My dog bites. Are there other options besides putting him down?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear you are going through this with Horus. If you have not tried behavioral training or anti-anxiety drugs, I would speak with a veterinarian before making the decision to put him down. I've had a couple of cases where the owners were at their wit's end and as a last ditch effort, I prescribed a combination of anti-anxiety medications and had them start behavioral training. After 3-6 months of this combination, I saw a drastic reduction in the aggression that the owners had reported. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Zeus! Owner-directed aggression is a complex behavioral issue that we really can't evaluate properly in a forum like this, so I would recommend getting in touch with a canine behaviorist in your area who can evaluate Zeus in person. He/she can give you a realistic assessment of your options (keeping Zeus and working with him vs. euthanasia), and will help you put together a detailed plan to work on his aggressive behavior if you decide to keep him. More information on finding a qualified expert in your area can be found here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

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.

Unless he can be rehomed in a house where be will have no exposure to other dogs, i would also strongly recommend euthanasia. The health and safety of your family, or any other care giver as well as other dogs he may meet really should be a priority. Unfortunately, with some dogs it is not worth the risk of injury to try and rehabilitate and retrain

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.

Hi there! With any dog that is biting, there is the potential for them to really harm someone, or even another dog. The advice I always give is to contact your local veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist ( a veterinarian who specializes in behavior). If this is not an option in your area, then your vet should be able to give you some recommendations for reputable trainers in your area. Working with a professional is the safest and best recommendation I can give. It is never a good idea to let a behavioral issue like biting go on for too long. And your friend should definitely make sure this dog has a rabies vaccine. There are many legal issues that can arise if this dog bites another person and breaks the skin. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

Hi there. I am so sorry about your situation. This is one of the worst things that can happen to a family pet. I have been there myself, and I know how difficult this type of decision can be. First, it is important to realize that this has always been somewhat of an issue. That it has suddenly gotten worse, with her old age, I always first check and make sure there aren't any health issues making the elderly petore uncomfortable and sensitive - arthritis, metabolic diseases, organ diseases, is she having trouble seeing, etc. In addition, it is important to realize that dogs, just like people, can become senile and/or suffer from dementia. This can stress them out a lot, and also make them hypersensitive to sounds, movements, and essentially anything sensory-related in the environment. In my opinion, when the mind goes it is one of the most difficult health issue of an elderly dog that we have to process. They may be physically fine, but mentally are just unable to function as they used to. This can cause bad habits to become magnified, like in your lady's case where she is snapping more often and even biting. This can of course become a dangerous situation as you have seen with needing stitches. Not to mention what could happen if a small child or animal were put in your position. I would set up a visit with her veterinarian. They can give you some alternative options before deciding on euthanasia, such as checking to see if she is sick in any way. From there, I think it's important to have a family meeting and decide if the benefits outweigh the risks of hee injuring someone else. In the meantime I would use caution if you have guests over and maybe keep her gated in her own area without anything she become possessive about. Also, be very certain her rabies vaccine is up to date. If she were to bite someone outside the family, you can have a lot of legal issues as a result. I can't imagine how hard this is for all of you. I think sitting down and having a very frank quality of life discussion, and discussing some alternatives with your veterinarian is the best way to go. There may or may not be much that can be done, but at least you will know 100% what your options are in your area before you have to make a very difficult decision.