and there comes a time when you have to put your children and your sanity first. Don't listen to the bleeding heart 'animals before all' brigade - you have done your absolute best for this dog and maybe it's time to stop fighting. I have dogs myself and love the very bones of them, but compassion has to be balanced with common sense.

A horrible decision to have to make at Christmas, but in my book, you can hold your head up high that you have given her quality of life for as long as possible. Now maybe she deserves a quiet and peaceful passing.

Aww the poor thing being treated like that. My brother had a breeding bitch Labrador that had been rescued, it was heart breaking to see what they'd done to her, she had scars round her mouth from having to route for food from tin cans. She was messed up physically and mentally. Because she'd had such a bad start in life she just wasn't a healthy dog at all.
The trouble is with pugs is they are very over bred so are prone to health problems such that coupled with the fact that she had a bad start in life, well it could have accelarated her getting like this.

Sorry my comment about putting kids down was because the opening post made it sound like you wanted her putting down just because of her behaviour but as the thread has gone on it sounds more like there are health problems.
It does annoy me that people often get a dog without really being committed to it, they'll get rid of it because they're moving or because they have a baby etc. sorry it seemed like another one of those cases but now that you've explained in more detail I don't think it is.

An incontinent elderly dog is rarely a happy dog. I suggest you take her to the vet because it sounds like she has a number of health issues that are almost certainly related to age.

you know it. vet. discuss the end. possibly, do it.

Bless her, she sounds senile.

Maybe this bin would at least stop the bin raiding?? And, maybe buy a small crate to put her in during meals...so she is in the kitchen, but un-able to steal food?

Weeing and pooing every where is not a sign of a healthy dog - I'd take her to the vets and hope he/she gave her some tablets to stop it If the vet can't help to stop it and she is usually fine then I'd PTS. Our old girl got the the age where weeing herself without realising it happened daily. She hated baths, was miserable looking and stunk so kinder to pts before they get to that stage :(

Yapping all the time - Could she be going deaf or senile?

Bin raiding - Get a taller bin or retrain the behaviour out of her if possible

Behaviourist was stumped with her. She doesnt respond to praise.

Can she hear you at other times?

How about putting some of her food in a kong several times a day so that she has to work and concentrate to get it out? Maybe you could associate kong with crate? I agree it sounds like senility might be an issue, or even pulmonary discomfort.

What did the vet say, OP?

Oh poor pup. I can see your predicament. I dont think your OP is correct, I suspect she isnt perfectly healthy.

Good luck with the vets.

Vets is tomorrow 10am.

She isnt incontinent, just sits and pisses on any scent/fabric item! Its a behavioural thing I think, never been housetrained. She was pretty good for the first few years, but has regressed.

Oh, sorry, OP. I am being thick.

I don't envy the position you're in. It's a really difficult one but I would make a decision after tomorrow.

never been housetrained
How about putting some effort into training her then - its not true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Feel for you. Sounds like senility. Sounds like you have had a lot to cope with. Hope vets can shed some light and offer some sanity saving suggestions. Good luck.
We lost our 17-year-old darling dog last month, who I am sure for quite some time had been senile. She would constantly bark to be let out, go out, come back in and then bark to be let out again. Used to drive me nuts. Still, sounds like nothing in comparison to where you are. We miss her terribly.
Well done on getting your pug to 13.
Ask the vet about the drug Stilboestrol for the weeing. Weeing in the house in female older dogs can be a hormonal thing which is easily corrected with these tablets. (not sure what to do about pooing though!)
Good luck.

"Mental stimulation is hard as she cannot be active due to flat nose/breathing issues. In summer she cannot cope with being walked at all."

I thought this was the saddest part of this thread - the reminder that people will breed (and buy) dogs with conformations adverse to their health and ability to be mobile.

My westie was like this at 16, mum kept her going, we cleaned up wee and eventually poo for a good couple of years. My mum always says now that she wishes she had taken her to the vets and PTS before she became really bad as she had no quality of life in the end at all (she was deaf, blind, doubly incontinent).

Re the flat nose / breathing problems... Why oh why do people perpetuate breeding inevitable suffering for these poor animals?
If you replace her, please - get something that hasn't had health bred out of it :0(

Didn't see Paiviaso's post before writing mine. Totally agree..

I agree maybe she has regressed with old age, I know that house training ex-breeding dogs can be hard. I also wonder if arthritis may be a factor though, my dog was partially incontinent (just wee) for the last two years as he had degeneration of the spine which affected the nerves to the bladder. The vet though his bowel might go the same way but he died at nearly 14, before that happened. Lets hope the vet can help, my dog was on meds which did help for a year, he also had painkillers etc. Good luck at the vets.

Dont start the boring row over Pugs noses.

Responsible breeders, like the top breeders that my young bitch is from, are breeding out Pug viral encephalitis with new testing programmes, and lots of other things that I cant be bothered explaining.

Its backyard breeders who breed for money that is the issue.

Show dogs are perfectly healthy.