Background: We adopted a dog 5 years ago (L). She’s a Doberman Pinscher/ Great Dane/Rottweiler mix. She’s 29 inches tall and weighs 95 lbs. We didn’t discover until we got her home that she has MAJOR fear aggression. And she is afraid of EVERYTHING!. Toenail trimming, plastic bins, vacuum, people (particularly old ladies), anywhere more than a block away from home, rain, fedex/UPS, food delivery, and so on and so forth. We immediately hired a dog trainer to work with us. The trainer determined that she was probably tortured with an electronic shock collar among other things. After a few months and in consultation with the trainer, both vets at our vet clinic, our dog boarder and the animal behaviorist on staff we decided to put her on medication. It’s been a very long ride but she has come extremely far. She’s no longer aggressive towards us, most of the time her vet visits only need to have the vet and one vet tech and no muzzle. In the last few months she’s been a lot less reactive to delivery people. But still on the main, very aggressive.
Ok. So to the problem. My husbands work frequently gets stray dogs. They are then picked up by the county shelter the next morning. But occasionally someone at work will fall in love and adopt it themselves. There was one dog a few years ago that we fell in love with and decided to adopt. It was slow going but the initial introductions seemed to be going okay. But long story short (still mad) the dog ended up back with the original owner.
So a few days ago they had another stray (a pit bull mix). SUPER cute and well behaved. Husband told me his coworker had fallen in love and wanted to take him home but wasn’t sure about it. Told my husband puppers absolutely couldn’t go to the shelter where he would likely end up being euthanized. So coworker took the dog home. We were hoping it would work out because while we wanted him, knowing the situation with our dog, it would be better if that worked out. Coworker already has 2 dogs and apparently not much of a yard so they have to be walked several times a day. He and his girlfriend decided walking 3 dogs at a time was probably going to be too much and the puppy didn’t like one of his dogs. So he brought the dog back to work. We told him to let us know if he didn’t keep it because we really didn’t want it to end up in the shelter.
So we decided we would try and bring it home. Figured if things worked out, then fantastic. But if not, we’ll then it would have to go to the county. Would absolutely suck but at least we would have tried. So my husband brought the dog (P) home. I met them outside and P and I walked down to this grassy boulevard in the neighborhood to be in neutral ground. Husband got L and brought her down. I was sitting on a bench holding P. Husband took the long way around and then slowly let them see each other. Let her approach in her time. Anytime she seemed like she was getting ready to react he would walk her further away. Anytime one would look at the other but stay calm with no reaction they got a treat. Did that for at least an hour and seemed to be going well. She walked up to him at several points and sniffed his butt and body a little. Which he tolerated well but as soon as he would turn to sniff her it would scare her and she would snap a little so husband would immediately walk her a distance away. As I said, seemed to be going well. The most even keeled and non reactive I’ve ever seen her. So we decided to move down to the house to our backyard.
We spent 6 hours outside working with them. Started super far apart. Me on the deck and him way out near the back alley (both dogs on leashes). We went with L’s pace. When she seemed calm and comfortable at the distance they were at my husband and P would move a few feet closer and then hang until L was cool and relaxed again. When SHE decided she wanted to approach P I would let her, obviously watching super carefully so at any hint of aggression I could immediately take her away. Only the first instance of sniffing did she snap a little because he again turned to sniff her and startled her. But we had multiple subsequent encounters where she just sniffed and then walked away on her own. At multiple points they also seemed like they were working together and behaving as a pack. By the end of the 6 hours both dogs were only about 5 feet apart. Both laying in their sides in the grass chilling. L was actually fast asleep. Thought everything was going great. We decided that was enough for the day and decided to go on to bed. Husband when to the store to buy a crate and some training treats. Bedtime L went in one bedroom with him and P went in the crate in a separate bedroom
with me.
So we get up and do a little dance to get both dogs downstairs, fed and out to potty without encountering each other. Our plan was to chill in the living room and watch tv. I had P on a leash and was sitting in my chair all the way across the room and husband had L on a leash on the couch on the opposite side of the room, further apart than where we had ended in the yard. Have no idea what happened but she was no longer cool with little P one bit. Snarling and growing, snapping and lunging. When he was laying down on the floor next to me she would calm down some. Occasionally to the point of sitting on the couch how she always does. But as soon as P’s head would pop up or he took two steps in any direction she went batshit. If they made eye contact it was also over. So we took to putting her outside. She would immediately come up to the French doors in back (right where he was sitting/laying) and lay down. He could walk right up to the glass where she was and she didn’t react at all other than her ears going back a bit a few times. But most of the time she just chilled. But there were also a few times where she would be standing up looking through the glass at him with her ears forward and her tail wagging and would scratch to be let in. But as soon as my husband would bring her back in she would got batshit snarling and growling anytime P moved. So back outside she would go. And she’s be right back around to the French doors and he could be right up at the glass and she’s cool as a cucumber.
There were times where he was upstairs in the crate and would be barking and howling and that drew absolutely no reaction from her at all. I don’t get it. Here is where the HUGE problem comes in.
At this point we have no idea what to do. Given we went from really quick progress and seeming to be in a good place to nope, no way in hell. It doesn’t seem like this is likely to work out. Sucks cause he’s already bonded to us and he has most definitely bonded to her and we to him. But knew there was a good chance that would happen. So plan C, turn P over to the county shelter. But we discovered that the county isn’t taking any animals right now. His coworker had talked to a couple of rescues knowing it might not work out with us but they also said they aren’t taking any dogs. Looked at another local shelter and they are not taking dogs either. The local humane society apparently doesn’t take lost or stray dogs and refers to back to the county. I’ve searched online for “local” Pitt rescues but none of them will take surrenders directly. They all get their dogs from kill shelters. And most don’t even have a physical kennel. All of the rescues are placed with foster families while they await adoption. Lot of the rescues are actually asking for more people to sign up to foster because they are so overloaded and don’t have enough.
HELP! I don’t know what to do. Literally our two options are keep him (with an aggressive dog in the house) or turn him loose on the street. We can’t just boot a dog out into eh street. But we don’t want him to get really hurt, or develop a fear of dogs. Does anyone have any ideas on things we could try to get L to be ok with P??? I mean we would absolutely love to keep him. And right now we kind of have to. But we can’t maintain this separate rooms and never interacting or getting too close to each other for any great length of time. As it is, I have no idea how I’m going to do it when my husband goes back to work on Friday and I’m going to have to deal with both dogs completely on my own.
Ok. So to the problem. My husbands work frequently gets stray dogs. They are then picked up by the county shelter the next morning. But occasionally someone at work will fall in love and adopt it themselves. There was one dog a few years ago that we fell in love with and decided to adopt. It was slow going but the initial introductions seemed to be going okay. But long story short (still mad) the dog ended up back with the original owner.
So a few days ago they had another stray (a pit bull mix). SUPER cute and well behaved. Husband told me his coworker had fallen in love and wanted to take him home but wasn’t sure about it. Told my husband puppers absolutely couldn’t go to the shelter where he would likely end up being euthanized. So coworker took the dog home. We were hoping it would work out because while we wanted him, knowing the situation with our dog, it would be better if that worked out. Coworker already has 2 dogs and apparently not much of a yard so they have to be walked several times a day. He and his girlfriend decided walking 3 dogs at a time was probably going to be too much and the puppy didn’t like one of his dogs. So he brought the dog back to work. We told him to let us know if he didn’t keep it because we really didn’t want it to end up in the shelter.
So we decided we would try and bring it home. Figured if things worked out, then fantastic. But if not, we’ll then it would have to go to the county. Would absolutely suck but at least we would have tried. So my husband brought the dog (P) home. I met them outside and P and I walked down to this grassy boulevard in the neighborhood to be in neutral ground. Husband got L and brought her down. I was sitting on a bench holding P. Husband took the long way around and then slowly let them see each other. Let her approach in her time. Anytime she seemed like she was getting ready to react he would walk her further away. Anytime one would look at the other but stay calm with no reaction they got a treat. Did that for at least an hour and seemed to be going well. She walked up to him at several points and sniffed his butt and body a little. Which he tolerated well but as soon as he would turn to sniff her it would scare her and she would snap a little so husband would immediately walk her a distance away. As I said, seemed to be going well. The most even keeled and non reactive I’ve ever seen her. So we decided to move down to the house to our backyard.
We spent 6 hours outside working with them. Started super far apart. Me on the deck and him way out near the back alley (both dogs on leashes). We went with L’s pace. When she seemed calm and comfortable at the distance they were at my husband and P would move a few feet closer and then hang until L was cool and relaxed again. When SHE decided she wanted to approach P I would let her, obviously watching super carefully so at any hint of aggression I could immediately take her away. Only the first instance of sniffing did she snap a little because he again turned to sniff her and startled her. But we had multiple subsequent encounters where she just sniffed and then walked away on her own. At multiple points they also seemed like they were working together and behaving as a pack. By the end of the 6 hours both dogs were only about 5 feet apart. Both laying in their sides in the grass chilling. L was actually fast asleep. Thought everything was going great. We decided that was enough for the day and decided to go on to bed. Husband when to the store to buy a crate and some training treats. Bedtime L went in one bedroom with him and P went in the crate in a separate bedroom
with me.
So we get up and do a little dance to get both dogs downstairs, fed and out to potty without encountering each other. Our plan was to chill in the living room and watch tv. I had P on a leash and was sitting in my chair all the way across the room and husband had L on a leash on the couch on the opposite side of the room, further apart than where we had ended in the yard. Have no idea what happened but she was no longer cool with little P one bit. Snarling and growing, snapping and lunging. When he was laying down on the floor next to me she would calm down some. Occasionally to the point of sitting on the couch how she always does. But as soon as P’s head would pop up or he took two steps in any direction she went batshit. If they made eye contact it was also over. So we took to putting her outside. She would immediately come up to the French doors in back (right where he was sitting/laying) and lay down. He could walk right up to the glass where she was and she didn’t react at all other than her ears going back a bit a few times. But most of the time she just chilled. But there were also a few times where she would be standing up looking through the glass at him with her ears forward and her tail wagging and would scratch to be let in. But as soon as my husband would bring her back in she would got batshit snarling and growling anytime P moved. So back outside she would go. And she’s be right back around to the French doors and he could be right up at the glass and she’s cool as a cucumber.
There were times where he was upstairs in the crate and would be barking and howling and that drew absolutely no reaction from her at all. I don’t get it. Here is where the HUGE problem comes in.
At this point we have no idea what to do. Given we went from really quick progress and seeming to be in a good place to nope, no way in hell. It doesn’t seem like this is likely to work out. Sucks cause he’s already bonded to us and he has most definitely bonded to her and we to him. But knew there was a good chance that would happen. So plan C, turn P over to the county shelter. But we discovered that the county isn’t taking any animals right now. His coworker had talked to a couple of rescues knowing it might not work out with us but they also said they aren’t taking any dogs. Looked at another local shelter and they are not taking dogs either. The local humane society apparently doesn’t take lost or stray dogs and refers to back to the county. I’ve searched online for “local” Pitt rescues but none of them will take surrenders directly. They all get their dogs from kill shelters. And most don’t even have a physical kennel. All of the rescues are placed with foster families while they await adoption. Lot of the rescues are actually asking for more people to sign up to foster because they are so overloaded and don’t have enough.
HELP! I don’t know what to do. Literally our two options are keep him (with an aggressive dog in the house) or turn him loose on the street. We can’t just boot a dog out into eh street. But we don’t want him to get really hurt, or develop a fear of dogs. Does anyone have any ideas on things we could try to get L to be ok with P??? I mean we would absolutely love to keep him. And right now we kind of have to. But we can’t maintain this separate rooms and never interacting or getting too close to each other for any great length of time. As it is, I have no idea how I’m going to do it when my husband goes back to work on Friday and I’m going to have to deal with both dogs completely on my own.