Rehoming reactive dog

[Ellie23409]

I’ve had my dog since he was a puppy and he has always been reactive and a resource guarder.
We have worked with behaviourists for years and his reactivity has lessened and we managed the guarding.
We sadly have seen a relapse in his behaviour in the past few months and have a baby on the way. He has tried to bite us at least 6 times and it’s just been luck we haven’t been caught.

He has been offered a place at a sanctuary for dogs with behavioural issues. Rural location, socialised with other dogs and walked 6 times a day. The rest of the time is kennels. It’s likely he would spend his life there as he has bitten he probably wouldn’t find a home. Our only other option is to have him PTS which I really don’t want to do.

looking for reassurance it’s not cruel and advice!

No I don't. But I don't diagnose dogs based on nothing over the internet either! There is nothing to say this dog has an incurable mental illness.

@Skyellaskerry I am worried about travelling that far as I’m late on now. It’s not that it’s out the question but we are talking a 5 hour drive 🥴 It would only be a temporary fixture just so I have something at the start for safety.

@emmyren4 I have contacted them, been very honestly so fingers crossed I e not put them off!

@ZoeyBartlett It is still an option. I’m worrying I’m to far on and I also am worrying after hearing these horror stories

One of my friends works very closely with a number of dog rescues - there are many excellent ones. If you look at the reviews of the Snowdonia place they are all good. It is so hard to get rescue places at the moment I would take your dog now - it looks like a place he will be cared for and hopefully helped and rehomed.

I've already said that I was talking about the dangers of no- kill shelters, not this dog's resource guarding.

Having said that, this resource guarding is something that's likely to pop it's head up whenever the dog is stressed. It's a theoretically manageable but not curable mental illness, albeit not manageable with children in the house, as OP is well aware.

This is an issue that makes the dog a liability to children, and makes the dog very difficult to re-home. I have a lot of sympathy for the OP, because it is a very difficult situation.

I would definitely use the rescue. They would be able to tell if he was unhappy and they can make the decision if needed. You will be giving him a chance to enjoy his life and the exercise, socialisation and structure may be everything he needs..

So you think the Dogs Trust - a "no-kill shelter" is dangerous? Or that resource guarding is a mental illness or not "curable"?

I ask again, on what basis are you qualified to make such assertions? Because those are staggering claims. I'm looking forward to hearing about the dangers of the Dogs Trust. Do elaborate.

An authority... like the RSPCA? www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/care/rehabilitation/euthanasia

I've already explained about the resource guarding. Are you going to wave a magic wand and make it go away?

The dogs trust isn't a no kill shelter!

OP you have put care, effort and money into trying to find a solution for your dog. It's a really horrible situation to be in. As a fellow dog-owner I'd say 100% PTS especially as the behaviourist has said there's no solution. The poor dog is suffering and there are worse situations than being kindly PTS. It's being a responsible owner but lots of people will disagree. You are in the situation and you know have done everything for your dog. xxxx

PTS.
Imagine how much good all that money could do for the starving kids. Donate it to a food bank instead. And don't risk the staff at this sanctuary getting bitten.

This. Give him a chance!

There are a lot of random dog-haters about on MN as well so not everyone posting is necessarily unbiased here!

Same could be said of those who like dogs more than they like people.

passing on an aggressive dog is irresponsible.

And these so-called no kill shelters absolutely do not have the dog’s interests at heart. The whole “no kill” ethos is how they make money. On the basis they have all these dogs that can never be rehomed.

Dog’s trust’s slogan of “we never put a healthy dog down,” well, a dog that is so aggressive that it can never be rehomed is not a healthy dog.

Bt that says what I have already said and which you continue to argue with - that no healthy dog is ever put down. A dog that resource gards is not mentally ill and therefore is a healthy dog. Resource guarding can be managed and changed. And often is. It is one of the mostr commo0n bad behaviours and has nothing to do with mental illness. You continue to just repeat an ill-informed mantra and avoid all questions asked.

I've already said that OP's dog is not clear cut. That it is very tricky, and I'm not sure what I'd do in OP's situation.

Not all resource guarding can be changed. It can often be managed, in the right environment. OP's house is not the right environment.
Rehoming a dog with this issue is hard, and sometimes not possible. Are you offering to take this dog?

Also, it's not simple "resource guarding". This dog is also reactive and has had years of work, but has still relapsed to the point that it's causing serious issues.

I would not have this dog in my house. The dog in the other thread that's bitten a child, that one I would have, because it gives warning.

Op is building a run in the yard. I hope it works for them. My own dog would be a neurotic, miserable mess within a week, put in a run like that. Every dog is different, however, and OP thinks that her dog will be fine with this arrangement. Hopefully that's true.

I understand that everyone has a different opinion on what we should do with the dog.

It is a hard decision and I’m just trying to do what works best for now. This isn’t a long term solution but just one that buys us a little bit of time. I could not put my dog to sleep, he has been so good for such a long time and obviously senses a change in his routine. I’m not saying his behaviour is right as I know it’s not but with the right owner he will be fine.

it’s worth adding he doesn’t always resource guard around other people, mainly in our home. Odd little dog.

The dog will not be outside 24/7 it’s more somewhere he can go particularly as the weather brightens up where he can still be with us but safely. It’s better than being in his crate.

I will continually search for a place for him and don’t intend to keep him forever so hopefully something turns up!

@MySugarBabyLove I’m no passing the dog on to a family for god sake, I’m seriously looking into places that will help my dog, people who do this as a profession and know much more about resource guarding than me. I have also disclosed every single bad trait about my dog, I am not an irresponsible dog owner because if I was I would of dropped the dog off anywhere that would have him.

He should go to that kennels you found, it sounds like a great place

out of your options - keeping him isnt one -even in a kennel in the garden.

what happens when your child is toddling about? he gets out and rips into them? not a chance i would take

I have put a dog down for aggressive behaviour - very young dog too.. NO regrets, my kids comes first simple as.

Either pts or send to the kennels in wales... but i would pts.

@GettingItOutThere He isn’t ripping anyone apart.

PTS isn’t even on the list now, I can’t do it. The kennels, yes maybe but at the moment I cannot travel that far away, it’s 5 hours away and I’ve had a scare this week so need to be local.
My child will of course come first, everything I’m building and doing is to protect my child!

This is a temporary fix until I can safely get him somewhere.

Good luck OP, I hope you find somewhere lovely for him.

I am sorry but I disagree with what you are saying. How can you know what is best for this dog? Is it not possible that his current surroundings with the OP are a major part of his issues? New environments can be stressful for a dog yes but putting a dog down because you have failed to care for them properly is the last possible option. A sanctuary with space could be exactly what this dog needs. I would chance it and if it does not help then it is up to the Sanctuary to make the decision. Calling some one a coward for not wanting to take a life is a strange thing to say.

You're having a baby, you cannot risk it being bitten on the face, and ending up disfigured. I have a relative dog, he sometimes bites. My children are older, and know when to give him space to avoid a bite. But you cannot closely guard a toddler around a dog like that, they'll just keep walking towards it and grabbing it. I'd send your dog away.

If he bit someone else he would be PTS anyway.
it’s not necessarily cruel to do something earlier when it’s inevitable.