@scottwilson
Now that the dog has shown that he will bite, and will mean it, you have a few choices.
One is keep the dog and don't, under any circumstances, allow him to interact with any people who are not you and your partner. Do not try to see if he's better, or assume he likes so-and-so. People come over, this dog is in a crate, in a locked room, and no introductions are made, ever, for any reason. When you walk him, or take him anywhere, he needs to, again with no exceptions, be muzzled.
Don't let anyone tell you that with some tasty yummy treats, you will be able to make this dog safe around strangers. The risk is just huge.
Or you return him to the rescue group, with full disclosure. While they may foster him to adopt him out again, odds are they will euthanize him.
The fact that he's 90 pounds, means that if he bites again, he has a good chance of permanently injuring someone, or worse.
Do you guys rent or own? Owning this dog, going forward, could make a devastating impact on your finances if you own, or ability to find a rental if you do rent.
I understand what your partner is saying, but the bottom line is, a dog who bit under those circumstances, especially a big dog, is just a huge liability to keep on as a pet.
You guys have to weigh that. Keep the dog and understand the risks of keeping the dog, and what you need to do to keep everyone safe, or return the dog to rescue, feel awful about it, but don't lose your home or your apartment over it.
He has snapped at multiple people.
Now that the dog has shown that he will bite, and will mean it, you have a few choices.
One is keep the dog and don't, under any circumstances, allow him to interact with any people who are not you and your partner. Do not try to see if he's better, or assume he likes so-and-so. People come over, this dog is in a crate, in a locked room, and no introductions are made, ever, for any reason. When you walk him, or take him anywhere, he needs to, again with no exceptions, be muzzled.
Don't let anyone tell you that with some tasty yummy treats, you will be able to make this dog safe around strangers. The risk is just huge.
Or you return him to the rescue group, with full disclosure. While they may foster him to adopt him out again, odds are they will euthanize him.
The fact that he's 90 pounds, means that if he bites again, he has a good chance of permanently injuring someone, or worse.
Do you guys rent or own? Owning this dog, going forward, could make a devastating impact on your finances if you own, or ability to find a rental if you do rent.
My partner thinks this would be a massive trauma for the dog, he was very unhappy and stressed at the rescue. My partner also thinks it would be a disservice to any future adopters as we are not sure if the rescue would fully disclose things to future adopters.
I understand what your partner is saying, but the bottom line is, a dog who bit under those circumstances, especially a big dog, is just a huge liability to keep on as a pet.
You guys have to weigh that. Keep the dog and understand the risks of keeping the dog, and what you need to do to keep everyone safe, or return the dog to rescue, feel awful about it, but don't lose your home or your apartment over it.