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My dog killed another dog. Should I euthanize him for safety?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 1 month old | 60 lbs

I'm just seeking some advice. My dog Remus recently attacked my other dog, Ryder, out of nowhere. They have grown up together and have always been with each other. Remus caused major injuries, ultimately resulting in Ryder's death. I'm completely lost and dont know how to handle this situation. I'm 8 months pregnant, and everyone is telling me to euthanize Remus due to this random aggressive behavior. He has shown no aggression towards me since the incident. Desperately dont want to euthanize.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 8th, 2019

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.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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