For the members that don't know, my grand-puppies were a purebred Rottie and a half Dogo Argentina/AM Bully. The Rottie was the problem, she was highly reactionary, highly visual, highly aggressive, high drive and almost no Off Switch. Walking her was a nightmare, but it fell to me after my daughter's car accident and when she moved in with us, my home became a jail. Windows were blocked up, steel gates installed to make it possible to enter the front door hallway. Everyone was on edge all the time.
I have rotator cuff damage on my right side due to Bella wheeling around to attack a man who had come up silently behind us when we were taking a midnight walk. He was lucky....it could have been really bad, but we got her back under control. The mailman...saved only because of his training (we lost our mail service for a couple of weeks and were visited by animal control.) The neighbour who came in to play cards and had negotiated coming in at the gate and then she attacked him in the living room. No Warning. And she knew him. My step-son (partly his fault) came in wearing a big helmet into a dark hallway before the gate went up and Bella thought he was a bad man and attacked biting him in the face. (He'd Been Warned Not To Come In With The Helmet On Because of Bella. He was to take it off and call to her letting her know it was him. He Didn't!) Add several dog attacks with injuries and money outlays. Add her pullling me down, dragging me, tripping me and straining my back. Five years...Two ACL operations...lots of money...lots of pain...Trainers...modification of schedules and walk areas...multiple moves...multiple interactions with the law. There was more, but...I can't remember it all....too much.
On the other side...My Grand-Puppy Loved Me So Much. She adored me. Every morning when they lived here, the two of them would charge into my bedroom and jump up on the bed trying to claim the best spots to get the most affection and petting. She could be so sweet. She could move your heart. I loved those mornings with at least 250 pounds of dog (mine included) trying to get the best kisses and love.
Long story short. I went to my daughter's home (now out-of-town) to dog sit while she was in Toronto for medical investigations. I had started to calm down. I'd walked them with no incident, though I did walk them separately. And I thought...okay, I can do this. Go to bed, and get through to the following evening and everything would be okay. So, at 10:20 that night, I took all three dogs (mine included) out on their leashes into the yard to have a final pee and poop. They all wandered around, but no peeing, so I walked to the front of the property to give them more time and they were all sniffing around a big tree no warning...just Bella, zero to 60 ripping the leash off my arm and wrist, it got hooked up on my rings and broke my knuckle and she was gone. Huddy broke loose too and went after his sister. Then the screaming started. An animal was screaming. A big man was trying to get his small dog up into his arms, but....
Well, you know what happened. I didn't see Bella bite the dog, but I heard the screams. I ran as fast as I could yelling at them, but before I could get there Huddy (white dog) I could see had grabbed the Pomeranian and was dragging it down out of the man's hands and then he latched on around its middle and shook it and shook it. The man and I were trying to break his grip. We both had our hands in his mouth trying to pry it open. And all the while Bella was circling around behind the man preparing to attack.
I finally yelled I was going to try something I had seen at the dog park, and I grabbed Huddy's tail at the base, got a good grip and thrust my thumb up his anus. He dropped the small dog like a rock and the poor thing ran off down the street. I couldn't believe it could run, but it did and the big man went after it. Bella didn't follow, but I'd been screaming and lashing Huddy with the leash. I think she didn't dare take me on after that. Gramma was the dangerous one now.
I was expecting the O.P.P. to show up with animal control to take my daughter's dogs, but no one came. I told my daughter's landlord right away. I called my daughter and between the two of us we convinced her to stay for her medical appointments, and then I waited. The landlord said he knew whose dog it was and he went and talked to them for an hour. The dog's fur obscured all the injuries, but Huddy's short white fur was covered with blood. It wasn't Huddy's blood. The following day they went to the vet's and they had to put the small dog under to do the examination and x-rays. A large area of fur had to be shaved off to treat the many wounds. The little dog had a broken jaw, and multiple deep wounds in his side and legs, but no other broken bones . I, of course, offered to pay for all the small dog's medical expenses. At present I've paid $680, but there are more bills coming.
You start to review what went wrong, and why Huddy got involved. He's never been the violent one, he's the sweet, funny one of the two, always looking for love and trying to kiss you to death. But, he recently lost one eye to cancer and his vision being impaired may have been part of it. I personally think that he thought his sister was in trouble and he went to rescue her...to back her up. And, perhaps, the memory of the attack he suffered by a large Shepherd the year before played into it somehow. I don't know. I do know this though, if it had just been Huddy, he would never have attacked. He might not ever have noticed the man and dog walking down the street, and if he had the worst that would have happened would have been that he would have dragged me there to meet the other dog.
The outcome, after 10 days of quarantine and much discussion was that Bella with all her violent ways and vicious behaviour was the real problem. After five years of trying we decided to have her put down so that Huddy stood a chance of being a good dog. That happened last Thursday with the two of us holding her and loving on her. She wasn't a bad dog, not really, she was just a damaged dog that had been abused so badly the first 6 months of her life that she would never be a safe or trainable dog. It was this or life as a junk yard dog, she could never be around humans or have human love and companionship. I couldn't do that to my grand-puppy. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. And my daughter with all her health issues was not equal to being able to really look after her and keep her out of trouble. She would always be a dangerous dog.
I know this is a long story, but two things I think matter. Don't beat yourself up if you have to make this decision. If you've tried everything and you can't reach a dog through training and love, then do what is best for everyone. Secondly, don't leave them to travel that road alone...stay with them and love them over the bridge and promise to see them again in a better place without all the fears and problems of this world.
I have rotator cuff damage on my right side due to Bella wheeling around to attack a man who had come up silently behind us when we were taking a midnight walk. He was lucky....it could have been really bad, but we got her back under control. The mailman...saved only because of his training (we lost our mail service for a couple of weeks and were visited by animal control.) The neighbour who came in to play cards and had negotiated coming in at the gate and then she attacked him in the living room. No Warning. And she knew him. My step-son (partly his fault) came in wearing a big helmet into a dark hallway before the gate went up and Bella thought he was a bad man and attacked biting him in the face. (He'd Been Warned Not To Come In With The Helmet On Because of Bella. He was to take it off and call to her letting her know it was him. He Didn't!) Add several dog attacks with injuries and money outlays. Add her pullling me down, dragging me, tripping me and straining my back. Five years...Two ACL operations...lots of money...lots of pain...Trainers...modification of schedules and walk areas...multiple moves...multiple interactions with the law. There was more, but...I can't remember it all....too much.
On the other side...My Grand-Puppy Loved Me So Much. She adored me. Every morning when they lived here, the two of them would charge into my bedroom and jump up on the bed trying to claim the best spots to get the most affection and petting. She could be so sweet. She could move your heart. I loved those mornings with at least 250 pounds of dog (mine included) trying to get the best kisses and love.
Long story short. I went to my daughter's home (now out-of-town) to dog sit while she was in Toronto for medical investigations. I had started to calm down. I'd walked them with no incident, though I did walk them separately. And I thought...okay, I can do this. Go to bed, and get through to the following evening and everything would be okay. So, at 10:20 that night, I took all three dogs (mine included) out on their leashes into the yard to have a final pee and poop. They all wandered around, but no peeing, so I walked to the front of the property to give them more time and they were all sniffing around a big tree no warning...just Bella, zero to 60 ripping the leash off my arm and wrist, it got hooked up on my rings and broke my knuckle and she was gone. Huddy broke loose too and went after his sister. Then the screaming started. An animal was screaming. A big man was trying to get his small dog up into his arms, but....
Well, you know what happened. I didn't see Bella bite the dog, but I heard the screams. I ran as fast as I could yelling at them, but before I could get there Huddy (white dog) I could see had grabbed the Pomeranian and was dragging it down out of the man's hands and then he latched on around its middle and shook it and shook it. The man and I were trying to break his grip. We both had our hands in his mouth trying to pry it open. And all the while Bella was circling around behind the man preparing to attack.
I finally yelled I was going to try something I had seen at the dog park, and I grabbed Huddy's tail at the base, got a good grip and thrust my thumb up his anus. He dropped the small dog like a rock and the poor thing ran off down the street. I couldn't believe it could run, but it did and the big man went after it. Bella didn't follow, but I'd been screaming and lashing Huddy with the leash. I think she didn't dare take me on after that. Gramma was the dangerous one now.
I was expecting the O.P.P. to show up with animal control to take my daughter's dogs, but no one came. I told my daughter's landlord right away. I called my daughter and between the two of us we convinced her to stay for her medical appointments, and then I waited. The landlord said he knew whose dog it was and he went and talked to them for an hour. The dog's fur obscured all the injuries, but Huddy's short white fur was covered with blood. It wasn't Huddy's blood. The following day they went to the vet's and they had to put the small dog under to do the examination and x-rays. A large area of fur had to be shaved off to treat the many wounds. The little dog had a broken jaw, and multiple deep wounds in his side and legs, but no other broken bones . I, of course, offered to pay for all the small dog's medical expenses. At present I've paid $680, but there are more bills coming.
You start to review what went wrong, and why Huddy got involved. He's never been the violent one, he's the sweet, funny one of the two, always looking for love and trying to kiss you to death. But, he recently lost one eye to cancer and his vision being impaired may have been part of it. I personally think that he thought his sister was in trouble and he went to rescue her...to back her up. And, perhaps, the memory of the attack he suffered by a large Shepherd the year before played into it somehow. I don't know. I do know this though, if it had just been Huddy, he would never have attacked. He might not ever have noticed the man and dog walking down the street, and if he had the worst that would have happened would have been that he would have dragged me there to meet the other dog.
The outcome, after 10 days of quarantine and much discussion was that Bella with all her violent ways and vicious behaviour was the real problem. After five years of trying we decided to have her put down so that Huddy stood a chance of being a good dog. That happened last Thursday with the two of us holding her and loving on her. She wasn't a bad dog, not really, she was just a damaged dog that had been abused so badly the first 6 months of her life that she would never be a safe or trainable dog. It was this or life as a junk yard dog, she could never be around humans or have human love and companionship. I couldn't do that to my grand-puppy. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. And my daughter with all her health issues was not equal to being able to really look after her and keep her out of trouble. She would always be a dangerous dog.
I know this is a long story, but two things I think matter. Don't beat yourself up if you have to make this decision. If you've tried everything and you can't reach a dog through training and love, then do what is best for everyone. Secondly, don't leave them to travel that road alone...stay with them and love them over the bridge and promise to see them again in a better place without all the fears and problems of this world.
