Will you give me permission to put my Ddog to sleep

[Inaverydarkplace]

I am completely heartbroken and in turmoil. We’ve had our Ddog since he was a puppy, socialised him, trained him, loved him. He was perfect until the teenager stage. When the aggression started. We’ve found lots of ways around it and given him space but this summer he has really escalated. He’s bitten several people, leaving puncture marks that break the skin. He can be so loving and cuddly but he just has this switch that flips into aggression. He’s 3 now and he adores us and we adore him but he bit my 6 year old last night. Dchild just wanted to stroke their dog. Today he’s still growling at our child so they can’t be near each other. I can’t re home him, he would be so upset, he’s completely obsessed with me and adores DH too. If you tell him off he challenges you so we normally move away and give him space. He’s aggressive with his crate (he sleeps in there in our bedroom), he’s aggressive when he gets in the car (he has to go in the car every day for his walk), I can’t give him high value food/treats because he’s aggressive then, he’s frightened of other children. He has to be sedated and muzzled at the vets and still puts up a fight and be pinned down like a wild beast. He growls when you wipe him with a towel, when you hose him off (I used to take him to the bathroom but he became too aggressive to do that), he barely tolerates us getting seeds off his fur. He doesn’t let you brush him, if he hurts himself he won’t let you near him to help him (eg if he has a thorn in his foot). He has been raised in a loving house, he’s not been abused or neglected. He has the most wonderful life. A different off lead walk every day, I’m at home with him all of the time. I socialised him from day 1, followed all of the advice. I don’t know what has gone so wrong. He can be so gorgeous and loving so I feel so much guilt and shame. Everything has just escalated and he’s bitten several times this summer. Getting near him with a muzzle is an ordeal. Yet so many of our friends haven’t seen him like this and would be completely shocked that such a loving dog will be PTS. But others have seen the other side of him and would understand. We know his mum and she’s the most loving dog, which is why we had him but his dad is a working dog so I think his intense personality is from him. He’s a springer spaniel. I am so so sad, we all are 😭 please tell me I’m doing the right thing.

OP I’m so sorry you are going through this, it’s obvious how upset you are to be in this position.

Your dog sounds deeply unhappy so you know you can’t go on like this, it’s not fair on him and certainly too much of a risk when you have a young child.

You could try Spaniel Aid if you wanted to explore the rehoming option but I think it would be hard to find someone who would take him on.

PTS is not something to feel guilty about, none of you are having a good quality life and if he carries on escalating something more awful could happen. Having him pts with you as his loved owner with him is far preferable

Relinquish him to Spaniel Aid. I’ve fostered more problematic dogs with them and managed to turn them around.

OP what a difficult situation.

I would definitely explore all avenues before putting it down. It may in an extreme amount of pain, or suffering from some sort of psychosis.

I’m so sorry OP. I think I would be speaking to a breed specific rescue to see if any possibility for rehoming but be totally honest with them and they’ll be honest with you.

I don’t think you can live with this dog anymore and I think the overwhelming likelihood is that he should be pts

he’s not a happy dog, but it’s not your fault

I'm sorry that you are going through this.

It sounds like Idiopathic Aggression.

In severe cases no amount of training is going to help so be very wary of people who suggest training or re-homing can solve the problem.

I have a family member who went through it with a sheepdog and I also know of a case local to me with a young male Cocker Spaniel. Sadly, in both cases, the dog did have to be put to sleep because it had become dangerous. My relative needed stitches in his arm.

I'm so sorry.

Do you mean rage?

If so, this isn’t that. Rage doesn’t come with warnings (growls) before hand. It’s sudden and onset - usually after a nap. This dog is growling continuously and actively warning OP and her child to back off.

He sounds like a very unhappy dog and if you rehome (assuming someone offers to have him which is unlikley) then you just pass the problem on.
Being PTS isn't the worst thing that can happen to any animal

I think you are right. Take him for a last walk and PTS. He can’t be in the same house as any child. I’m so sorry.

As someone who has worked with dogs all their adult lives I would urge you not to rehome this dog.
It is very irresponsible of people to suggest this.
This dog has a known bite history and has punctured the skin. It cannot be treated at the vets without considerable distress to the dog. This is not a safe dog to rehome.
I know it's rubbish and heartbreaking but I think you know what the answer is here. The dog must be stressed constantly. As I imagine are you.

This dog needed professional help many years ago. Please do the right thing now and put him out of his misery.

I think you'd be reasonable to put him down. If you wanted to be absolutely sure there's no other option, I'll PM you the name of someone who would give you an informed and honest assessment.

Oh gosh OP, this is terrible. Yes, it's really OK to have him put to sleep. It is without a doubt the kindest thing.

You need a thorough investigation and pain trial. Ear infection rings very loud bells. I agree he is not safe to be around your children but he deserves to be really investigated medically before you euthanise. Honestly pain can cause a dog to change dramatically. He needed this months or years ago.

Have you spoken to one of the spaniel rescues? They are amazingly helpful and do take dogs like this who often just need pain managing. I’ve known many now living safe and happy lives.

I have nothing but sympathy for you because we have a dog who acts in a very similar way. He is a 4 year old rescue and we have had him for 2 years (it has been one of the toughest 2 years of my life). We also (amongst many other things) can't get our dog to the vets easily, he too had an ear infection and had to be sedated because he goes ballistic at the vets, we have to go through the back way.

It is beyond hard and even harder when you love them. We have contemplated behavioural euthanasia on many occasions but are in a better place at the moment due to medication and working with a great behaviourist but we don't know what the future holds and sadly will never be able to completely rule out euthanasia if things change back for the worst.

It is such a tough decision and you need to have a long chat with your vet. I understand, really do. Having a dog should be a fun and rewarding experience and having had dogs all of my life I had never encountered this before. It is heartbreaking. Whatever decision you go for you have done your best for your dog, don't lose sight of that.

You’ve done your best. Sadly this was a case where that wasn’t enough. Your dog clearly has severe problems and your child has to come first. PTS is the right action here and you needn’t feel guilty.

I once fostered an almost wonderful dog. He had bitten adults but we felt a calm home where he wasn’t left would be ok as he had terrible separation anxiety.
He bit me and DH but we persevered. He almost bit my dgd for no obvious reason. I get there was a reason but he was too unpredictable. That day I had him pts. It was awful but I could never forgive myself had he maimed a child which I believe was a very real risk.
Some dogs just cannot cope and pts is kinder to them and safer for everyone else.

Oh, sorry. I thought "Rage" was a different condition from idiopathic aggression... I only know that my relatives vet referred to their dog's issue as the latter but when I googled it suggested Rage was a different thing...

Sorry if I said the wrong thing.

Clearly he's not a happy dog.

I would be moving heaven and earth to get a qualified behaviourist's report so I understood the chances of turning this around, and what it would take to do it. Then I'd make a decision based on that.

They’re often used to describe the same thing (random onset aggression). People and vets typically don’t like to term it ‘rage’ because of all the misinformation in recent years and people PTS dogs under the guise of ‘rage’ who had very little wrong with them.

But in this dogs case, it’s giving OP and the family warnings…so I don’t think it can be termed to be anything that’s unpredictable

A 6 month waiting list for a behaviourist ?
and there is only one ?

poor dog you have so let him down.

I don't suppose you live in Devon
but you could try begging this lady to take in your dog before you kill him.

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OP I love dogs and have been round them all my life I also work in paediatric A and E I sorry to write this but this is a safe guarding issue. If you presented to me with your child being bitten by your dog I have a duty to inform SS because you as a parent have to keep your child safe and by keeping the dog in the house knowing he has significant issues you are not doing this.
Please prioritiise your child and the rest of your family over this clearly unhappy dog. Why he behaves like this is irrelevant and getting behaviourists in is not the solution in your case because your child is at risk.

Crazy to suggest this dog should go to a rescue, no matter how specialist.
If the vets cannot cope with him and he is displaying this level of aggression, it's not safe to ask anyone else to manage him. It's not a case of "persuading" somewhere to take him, it's about making a responsible decision.
He needs to be pts, sad though it is.

So there are behavioural issues and aggression. The two are separate- and what you have is an aggressive dog. You cannot put your child at risk, the dog is a repeatable offender and bitten multiple times. The vets are unable to help. It would be unethical to pass this onto someone else.

I don’t see how you have any choice here but to pts. It is the responsible, however hard, choice.

Agree, you need to do the right thing (1) for your children - your priority and (2) for your dog, and have him PTS.

There’s no more you can do.

I hope you can find a vet willing to do it. Perhaps in the open air after a walk, or some will come to your home, which can be a kinder way.