Struggling with idea of putting my dog down who snaps.

[Buxtonwater124]

I have a chihuahua/Jack Russell type dog that is known to snap. He's 10 and over the years, he's bitten my nieces and nephews face, my brother's face, other dogs in house. We did go to put him down after this but as he was a family dog, my dad disagreed and so did others saying "just keep him away from kids" which we did. It all came to a head last summer when my older nephew rang me (as I had moved out of my dads, but still owned him) saying he's snapping and he needs to go. So I booked him in to be put down, as hard as it was. My partner then stepped in and said no, we will take him in, we have no kids and no one in the house respects the dogs boundaries or listens to train him, which is true. People don't listen with him, and stroke him for example on his stomach which he hates. Over the years we have paid probably thousands on training, on muzzles etc. But because he wasn't in my house at the time, no one in the house implemented the training.

So we took him. Since then, we have kept a strict routine with him and the dog has settled in so well. I'm able to pick him up, walk him well etc. cuddle him and when we have visitors we keep him away. However in last few weeks, I've seen him snap at my friend, who bent down to stroke him in the area we kept him away, he's snapped at our other dog (who he grew up with) and last night I seen him bite my cat on his face.

My cat, has been having abcesseses on his face since we got the dog, and it hit me. Maybe the dog has been biting the cat. I'm heartbroken. I'm in tears writing this. I love the dog so much and he's such a good dog for me. But I know I need to put him down. It isn't safe. But my partner disagrees and says just keep him separate. Here's the hard part, I'm due to have a baby soon and my family keep saying you can't risk the dog around the baby but I just keep saying I'll keep them apart. But after seeing him bite the cat yesterday, I'm devastated it was a lightbulb moment he isn't safe. But its a hard decision to bare on my own and would like my partner to agree. As he's our dog now. He's a sweet dog and I'm looking at him now and feel heartbroken taking a healthy dog to be PTS. My partner is concerned for my mental health losing a dog I've had for years and then having a baby he is worried ill struggle a lot as he knows how precious my dogs are to me. He agrees if he was an XL Bully I would've put him down earlier but also believes that keeping him separatenwith visitors baby is best option as the dog is fine with me and him.

Any support appreciated - please be kind. Seeing it all in writing it is so obvious what I need to do. But im struggling with the mental load of it

• [Note from MNHQ: Please see the OP's update at 16.06 on 20/5 before responding]

Poor dog, been passed from pillar to post and the majority of it's keepers didn't do a decent job of caring for it.

and then you decide to have a baby, that was the moment you signed the dog's death warrant.

Of course pregnancy is approx 9 months so there was that huge opportunity to find a person that does not have visiting children ever and no other pets.

12-18 years is the average age span for a Chihuahua
and for a Jack Russell 13-16 years.

Google even gives the average age span for a Jack Chi and it's 13-18 years

Your poor dog is ' only ' 10...

No, he is being euthanized because he is dangerous and has already attacked several people, including small children. The pregnancy has simply put a deadline on the inevitable.

The situation should never have gone on this long. He's had more time than he should have had. The second face bite should have sealed the deal. If he was bigger, it would have been catastrophic.

He's had all the trainers, been rehomed twice, had brain scans ffs. This is not a healthy dog. This is a dog with an unstable temperament, not unlike the XL bully fiasco. He can't
help it but he can never be trusted. It would be grossly irresponsible to pass him on to someone else with this kind of history. There are worse things than pts after a last good day.

I noticed to haven't replied to any of us asking when you're picking the dog up?
Or if you'd be happy a baby got murdered?

I'm trying to ignore the older Glaswegian lady as she isn't helpful at all. At least other criticisms were helpful hers are just unkind. But it's fine. She hasn't offered to have the dog and I wouldn't trust a spiteful person like her to have him.

Currently crying my eyes out as I have had abuse from my uncle too. I decided to be honest with him and he initially said he would've took him but as he has a new dog now doesn't think it's fair on new dog which I agreed. Now I've booked it in, he said to me he isn't going to listen to me, that he would've had him and at least the dog would've had nice walks in countryside instead of being killed.

I'm devastated. I know I'm putting him to sleep but to make it all so simplistic like I haven't given him a good life I cannot stop crying. I just think what a horrid thing to say I'm killing him instead of letting him be with him. The thing is, he's already sending me messages everyday complaining about this new puppy and isn't coping plus he had his chance with this dog too. This dog would just attack the puppy and make him afraid of other dogs. I know that my dog wouldn't tolerate his dog at all. But my uncle seems to think it is a dream land. I'm legit sobbing. Of guilt.

I think it's because we aren't parent yet. So we don't have the instincts but I agree with PP soon as I have had my child it will change my views entirely. My partner is very excited about the baby but rightfully worried about my mental health which has been up and down and I'm under perinatal team. Even I planned to keep them separated etc and it wasn't until this week it hit me its not possible and from reading people's experiences on here but do think this will change when our baby is here

It's also likely that the dog would struggle significantly with the arrival of a baby in the home - and get much more dangerous.

I would advise you to seek information that will help your partner (and yourself) understand the practical impossibility of keeping the dog. Not having had a baby before means that you don't realize that - in order to keep the baby safe - you will have to be almost entirely separated from the dog almost all the time.

This will be absolute torture for the dog (and majorly stressful for you being aware of its suffering I imagine) - so much worse than being pts. That would be the truly unkind thing to do here.

Avoiding pts is not being kind to this dog, it is being kind to yourselves (in the short term).

Op please ignore olderglaswegen I'm sure she's tried to wind people up on other threads too.

You are 100% doing the right thing.

Op have you been quietly stressing about the dog and baby?
How to keep them separated because in your heart you want it to be possible but in your head you know its just not possible to keep them both separated?

Then the worry of being judged ?
You'd be absolutely judged if you don't do it and your baby gets hurt.
I don't think you'd forgive yourself either if very time you look at your baby and see a scar

Baby's are so small for such a short time, you want to enjoy them as best you can and they are exhausting without having the added stress of an unpredictable dog in the house.

Have you something nice planned for tomorrow, take photos.

And how is that in anyway helpful?
The dogs been moved around
Its had behaviour therapist
Nothings worked

It still bites, rehoming is just moving the problem and might make it worse.

Why risk someone or something else being hurt?
If Op changes her mind about putting the dog to sleep, when someone else gets bitten I will 100% blame you.
It's not an if its a when. Rehoming is just moving the problem it doesn't remove the danger

Maybe calm down and take time to read op’s posts properly.

She has confirmed that the dog has also bitten ADULTS.

So it’s not as simple as ‘rehoming somewhere without pets or kids’, is it?

Can you let the uncle have the dog and give him a chance for a few weeks and see if they get on ok?

Keep reading, despite the guilt tripping, Uncle doesn't want it, Neither does Glaswegin.
Just bully's trying to make Op feel bad about the only sensible decision she could make.

As someone else has pointed out its bitten Adults too its not just other animals and kids.

This is a dangerous dog, its only saving grace is its size.

Op is 100% making the right decision before it really hurts someone.

Sobbing again this morning. My sister has said I over reacted with my uncles response and that he didn't say it how he made out and that I've now caused a massive family fall out over it. I wish I never told anyone now.
I rang blue cross charity helpline and they said no this dog is an accident waiting to happen and I've made the right choice. But I just feel so shit about it and cannot stop crying and now with this big fallout with my uncle my sister said I was out of order and my partner said kindly he didn't say it how I said it. But I don't get why you would say he could've had nice walks in country instead of being killed. But they said he was just saying his thoughts as he was devastated too. It's all escalated now anyway.
I have chest and stomach pain from all of this and I'm so stressed about the stress on the baby. I feel so guilty and horrible all round. I'm so ill from it all as I've been crying none stop.

You are doing the right thing. A dog who bites is an unhappy and unhealthy dog. I would suggest stopping posting here because people are determined to make you feel bad and that you check out

https://www.facebook.com/groups/losinglulu/?ref=share

Please remember that no matter how upset you are now, it would be nothing if he injured or killed your baby.

they think you can keep them separate but one day the door bell will ring and you’ll not do it or something similar and your child will be bitten and it will be your fault. Unless you can rehome privately he will be put down by a rescue as they can’t rehome a dog like this. He will never know he is being put to sleep. Give him a nice walk, his favourite treat and take him to the vet. You are doing the right thing

aw this is such a hard decision, but it sounds like while he may be physically healthy, he isnt happy at all mentally to behave this way. It sounds like neurological issues. I really dont think there is any other option here unless you can find someone who is fully aware of all his issues and is prepared to keep him muzzled at all times in public and persevere with him.

'unless you can find someone who is fully aware of all his issues and is prepared to keep him muzzled at all times in public and persevere with him.'

the time for that was when she discovered she was pregnant, and that her and her partner would no longer have ' no kids '

• 'My partner then stepped in and said no, we will take him in, we have no kids and no one in the house respects the dogs boundaries or listens to train him, which is true '

and that was only last summer.

Yes and they have done all that, and the dog has still bitten people and the cat.

It is a dangerous dog, its beyond rehoming, even if Op wasn't having a baby it is still dangerous it is a matter of time before it really hurts someone

Op you are doing the right thing

OP, some of your family sound toxic. You are the one caring for this dog, you are responsible for him. You have made the right choice for him, the kindest choice. That’s it - no one else gets a say in this. Stop listening to comments from people who are only thinking of themselves.
All of your feelings are perfectly natural. You’ve chosen to have him PTS but that doesn’t mean you won’t feel overwhelming sadness about losing him. There’s a natural grieving process.

If I were you now I would stop taking calls and reading messages from anyone who is not supporting you. Step away from this thread too, there’s nothing else you are going to get here. Just switch off, spend the day with your lovely boy. Take him on a nice walk, give him all of the treats. Tomorrow will be hard but cry as much as you feel like. Your boy will not suffer, he will go to sleep knowing you love him.

Sorry op i feel for you but this is all getting a bit silly now. If your family have this impact on you then please take some distance from them for the rest of this week.

Your poor cat. And poor OP, this must be so incredibly difficult for you!

I agree with there being 2 options:

1. PTS. You really tried but it isn’t working.
2. Try to find him a home without pets, children etc. Keeping him separate from other pets and children just isn’t feasible!

edit: I‘ve just seen your update. I think you’re making the difficult but right choice. The person already struggling with their own dog won’t be a suitable option. And even the charity you called has agreed with you.

and having the dog shipped around from unsuitable home to unsuitable home for the last year(s) of his life might feel kinder but it’s actually rather cruel.

OP, you're making yourself ill and you're pregnant! Please, calm down, stop engaging with your family as they are just winding you up and being unkind and unfair, and focus on yourself and your baby. The woman from the Blue Cross is right - this dog is (another!) accident waiting to happen and you are doing the right thing. You don't have to justify yourself to anyone, particularly your uncle, who couldn't cope with the dog either and hasn't offered to take him; all his did was make you feel like shit for doing what he should've had the balls to do himself, but didn't.

I would honestly not engage with any of them for a bit. Take the dog to the vet tomorrow and then try to put all this behind you. You've done your best and the dog isn't trainable or fixable and your health and that of your unborn baby are far more important right now