Considering euthanising dog after bite

[Dogheartbreak]

I feel so sick with the weight of this on my mind.
5 years ago, we rescued a dog from a UK charity that brings dogs from abroad. I am an experienced dog owner and wanted to save this dog's life. I have had rescue dogs before.
This dog was/is very nervous and reactive. I have worked with a behaviourist and the vet to improve the dogs quality of life and the improvements have been vast. But he's still a nervous dog and be off lead or anything out and about. I was happy that he loved his life with me, he was well cared for and happy and I would provide a safe and control environment for him to live out his days, walking when it's quieter and using secure fields etc.
I was told when I was younger I couldn't have children. Fast forward to one year after having the dog and I was pregnant. I've since had 2 kids and every precaution and loads of training went into prepping the dog. All was fine and obviously dog and kids never alone or anything. Easier when they were babies as they'd always be in our arms or if on the playmat we would be right there and the dog wasn't interested and has never approached one of the kids. Now they are toddlers and this is becoming so much harder to manage. The dog is visibly anxious if kids are in the same room so we separate and he ends up being in another room alone for hours which is obviously awful. We teach the kids how to behave but obviously they are toddlers and unpredictable, youngest in particular just wants to get to the dog whenever he can see him.
The other day, he was running through the kitchen to go outside and my 1yo reached out from his highchair and grabbed fur on the dogs back. He turned and bit his arm. Thankfully no major damage but had teeth marks and it could have so much worse. I took baby to drs obviously. We are incredibly vigilant but I am now terrified of a gate being left open, or eventually kids being able to open the gate or whatever and something happening.
He's very scared and aggressive towards strangers and I feel that if we weren't so vigilant with gates and the muzzle that he would have bitten someone else by now and could do again.
Obviously controlling the environment to this extent with 2 toddlers around is so hard. With the kids we also have more visitors to the house etc which stress the dog. I can't have the dog on a lead in the house as my kids are always all over me so if we have visitors the dog goes in his dog house in the garden (outside office with sofa and heating etc. he seems happy in there but I don't like doing it for more than an hour).
I feel like I can't have him in the house now this has happened. The rescue offer back up but I've seen them publicly shame people on their Facebook page that have done this. I also think they'll re-home the dog without disclosing the bite history and I could never forgive myself if he bit someone else, or worse
Also the thought of him having to be put down in a strange place. Or if the biting would mean he'd end up in a kennel for the rest of his days.
Please be kind. What can do. I love him so much but can't risk my children.

I cannot believe some of these "dog lovers" who think that a dog who has been in the same home for 5 years, and is STILL unsettled and reactive, will cope well with going to a shelter and then being rehomed. The dog has clearly had his best life for the past 5 years - I firmly believe that the option to be PTS is the best one for him. There is no way he will find the "childless couple with no friends" or the "elderly couple with no grandchildren or social life" scenario. He will be passed from pillar to post, and become more stressed and agitated. He clearly cannot remain in the current home, and the OP has worked wonders in making it work as long as she has already.

@Geekylover my baby is 12 months old. I'm also a qualified teacher of 15 years and yet I'd still struggle to 'teach' him at this age.

Rehome to a quiet, child free home or look for a sanctuary where he can live the rest of his life. There are places that do this, a home for life for dogs that would otherwise be killed, experienced dog people who can help him.

Oh, and I wouldn't take a reactive, aggressive dog ever again. Expereinced dog owner, no children, work part time from a country home. Pretty much a perfect home and I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. I'm not having an agressive dog run my life again. We didn't know she was agressive when we took her on, we just tried to work with what we found as she was only eight months old and we felt she deserved a chance. But very, very few experienced people will take on a dog like that. His chances of being re-homed are miniscule.

My friend had a similar situation and returned the dog to the rescue. Luckily for a random reason they happened to come into contact with the new owner, and discovered they had no idea of the history or what they had taken on.
Friend updated them as any responsible person would and happily for the dog the new owner was in a position to accommodate necessary considerations and still wanted the dog.
That chance conversation likely saved someone from a bite that would have 'come out of nowhere'.

So from that point of view I would be wary of trusting the rescue place especially if they are inclined to be so indiscreet, it suggests unhealthy boundaries.

I think you are too be congratulated for having put an intelligent and caring approach in and giving the dog so much. This situation is sad but no one's fault, not you, not the dog.

I think if you make a few phonecalls to local reputable shelters and be honest about the situation, the path will become clear. You've tried your best, there's no shame in not being able to make a situation perfect, knowing when to let go rather than push ahead is an art that needs courage and can be the kindest option.

That was a reaction, not an aggressive unprovoked bite. Huge overreaction. If you do pts, the dog won't know what's happening or suffer, he'll just drift off. But I would hope you never got another dog.

After 5 years of behavioural training he’s still scared and aggressive towards strangers, and requires a muzzle. He’s bitten the child. He’s not suitable for rehoming unless it’s to a specialist rescue who make it obvious it’s a dog that has bitten and requires a certain type of owner.

I’d probably PTS in this circumstance to be honest. You tried your best and gave him several good years.

PTS/put to sleep seems like an easy statement to write without the true realisation that this is telling the owner to end the dogs life. Poor animal.

@RestingCatsArseFace I have had no luck finding anywhere like this - do you know of any? Is it just life in a kennel?

I would not rehome because the dog is still reactive, scared and aggressive to strangers, so even if they found a nice home, who is going to be able to cope with having friends over, or grandkids round, or just live a nice life with a very stressed out reactive dog that has already seen a vet and a behaviourist.

The dog doesn't sound happy and doesn't sound like a move will go well (especially if they hate strangers) so I think the option is obvious, sadly.

A tug by a very small child, and the dog bit the child. The dog has only not bitten before because the owner has been so vigilant. This dog is stressed and unhappy - otherwise it would not be reacting this way. Let the owner do the right thing - don't try to guilt trip her as you are clearly working to your own agenda. If they want to get a dog in the future that they can nurture and train from a puppy, then I hope they do this. They are responsible people doing the hardest thing. It is EASY to take a dog to a shelter. It is far harder to take responsibility for the dog and make the decision to PTS.

A friend returned a dog to a rescue after several escalating incidents. It went on to bite again, and they then attempted to send it for some kind of working dog training. Madness.

As someone in a very similar position (but without young dc) I really feel
for you. We take on rescues to give them the life they deserved on the first place but many rescues are very unpredictable.

Obviously your dc come first, that is without question but it’s such a horrible decision to pts a physically healthy dog but I suppose the harsh truth is that many rescues are mentally and emotionally unwell and sometimes we just can not take the risk of them living with us in our homes.

I genuinely thought taking on a rescue would be a rewarding experience but I have to say, as a life long dog owner it has not been the case with us, it’s a lot of hard work, physically, emotionally and financially. I can’t imagine how on edge I’d be if I had young dc, that must add to your stress tenfold.

Maybe contact some rescues first, they may be able to give advice if nothing else.

Behavioural euthanasia is not a cruel thing for dogs who are so scared of life. You’ve done such a wonderful thing in the first place by giving your dog the taste of a decent life.

Best of luck op.

It is MUCH easier to hand the dog over to a shelter and walk away than arrange to put your much loved pet to sleep. I have seen this happen over and over again. A responsible owner in this situation will do the right thing. Not hand the dog over so it becomes more upset, stressed and potentially dangerous. how many childless couples wander into a shelter and ask for a difficult and aggressive dog?

Agee with you @YaWeeFurryBastard the dog was ‘provoked’.

The muzzle isn't because he's trying to bite - I use one as a precaution as standard with a rescue dog. He growls and retreats.
I do have concerns about these homes with no kids. Do they seriously never ever have children over or other visitors? We have done so much work on desensitizing to visitors and also have to prep all visitors (don't let him, don't make eye contact, no sudden movements etc). It's hard work and takes several visits before I would confidently allow him off lead in the house around a new person. How can I know that someone else would be as careful as I am.

I do realise the dog was 'provoked', he doesn't go near the children out of choice. But how can I know that a child is never ever going to accidentally 'provoke' him again without constantly leaving the dog in another room.

Thing is he was provoked, most dogs wouldn’t take kindly to someone pulling their fur. I’d be tempted to speak to the original rescue for their advice. They may well take him back

Keeping an animal alive at all costs, even if it is scared, miserable, muzzled or in a kennel forever, isn't what an 'animal lover' would choose.

No one is going to want to rehome an aggressive, reactive dog that has never been able to settle in a family home.

Even if the OP manages to teach her baby never to touch the dog, you cannot control every single person the dog will encounter - another child could easily scare it, fall onto it, stand on it's foot or whatever.

PTS is absolutely the only option.

You've done all the work, and given this dog a lovely home, but he can no longer be in your home, and is not safe to be rehomed.

Would you be okay if he was rehomed and bit another child or vulnerable person?

No?

Then as sad as it is, he's lived his life. Be happy that you gave him some happy years and accept that it's time.

I am a huge dog lover/ owner and have fostered previously. We once had to make the same choice to put to sleep a rescue dog we had owned for 5 years because of an unprovoked bite. He was a gorgeous boy, but we could not run the risk any longer. I actually saw him bite and couldn’t get there to stop him ( he was in garden, me the house) and if it had been a younger child instead of a 12 year old he could have killed them because he was scared and they had done nothing to him.
I would put to sleep, any reputable rescue would say the same after the effort you have already put in the this dog.
you have tried and he has had 5 years of love and care that he wouldnt have had otherwise.

Even if the dog was 'provoked', it's not safe to keep a dog that reacts to provocation by biting.

There are rescues that will take in your dog and they have a no destruction policy Here is one for example:
DDB Rehab & Rehome Rehab and Rehome (DDBR&R) is our not for profit rehoming organisation.

We take in dogs that need our specialist behavioural skills for rehabilitation
before finding them the right home for their needs.

Strange you won't return him to the original rescue for shame of their facebook page.

Plenty of adults out there with experience of dogs like yours that will adopt him, especially when informed that the child 'grabbed fur on the dogs back'

You cannot seriously blame the child. He is too young to understand how to treat animals. And children should be able to explore the world around them and express natural behaviour, rather than having to tiptoe around a reactive dog.