Aggressive Dogs - What do you do? Simply put, there are dogs with a few issues that can be fixed, and then there are dogs that are truly aggressive. They can be severely aggressive with other dogs and animals, with humans or both. All rescues get asked to take dogs with aggression issues. They have bite histories. Their owners are at wits end, and they feel they would much rather surrender their dog to a rescue rather than put the dog down. Most rescues I know, do not take in truly aggressive dogs with bite histories. I will speak for myself, in saying that, I will not take in a truly aggressive dog, as not only is it a liability, but just because I am a rescue, doesn’t mean I have a magic wand to change this dog. I don’t have a magic wand, and neither, I can guarantee, does anyone else, unless you’re a fairy God Mother. O.K., maybe Ceaser Millan can turn around a SMALL handful of aggressive dogs, but I sure can’t, and I would bet my last dime that you can’t either. Now, let us define aggressive first of all. There are dogs that have a bit of an “attitude”, and dogs that may be “fear biters”. There is a big difference between a dog with a bit of an attitude or a fear biter versus a dog who is truly aggressive towards humans and other animals. What about calling in a dog trainer to help with your aggressive dog? I say, that is a good idea, but be sure to get many many references and do your homework!! Google the name, google everything you can find on the internet about that trainer before inviting them into your home to charge you hundreds and even thousands of dollars to “rehabilitate” your dog. Good dog trainers are few and far between. I have met and heard of so many dog trainers that have zero qualifications, yet they charge customers mega money, have wonderful websites and talk a great talk.....and are as intelligent and dog savvy as an African Tree Frog. Most importantly, IF you are going to hire a dog trainer to help “fix” your aggressive dog or dog with issues, under NO CIRCUMSTANCE should you ever send your dog away with a trainer to his/her house, office, training centre or facility and let them deal with the dog. If you are going to consult with a trainer, have the trainer come to your home, or you go WITH the dog and do the training TOGETHER with your dog. Never ever drop your dog off with a trainer for a day, a week, two weeks, a month etc. etc. If a trainer asks that you give him your dog, and is offering to take it to his/her training centre to work with it, that is a huge red flag. Get rid of that trainer immediately. I am sure that most of you read about Craig Wright in 2011, from Oshawa, Ontario, who was a self-proclaimed dog trainer that was charged with many counts of animal cruelty. He would take people’s dogs to his “training centre” to “rehabilitate them. He was found guilty on several counts of animal cruelty, however, before he was finally caught and charged, so many dogs in his care either died or were horribly abused. What he was doing with those dogs to “correct” their behavior was unthinkable. Here are a couple of links for you to read: durhamregion/news-story/4323863-oshawa-dog-trainer-convicted-of-animal-cruelty/ thespec/news-story/2160744-dog-trainer-charged-with-animal-cruelty/ At this time, there is, I believe, another self-proclaimed dog trainer on the loose in Ontario. Evidence is mounting. This individual only takes aggressive dogs, with bite histories, and claims he can fix them. At this time, he has in his care approx. 25 to 30 dogs. In the past he has charged customers hundreds of dollars to “fix” their aggressive dogs at his training centre. The owner’s get their dogs back and of course, are not fixed of their aggression. Too bad, so sad, you paid the money, I tried is what he tells them. Not only are the dogs not fixed of their aggression, and they never would be to begin with, the dogs are coming back with visible wounds, scars, cowering, peeing uncontrollably and extremely fearful on top of being aggressive. So what do you do if you have a truly aggressive dog with bite histories? The kindest thing you can do is to humanely euthanize the dog. Don’t pass that dog onto someone else, or try to pass it on to a rescue or send it to a shelter. Man up, do the right thing and euthanize the dog at your vet’s office. As a rescue person, I have had to put down a few number of very aggressive dogs. Nobody likes to euthanize a dog, but when you have a dog that is so aggressive it is going to be a liability, a dog you just can’t adopt out or you just know is not going to be able to be turned around, do the right thing and euthanize the dog. Far worse things can happen to a dog than to be euthanized. Far worse things can happen, and do happen. Kimberly
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 20:19:05 +0000
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