put my dog to sleep?

[booksandchoc]

I am being unreasonable, I feel terrible and I deserve whatever flaming I get.

I've made an appointment to get my little dog put to sleep. I'm tried to rehome him, but all the rescues around here are full, I spoke to the dog warden and he advised in our situation to get him pts.

We got him 4 years ago when he was 2, an elderly acquaintance had him a few months but couldn't cope with him, so we stupidly took him on without knowing his history.

He is aggressive to other dogs, every other dog, he has no recall, he barks constantly whenever we leave him in the house and now he has started snapping at DD. I don't know what else to do .

Not all dogs make a good match. I had to give mine up when we had DD because we couldn't potty train him

D0oinMeCleanin And what would you have me do then? Let DD crawl on the floor where the dog kept marking and pooping? You're cute. I'm sure in your world if you just believe hard enough things will magically fall in place.

Back to reality. My dog got a better home with people that could train him and give him more time than I'd be able to dedicate with a new baby. I tried classes and every trick I could manage. It would require more time and resources than I was capable of giving.

And... I don't care how right or wrong it was. If after a year of trying to house break him, there's not much I could have personally done. I don't have endless money to spend on a dog. My DD's health will not be put at risk for an animal. It's called being a responsible parent.

I did what was best for the dog, and I did what was best for my baby. End of.

Seems like a lot of people would do better to, you know, learn about how much time and commitment it takes to own a dog...before getting one.

Seems like a lot of people would do better to, you know, learn about how much time and commitment it takes to own a dog...before getting one.

I did, and when I got him I had no intentions of having kids. He came with issues from his previous home, and I was constantly working with him every day. DD was unplanned, and even if she wasn't I wouldn't plan a baby around a dog's training. That's why I had to give him up.

It wouldn't have been fair to him to be in a house where I could no longer provide consistency and constant training/attention. He was a dog that required more attention than a typical dog. He made a lot of improvements during his time with me, so I look at it like fostering so he was better equipped for the next home. The shelter (which was no kill btw) agreed it was the best thing for him. But it would have been selfish to keep him in an environment that would have been lousy for him.

I'm sure you have infinite time and money to spend on an animal. I, in my current situation do not, and I'm not going to apologize for something I have no control over.

Sorry princess you must have had an extremely difficult/ mentally damaged puppy.

Toilet training is usually the simplest part of training, easily done with a good routine and patience.

I apologise.

It's fine. I still miss him sometimes, he was my little buddy.

He sort of came in an neurotic mess that the shelter didn't warn me about. But I work from home so it wasn't a big deal pre-baby and could give him 24/7 care. After a year I managed to get him to stop hiding in his kennel when people came over and I got him to stop lashing out at dogs due to fear aggression (and wag his tail to say hi!). So he came a long way, there just wasn't enough time to get him over that last hurdle. Me and DH had to make the hard decision to give him until 1 month before I was due as a hard deadline for him.

We did have a few weeks of success with the toilet training every once in a while, but then he'd just relapse for no reason I could figure out and I'd have to try a different method only to have it work for a bit then fail. Even letting him out every two hours he'd come inside and mess in the house. Classes were just an unhelpful "establish routine and give treats" geared more towards puppies than problem dogs. I'm sure there was a way to get him to stop, I just couldn't figure it out.

He really was a sweetie though. I hope his current family is a better fit for him.

I had snd still is a neurotic dog goodness knows what happened to hi before he wasnt walked socialised and just had layers and layers of stuff going on we got him at 6 months he is now 2 if I had a smallchild or young family he would have been gone its is bloody hard work I do love him but he used to bite evrrybody I have older kids who could can manage him it isnt essy

My last dog was a house soiler not all the time but most days she peed somewhere in the house even if she hsd just come in

My dog is the sweetest tempered, easiest, gentlest dog in the world- but she is mine because her owner realised that, after she had the children she didn't think that she could have, she just didn't have the "caring" space left in her life for the dog as well as the children. And she is,as I said, the easiest of dogs. No challenging behaviour at all. I wish people wouldn't pretend that having a dog is an easy thing to do.

I wonder if OP had changed her mind

sorry, just a quick update.....

I did change my mind. couldn't go through with it. going to find money (anyone have a spare money tree) for a behaviourist and I've Pm'd some posters for recommendations.

My children live with a pet tiger. Uh hu. T'is fine as long as we keep him well fed

OP you have mail.

Hi Books - just seen your update. Ask your vet re a animal behaviourist as some are better than others.

I would not have judged you for having your dog PTS. It is an incredibly hard decision.

My terrier, a rescue dog, was aggressive with my ds at first. I never left him alone with ds and trained him using rewards. Now, they are best of friends but it did occur to me that I have the dog PTS if things didn't improve.

I work as a dog walker. In my experience, any dog can be aggressive. A dog trainer told me, however, that a dog we call 'aggressive' is just being a dog - the dog thinks it is doing the right thing and needs to be trained to change it's behaviour.

Good luck :)

I am glad to hear that OP. It did seem to me that you weren't certain, and as I said earlier there is no going back from PTS so you do have to be 100% sure. It should always be the final and only choice (obviously if the animal is suffering with no chance of recovery then it is the only choice)

I do find threads like this especially upsetting, as sometimes its almost like people are cheering the OP on to get the animal PTS and it just doesn't sit right.

Have you tried your pet insurance? Also maybe you could get the dog down on a rescue waiting list while you are looking at behaviourists as a bit of a back up plan if you cant afford it, although as myself and others have said you might be surprised at what your insurance covers.

Just sounds to me like this was all done on a bit of a whim, either way with a bit more time and planning this dog can have a chance at a happy life.

Good on you OP for giving him another chance. Hope it all works out :)

I am glad you've changed your mind if you weren't sure that it was what you wanted, OP - I think the only way we've been able to fend off guilt is the knowledge that PTS was the only, and kindest, option for our dog. Sounds like you've got a few more routes to look at now, and this thread has given you a head start!

I really hope it works out, and if you can't get the behaviour to a level where the dog can stay with you, that the behaviourist can maybe work on the anxiety so that at least he'll be comfortable in a rescue until a dog-free child-free home comes along :)

Best of luck

Good luck OP, I hope you find a good behaviourist who can help you and Gotham. Steer clear of anyone who talks about dominance, pack theory or alpha rolls.

I am pleased you changed your mind, please take the help and support offered here. I am actually not in the never ever PTS team, but i do think in this situation there are other things worth a shot!

Wonderful news!