Don’t know if euthanasia is the option here

T

traininggrounds

New member
I have a 12 year old husky, I’ve had him since he was 9 months old. We took him to training and he listened for the most part in his early years. Fast forward I went off to college for 4 years and my parents had him. My parents let him do whatever he wanted. After college, I brought him to my apartment to live with me. Since 2019, he’s bitten me several times, very hard to the point of breaking skin and drawing blood. I’m a diabetic so when he bites me, I’m very upset because obviously there’s bacteria in his mouth and I could get a very serious infection. He’s very unpredictable and sometimes when just petting him he will get random aggression and bite me. I’ve resorted to not petting him as often. I’m afraid to walk him as I live in an apartment complex and there’s people around. If I came into a situation where I needed to hold him to protect him or just hold him back, I’d be risking my safety as he would just bite the hell out of me. He doesn’t let me brush him. He doesn’t show teeth or growl before biting, he just goes straight in and bites very hard and multiple times. He’s bitten my ex husband, my friend, my dad and even me several times. I feel like there’s no quality of life for either of us, and I’m just waiting on him to pass. He bit my foot in the middle of the night about two weeks ago and it’s still swollen. Last night he bit my foot again and broke skin. My ex husband says im the a**hole for wanting to put him down. How am I supposed to rehome a 12 year old aggressive dog? What if he ends up in a home with a small child? I’m so confused as to what to do.
 
@traininggrounds There may be some steps you could try prior to euthanasia. Have you taken him to a vet to rule out any medical issues? He is older so perhaps he has pain somewhere that is causing him to react when touched a certain way. Have you consulted a trainer or behaviourist? Are his exercise and stimulation needs being met? I know you said you are nervous walking him; have you considered trying a muzzle? If he’s biting your feet in the middle of the night, maybe don’t give him access to your bed?
 
@crucinatius I’m taking him to the vet on Tuesday, just made an appointment. Going to suggest maybe a daily sedative to help him not be so fear reactive all the time. But I’m going to address it with his vet because they also know his personality and how difficult he is to handle. I’ve tried training before and the trainer did dominance tasks with him (like holding him down until he calms down) and I think it just made things so much worse. I was like 15 at the time so I really didn’t know that trainer wasn’t a good fit for a stubborn husky. His mental and physical needs are definitely not met. I can’t even get his harness on to take him on a walk without him biting off my hand. We resorted to leaving the harness on him for 5+ years. One day he got his paw stuck in the harness and screamed bloody murder and I couldn’t do anything to help him because he was just biting out of control. Finally I was able to use a broom to help him get his paw out but it was a very stressful situation. I felt like I couldn’t do anything to help him. And I usually do not let him sleep on my bed but my ex husband is crashing in my living room with his dog so there isn’t enough room for everyone. There’s the whole bed but he wants to sleep right under my feet and then gets mad when he accidentally gets touched.
 
@traininggrounds I'm so sorry. I can't imagine being in your shoes. I think it is pretty clear that his quality of life has deteriorated over the past few years. I hope the vet has some options for him & he might have an underlying medical condition causing him pain. Given that he is pretty old for a husky, I think dementia could play a part in all of this. Please remember that his mental health is just as important as his physical health, which his brain is a part of. Your vet is going to be able to give you better advice than Reddit, but this sub is here for you & will support you.
 
@traininggrounds Sorry to hear this, it’s tough when they’re so reactive. Have the vet check his ears for ear infections and teeth for cavities. Sometimes the aggression is just driven from pain that we can’t see. My dog came from the shelter and would get frequent ear infections while there and would growl when people touched her ears or got close to her ears because they were in pain.

It sounds like he doesn’t respond well to assertiveness, so in the meantime, I think just building his trust will go a long way and showing him you’re not a threat. Instead of a command like “go”, go to where you want him and say “come”. Avoid eye contact. Avoid walking up to him, and rather have him come to you, calmly call him with a soft voice. And regularly give him treats, small pieces every 10 minutes or so. Have them in your pocket and when you walk near him drop one and keep on walking. Sit near him and place a treat between you and look the other way so he feels he can get it without threat.

It’s completely possible that there’s something not right upstairs with him, but I think the above could help if that’s not the case.
 
@traininggrounds I’m so sorry to hear all this. The old-fashioned training methods involving dominance quite likely made his issues worse. That is simply an outdated and ineffective method. There is no need to establish dominance over your dog; that is a myth. Training should be done gently and using positive reinforcement. I’m sorry that you and your dog are going through this and I hope you get the help you need.
 
@nikixx I agree. This isn’t a safe situation for you or the dog. If you can’t walk the dog where is he using the bathroom? I would 100% ET this dog. Your dog doesn’t have any quality of life.
 
@traininggrounds I'm so sorry you're in this situation. It sounds like a lot of it was out of your control, and it's been a losing game for both of you. Honestly, it's not a popular opinion, but this dog is 12 years old. So your vet finds out he's in pain? He probably is. He's old for his breed. If he's a reactive biter for pain, I don't know how much you can do to eliminate pain from his life at this age, and then what? Undo 12 years of neural pathways that tell him biting is the answer? That's something that can take years to undo, which he may not even have left.

It's 100% ok to give him a painless exit at this point. You did the best you could, don't let anyone make you feel guilty if you decide to euthanize. There are far worse fates. Again, I'm sorry you guys got here in the first place
 
@traininggrounds I'm so sorry both you and your dog are in this situation. You've both been misled and mistreated here.

This dog has extreme fear. I am certain that fear was either created or exacerbated by that "dominance" training. Dominance training should never be used on a dog. Frankly, it should be outlawed. It creates fear, which leads to aggression. You know this first hand now.

This kind of anxiety is very hard to quell. Difficult, but not impossible. You need to find a qualified trainer and/or behaviorist who has experience with this level of anxiety-fueled aggression, and let them help you work through this. Then at least you'll know you tried to reverse the damage that trainer did.
 
@traininggrounds It sounds like pain is most likely involved. There is a chance that he could get better, but it will take a lot of work, and he will need those mental and physical needs met or he will continue to act out.

Use the Dunbar Bite Scale to describe the bites to your vet. Perhaps ask if a certified veterinary behaviorist could help you. Most veterinary clinics have referrals they can offer.

And in the end, the decision is yours to make. This article, written by a veterinarian, may be able to give you some more clarity. I wish you both the best of luck.
 
@crucinatius Yooo thank you! My dog had onset doggy dementia when he was about 13 and had unpredictable behaviors. Definitely at a vet to rule out all those conditions. I unfortunately had to make the choice to have him cross the rainbow bridge because I could fish my daughter getting bit over and over. I couldn't rehone him because I felt that was worse. He'll be depressed
Confused. Sad. All for what?? Idk. It was a really shitty choice k had to make, but it had to be done.

If you do choose to rehome him, find a rescue or someone who is experienced with older huskies.

I'm so sorry you have to go through this.
 
@youssefrakhif Adoption is not where I was headed. A dog that age with strong aggression likely wouldn't be rehabilitative and it would, in essence, be equivalent. To palliative care until they pass or need to be put down.
 
@crucinatius Yes. Dogs don’t change behavior like this without reason (though it sounds like it’s over a decade like this now so it may have been cemented as a full behavior change and the root cause is no longer there).
 
@traininggrounds Have you worked with a board certified veterinary behaviorist?

I'd personally be muzzling this dog outside your apartment as well.

In all reality, there's no real shame with behavioral euth, but, it's generally something to do after you try to resolve the cause of the biting.
 
@eront His vet actually tried muzzling him and he hates it so much, throws a fit putting it on and is able to get out/bite through it. So he requires sedation even for a nail trim.
 
@traininggrounds How did you condition him for the muzzle?

You don't just put it on and go, you teach the dog through positive association that it's a good thing over a few weeks or so. There are also muzzles that don't allow the dog to bite through as well.
 
@eront I’ve never done muzzle training but I really don’t think he will even tolerate it for treats. I’ll ask my vet on if she recommends it with his type of aggression because I think he bites out of fear/asserting dominance.
 
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