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Original poster

Giving up 12 week old puppy

360 replies

Ridusofyourstupidity · 28/10/2019 16:15

Please please be kind. Sad

I’ve been quite honest on here about losing my last puppy suddenly to anaphylactic shock and getting our new puppy a few weeks later. Now I’m not sure I can keep her due to her behaviour. It goes beyond anything I’ve experienced. She is 12 weeks old, weighs over 14kg and can reach chest height when she jumps against me.

She is repeatedly attacking me on a near constant basis with seemingly no reason. She will be chewing on a toy, lying down and get up to lunge and jump at me and bite my stomach, legs and arms while growling if I’m standing in the room even if I haven’t moved to draw attention to myself. If I ask for a sit or similar to distract her she’ll snap at me and ignore the request, although she does know ‘Sit’, ‘Down’, ‘Touch’ and will give both paws. When I have to carry her in from the garden she’ll growl and snap at my face. She is a large breed who isn’t meant to do stairs so this is unavoidable.

I can’t enter the room without her attacking me, she’ll bite the backs of my legs or jump up at my side to bite my arm. She’ll try and mount my leg while biting me if I’m still Leaving the room does nothing, she’ll try and block me leaving and she’ll continue when I return, even if calm. Toys do nothing as she will ignore them to jump and continue biting higher. Or she’ll pull my clothing like a tug toy while growling. I’ve tried every kind of toy but she let them go, snarl and dart under them to get back to biting me.

It is either very rough play or something more but it’s unmanageable. I’m now having to leave her alone in the kitchen as I can’t be in there with her, even when calm she will without warning launch at me. I keep trying to go in but it soon becomes too much as she doesn’t stop trying to get to me to bite. 15 mins is the most I’ve lasted with her ignoring toys and being latched on to me.

She’s incredibly difficult to walk even with no distractions as she’ll still attack me and bite me while we’re walking. She refuses all treats on a walk (I’ve tried several) and will pull, be incredibly hyper, running from left to right, and lunge and bite when I stay still.

I’ve done everything we covered in the puppy classes with my last puppy with her from the day we brought her home and none of this has made any difference. She has a marker word and all other commands are the same as before so everyone is on the same page. I’m not sure I’m going to make it through until Friday when I have a private training session booked. I’m utterly miserable and defeated.

OP posts:
SheruMoo · 03/11/2019 13:47

Hmmmmm

BiteyShark · 03/11/2019 13:52

I would imagine that the OP and her DP are jumping from emotion to emotion about rehoming etc.

Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 13:52

I never said no reason, I don’t know what it is but I know there’s a reason but I also know my family is not set up to handle this as it stands. And yes, I’m reluctant to return her to someone who reacts like this. I never asked for a refund and have not simply changed my mind. This is a real problem not me just being shit.

We are safe, she is in a room with stair gates and can be crated. I never said it would work long term.

You can think it’s weird, but this is my life, my situation and it’s real.

OP posts:
crustycrab · 03/11/2019 13:56

How did she bite you through the crate? She'd surely be better back with the breeder than in a rescue? Which was probably the point the breeder was trying to make? Putting the dog to sleep wouldn't be as cruel as confining her to a rescue cage for life

You're on the defensive and feeling "accused" by the breeder. The breeder is feeling "accused" of selling a problematic dog by you.

Hairyfairy01 · 03/11/2019 13:56

Have you got a safe way to travel with her in the car OP? Does her crate fit in the boot, or do you have a dog guard?

Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 13:59

She wasn’t crated, I never said she was. Hmm

She was strapped in next to me with her harness. Restrained safely but we’d never needed a crate until now.

OP posts:
Hairyfairy01 · 03/11/2019 14:01

Please ensure your safety if you ever go in the car with her again. I wish you luck whatever you decide.

crustycrab · 03/11/2019 14:04

Ok not sure you need the Hmm

Emotions are obviously high but if you take a step back and think about what is best for the dog you might see the point the breeder was trying to make.

This isn't just puppy biting. It's serious.

Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 14:11

I really don’t think I’ve made the breeder’s remarks clear.

Surely any good breeder would be calm and rational as this is something they should take seriously because of what I’m saying is true then it’s something she needs to be aware of as a breeder. Not go shouting about how i’m Disgusting and have ruined this puppy and I’ve over trained her. She’s not ruined and I don’t think she is, she just needs more than I can give. It’s not the time or money.

OP posts:
imabusybee · 03/11/2019 14:13

I believe the breeder is far more experienced than you are, and the best place for the dog is with the breeder. From what she said I think she is probably despairing at the idea of one of her pups ending up spending its life in a rescue, or (worse) being recklessly rehomed to an unsuitable family and causing injury to someone. A giant breed dog with no training and/or behavioural problems is a absolutely massive liability and I believe that is her concern.

If you never even thought to crate the dog whilst travelling, you are beyond naive and are in too deep. You think you are making the right choice but imo are emotional and making decisions based on being offended by the one person who knows what is best for this dog (the breeder)

Wolfiefan · 03/11/2019 14:15

Honestly? No “good” breeder would create this mix.
Can you find a breed rescue of one of the breeds?

Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 14:16

Ok, this thread has gone full circle from ‘irresponsible breeder who shouldn’t have allowed the mating to happen’ to ‘being puppy’s best chance of survival’. If she was irresponsible to allow the puppies to happen in the first place then she’s not likely to be responsible enough to take me seriously and react accordingly now. I know emotions are high but I stayed calm and polite throughout and she flat out said this was all my fault. Surely a little understanding wouldn’t have gone amiss from her. This is our puppy, that we’ve done as all good owners do and lived and breathed for the last 5 weeks. It’s hurting us to have to do this, because we love her. She

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 03/11/2019 14:18

Hang on. A 12 week old giant pup you’ve had for 5 weeks. She really isn’t a good breeder. She really isn’t.

Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 14:21

Which is why I didn’t return the puppy to her. I had intended to but when I spoke to her after puppy attacked me again and said I felt a rescue facility would be better, she told me if it was that bad to put her down. That was her first response.

OP posts:
Marcipex · 03/11/2019 14:21

This is not a good breeder. This is an irresponsible breeder with a cash cow.
It isn’t your fault.

Marcipex · 03/11/2019 14:24

I Lordy I just realised you still have the dog.
How are you going to exercise and socialise her?
I’m worried for you .

Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 14:27

She hadn’t taken me seriously when I explained what had been happening and the last thing I wanted was her to resell her or breed from her if she kept her.

I’m trying to minimise the things that can go wrong.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 14:31

We have a lot of deserted areas to walk a dog. We have the garden and all of her puzzle toys for mental energy.

She’s fine with other dogs and people when we’ve met them, but can’t focus with distractions, even blowing leaves cause her to leap from side to side so I’ve been walking where distractions are a minimum to keep her calm. She will not take treats outside but will fit her training inside the house

OP posts:
AlternativePerspective · 03/11/2019 14:32

I believe the breeder is far more experienced than you are, and the best place for the dog is with the breeder. From what she said I think she is probably despairing at the idea of one of her pups ending up spending its life in a rescue, or (worse) being recklessly rehomed to an unsuitable family and causing injury to someone. hang on. This is a woman who bred a mastiff with a St Bernard and had it available for purchase (how much did you pay her OP?) within weeks, and whose litter was the result of an accidental mating iirc? So one enormous potentially aggressive dog and another not being kept in suitable conditions that they couldn’t mate when the unspayed bitch came into season. Experienced? I don’t think so. Responsible? Absolutely not.

A giant breed dog with no training and/or behavioural problems is a absolutely massive liability and I believe that is her concern. I think her concern is more likely that this dog will end up in a rescue who will find out who she is and have her investigated for puppy farming, or a home who will end up taking her to court when her massive, out of control dog which she W recklessly bred does someone a serious injury.

I would put money on the likelihood that the breeder had no intentions of rehoming the puppy and was going to have her put to sleep herself.

OP,TBH as hard as it sounds I think that it is unlikely you will find a rescue to take on such a dog, and rehoming her anywhere else would be irresponsible. Sometimes being PTS isn’t the worst thing to happen to a dog, and I would personally have this one put to sleep, however hard that seems.

crustycrab · 03/11/2019 14:34

"I felt a rescue facility would be better, she told me if it was that bad to put her down"

Well yes. Because that is her view of the dogs life in a rescue facility. She's not alone in that.

The dog should've been crated in the car. Particularly as you knew she had already attacked you in the car.

You say the breeder went on to "harass" you so much you've blocked her? If she didn't care then why would she be repeatedly trying to contact you after you called about the second car attack?

Honestly, for the dogs sake I would crate her and take her back to the breeder today.

ThisIsSamhain · 03/11/2019 15:37

Take her back to the breeder.

Or PTS.

Pegase · 03/11/2019 16:25

PTS is not the worst thing you can do for an animal. One of my siblings had a dog that kept snarling and biting as a youngster. They went through weeks and weeks of behaviour therapy sorted through vets and insurance company. Very little progress made and the dog eventually had to be put to sleep as just too dangerous.

MotherOfSoupDragons · 03/11/2019 16:43

You mention your family OP. Do you have children?

tabulahrasa · 03/11/2019 16:46

Well your breeder isn’t good or the puppy wouldn’t exist... but if the puppy’s behaviour is as extreme as you think it is, then being PTS is an option you should seriously be considering tbh...

But, I think what you need to be doing is finding a rescue or trainer/behaviourist with experience of LGD breeds...

“A Spanish mastiff is not an English mastiff.”

It’s really really not

Original poster
Ridusofyourstupidity · 03/11/2019 16:55

Yes I have children.

OP posts: