To have my dog put to sleep?

[NotAHun]

Not sure this is the right place to be posting this. Long time poster but name changed for privacy...

We have a small ish breed dog. She’s 5, over the last year she’s bitten 2 of my dc one twice, and two other times when people have knocked at door, once when taking a toy off of her, she’s also bitten me hard enough that I lost my nail. She just punctured ds’s arm right on the bony bit and through a long sleeved top and jumper because he tried to push her away as he opened the door to let me in (I hadn’t knocked and she would have heard it was my voice the other side of the door.

I cannot walk her off lead as she would definitely bite a toddler unprovoked she hates tiny children! My dc are all over 5. I don’t feel comfortable re homing her because no one can guarantee that they never come into contact with children and I feel responsible.

It’s awful because we all love her but if ds had been wearing a t shirt and not a jumper she could’ve done serious damage. I feel so guilty at the thought of having her pts but no idea what to do.

No it isn’t - they have their own carer who takes them for walks and works with them. One dog I sponsored improved to the point that she did get rehomed.

Sorry I’m not trying to persuade OP, it may well be the best thing in these circumstances. Horrible decision.

@NotAHun They wouldn't hesitate. I'm so sorry, this is hard for you, but it's the right thing.

@NotAHun I think you're doing the right thing. Your dog can't be happy if she's behaving like that. You are a kind and responsible dog owner.

You've obviously thought carefully about all the options and this clearly isn't a light decision. Rehoming, is that actually happened, could just be a new environment or opportunity to bite again. You know your dog. Making the decision to PTS isn't cowardly like some have suggested, it's protecting potential victims. So far, these bites have been simple. If it had bitten a child's face or neck etc, you wouldn't hesitate I'm sure. I wouldn't want to wait for that to be the result of the next attack. No-one, including your dog, are happy. It's not easy but you know what to do.

So sorry you have to make this decision. FWIW we too had to do this - the dog had severe resource guarding issues and had bitten both my dc, attacked me and laid my arm open - I still have scars 30 years later.

For a dog, being confined to kennels for life, because how can you rehome a dog like that?, would be cruel.

It's hard, but imo the right decision.

There is a misconception on this thread that rescue puts dogs in kennels. That is by no means always the case.
Look for a foster based rescue. They will work with her until they feel she is homeable safely and find a suitable home

Make sure you tell the vet you engaged in just a couple of behavioral sessions before making this choice so they can decide if it's fair. I've never heard of a responsible breeder breeding their dog and only engaging in a couple of counselling/training sessions when the road gets rocky afterwards.

None of us would respond well to having a baby or babies and them being taken away from us. There's a process that should be in place and followed when a female dog has been bred. People seem to treat them like they've got no emotions but then again, this dog is apparently 'thick'

PTS is the right thing, sadly.

for you OP.

You're doing the right thing OP.
I'm so sorry you've got to go through this.
I hope it's smooth from here on out.

You are doing the right thing OP.

Take dog to shelter. Never have a pet again.

I think PTS is the brave decision and the right one in this instance.

I don't think it is for you to decide whether an adoptive family won't be able to keep her away from children. My aunt had a dog who didn't like children from the start and she managed to keep her from biting a child for it's entire 13 year old life. She kept it on a lead when out walking where she knew there would be children, if she had people with kids visiting she would keep it in a different part of the house or send it to her mums for the day etc etc.

Rescue centres rehome loads of dogs who don't like kids, they just make sure it goes to a family who don't have any. They don't put dogs to sleep on the basis that any child-free family who wants to adopt it may occasionally come into contact with kids.

From the way you are poo-pooing every other suggestion and coming up with reasons why they wouldn't work, you come across as being really determined to have it put to sleep to be honest.

OP, hug. So sorry for you and the dog but you are the responsible dog owner 💐

It is absolutely for the OP to decide. It's her dog and her responsibility. She is making a painful and hard decision to safe guard others.

In your position I would pts even though it's such a hard thing to do. Rescues are full to the brim and you know your dog would be unhappy in a kennel as you would be unhappy knowing that's where she was. Kindest and safest thing to do in my opinion.

This dog doesn’t simply not like children. She has bitten the OP too and attacked the OP’s other dogs.

OP I am sorry you are having to make such a difficult decision.

Thank you for being a responsible dog owner. So often we see the other kind here.

As you know, you can't responsibly rehome a dog with a bite history. Rescue centres are bursting at the seams with perfectly friendly and rehomable dogs and even if you did find one who would take her, it's not fair on her to spend however long languishing in a kennel, especially when she's already showing anxious behaviours. Equally, besides being stressful for you and the family to have to manage the current situation, she also sounds incredibly stressed with her current lifestyle. It also doesn't sound much fun for your other dogs. Breed isn't totally irrelevant in this situation but it's gone beyond that now. I'm assuming she's a bulldog or similar?

There are many fates worse than humane euthanasia. Your vet will respect your decision and carry out your wishes.

I love my dogs but if any of them repeatedly bit my (or anyone else’s) dc I would have them put to sleep. My DH is a vet and he would 100% support your decision to PTS in this situation.

I'd definitely try a rescue centre before resorting to putting her to sleep.There is a local charity in Cornwall called Last chance animal hotel.They travel long distances to collect/rescue dogs and only take in dogs who are going to be pts due to biting and aggression issues.They work so hard to rehabilitate these dogs and have a great success in rehoming most of them.Best still they have a sanctuary and the dogs that cant ever be rehomed (they call them lifers) will live their lives on the sanctuary or with specialised foster carers.The lifers dont live in kennels but either with a foster or in the house at the sanctuary.I have visited the sanctuary myself with donations and it's really lovely and the people who run it are amazing.They have a facebook page and a website.I think a lot of dogs with biting issues can be retrained but not necessarily by owners.Some dogs need that full time professional help that owners sadly cant give them.As your dog is only 5 I'd personally try all rescue groups first to see if someone can help.Also vets can often provide advice on this and might even recommend a suitable rescue who can help.

Try
www.lastchancehotel.org
They take in animals that have bite historys and re home them in suitable homes, ie with no contact allowed with children.
I know you are trying to do the right thing but please at least give your dog a chance with last chance. They are a very responsible organisation.

Spoken at length with vets they agree with and support my decision to pts

I'm so sorry OP. Doing the right thing is not always easy :(