Fear aggressive pup... considering BE after 3.5 years of trying to make it work

[mooky0909]

@zarif I have a working line ACD/border hybrid I rescued during the height of covid as well. I say this with tremendous gentleness, understanding & compassion - these aversive techniques will not work with a high drive herding breed & I'd strongly suggest contacting a herding dog rescue in your area. It sounds like you love your dog immensely, but your home and lifestyle are just not a good fit. Cattle Dogs are insanely high drive and have a lot of the same issues protection breeds have, because they have a genetic predisposition to use their teeth & have virtually no bite inhibition. They need jobs to do & tons of things to occupy their brains, and they just aren't a good fit for a lot of people's homes. Rehoming through a rescue that understands the needs of dogs like heelers could save her life. They are unique dogs, very prone to reactivity in home settings and need an enormous amount of stimulation, exercise, redirection for their native bite impulse, and general training.

 

[mooky0909]

@zarif I'm so sorry. It's clear that you love her and that you've put an immense amount of work and affection into her. My girl was very unpredictable around my wheelchair bound mother initially and it was terrifying. I can't imagine a kid in the mix

If you need to pursue BE, I hope you find comfort in the clear fact that you've gone above & beyond for your dog. ACDs are bitey little velociraptors and prone to reactivity, but what you're describing shows a clear pattern that a usual adoptive home or typical rescue could not handle. My heart goes out to you

 

[greenvalley]

@zarif Hi. You have my sympathy on this one. You already know the answer to this; have you done everything reasonable to help this dog? We all know the answer is beyond yes. Unfortunately some animals/people/plants/things are either mis-created or suffered a trauma that damages them beyond repair. We used to call it doing the right thing and while we use different words now, it's still hard and it still sucks. And always will. It's what makes it worth trying in the first place. And you don't love B any less when hard decisions have to be made.

 

[zarif]

@greenvalley Thank you. She definitely has been traumatized… it’s so upsetting.

 

[lmg633]

@zarif baby changes all the priorities.

euthanize THIS DOG IMMEDIATELY.

end of story!

 

[kropke]

@lmg633 Rehoming a dog with a bite history like this is a very BAD idea.

 

[zarif]

@kropke Thank you. I agree. I would only do so to someone who had a full picture of the situation… but what person in their right mind would adopt a dog with a history like this!

 

[zarif]

@lmg633 We have tried to find her a home for over a year - in touch with over a dozen rescues, breed-specific rescue pages, and more. but, we have also been honest about her challenges, which means we have had essentially zero interest in her. At this point, it is probably cruel to do so anyways, given her severe fear of strangers. Rehoming simply isn’t an option.

 

[lmg633]

@zarif euthanize.

 

[lunallena777]

@zarif Try Dog Daddy. This is exactly the kind of dog he specializes in.

 

[cloelace]

@zarif Thanks for sharing this story. The past 3.5 years sounds so challenging, and I hope you take some time for yourself and feel better soon. I think you should do what you think is best, because you know the situation best.

I actually also have a cattle dog that we raised from 2 months onwards. Before we got him, I read this book "The midnight dog walkers" to prep myself on dog-related knowledge, and the book just struck me on how difficult it is to have a reactive dog. I prayed specifically for my dog to not have reactivity. And the prayer seemed to have been answered. As a little puppy he was a demon reincarnate with every problem on this planet but, thankfully, not reactivity (there might have been a beginning of it, but then we might have nipped it in the bud). It is nothing like what you went through, but I was so stressed and often reduced to tears, and while despairing, recalled all the posts I read about how cattle dogs have the unique ability to turn one's life hell. My spouse and I spent countless hours, not just to physically take care of him, but also to look for every resource out there to learn to train him out of his many issues; we also hired a few trainers but I think what we learned ourselves ultimately counted more towards bringing about the changes. Like you, we were hesitant when a trainer introduced aversive methods, but then we decided we weren't comfortable with it and left the trainer. Thankfully, his angel phase set in soon enough, after loads of training. I don't know what I'd be like if it were 3.5 years, with an infant that demands at least as much energy. I wish I could give you a hug.

Either decision would be very difficult. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[zarif]

@cloelace Thank you. I really wish I knew more about the breed before we adopted her... or rather, I wish whoever had her first had known more about the breed before they got her as a puppy (and abandoned or didn't look for her after she escaped three years later... ).

It was very clear when we first adopted her that she had been treated very poorly before she came to us... serious aversion to a certain profile of man (big, bearded, loud), people smoking cigarettes', doorways, ceilings, etc. (we think she wasn't allowed inside).

We've come a LONG way since those early days, but just don't seem to be able to get over some core parts of her being at this point...

 

[cloelace]

@zarif Understood. I think you guys did a heroic thing trying to correct a mistake someone else made. In the end none of us is superhuman, and the world works according to its own laws instead of our best wishes. Have the equanimity of knowing you gave what you had.

 

[gsmnp2012]

@zarif I'm so sorry. Your story sounds very similar in someway to mine. My dog cannot meet others. Needs to be separated or extreme close supervision around our other dog like watch like a hawk trailing a leash for short meetings everyday. He was a shy rescue as well.

He's able to go to the vet, walk, be in the fenced yard with supervision. At this point he maybe has one freak out every few months which is aomost scarier because you drop your gaurd. It's makes me feel isolated though. Our compromise is we send him to a boarding place about 2 months out of the year in several week stints they specialize in aggressive dogs and they have been really a life saver. He's 6 now and he's happy but at 9-10 I may consider BE. He can absolutely not be around children and I wouldn't feel safe rehoming. I love him so much I couldn't let him hurt anyone.

 

[lome]

@zarif If I was in your shoes I would chose BE. For me, a human child would take priority over my dog. I would be worried about your toddler’s physical safety as well as emotional development because of the limitations you would have to put on their life.

You have truly done all that anyone could for your fur baby. Most people would not or would not be able to do even close to what you have done to help B. If you chose BE, you can do so without any guilt of maybe there was another option.

 

[edwinchiou]

@zarif What does BE mean? I’m sorry I’m just not finding anything on that.

 

[hisdaughter713]

@edwinchiou Behavioral euthanasia- in other words being put down for aggression and a personality problem vs being put down for something medically wrong ( euthanasia)

 

[christiantruthseeker]

@zarif What’s BE?

 

[betsy7793]

@christiantruthseeker Behavioral Euthanasia

 

[godleadus]

@zarif At this point you need to protect your child. A toddler can easily be killed in a situation like you're describing.