Just found out that puppy is partly a banned breed

[EvilGoldfish]

(Reposted from dog section as I didn’t get any replies yet and I’m really anxious!)

I know we should have done things properly to start with but my heart completely over ruled my head sad

We were on a waiting list for a Staffordshire bull terrier puppy, when my niece told me of a family she knew giving their 10 week old staffy female away as they couldn’t cope.

I went with full intentions of taking her to a local rescue as the details sounded dodgy (no microchip, no vaccinations, no contact details for who sold her to them) but I couldn’t bear the thought of her being picked duo as a bait dog. They had her in a tiny cat cage, no toys/bed and on adult butchers food. The first thing she did when they let her out was run up for a belly rub.

Obviously, she is completely adorable and I ended up taking her to the vets to be chipped, 1st vaccinations and to get checked over.

I know all puppy owners can say this but she is so responsive to positive training, loving and eager to please. She has only had two accidents in the four weeks we’ve had her, she sleeps at the foot of our bed and usually only needs to get up once in the night. Her little tail wags like crazy the second she sees anyone, including strangers and other dogs (dogs from a distance as her second vaccination is next week) but especially children. We are starting KC puppy scheme classes in a few weeks.

I feel like I have to predefend her as we have just received the wisdom panel DNA results. The breakdown is as follows (can’t post pictures yet?)

36% American Pitbull Terrier
21% Staffordshire Bull Terrier
18% American Bulldog
15% Rottweiler
3% Presa Canario
2% Boston Terrier
1% Bulldog
1% Dalmatian (?!)

I’m absolutely distraught. I’ve contacted the RSPCA (anonymously) for advice but wanted to know what others would do in my position? While I wait for the RSPCA response I wanted to try to figure out what my options are (google returned a LOT of conflicting advice).

Is she going to be taken from me when she gets bigger, even if she is a perfect family pet?

What are the chances of her suddenly turning into a rampaging beast, despite her being a very good natured puppy, and will be trained/socialised well?

DH has rationalised it by saying we were just a foster family that got her out of a terrible situation and looked after her the best we could.

I was told that she would probably need someone with no vulnerable family members and with much more experience, specifically with large bull breeds. But that the younger she was when she started to get professional help, the more chance she has of living a full, happy and safe life.

I let her go because I know logically I can’t provide that for her, but I still regret it every second and know I will for the rest of my days.

Dogs that are potentially dangerous should always be kept on a lead and I would personally muzzle them too. A man and his dog were attacked by a “wouldn’t hurt s fly” Staffie a couple of years ago round here which led to the dog having to be put to sleep, the Staffie destroyed and the man in hospital with punctured legs. A very traumatic experience for them.

Meant with kindness, she's a puppy. She's not going to miss you, like a human would. It's not the same as giving up a child.

She will be better where she is because they know how to raise these dogs. Her new owners will probably adore her because she sounds adorable.

If you'd put her down I'd understand some guilt but you haven't. You've done the best for her and you.

I think you should find another dog, but maybe from a rescue where they can help you find the right type for you.

I don’t ever want another ddog. I don’t mean that to sound melodramatic but it is true. I would feel too much guilt and I never want fail like this again.

She seems very happy in the photos where she is now, there is an older calm dog there that I bet she is having the time of her life with. So I am taking a lot of comfort for that, but still can’t seem to square it with how I feel emotionally.

OP, I had to rehome a rescue dog 2 years ago because it went for my dd, the pup (well 18 months old) had been with us for a few month when it started showing fear aggression around my dd. Once it had tried to bite my dd I had to make the decision to get rid. Luckily the RSPCA took him. I was really upset because around me he was a lovely dog but I could not risk him biting my dd or another child. RSPCA we’re going to do some training with him before finding him a child free home. These things happen and it’s not just breed related but obviously when you have a dog that’s likely to grow big with a large jaw the risk is much greater.

I’m sure you will find the right dog for you in time. You have done the right thing.

Part of owning a dog is having to do what's best for the dog, and what's best for your family. You keeping her would have been a potential disaster for all of you, don't feel guilty. You've done the right thing.

You sound like an amazing owner. Absolutely bring another dog into your family, a bichon or a cavalier or a Chinese Crested or similar gentle small breed.

You were not at fault. The idiot that bred the poor puppies is the one at fault.

Don't miss out on a wonderful life with dogs and don't let a dog miss out on an awesome life with a loving family over this. You did nothing at all wrong. You were a perfect owner and did the right things all the way through. xx

@EvilGoldfish

I’m afraid I have an incredibly sad update to this story.

Dpup seemed to start getting fear aggressive around the dc. They were never left unsupervised, not even for a second, so I am not sure what started it. So I kept them apart completely.

We took her to the vet to get her checked over. We had been doing ‘wellness’ visits where she would just go and be fed treats so she wouldn’t be scared.

She sat on the table, wagging her tail and wanting a stroke. Then it just happened. She tried to bite the vet. I couldn’t distract her at all, it was like switch had gone off. No cowering, no growing, no warning. Then she went back to being her happy gorgeous self again.

The vet seemed shocked and explained that this was very unusual for such a young puppy, that she was going to be bigger than 30 kg when grown and would probably need professional help. She said it might be genetic? She then asked if we had young dc and the hairs on the back of my neck went up.

I spent a few frantic hours asking around for advice when I was pointed to a very well regarded local rescue who only ever keep dogs in foster homes before adoption (no kennels - she loves people so much she would never cope) and have experience with large bully breeds.

I explained everything and they were very understanding and said they could come to collect her that very evening. My DH said she seemed to know what she was breed wise without having to ask, and the couple who came from the rescue were so kind and lovely, playing with her. I had to leave, I couldn’t be there because I wouldn’t have let her go.

She has been gone for two days now. I torture myself by checking the rescues Facebook page to see photos of her. Everyone around me says we made the right choice but I can’t see it. I feel like I handed a child away to a stranger. I miss her constantly as she was my little shadow.

I feel I am the worst mother and dog owner in the world and will never have another dog again.

Without a shadow of a doubt you have done the right thing however hard the decision was . With children in the house you had no choice , had you have ignored the dogs behaviour, further down the line you could be facing the ultimate tragedy. The idiots who breed these dogs are the ones to blame . Google xlbully type breed images , these may make you think differently , pups of most breeds look sweet , friendly and innocent , but they are only pups for a short while .

@Peacocking

You sound like an amazing owner. Absolutely bring another dog into your family, a bichon or a cavalier or a Chinese Crested or similar gentle small breed.

You were not at fault. The idiot that bred the poor puppies is the one at fault.

Don't miss out on a wonderful life with dogs and don't let a dog miss out on an awesome life with a loving family over this. You did nothing at all wrong. You were a perfect owner and did the right things all the way through. xx

Great post, I agree with all of this.

@EvilGoldfish
Just out of interest what was the vet doing when dog tried to bite? My dog got snappy at vet when they tried to take her temp so now I muzzle her for visits that require any examination.

In the nicest possible way I don't think you should get another dog. You seem very focused on a particular breed of dog and not one that particularly fits well with your family life. You have effectively ditched this poor wee dog like a hot potato over an incredibly dodgy DNA test, seems to me like you were looking for excuses to get rid of her and the vet gave you a way out.

Dogs are an incredibly huge responsibility and countless people (including myself) don't realise how difficult it can be to have a dog and young kids. I really think you should reconsider introducing a dog into your family, do some research and wait a few years and reassess.

@Blackkitty the vet wasn’t doing anything, just chatting to me. Ddog hadn’t yet had her vaccination, she’d just had some treats.

Trust me, I keep reliving it over and over in my head to grasp for any reason why, how the vet may have been mistaken, or maybe that I missed some kind of sign. But there just wasn’t.

Thank you all for being so kind, I’m judging myself very much at the minute.

Still very much swinging between sudden pangs of missing her and wanting to go get her, then going through in my head all the reasons why this is better for her and us, then wanting to go get her again.

@Ralph871 I have no intentions of ever getting another dog, and am fully aware of how people who give up dogs are judged.

I do feel I have to say something about the breed though.

We wanted a Staffordshire bull terrier due to both having them as dc, them being recommended by the kennel club for young families, a suitable exercise level for our lives and also them being suitable size for our home/garden. The females are usually max 14/15 ish kg.

Vet said ddog was going to easily be over 30 kg when fully grown.

I would not have given her up for that fact alone. She is an amazingly loving and intelligent dog. I would have looked at moving to a cheaper area with a larger house etc.

It was her eventual size COMBINED with the sudden appearance of a behavioural problem that I was told all the basic puppy classes/training/love in the world would help. She needs a home experienced with large bull breeds, with no vulnerable adults/dc in, lifelong management and professional behaviourist help. This is the best chance she has to live a long happy life.

I didn’t want to give her up, I wanted to keep her. But I also knew, after speaking to the vet and rescue, that the best chance she has is being given those things she needs as early as possible.

Sorry that was meant to say ‘all the puppy classes/training/love would NOT help’.

And meant to add that the vet said it was not due to her breed, but bad breeding. She said it could happen with any breed where two parents with the same issues were bred.

You absolutely did the right thing.

You really don't have to beat yourself up about this forever OP. One day you might feel like it's OK to get another dog and you should if that's what you want to do.

You made the right decision for your family

@EvilGoldfish
It’s unusual but they have neurological problems that cause random aggression. It can be the result of bad breeding sometimes. You can’t have that kind of dog around kids so you obviously did the right thing. Sorry you’re hurting.

@Ralph871

In the nicest possible way I don't think you should get another dog. You seem very focused on a particular breed of dog and not one that particularly fits well with your family life. You have effectively ditched this poor wee dog like a hot potato over an incredibly dodgy DNA test, seems to me like you were looking for excuses to get rid of her and the vet gave you a way out.

Dogs are an incredibly huge responsibility and countless people (including myself) don't realise how difficult it can be to have a dog and young kids. I really think you should reconsider introducing a dog into your family, do some research and wait a few years and reassess.

Did you even read this thread?

OP you've had to make a very difficult decision and I really feel for you being caught up in this. Sending best wishes.

Please don't write off ever getting a dog again. Decide you're not getting one now, but that you'll think about it in a few months when this hard period has passed. You've done everything right. Everything. You're a good person, a good family and many happy, nice natured, small breed dogs are out there desperate for a home like yours. Their lives can literally depend on someone like you. Be kind to yourself and don't make any long term decisions yet.

I'm so sorry, OP, but you did do the right thing even though it hurts.
This whole thread everything you say shows you to be a responsible, knowledgable, kind, excellent dog owner and parent and, generally, human being.
The puppy will have a happy and safe life and that's because of you. I can't shout that loudly enough.
Please don't let it put you off getting dogs again in the future. You are a wonderful owner.

@Ralph871

In the nicest possible way I don't think you should get another dog. You seem very focused on a particular breed of dog and not one that particularly fits well with your family life. You have effectively ditched this poor wee dog like a hot potato over an incredibly dodgy DNA test, seems to me like you were looking for excuses to get rid of her and the vet gave you a way out.

Dogs are an incredibly huge responsibility and countless people (including myself) don't realise how difficult it can be to have a dog and young kids. I really think you should reconsider introducing a dog into your family, do some research and wait a few years and reassess.

You have effectively ditched this poor wee dog like a hot potato over an incredibly dodgy DNA test, seems to me like you were looking for excuses to get rid of her and the vet gave you a way out. Your post is ignorant in the extreme and this is the most glaringly ignorant part of it. You have either failed to read or failed to comprehend the OP's posts, or you are being deliberately spiteful and provocative. Shame on you.

Oh, OP, I'm so sorry to see this development. You have done the right thing by her though. You treated her with huge love and kindness, and you have put her in a position where she can find the right home forever. Your DH's point about considering yourselves her foster carers is right - imagine how much worse a situation she might have been in if you hadn't been the ones to bring her home.
Please, don't be hard on yourself. You have changed her life for the better.

There is absolutely no way whatsoever that a vet could guarantee that a young puppy wouldn't be trainable with puppy classes, positive reinforcement etc, purely because of one episode of aggression. Vets are terrifying places for dogs so it is not surprising that she reacted negatively, even if she had been their previously.

I have a 12 year old staffy cross, she is the most amazing, docile dog (despite coming from a traumatic background) amazing with my two toddlers and whilst not great with other dogs she is more scared of them so stays out of their way. She could have 1% of a dangerous breed in her as I adopted her as an adult but I've never carried out a DNA test as I think they are horseshit. I'm not saying that all Staffys are the same but in general they are very docile animals. If my dog bit one of my children would I be worried? 100% also she is only 17kg and not 30kg plus like some of more purebreds so I of course understand OP's concerns, I'm not an idiot.

I am not saying that you did the wrong thing, In fact quite the opposite, you probably did the right thing however there is no certainty the dog will go to another owner who will invest the time and effort to make it a good family pet. I personally feel you could have given her a chance, but then I'm just a stranger on the internet so my opinion doesn't really matter.

@Ralph871 it wasn’t that she will be untrainable, the opposite is actually true, she is amazing with training. It was that the vet had only ever seen this type of incident only once before in her very long career, and normal training would not be able to predict or stop it.

Dpup was not scared, or at least not showing any signs of fear at the vets. She was calm, relaxed, wagging her tail and had just happily been sitting for treats from the vet. She snapped to being aggressive in an instant.

And I can at least say that there is one thing of which I can be certain, and that is that she will go to a fantastic home. The rescue is very well regarded locally, experienced with large bull breeds, only ever uses foster homes (never kennels), extensively vets prospective fosters and adopters and provides lifelong support to all their dogs.

@HoardingSamphireSaurus

My SIL suspects her much loved, daft as a brush staffy is much the same. She spoke to local police who told her that the best way to solve the problem is NEVER to put the dog in a position where anyone could raise concerns.

So always on a lead, never left alone, trained to within and inch of its life and always kept away from other dogs, kids, people in general.

It's a happy little dog but SIL is taking no chances whatsoever.

Please do let us know what the RSPCA say.

It's shit when people breed pits in with other breeds. The law currently doesn't differentiate. Though that is being questioned...

Yep. Same advise with ours. Best dog I ever had x