Advice Needed : Agression

[Julie-at-home]

I have followed the advice I received here before as close as possible for me and my family. However, I am having major issues and I need some more advice. I spent the past two days making phone calls and talking to several Rottie Rescue groups. Their advice is not pretty. My 6 month old girl is becoming more and more dominant/aggressive towards my children each week. She was spayed last week, and it seems to be even worse since then. She is unpredictable and does not show any signals of distress (growling, showing teeth, posturing, etc) before she snaps, unprevoked. Yes, she is right at my side. My daughter leaned down to pet her 2 nights ago and she lashed out and bit her. The dog is not sick, she is not in any pain. She doesn't even pay a bit of attention to her stitches. This behavior started before the spay, but is getting worse. There have been several other incidents. I am right there with her at my side. She layed down beside my son, who was playing game cube, and he reached over to pet her and she snarled and tried to bite him. she had a chewy and, I think, was protecting it. However, we can't live like this. My children have so many rules about the dog that they certainly don't enjoy her. I have spent hours going into great detail about our situation with several Rottie Rescues and I am being told that this is not normal Rottie behavior, that we are doing nothing wrong, and that I should not keep her. One woman, who I will not name but will say has rescued over 1000 Rotties and has received many awards, told me to have her put down immediately. She said she has inherited aggression, which is not fixable, and she is not adoptable. And she said no one is to blame but the breeder. By the way, I took this girl in when her original owner "couldn't keep her due to a move" at 12 weeks of age. I thought I was doing the right thing by saving her, and that I got her young enough that I could raise her correctly. I am being told there is nothing I can do to change an inherited aggression. The others I spoke with had little advice, but told me I should not keep her, due to the danger. I love this dog. I am so confused and I don't know what to do. We have worked so hard to do everything we can to raise her right and prevent this kind of thing from happening. The children are not to blame. I have kept her at my side for weeks now, as advised. It is so unpredictale that is was not preventable, unless no one goes near her, because there was nothing that happened to cause the snapping. Yes, she broke skin and punctured my daughter's hand. She is scared to death of this dog now. She was seen by the vet before the spay, there is nothing "physically" wrong with her. It does not make sense to me either.

[Obelix]

I recommand you to listen to the advice given by the rescue-lady.Sometimes a dog can be bad-wired.Not giving any warning-sign is not normal.I do believe you love the dog but I also believe that your children come at the first place.Don't take any risk no longer and do what is neccesary to protect your children.(I posted once a link to pics of dog bites.Do a search ,look at these pics and you will be convinced of the need to PTS your dog.It is hard to do but bitten children are much worser)

[RottsNScotts]

It appears that you need to listen to the people you have been speaking to for the past two days and hours you have spent going into great detail about the situation and, if she cannot be returned to the breeder, put her down. And yes, immediately.

This is NOT typical Rottie behavior, is dangerous to your children AND threatens our whole breed.

[harleychik66]

As hard as the decision may be, I feel the best thing to do would be to put her down. The behaviors your girl is showing are definately not normal. I spent years trying to work/correct behavior in a dog that behaved much as yours does. When you don't know why they react it is hard to work on a correction.

Someone on this site once said a dog should be a joy to own. Your girl is not that. She has bit your daughter once. No rescue will take a dog that has a bite history. If you feel you have done everything you can than yes PTS.

[alice's mommy]

I feel so bad for you! Whatever you decide, the decision will be a hard one. Remember, though, your children come first and if their safety is in question, there should be no question that you need to find some way to keep them safe.

[Mavides]

Have you taken her to any training classes? If I were you, I would search for a reputable trainer with LOTS of Rottweiler experience and have them come to your house to observe the behavior in person. Personally, I don't think anyone should be giving advice to put a dog down in a situation like this without seeing the problem firsthand. Perhaps their advice will be the same...but I don't think it's fair to the dog to make a decision without consulting a professional in person first.

[Julie-at-home]

I agree. I am so torn. Part of me feels like I am responsible to make sure that this dog does not bite anyone, ever again. And part of me thinks, there has to be SOMEone out there that can either help me help her, or take her and keep her and train her themselves. I have called a few trainers. Their advice was weak. We can't seperate our family pet from the family indefinately. That defeats the purpose of being a family pet in the first place. If that's the only way to help her, then she needs to be with an experienced person that can live with her and train her in a way that I can not. Also, no one I talked to (trainers, that is) is really experienced with rotties. The trainer of our obedience class said he was trained in dog aggression, but when I tried to talk to him, it was a waste of time. ("don't let your kids run through the house.") If Michael Vick's dogs, that were bred to be fighters, can be rehabilitated into THERAPY dogs, why can't anyone help me with my girl so that she can live with us? I was SHOCKED when a rescue person told me to put her down. Like she is disposable. It breaks my heart, esp when I look down at her and here she is, peacfully at my side. But I know if it happened before (snapping), it will happen again, and I can't take that chance. Where can I find someone that will give her a chance?

[moz205]

I lived with a dog who had "rage". This guy could be the perfect pet but on the other side, without warning he would attack. I also had a young child in the house. My son didn't get to enjoy Rommel (as he does Buddy) and I was always vigilant in watching him around anyone. I was the one responsible for making sure safety was number one and I had him for 13 years. It did pose problems such as locking him up when someone was over, not taking many vacations etc. Although he was very tolerant of my son and never once showed him aggression, it was always in my mind. There was no rosy picture of a young boy with his dog. If I knew then what I know now about rage (and raising a Rottie), would I have taken those chances- not sure. I adored this dog and had him before marriage and children. It's definitely a big decision but I was able to manage him so he stayed. Honestly, I don't think I could do it again though.

[Julie-at-home]

harleychik, what is PTS?

[Shelby427]

Originally Posted by Julie-at-home

harleychik, what is PTS?

Julie, PTS = put to sleep

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by Julie-at-home

I agree. I am so torn. Part of me feels like I am responsible to make sure that this dog does not bite anyone, ever again. And part of me thinks, there has to be SOMEone out there that can either help me help her, or take her and keep her and train her themselves. I have called a few trainers. Their advice was weak. We can't seperate our family pet from the family indefinately. That defeats the purpose of being a family pet in the first place. If that's the only way to help her, then she needs to be with an experienced person that can live with her and train her in a way that I can not. Also, no one I talked to (trainers, that is) is really experienced with rotties. The trainer of our obedience class said he was trained in dog aggression, but when I tried to talk to him, it was a waste of time. ("don't let your kids run through the house.") If Michael Vick's dogs, that were bred to be fighters, can be rehabilitated into THERAPY dogs, why can't anyone help me with my girl so that she can live with us? I was SHOCKED when a rescue person told me to put her down. Like she is disposable. It breaks my heart, esp when I look down at her and here she is, peacfully at my side. But I know if it happened before (snapping), it will happen again, and I can't take that chance. Where can I find someone that will give her a chance?

Where did you get her from as a puppy? At what age? Have you called the breeder and talked to them? Will they take her back? You live in the puppy mill capitol of the US, I have a feeling she is poorly bred...and comes from BYB or a mill.

I would try to see if you can get a behaviorist or a trainer in to see what is happening with her behavior. At 6 months of age, there is still hope.

If you can find a qualified home (with no kids) and that has experience with aggressive dogs, maybe you can re-home her. Not many people (even if qualified) want a "project dog".

If you cannot get the help you need, or find her a suitable home...then euthanasia is the kindest thing to do.

Very true about a dog being a pleasure to own...not a pain.

Gina

[Julie-at-home]

I got her from a man that said he couldnt keep her anymore because he was moving out of state and couldnt have a pet with him. I know it was lame. That's kind of why I took her. She was only 12 weeks old, I thought I could take her in and raise her correctly and all would be bliss by the time she was 1-2 years old. I looked at her as my little rescued rottie. No info on the breeder. Just that he picked her from the "cheaper litter". I assumed that, a lot of times with recue dogs, you have no idea what you are getting into, and at least she was very young. I honestly thought that good owners have good dogs. She is obedient for me. Maybe she needs to live with adults only? The rescues wont take her. Should I try rehoming her myself? How liable am I if she ends up biting someone, even if I tell the person from the beginning of her history? Is it immoral to give away a dog that has bitten? Or is it immoral to euthanise her without giving her another chance?

[Calin]

I wouldn't rehome her.

I think it's kinder to PTS than it would be to rehome her and risk someone else's safety.

[RottsNScotts]

Julie, you must also remember that your bitch is only going to grow bigger and stronger over time. Her next bite is not likely to be broken skin and a puncture but much, much worse.

[Julie-at-home]

But she's just a puppy. How do you ask me to kill my puppy? She loves me. I love her. This is so unbelievably painful.