Feeling really sad

We have 2 dogs that we bought as puppies 3 and a half years ago. One of them is the most placid, beautiful animal. Everybody loves him. The other one we have had continual aggression problems with. We have truly done everything we can, and though she has improved slightly, she is what I'd consider a dangerous dog. I know its nothing we have done, we have treated both dogs the same but sadly this one is just trouble. She has anxiety which triggers the aggression

I have been thinking for some time now about having her euthanized. This has been so hard for me to accept. I love animals. I don't believe in putting pets down because they are inconvenient. If you get a pet, its for life. But I'm starting to get anxiety about my girl. We can't take her anywhere. She will attack another animal or person if not controlled. She hasn't, because we control her, but I don't think I have the capabilities*to control her anymore, not with a baby to care for.

And the other dog misses out because we avoid doing things like taking them to the beach because its not enjoyable. I want to be able to go out as a family with our pet and not worry about making sure we are at least 100 metres away from anyone, because if we get too close she starts growling and barking, really aggressively. We can't put the dogs in a kennel, because they get protective of each other and are completely unapproachable (the other dog behaves perfectly when the other is not around). So we can't go away on holidays. When people come over we have to lock her away because she is crazy towards them.

I wish she could be the placid, friendly, cuddly dog to visitors as she is to us. In all honesty I'm not worried about how she is with DS, she has been great! No signs of jealousy or aggression even on the first day we brought DS home. She was gentle.

I don't know where I am really going with this, or what I want you to say. I just don't have the heart to not have her. :(

:( could you put an ad out or give her to the pound to be rehomed instead and make sure to let them know she can be aggressive because of her anxiety? Maybe they can work with her or give her to an experienced owner with no other pets.

I hear how sad you are in your post and how much you dont want to do it. Im sorry you are in a position to have to make such an impossible decision. :hug:

I don't think so. It is really cruel to take her away from the family she has grown up with and loves.

We paid $450 to have a dog trainer that specialises in anxiety aggression, he said she was very disturbed :(

:( poor pup.

Sometimes the best thing to do is the hardest. Taking her to the pound is likely to result in her being put down anyway, unless someone is prepared to take her on with her issues that will need a lot of work. I don't believe that these places (RSPCA included) rehabilitate & rehome every single dog that comes in. If she is aggressive towards people any animals, I don't like her chances. Same goes for rehoming her yourself. Im probably all doom & gloom in comparison to some but I tend to think I am realistic also.


I have an older dog who has become aggressive towards other dogs, she is also struggling with the weather here in cairns. I hate the idea but I also feel we are being cruel making her struggle through it, like you we can't take her for walks etc as its a very popular area for people to walk their dogs. She also has an old injury that leaves her sore & she did not respond to the medication to help with that. Its not an easy choice.

Lady-neon - that sounds really hard :(
What kind of training did the trainer do? (some training techniques can really aggravate aggression). It is possible that she is genetically flawed and wouldn't respond to training, but its also possible she could respond well to different training techniques, especially if combined with medication which calms the dog to actually allow the training to work.

:( That sounds like such a sad and horrible situation to be in. Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is to do the hardest thing. For the dog trainer to say she is very disturbed is so very sad, I cant even begin to imagine the fear and emotions your dog must experience on a daily basis. You have been giving her the greatest quality of life and it sounds like she is a part of your family, you love her unconditionally. Im so sorry that you are in such a hard position :hug:

I know what we need to do. But I can't do it. We got her 2 months after we got married.

The training did work, she responded well, but not enough. She is better than she used to be. But honestly, its only a matter of time that we lose concentration and she attacks someone.

DH said he wants to get another dog as our big boy will be lonely. But no way can I replace her. Like, sorry, you're a bit annoying so I'm getting a better dog. Can't do it.

Calluna, it's not possiible to rehome an aggressive dog sadly and a pound or rspca would definitely not do it. Very sorry ln you are in this position, it must be horrible :hug:.

:hug: lots of these. You poor thing :hug:

Even if she was rehomable, I just don't think anyone could love her the way we do. She is a great little friend :(

What breed is your girl?

I only ask, as certain breed specific Rescue services will take on a dog with aggression/anxiety issues and work closely with a behaviorist/trainer in giving the dog its best possible chance of re-homing.

Friends of ours did this with their Staffordshire Bull Terrier who suffered severe anxiety which resulted in aggression toward other people and animals. They too had someone come out to their home which did help initially, but in the long term they were unable to maintain and provide the dedication required to look after their boy. They did their homework and knew that most shelters (rspca lost dogs home etc) would not re-home a dog with so many issues, so they spoke to the ppl at Stafford Rescue Victoria. They took on the dog with all his issues and after 8 months of intense training and behaviorist involvement as well as medication he was eventually re-homed with a family that was able to dedicate their time to what was considered a "high needs" dog. He has been with his new family for over 2 years now, and is a completely different dog.... so whilst i understand that you think no-one could ever love your girl the was you guys do, I do think you owe it to her to at least look at every available option available and give both her and a potentially new family the chance to love her.

Good luck with your decision hun - I know how hard it must be for you all :hug:

Such a tough decision for you to make, and one only you can make.

Big :hug: