Aggression. There are two forms of aggression... dogs that are aggressive because they are mentally ill and dogs that are aggressive because someone beat them, abused them, neglected them or trained them that way.
Aggression is NEVER NEVER NEVER fixable. Manageable and trainable YES but not fixable.
Taking an aggressive dog and simply finding it a new home doesn't change the fact the dog is aggressive. Actually the dog will be come more aggressive with every change.
You have two options with an aggressive dog. TWO OPTIONS ONLY!
#1. Hire a trainer and work with the issues of aggression. Much easier for a dog that isn't mentally ill.
#2. Humanely euthanize your dog.
END OF STORY. Don't say but what about the perfect home where there are no children, no other dogs, ect. Ok, yes there maybe such a home but how many? And how many that are OK with taking in a dog with known aggression... slim to none. If you don't want the dog then why would anyone else? If you are afraid the dog will hurt someone, aren't you afraid the dog will hurt someone in the new home?
I have received SO MANY emails in the past two weeks about aggressive dogs. It is so overwhelming. One person actually called me crying hysterically. I felt so bad for her, her dog was 2 years old and just not nice. She was having him put to sleep that day and really didn't want to. After speaking with her I really believe putting him to sleep was the best option. The dog was mentally ill.
The one thing I am starting to notice about all these emails lately... they are all from Columbus area and the dogs were purchased from a man living on a farm who breeders JRT's. "They don't have papers" the people keep saying to me. Like the fact they don't have papers means the guy is doing a good thing??? Not that papers mean a lot anyways. People tend to forget that AKC registration only means someone paid money to the AKC to get a "registration number" AKC IS A FOR PROFIT organization. They don't care how much a breeder breeds, the conditions the dogs live in or who the puppies are breed to. It isn't like they do DNA testing to make sure you are telling the truth of who the parents are. They simply want your money! Sorry I digressed.
So my point is I really think there is someone out there breeding aggressive JRT's in the Columbus area. The mother and father are probably also brother and sister... hence the huge aggression issues.
Why why why do people buy from backyard breeders??
Can you believe my friend Kelly spent all day Saturday going from shelter to shelter and ended up going home, checking the news paper and buying a puppy from some back yard GSD breeder in Grafton Ohio.
I wanted to kill her. I told her she was an idiot and I am pretty mad at her. I just don't know what to do any more. I can't seem to get through to my own friends.
It isn't like I am sitting hear preaching about God or politics. Everyone has different views on this... it is FACT 7 million dogs die every year because there are too many dogs in this world. 7 million NOT AGGRESSIVE dogs are dieing.
Now don't get me wrong, I have had friends get dogs from breeders but SHOW BREEDERS. That doesn't bother me. It is the idiot backyard breeders that really piss me off and the pet stores.
I guess there is nothing I am going to be able to do to change the mind of selfish people. They don't care what the results of their actions are. They want a dog / puppy so they buy one from the first person they find. They don't want to take responsibility for their aggressive dog so dump it because it is easier then putting it to sleep.
Can you believe I actually had a lady argue with me all weekend that putting to sleep a suffering animal was not right. She said that mentally or physically ill and in pain she would not put to sleep an animal. She actually compared it to her family suffering from migraines. She said she wouldn't want someone putting her to sleep because she suffers from migraines.
I replied back to her saying that if someone owns an animal that is suffering physically and the only way to stop the suffering is to put the animal to sleep and they don't, they can be charged with animal cruelty and sentenced to prison time. I haven't heard back from her.. LOL!!
Sorry, I am feeling a little overwhelmed with all these emails of aggressive dogs lately. Just feel bad for the people and most of all I am worried about the dogs. I have nightmares of people taking their aggressive dogs to the pound and then having them adopted by people who train dogs to fight. Small dogs are used as bait dogs to teach the dogs to fight. It is horrific!
UGH! I feel sick to my stomach!
8 comments:
I just found your blog the other night, totally by accident. You are doing so much for these dogs, and I know they all appreciate it. Both my dogs are rescues, and I've always steered my friends in that direction, but I have one friend who keeps buying puppy mill dogs. Errgh!
Please don't give up or let stupid people get you down.
I have a JRT that my husband and I took in. We were his FOURTH owners in 2 weeks. His family (and I don't even know if this was his original family or not) was taking him to the SPCA, but he got away and bolted. A guy that was going in to get a dog helped the lady catch him and she said he could have the dog.
That horrible man took the dog for a week, then turned him loose in a rainstorm because "I wanted a dog that would just sit with me off leash." Because the bolting wasn't a clue that he would do just that, huh?
One of our friends found the poor dog huddled under some stairs at his apartment complex and took him in, but he already had 2 big dogs in a tiny apartment. I worked with his girlfriend and once I heard about him, my husband and I went to get him that weekend. He's curled up next to me right now, and hopefully doesn't remember the nightmare of all that 3 years ago.
Thank you for all that you do.
Please read and post if you wish or not. I would prefer to correspond through email, if you should feel the need to respond to me. But, I really am not the one you need to respond to.
I have a blog that runs live on the Herald Dispatch website called "Fighting Dog abuse." I have trained dogs for 30 yrs. 3 principles - SAR, Therapy and cadaver. I am also a retired Nationally and WV's only Internationally Certified Master Groomer. Just to give you a little info on myself. You talked to a very dear friend of mine whose Aunt has a JRT x that needs a home. You totally misunderstood her. The dog is not people aggressive! Just dog aggressive. She doesn't need put down, as you suggested. I read all the emails from you to her. You were pretty rude, by the way. She is a lover to people, just a hater to other dogs. She tried to tell you that, but you seemed not to listen. Again, I read the emails. He needs a home with no other animals. She wanted help from you, not the rudeness and sarcasm she got. Do you treat all the people that come to you for help the way you treated her? I certainly hope not. Ms. Weitzle, here is part of the email that was sent to you from her and I quote:
"she'll truly harm one of my cats, or dog. I've contacted all local vets and shelters, and they all told us to have her put to sleep, but we really think that if someone caring, without any other pets, would take her into her heart, they'd love her a much as we have." Where is it that she is people aggressive, she is not. She has chased 2 people in her whole existence and nipped at an ankle, but never, never hurt anyone, and wouldn't. She just needs to know her place in the order of the household. She is a dominant little JRT mix. I am not trying to start a blog war, where you post negative things on my blog and I post back on yours. I was asked to contact you to explain. I have the entire email conversation from the one from Kristy and all the ones from you. She just needed help for the little dog. If you change your mind, her email is: kiki28150@aim.com. My email is: tamara25537@c4ui2u.com. I am not trying to harass you, I just felt you didn't quite understand what was being told to you. Thank you for your time. Dr. Tamara Myers-White
Tamara - First of all if you have my email address because your friend forwarded the entire email conversation then why did you post on my blog? Because you wanted to start something.
Secondly. As I explained to your friend I was responding to her very quickly and say probably came off as short and I apologized to her for that. I was a little busy that weekend trying to get the wedding invitations mailed out. Completely devastated over a sick puppy that I had at the vet. The puppy has already been through $2,500 worth of surgery and now was sick with parvo. The end result was another $600 vet bill but she made it. PLUS I was dealing with the 100,000 worth of construction on my house that was starting PLUS I was dealing with the fact I HAD (key word there) 9 puppies that may have been exposed to parvo. I did loose one so today and the other 8 are at the vet as we speak. So, I have $500 into 9 puppies, $400 plus into one dead one and it will cost me $100 per day per puppy at the vet office. Today (Sunday) being day one... they are closed on Sunday so extra charge for brining them in today.
So, yes I will admit I was short with your friend.
Your friend couldn't seem to understand that an aggressive dog is sometimes mentally ill and it is not fair to the animal nor right to simply find a dog a new home because you can't deal with the issues... either mental (like aggression) or health.
As I explained to your friend if she is not willing to work with the dog because she is fearful the dog will hurt someone then it is best to put the dog to sleep nicely. My fear is the dog will end up dieing alone, confused, in pain from abuse or worse. To me putting to sleep a dog nicely is WAY better of an option. Your friend also said to me that if a dog was in physical pain with no way to relieve that pain she would NOT put it to sleep. That is animal cruelty and a person who allows that to happen knowingly can, has and will be tried for animal cruelty and depending on the judge could get jail time.
I haven't heard from her since until you now a week later posting on my blog.
If you are a dog trainer for more then 30 years then why don't you help her? I am not trying to be rude just asking a question. I did suggest to her to hire a trainer.
And I did not miss understand her. Her very first email to me said the dog chased a women down the street. She then said the dog wasn't people aggressive???!! She also said that she is afraid of what the dog might do to her cat or other dog. That is NOT dominance that is aggression.
What exactly do you think rescue people do? We have these dogs live in our homes with OUR families, OUR dogs, OUR cats. We are a volunteer not for profit organization. NOT A SHELTER. We have absolutely no place to put a dog that is animal aggressive or people aggressive. If a dog that we pull from the shelter turns out to be aggressive it is humanely euthanized. I am not #1 going to take a dog that is aggressive from an owner and just put it to sleep. That to me is animal cruelty. Rip an animal from the only loving home it has ever known and the end result is to put it down. UGH! Can't handle that. #2. I will NOT be responsible for adopting out a dog that is aggressive and have it hurt someone. I have seen other people and friends who had to deal with an aggressive dog either through buying a backyard breeder/puppy mill/pet store puppy or from getting it through a rescue that wasn't up front. NO WAY! I am sorry that is a heart ache I wish on no one.
Now, in the case of your dear friends Aunt. She was unfortunately dealt a bad hand with the puppy. She has done more then most people by keeping the dog for 7 years. That is much more then most people would do. However, the dog is not a candidate to be rehomed. I know she doesn't want to hear that and I know she doesn't want to listen to anyone or take advice as to what to do but I am sorry sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. I know, I had to put to sleep my little Ruger because of aggression. I miss him every day. But as my vet said he was living his entire life in a state of panic and fear. Would you want to live like that?
I do not delete people's comments to my blog as everyone has an opinion good or bad and to each their own. I would greatly apprecite it however since you have my email address that if you want to personally attack me that you email me. Also, you spelled my name wrong.
Ok, I need to vent. If people don't want to hear the truth don't ask me. the crazy lady that doesn't believe in putting down dogs has her friend contact me and when I respond to her friend she gets all self righteous on me. OMG! LEAVE ME ALONE! I don't need your head ache. You asked for my advice, I gave it to you and the same advice you have received everywhere else yet I am the bad guy. OMG!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Ok, I feel a little better... maybe.
I Have a Dog, whom I have to put to sleep..the Most Loveable ,Caring Dog and protective Dog. She is Aggressive towardss mainly smaller animals passing by. Natural as she is Greyhound/German Shepard Mix. I first got her from the League 4 yrs ago when she was 2 yrs old. A guy with a dog passed by and she jumped up our screen window pushing it out and going after and biting the dog. We thought it was a territorial thing, being she just moved in. Well 4 yrs later a woman walked by with her dog, mine was on a stake..she lunged and pulled the stake out and went to go bite the dog..but the lady grabbed her dog, and my dog ended up biting the woman instead. Well..i live in a community, and am told she has to leave. Not One Shelter Or rescue place will take her because she was found to be aggressive. I was willing to take her for training, if given a chance, but it is too late. So now..a Healthy Dog has to get put to sleep. It is the hardest thing to do. I've searched everywhere for a place for her. Very hearbreaking, as this was my first dog. She needs to be out by May 16th, howver by Monday we are going to set up an appointment for her. I wish, when Leagues give Pets to people they tell you about the Mix, and agression and stuff. i don't believe no one did not know about it.
Pegasus Haven -
Oh I am so sorry to hear what has happened to you. That is horrible. Did you try contacting the rescue / league where you got her??
You are a prime example why I am so strict with the aggressive dog issue. People want to have a dog to love and play with, not worry when it will stike next.
Something must have happened to her to make sure so aggressive towards other dogs. I know one of the GSD traits is to be aggressive but I don't know about Grey hounds.. I didn't think they were.
I am so sorry.
Please do contact the place you got her from.. they need to know what they did and how heartbreaking it is for you.
Just remember, she will be waiting for you on the other side.
I had to put down two of my beloved dogs yesterday. My compound is not gated so they came to my home. They were mongrels and I loved them every bit. I cried the whole day and I am still feeling sad because I took them to the vet. I had no choice because I couldn't control them.
Yes, it is partly my fault for not being able to train them probably but mostly it is due to the abused they suffered when they were puppies. I live in a "kampung" or village where my neighbours think that casting stones upon dogs are okay. Also, some people of certain race thinks it is okay to teach their young to bark at dogs. I am really pissed with all these people but any action I take always gets a reaction and I am the evil one on both sides.
As I write this, I have two more strays that have decided to stay at my compound. It makes it my responsibility. They people here have the mentality that discarding puppies at the market is setting them free. OMG, have they ever used their brains that the local council shoots the puppies or that the puppies may go hungry. F***, sorry about my language, but how do I educate dumbasses like these.
I live in a country where it is okay to have 50cats in one home but not more than 2 dogs. For dogs, it is shoot on sight.
In the end, I console myself that putting my dogs down were more humane that to let them suffer more abuse. I have 4 more dogs of my own left and I have to be cruel not to be cruel by caging or tying them up. Mind you, when my other two dogs were around, it would be wrong even to let them loose at 2am. I stay up to 6.30am so that I can let them run but then we hav idiots who decide to take a walk around 3am.
Thank you for posting my comments, it has been more than a week since I have put down my dogs. It doesn't make it any easier for me. Every time, I see their photos/videos, tears just flow freely. For every one else around the community, they are much happier, for me I can't let go. Sometimes I wish I could take their place. I guess their trust for me and my love for them made it more difficult as I was the one who took them there.
You are doing a great job and I really admire your strength and courage. Keep up the good work. Thank you for your blog. It helps to know that my dogs are in a better place now.
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