My dog attacks other dogs. What can I do to avoid euthanasia?

No, euthanasia is not the only option for Reo. I would recommend speaking to your vet about enrolling him in with a professional behavioral expert. Sometimes aggression can be trained, and I would give him that chance first before putting him to sleep. I would also recommend neutering him, as that can reduce some aggressive behaviors as well.

I'm so sorry about Thor. If training hasn't worked and he's still biting, especially without warning, he cannot be rehomed. I get where you are at with this. I had a Basset Hound I adored. He started getting crankier, and snapped at my kids a couple of times. Then one day, he bit my son in the face right next to his eye. If he had gotten his eye, my son could have been blind. As much as it hurt me to do it, I put him to sleep because my kids' safety was most important. I couldn't live with myself if he disfigured one of my kids. It's a hard hard decision, but in his case, putting him to sleep may be what is best for your family. I'm sorry.

Wow, this is very tough. Unprovoked aggression is very serious, especially since it was so bad that Ryder died. The big problem here is that you don't know what caused it, and that means this could happen again any time without warning. I'm very concerned about your baby, and what if he went after your newborn? Things like that have happened before, and you have to ask yourself do you trust him anymore? Would you trust him around your newborn? Could you live with yourself if he attacked your newborn? If you cannot answer yes to these questions, then honestly euthanizing is the best option. Trust me, I get how hard this is. I recently put my dog down for aggression against our kids. He was an anxious dog, and it was getting worse. He become protective over his bed, and one day when our back was turned, he bit our son in the face right next to his eye. A few millimeters over, and he would have gotten our son's eye. I could not trust him anymore, and had to put the safety of our kids first. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, he was only four. I get your despair, but you have to put your baby first. I hope this helps.

I'm so sorry that you're in this position! Behavior problems like this can be heartbreaking for everyone involved, and you're correct that the unpredictable nature of the aggression makes Jack much more dangerous to manage. I do believe that euthanasia can be a reasonable option in cases like these, even though this decision may be very difficult. If you want a professional opinion to help you make a decision, I would recommend consulting with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Jack in person. He/she can give you a much better idea of the risks involved in working with him and trying to manage him safely, as well as an opinion on the prognosis for significant improvement. Your vet should be able to help you find the nearest veterinary specialist in this field, generally at a referral center or teaching hospital, if this is something that you decide you want to do.

You are facing a difficult decision. You need to consider your family’s safety first. Also the more you isolate Days the less enjoyable her life is. She can’t be placed with another family and you have done a good job trying to have her settle in but it has not worked. Unfortunately I do think having her humanely euthanized is the correct decision in this circumstance. While every life is precious we need to make tough decisions to protect others. She could cause life threatening injuries to you, your dogs and family or someone else and you would be liable since you’re aware of this aggressive behavior. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

First of all, I am so very sorry this happened. It's an awful place to be in. The short answer is that euthanasia is the only way to ensure your son is safe from being bit by Duke again. Big dogs can seriously hurt or kill children in a moment. Many dogs won't bite but Duke chose to. He probably had a good reason (pinched, anxiety, etc, etc), but the problem is he'll probably have a good reason again (because kids stay kids for a long long time). If you decide you want to keep him, I would very strongly recommend an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist (not a trainer or non-vet behaviorist) to talk about management and treatment for aggression. Your vet can help you find one. While you're deciding, do not allow Duke to be with any children, supervise or unsupervised. This is not a punishment, it's for both of their safety. Duke will always be a risk for your son now and you have to decide if you can accept that responsibility. It's a horrible decision to have to make, but you have to protect your child. Again, my sincere condolences.

This is very concerning and potentially extremely dangerous for both pets and people in the household who may become seriously injured, Skullee is extremely powerful and this situation must be handled carefully. All cases of aggressive behavior are concerning and should not be managed without the input of a professional behaviorist; a house visit would be recommended in order to assess all trigger factors and develop management plan. Rehoming to an environment where she is the only dog is worthy of consideration but any new owner must be made aware of the inter-dog aggression in order to safely walk and exercise her