Considering putting dog to sleep

[roo2018]

Please don’t flame me. I’m heartbroken just a thought of this but my dog is aggressive and I’ve tried everything. I’ve worked with 2 different trainers since we got him at 8 weeks old. His dog aggression started at 8 months, our old trainers methods wasn’t working so we sought a new one 6 months ago. His overall obedience is perfect. But his aggression has only gotten worse. He’s now growling/lunging at anyone who tries to talk to us on walks. He’s been muzzled since he bit both me and my partner after re-directing his aggression from other dogs onto us. He’s restricted to his crate most of the time in the house because he’s scared of outside noises so has to be on a lead and supervised whenever he’s out of the crate. We can only walk him on our street because he’s too nervy/reactive for other public places. This was only supposed to be short term until he improved and realised he doesn’t have to be so scared of everything, but it’s been going on for months and he has no quality of life. He’s constantly on alert and reacting to things. I feel like his aggression is worsening instead of improving.
I’m now considering having him put to sleep for his own benefit because I feel guilty that he has no quality of life. I have children who are not allowed around him unsupervised but they love him to bits and will be as heartbroken as me.
He is a lovely dog when he’s not scared and loves affection. I feel bad because I know it’s not his fault he’s like this. It’s probably a genetic issue given that we’ve tried everything and there aren’t any improvements.
What do I do? If I do have him put to sleep, do I just book him in the vets? Will they agree or make me feel guilty?
Any help/advice appreciated.

[JayAlfredPrufrock]

Rescues are full of ‘problem’ dogs whose owners passed the problem to someone else

[dobbyssoc]

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal OP doesn't believe in behaviourist and hasn't consulted one!

[suggestionsplease1]

Can anyone give the names of any medication their dogs have been put on which have successfully managed reactivity and aggression?

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Friends dog was on Valium

[wewillmeetagain]

Op I completely understand where you are coming from. We had a dog from what was supposed to be a rescue, he was in a real state when we got him. Ear infections, skin infections, absolutely petrified. We sorted all the physical illness and saw a behaviourist for months to try and sort out the aggression. He was extremely aggressive to everyone except myself and my son. Nothing we did worked, and after two years of this I could no longer cope and it wasn't fair on him being crated constantly. I rang battersea and waited 10 weeks for a specialised no contact kennel to become available for them to assess him. I didn't want him pts because I thought I would have failed him. Battersea told me they would assess him for two weeks and let me know how he was getting on. They didn't even have him for 7 days before they put him to sleep saying that he was impossible to deal with. It broke my heart and I wish I'd saved him the trauma and stress of battersea and had it done myself in his home surrounded by me and my son. You know your dog better than anyone, do what YOU think is best.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Can anyone give the names of any medication their dogs have been put on which have successfully managed reactivity and aggression?

I know someone who has a dog on fluoxetine - which is also used in humans as a an anti-depressant / anti-anxiety medication.

Just as in humans, meds aren't a silver bullet, but they do allow the dog to relax a little and so be physiologically able to learn, and freak out less about their triggers.

[Jaxhog]

Oh Op, I really feel for you. We have a nervy, anxious cat and it's really distressing to see him scared. But he only growls, pees and hides. Fortunately, this is fairly infrequent. An anxious, nervy dog, especially a big dog, must be quite terrifying. It certainly sounds like you've done a huge amount of work with him already, so I think the critics here need to respect that.

I think a visit to the vet for advice is a good next step. Not only can they check for any possible medical reasons, but they can also advise on possible medical interventions or recommend a local behaviouralist.

Good luck.

[Veterinari]

Can anyone give the names of any medication their dogs have been put on which have successfully managed reactivity and aggression?

No medication alone will successfully manage reactivity and aggression. However these behaviours tend to be driven by fear/anxiety and there are a wide variety of anti-anxiety medications that can help to reduce the anxiety/fear response, and allow behavioural modification/training programmes to be more successful because the dog is less stressed and more able to learn alternative coping strategies.

[Beanosaurus]

Completely agree with everything Veterinari has suggested/stated.

[QuestionableMouse]

@PollyPolson

I know the op has well gone

This post however is just amazing. How any of you feel you are confident and qualified to give out advice saying the dog should be pts when NONE of you have seen the situation in RL is crazy.

Mumsnet is certainly full of amazing people with incredible knowledge

That's wrong though.

No one has said not to have the dog PTS.

Many people have suggested other options and the op has shot them down. Unless I've missed it, she hasn't even said if the dog has been neutered.

[PollyPolson]

Questionablemouse I am not talking about the OP's decisions.

I am surprised at the number of Mn who feel qualified from the very limited information given on a thread that their advice is to pts the dog.

Noone is qualified to do this (except the amazing mn experts!)

[suggestionsplease1]

@Veterinari

Can anyone give the names of any medication their dogs have been put on which have successfully managed reactivity and aggression?

No medication alone will successfully manage reactivity and aggression. However these behaviours tend to be driven by fear/anxiety and there are a wide variety of anti-anxiety medications that can help to reduce the anxiety/fear response, and allow behavioural modification/training programmes to be more successful because the dog is less stressed and more able to learn alternative coping strategies.

Thanks. I am interested in this thread as I also have reactive dog, that has been responsive to training and management (MIne! by Jean Donaldson was excellent for guarding for eg) but the reactivity is always lingering there in the background. It means he is hugely dependent on me, because knowing him in and out I can successfully anticipate his stress and work around it, but it is not feasible for everyone he might happen to meet to know these precise nuances and subtle displays of discomfort.

And there are plenty of occasions where training can't seem to get an angle in at...for example if he wakes suddenly through a noise or something, he will think he is guarding something, and pick the nearest object. He's in the zone already at the point and everything just antagonises him further - he wouldn't swap whatever it is for an entire steak pie at that point! (even though he will have shown no interest in said object before)

If medication could help in that respect that would be awesome.

Sorry OP for butting in on your thread - hope it's relevant discussion for your situation. Hope you find the right way forward. I am another one that believes that PTS can the right thing all round if all other avenues have been exhausted.

[QuestionableMouse]

@PollyPolson

Questionablemouse I am not talking about the OP's decisions.

I am surprised at the number of Mn who feel qualified from the very limited information given on a thread that their advice is to pts the dog.

Noone is qualified to do this (except the amazing mn experts!)

Ah, got ya.

Yeah, I'd personally feel uncomfortable giving that advice which is why I recommend a vet visit.

Not dogs, but my friend is a brilliant horse trainer. I've seen her turn reactive, spooky aggressive horses around because she aims to work with them and not against them like too many trainers (of all species) do.

[bluetongue]

PTS for behaviour problems is the sensible option in some situations.

My dog is on Prozac for anxiety issues (mostly separation anxiety). He is most definitely not ‘zonked out’ on it. He’s a lively ball of energy! It’s not an easy quick fix but in some circumstances it’s the only way for the dog to mentally be able to take on the training they need.

I’m lucky that the only thing my dog has ever injured is my house. I’ve always been upfront that I wouldn’t be able to deal with a dog with aggression issues.