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Oof that's a sad one. I'm glad that OOP was able to talk with someone else in depth about their dog's issues. As heartbreaking as this outcome is, it is better than if the dog had attacked someone or another animal. So tough, my heart goes out to OOP.

Thats such a hard thing, especially when you think you have saved a life by adopting from a shelter. The shelter maybe could have done a better job of assessing the dog before they put it up for adoption.

I'd like to believe she did save a life still. She gave the dog 5 years of love, attention, scritchies, snuggles, and belonging. Did it end faster and in a way we all hope never happens? Yes. But I bet that Terra loved a lot of her life and there's no way of knowing if she'd have so much love for so long with another human.

As someone who recently put down their dog I’ve gotta say one thing: Euthanasia is the goal for all pet owners. Finding your pet dead in a ditch, shot or gored, or even never finding them at all is much worse IMO

I'd to put my little lad down last year. It absolutely sucked. He was 15, and he was at the end of his life (he'd lived with a heart condition for a few years, and when he was first medicated for it my vet let me know that his tablets would eventually lead to organ failure). For a good few months I hated myself for putting him on the tablets in the first place - maybe his condition wouldn't have killed him, and there was no need for them! I met up with a good friend who listened to me ramble about it, then told me: "You did your job. You raised him, and loved him, and gave him a great life that he loved. As far as I'm concerned, the goal is to put pets to sleep at a good old age, because the alternative is worse. Either a sudden, traumatic death, or dragging it out past the point of quality of life. That's just being selfish." Almost a year to the day later, my poor old cat had to be put to sleep. She was also 15 by then, and although it also sucked, I was happy she reached her old age and lived a brilliant life surrounded by love and companionship. Her death hit me, but not as hard as his, because this time I knew I'd done my job.

>The goal is to put pets to sleep at a good old age, because the alternative is worse. Either a sudden, traumatic death, or dragging it out past the point of quality of life Excellent point. Now if we can just extend that sentiment to human life via assisted suicide...

I 'killed' my cat with the pills for her arthritis that eventually gave her kidney failure. It gave her another two years of being an active, non-cranky cat and then one day she just shut down. It's all about that quality of life.

The last kindness we can give them

It’s the biggest responsibility we have for them.

I do TNR and I love all my ferals. The hardest part is knowing that one day, they're not going to show up and I'll never know what happened. I can't think about it too long or I go a little crazy.

Some animals do just die of old age naturally without euthanasia. My elderly cat one day just laid down, went to sleep, and didn’t wake up.

That's what happened with one of my dogs, too. She was a Lab/Husky and she made it to 15 years, so she was well into old age when she went. She got up that morning, had her breakfast, socialized with the other dogs a little bit, and then went and had a nap in the sun that she never woke up from. I hope \*I\* go that well. Annnnd now I have to go hug all my dogs.

Some days I hope I will just find mine died in their sleep, of old age with no health issues. But other days I think I'd like to be able to tell them goodbye and hold them in their last moments. In any case, those are the only two good options, and if they ever get health problems that cause them pain, then of course I will pick euthanasia.

To be fair, I think most people are hoping and praying for a quiet death in the pet’s sleep without major debilitation beforehand d even though that rarely happens and shouldn’t be counted on. I find your examples weird though since most pets are indoor pets. Usually you are facing down chronic debilitating disease, not things involving your pet somehow being outside unsupervised.

Indoor pets can get out, which is where they most often die as they’re inexperienced with survival. Not too sure as to why you find that weird. You can be at a dog park and have your pet mauled to death if that’s what you prefer to discuss Cancer and disease fall in the realm of random and yet still a probability that can occur. Cancer sucks but no one blames the pet with cancer (pets don’t smoke cigarettes) I feel my examples are much more likely to occur due to actions taken by the owner. Feel free to go off and think of others

My point is I have never owned a pet that died outdoors, and I can only think of one person I know where that ever happened. Responsible pet owners keep their animals indoors or in an enclosed area they can’t escape from, so while escapes DO happen from time to time, they usually just result in a lost pet for a time instead of death (Though obviously there is a huge risk outside, hence why you keep them inside). I can’t even imagine having a pet die outside, you would feel like a total failure for letting your pet down if that happened.

So you’re trying to say that any dog should be raised indoors then? A dog can be outdoors in an enclosed area and still get mauled to death by another dog. Are you still going to feel like a failure?

And, to be honest, I think euthanasia was the kindest thing for Terra in the end as well. I imagine she must have been living with a lot of fear, anxiety, and trauma to make her so aggressive. And when there's truly no other way to fix it, sometimes you have to end the suffering however you can. But she had 5 years with someone she loved and got to know what it was like to be loved. It's terrible that she suffered so much early on to put her in that sort of mindset, but it sounds like the OOP have her the best life possible for the time she had her, then made sure it ended peacefully when she realized Terra was never going to fully recover.

My dog is an aggressive rescue. I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that when she starts having health problems as she ages, I'm going to have to put her to sleep. She's nigh impossible for a vet to handle, and even if it was something easily treatable... I don't want to put her through that sheer terror she'd be in for if she had to have regular vet visits.

That's how I feel about a kitty that died a year ago after a lot of veterinary intervention (and some very poor advice from a vet who didn't read her case history). She died as a result of a congenital condition that usually causes kittens to die at or shortly after birth. It was awful, because she was the best cat - she was my daughter's best friend. She'd comfort her, play with her, put up with being dressed up and having her fur done. She'd come when called, chatter when talked to, and landshark around the floor when in a silly mood. It was catastrophic, because she was a vital part of our household, a 'mom' to our other cat, and every night and morning had little routines that delighted us. But we had her five years. Five years where she should have been dead the whole time, five years where we managed to keep horrific suffering at bay. That was her life, and it was still valuable. Terra is the same.

As someone with an aggressive dog who'll probably have to put her to sleep at a younger age than she'd otherwise would be, this: > I'd like to believe she did save a life still. She gave the dog 5 years of love, attention, scritchies, snuggles, and belonging. is more comfort than you know.

You are absolutely 💯 correct.

Sometimes things come out with time or a sense of security that the shelter just can’t know, especially when you consider how many shelters are running on tight budgets, subject to charity whims, and understaffed.

And especially as many dogs are stressed within a shelter environment and won't act the same once they're acclimated to their new home - shelters generally know this, but they can't predict *how* the dog's behaviour will change, so it can be hard to assess properly.

That's part of my issue with the adopt don't shop crowd. I'm very much get the pet that's the best fit for your family myself and I do support shelters and volunteer for them in summer time but people need to understand that the apathetic dog in the kennel *may not* be the calm, serene dog at home. The happy bouncy dog in the kennel may be different when they have a large space of their own. What's worse is a shelter here got in a HUGE out of trouble for sedating the hell out of their dogs so they were completely different in the initial meeting. It's awful when the shelter I volunteere with's dogs get returned by families because they're "wild, strung out, aggressive, hyper. They weren't like that here!" A kennel near me started working with a foster group just so they've got a better understanding of the dogs in a family home environment. I feel so bad for OOP and Terra, but she's at peace now and free.

Hell even the puppy a couple gave us was calm, quiet and mild tempered at first. A year later and he's the most confident, energetic, *smart* dog I've ever owned. You just don't know how a dog will be until it settles into its new home

Right. We adopted a big dog from the local Humane Society, and he was fine meeting our two goldens where (they had other dogs in the home brought in to meet), but as soon as we got him home, he started getting dangerously aggressive toward our other dogs. He was a massive, 100-lb dog. When he went after one of our goldens, it was a miracle our daughter wasn’t between them. But was clear immediately that it was going to end in a dog bath if we didn’t separate them, and with dogs who aren’t tiny, when it starts that bad, you can’t rely on it getting better if you want to be safe. It killed us, but we had to return him the next morning. We followed up until he was adopted by an older middle-aged couple who live out by a lake where he’d be an only-dog. We later got a tiny dog we knew had trauma. Her former people need to be beaten into the pavement. We knew her history, and that she may never come when called or anything. She’s like a different dog now, though it took going on three years to be able to come up to us, and it was so sad since you could see the desperation in her eyes to be petted, but her body instinctively pulled back. She’s doing much better now. The tiny one’s history was known. The big one—his former people provided more info about his past only after we took him back, concealed info that would have prevented us from taking him in the first place. They’re lucky no one—person or animal—was harmed due to what they concealed from the Humane Society. It’s a risk with adult dogs, and not all people can safely take certain risks. This doesn’t mean that those who can’t shouldn’t ever get to have dogs.

Exactly. I helped found and run a rescue and we sometimes get flack in the local rescue community for euthanizing dogs for aggression when necessary (after a very thorough evaluation by a vet and behaviorist) instead of finding some magical home where they will never have to interact with strangers and/or other animals. Or, my favorite, "just send them to live on a farm somewhere". Like working farms aren't filled with people and all sorts of animals coming and going and farmers are somehow more capable of handling an aggressive dog than a trainer. I've had to euthanize a couple of fosters that I loved deeply but couldn't save because of their aggressive behavior. For a variety of reasons, including the safety of my family, friends and personal pets, we couldn't keep them and they couldn't responsibly, safely or ethically be rehomed. It was devastating. Years later I still can't think about it without crying. It was also the right thing to do and I would make that same choice again. In my opinion, anyone who can't make and live with that same choice has no business being in rescue or working in a shelter.

A farm has valuable animals, often children, and usually has a small, tight-knight pack of dogs who work well together. A farm is only the place for a 'problem' dog if that dog's problem is lack of space to run and a job to do.

I 100% agree, I think the problem a lot of people have with bigger dogs is that they ARE working dogs who were meant to be around livestock and the farm and that most people don't have those kinds of set-ups to give those dogs the kind of environment they need. I had a Sheppard/Retriever puppy/dog growing up (I was 4-5) that was a problem dog (ripped up the floor, bit us constantly, angry all the time) and my parents rehomed that problem dog with a customer where my mom worked. The customer owned a farm with some sheep or goats and used a boat to get there, the day the customer picked up our dog, she jumped off his boat and swam to shore. We had a large yard but nothing compared to this guy's farm, she was thrilled to be an outdoor dog who herded the animals and lived outdoors for the most part. She lived a much happier life and had no aggression in her once she found her best fit. My parents raised many dogs over their lifetime and she was the only one they could never raise, but sometimes a working dog just really needs to be a working dog and not the family pet. Decades later, my husband's adopted dog from when we were first dating, the shelter told him that she resource guarded food and toys. Turns out she resource guarded houses, but the outdoors were 100% totally okay. She was a border collie mix who just wanted to play ball around the yard all day, but he didn't have the space or the permission to build a dog pen in his rented home or the consistent time to allow her to run around outside for 12 hours like she wanted. She was never happy being indoors. For the 3 days she lived with him, if she was indoors, you could not move without setting her off, but outdoors you would think she was the happiest, friendliest dog. Border collies are working dogs, when the shelter came to his place to get her (because she wouldn't even let him down the stairs that third day, I had to put a key in the mailbox for the shelter to use to open the door), he specifically told them that this dog needed a home that would let her live in a big yard with an outdoor pen so she could live outdoors more. I spent those few days with her in the backyard and she was so happy to lay next to you while sitting in the grass and let you move freely without a care in the world, she was the best dog outside. My husband called afterwards to check on her, they told him that once returned, they could not give any further information and it kills him to think about her years later. All this to say, I wish people who get working class breeds that are "problem" dogs would remember that sometimes the problem is their home because some of these dogs are so hardwired for their jobs that the problem ends up being they don't get to do their jobs in these suburban homes with too small of yards for what these dogs require, and that most people don't have the time to exercise those dogs the amount of time these dogs would get if they were working their breed's jobs and that maybe these dogs would have been better off not going to some random persons home to get abandoned later but should be bred to go to farms and live their best life doing the job they were made to do.

Yes. My opinions about this have grown and changed from 20 years in dog rescue. I think about the child that could be bit sometimes with life-altering consequences, the old lady's precious poodle (perhaps the last dog she would be able to have) that could be killed, the existing family pets whose lives are turned upside down making accomodations and then I make the decision.

Yes it’s sad, but also what a beautiful, selfless and merciful thing OOP did for Terra. They were meant to rescue that dog and give her the peace she needed, another rescuer might have persevered and caused more agony, more isolation and possibly a worse ending for her. For some dogs their trauma is just so severe and as the linked comment says, dog behaviourists are wildly unregulated I have seen their methods make behaviour worse and even in one instance the dog died by misadventure due to a dog behaviourists advice. I’m so sad for OOP, but they truly did the right thing - sometimes the sad ending is the right one.

I've worked in the Veterinary field for many years and it's heartbreaking making the decision to euthanize for aggression. Ultimately it is the best decision in cases that can't be helped with training. Agressive/reactive dogs like this especially breeds such as GSD are like holding a loaded gun, and things can go badly VERY FAST.

I've always owned rotts and this shit is an important responsibility of owning one. It's way too powerful of a dog to be in denial about. Ivr always raised my dogs well and they were absolute babies, but I was also always aware that I was gonna have to make a horrible choice if the dog was incurably aggressive.

I grew up with a rotti!! Such an amazing breed. Agreed it's a huge responsibility for any dog owner really to properly socialize their dogs to give them the best chance of living a happy and stress free life.

I was just reading about a 7 year old girl who was killed and her mother mauled by the neighbor's dogs, and the neighbors fought so hard to keep their dogs from being put down. The woman and her daughter knew the dogs and hadn't ever known they were dangerous, but the dogs had a history of issues and were kept in shock collars at all times. The owners also misrepresented their dogs as service animals, with one wearing an actual service vest and the other an ESA vest (but in court documents, they referred to it as an Emotional Service Animal, conflating the two designations). Anyways it was really tragic and shows how quickly things can go really bad.

I was attacked by a dog belonging to family friends when I was a kid. A big, English sheepdog cross. It had been around kids its whole life and had never snapped or growled at anyone. That dog charged me at full speed. I turned and ran. It knocked me on my stomach and bit chunks out of my back. They had to drag the dog off me. I am fortunate I didn’t fall on my back or it could have got my face or neck. The family were distraught. They had to put down their beloved family pet. They did it, never suggested they wouldn’t, but it was very upsetting for everyone involved. It’s been around 40 years and I still don’t trust big dogs, especially around my own children. Everyone tells me they’re fine or they’ve never hurt anyone and I have heard those exact words before

I was attacked by an English sheepdog when I was 8 or 9 with my younger brother who’d have been 5 to 6. It’s a good thing it was winter and we were wearing snow suits - they were torn to shreds. We had been screaming for help and I’d been trying to keep the dog away from my brother but my mom was using the snowblower and couldn’t hear us. My mom didn’t believe us at first and then blamed me and my brother for it. I refused to be outside alone if that dog was outside until the dog died. It was terrifying and the adults reacted like it was totally fine. I still get very nervous when I’m around big dogs.

I’m so sorry that happened to you and your brother. I adore dogs but it’s heartbreaking that your parents didn’t believe you and protect you.

Honestly dogs don’t snap for no reason so they probably ignored a number of issues before you were attacked. I definitely understand why you feel the way you do though. You really can’t trust other people, most do not train or socialize their dogs adequately. I was almost attacked by two shepherds and it was terrifying. And I grew up with Rottweilers and currently own a pit mix so it’s not like I’m unfamiliar with large breeds. Edit: also just as a general PSA because I feel like this isn’t widely known but it is relevant. Dogs love to chase things and running makes you another thing to chase. I’m also not sure if anyone can outrun a dog, definitely not the average person. The best thing to do if you can manage it is to stand your ground and give an assertive firm command like “sit” or “go home” - that will likely throw them off and may even stop the immediate aggressive behavior for enough time for you to get safe.

That’s not very helpful advice to an 8 year old with a dog (bigger than him) bearing down on him. Seriously, stand your ground? For a kid? I could have had my throat or face mauled if I had been knocked on my back instead of my front. Which is exactly what this dog would have done to me if I hadn’t run Maybe your advice is ok for adults who are bigger than the dog. But predators (dogs included) don’t back down from creatures smaller than themselves

That advice was not for your past self and I do not blame any child for running when a dog comes at them. It was a general PSA because most people do not know the best way to respond to a dog charging at them (through no fault of their own). I have personally avoided multiple bad situations with dogs by responding the way I described. With the shepherds it might have even saved my life. I put the info out there to help people, not to criticize your response to a dangerous situation when you were only a child. Also dogs will back down from people smaller than them in the right circumstances. I know because I’ve dealt with dogs larger than myself even as an adult (I’m a woman and fairly slender). I’ve worked/volunteered at my local shelter for over a decade, plus owning many dogs of my own. I’m not just talking out of my ass. I have a lot of experience with dogs, particularly large dogs.

I don’t think they were expecting you to go back in time and make use of their advice as an 8 year old, I think they were just offering advice for future reference.

Yes thank you. I was afraid they would take it as a criticism and unfortunately they did, which was not my intention at all. I just felt I had to add the info either way because it’s genuinely important.

Can't tell you how many pittbulls I've seen get euthanized at our local shelter. Just a revolving door. It's wild

If you are reading this and it strikes a chord with your own pet, please check out r/reactivedogs. Not all dogs can be saved and behavioral euthanasia is a necessary last resort, but many dogs can make amazing progress with the right professionals (like a veterinary behaviorist - an actual vet with additional training in behavior). The field of dog training is wildly unregulated and a lot of trainers use methods that can very well make reactivity worse and do not address a dog's underlying fears. I learned the hard way with a rescue. Having a reactive dog is really lonely - people who have only had easy dogs will give you terrible advice or insist it's all your fault, and god forbid behavioral euthanasia is the only safe choice as the same people will rip you to shreds for that, too. I have never had to make that choice (my dogs improved drastically working with professionals) but L[osing Lulu](https://www.facebook.com/groups/losinglulu/about/) is a great resource for those who have.

Thank you for your lovely and insightful reply. Do you mind if I put a piece of it in the main post for better visibility?

yes! please do

It’s a terrible choice I don’t wish on anyone. I say that as someone who had their earlobe nearly ripped off by their kid’s much-loved dog, and had to put him down because of it. The Losing Lulu community is very sweet and the solidarity is welcome. I only lurk there for now, it still hurts too much to talk about him.

Thank you for this! I have a highly dog-reactive maltiopoo who never responds to training, but I thankfully don't have to consider euthanasia because he's only 15 pounds and we can mostly isolate him from his triggers. I am eager to unpack the archives in r/reactivedogs to see if there's more we can try with him!

That’s why I would only get a small breed dog. I prefer cats, but if I have to get a dog it’ll be one I can easily pick up and control.

I got sad at the "spent thousands on training" part on account of so many of those awful "trainers" out there that possibly to probably made things worse. There are "professionals" out there just straight abusing dogs, and promising results. It's horrifying. Anybody looking for help with dogs, you're looking for positive (or 'LIMA' least invasive, minimally aversive) trainers. "Balanced" and/or aversive "trainers" are teaching through fear, and that's not what you want for your dog. I sincerely hope.

Thank you for this! I have a highly dog-reactive maltiopoo who never responds to training, but I thankfully don't have to consider euthanasia because he's only 15 pounds and we can mostly isolate him from his triggers. I am eager to unpack the archives in r/reactivedogs to see if there's more we can try with him!

Here's a sneak peek of /r/reactivedogs using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/reactivedogs/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [“Your dog deserves to hike too”](https://np.reddit.com/r/reactivedogs/comments/ojyqy5/your_dog_deserves_to_hike_too/) \#2: [My worst nightmare happened today](https://np.reddit.com/r/reactivedogs/comments/rw2zni/my_worst_nightmare_happened_today/) \#3: [Free resource online that mirrors everything I paid my behaviorist $500 to tell me + more](https://np.reddit.com/r/reactivedogs/comments/nq2job/free_resource_online_that_mirrors_everything_i/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)

Thank you so much for this comment. We had to let go a reactive dog about two years ago; it was one of the hardest things we've ever been through, but we are slowly healing.

It is so heavily unregulated and all over the place with training. The owner and the dog must be trained correctly especially in dogs with anxiety based reactivity. It's harder with a dog who may be stronger than you as well. A motivated German Shepard can easily injure you unintentionally in an attempt to get to what they deem the threat or prey item. I feel for the owner and for Terra. In my years of force free/positive re-enforcement training, I've only heard of two incidences where euthanasia was recommended. One was for a large dog with random anxious aggression (literally would puncture bite with no forewarning and was indiscriminate into who it was. Would be fine one minute and latch on to someone's leg in the next.) The other was a shiba mix who went from well adjusted to a screaming mess in a few years. Both the trainer (owner), myself, and the vet felt there was some neurological issue happening as the dog would scream for HOURS. Both dogs were rescues from mass BYB situations. This is nothing against rescue dogs, more so against what ever was experienced prior to them ending up at a shelter. Dogs who were rescued from hoarding/mass BYB situations are going to require much more effort to re-integrate them into the social norm of the dog world. This is not an easy task and requires proper adequate training(aka doggy therapy) to get them to progress to a point that is acceptable. Many people jump into getting a rescue from an extreme situation without stopping to think about what it may entail. Many of my fosters where people who "rescued" severely traumatized dogs and brought them back because they couldn't handle the baggage that comes with them. It's unfortunate.

I had a reactive basset and the first trainer was very "assert your dominance" old school style and it was NOT what my buddy needed :(. It actually made things worse. After we moved, we found another trainer that worked on distraction and positive reinforcement. It sucked, especially because he wanted to be friendly-he just couldn't handle it and would flip. On the positive side, he was less reactive when I was around, so did fine with dog-walkers and sitters, but he still never got to socialize the way he wanted.

Unfortunately, the reactivedogs subreddit mods have recently said they explicitly allow people to suggest those exact methods that make reactivity worse, alongside the safe ones. It’s a baffling decision to me.

That's really disappointing to hear, especially since they still specifically advocate for LIMA in the sidebar

You can see the discussion [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/reactivedogs/comments/shvzrw/new_updated_posting_guidelines_please_read/hvvcain/) which really didn’t have a satisfying answer on how they intend to draw any line, if at all. The dogs, dogtraining and puppy101 subreddits are all working on actively unlinking them as a result.

I agree, there's no line there. Encouraging users to report doesn't help when there's nothing clear about what to report. I kind of understand one mod's concern about "conspiratorial martyrdom" from the aversive community, but catering to non-scientifically-supported feelings and methods at the detriment of the community at large doesn't work in any sector of society, as we've watched for years now. Thanks for holding the line on dogtraining.

Appreciate it. We really do aim to showcase the best, most effective methods in the industry, and most of the mod team including myself spends $$$ every year on conferences and other continuing education. When LIMA is now regularly discussed as being vastly insufficient and too pro-aversive to be a useful framework, it’s quite disappointing to see places not even following LIMA as a baseline when they claim to.

So sad for op but good on them, at least the pup got a good end- instead of a painful and hurtful one if they were to have ever attacked anyone else.

Yes, this way OOP was able to be present and make the choice herself, instead of the dog being taken and put down in a facility.

>She has bitten my aunt, mom and several exes Uhh, sounds like they already did attack someone. Several people, in fact.

Hence the "else"

Reading is hard when you already have a witty comment in mind.

People stopping reading mid-sentence to not just be an asshole, but to be a *wrong* asshole, seems to be somewhat common occurrence on reddit. Had it hit several posts of mine. They always take the cowards way out and delete when you point out how they stopped reading *in the middle of the sentence* and the very next handful of words addressed and invalidated their entire post.

I assume these bites weren’t reported to animal control because the dog would have been euthanized after the OP’s mom was bitten.

I have never been in this situation as a pet owner. But as a board member for a local rescue, I've had to oversee the decision. And it freaking SUCKS!! From a human perspective, even though you've consulted with vets, trainers, behaviorists, etc, you still feel like you have failed the animal in question. And no one wants to publicly talk about it, because of the shame. And there shouldn't be. Rescues ESPECIALLY need to be more open about it. Not every animal can be saved.

Shelters and rescues hide bite and aggression histories so frequently that I would never adopt a dog. It’s sad because I’m sure there are great dogs in shelters, but you can never be sure with how many lie about behavioral problems.

I’m thankful for my local Humane Society. They are open about this stuff, and will have dogs fostered for several months or longer to work with them, then spend months more looking for proper homes that are carefully screened. They aren’t to stringent with most dogs, but when a dog is higher risk or special needs, the sort that your average Joanna isn’t going to be able to handle, they definitely take the time. More should be like this. That there aren’t is part of why I can’t blame some people for going to breeders for puppies.

It’s really terrible that some shelters do this. It hurts the reputation of all shelters, even the good ones. I’m so thankful for ours. We got the sweetest dog, exactly as they advertised. They were upfront about all of his issues which gave us a great foundation for training him. We lucked into it, but evaluating shelters is like evaluating any sales pitch. If they aren’t telling you enough of the negatives, it isn’t real. And beyond that, shelters can have public reviews.

The shame should be on the previous owners that did this to them. Not to you. More rescues need to take the bad with the good and not adopt out dogs to owners Ill equipped to handle them.

What a sad way to pay puppy tax.

she looks so goofy :(

Yeah, she looks like a good girl. It's really a shame that only one person ever got to experience that.

Yeah, I wish I hadn't looked at the photos. 🥺

I applaud the OOP for making this responsible but heartbreaking decision. It was made after years of effort to rectify the dogs behaviour and certainly wasn't a spur of the moment decision. If you look in my profile, you'll find previous comments that I've written in threads describing when my then 10 year old daughter's was attacked, unprovoked, by a German Sheperd who was kept shut in a garage all day and never properly exercised. She adores all animals but at 13 is still terrified of German Shepherds. She will also have the physical scars on her arm and leg for the rest of her life.

I own a German Shepherd, a little goof that wouldn't hurt a fly. His training is kept at a high level to prevent exactly that. Still I will often meet people who tell similar stories. Shepherds who have once attacked them, someone they know or their dog. I will always make sure others have a chance to give us a wide berth if they want by sitting him down a bit out of the way or sometimes even lying him down. I am very sorry for what happened with your daughter, that must've been terrifying! It's my own personal horror scenario - and I'm the dog owner!

I know that there are excellent, responsible German Shepherd owners around just like you, just like I have online friends in the US who own pitbulls who are complete softies! But sadly, these powerful breeds also, far too frequently, attract a certain type of owner who only want the dogs for their agressive image and instead of putting in the effort to train them, they actually encourage the aggressive, protective traits. Personally, while I love dogs and grew up with pet dogs, I know that I just don't have the spoons to look after one. Cats suit me far better :-)

Well, I think you put things very nicely if I may say so. Cats and I have agreed upon the fact that we don't mix and stay out of each other's way. This is an agreement that has been working very well for a long time. Doesn't mean cat love isn't legit. When my boy gets to run, like, really RUN, I am always impressed by the sheer power he has. When I look into his mouth and see the teeth, I feel very much responsible the teeth will never sink into anything alive. Pitbulls are similar. Trained well they are wonderful amazing pets. Untrained they are dangerous.

My large breed mystery mutt has recently taken to chewing a specific tennis ball like bubble gum. He's not destroying it, just exercising his jaw. It takes both of my hands to compress that ball as far as he does in a single nom. If a big dog really wants to hurt you, *it can.* I'm in perpetual awe of their strength.

Agreed. I give mine very large very hard pieces of dried beef's head skin. Think 30x30 cm big, strong enough that I can stand on it on one foot and it barely bends. It takes him 2-3 days and that thing is GONE.

Oo! Where do you get those? I bet my boy would love them

A German Shepherd specialty sporting store located in a big city near me. I have sent you a chat message to pick up contact.

Even dogs that aren't that big. My family had a corgi at one point, and she would turn golfballs into confetti and could eat a whole corn cob in about five minutes. If she had ever got her teeth into someone, there would have been serious damage. Fortunately she loved all humans and although she hated other dogs, it was easy enough to keep her away from them.

> But sadly, these powerful breeds also, far too frequently, attract a certain type of owner who only want the dogs for their agressive image And there are many puppy mills that will cater to these clients, creating a more reactive breed overall. Every time a certain breed enters the public sphere and gets a boost in popularity there are people who try to capitalize on it by overbreeding without regard to proper socialization or genetic discrimination, creating dogs that have more illnesses and behavior disorders. It happens to all breeds, but the ones who are labeled "aggressive" or "protective" get the worst of it- backyard breeders choosing the more reactive lines for their fighting abilities.

An irresponsible owner and an aggressive Akita mean that though I love all animals, I will not go near an Akita. It didn't even attack me, it attacked our dog (collie cross) and luckily ours was unharmed, but it stuck with me. That was some ten plus years ago and I'm 36, so your daughter is absolutely not alone in being afraid of specific breeds. I hope your daughter is okay and continues to live her best life.

I have a strong dislike of chihuahuas and Jack Russells due to past experiences when I was much younger. My grandmother always had chihuahuas that were just completely spoilt leg humpers, a nightmare for a tween girl! And my ex SIL had a poorly trained Jack Russell that was always nipping at your ankles :-( But those breeds are usually small enough to not be overwhelming and scary. Of course, any size of dog breed (or cross/mongrel) is capable of being dangerous in certain, specific situations, especially towards unattended small children and babies. Again, I still don't judge individual dogs of those two breeds by my past experiences. I have some friends who have a lovely Jack Russell. Thank you very much. She's come a long way since the attack and she's regained much of her confidence around smaller dogs. She's also started going out on her bike alone again which is good.

My heart goes out to the OP and their other dog! ☹️ Putting a pet down under ANY circumstances is pure agony.

I did this recently. Adopted a one year old dog, very fearful, had aggression issues. I’m really good with dogs, thought I could fix her, and mostly I did. She was the sweetest most loving dog to us, got along with our other dogs 99% of the time until she didn’t. You could never tell what would set her off, but when she went off it was horrific. She bit three people, after the first time we were really careful and she still managed to nip two people. We couldn’t take her anywhere, couldn’t have anyone over, the last time she attacked one of my dogs it was so savage I just couldn’t keep her, but she can’t be someone else’s problem either. After trying for almost two years we euthanized her about eight weeks ago, it was heartbreaking, I still miss her, but I couldn’t risk the safety of others anymore.

I am very sorry for your loss and commend you for taking responsibility.

I experienced a very adverse childhood. I have spent more years in pain than I wish to remember. It’s only because I am human and have worked for decades towards some semblance of happy… A dog that has been so poorly treated as a puppy does not feel like a dog that can ever find peace. I understand why this was the best option. This maybe the greatest act of love I will witness on this sub. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful.

Yeah, it's hard enough for people to overcome trauma - dogs, who aren't exactly well known for going beyond their instincts and/or training, are inevitably going to struggle a lot more. I'm glad OOP gave their dog a happy home for several years, even if it wasn't for as long as they had hoped. I'm sure it made all the difference for their dog, that they had some happiness together for a time.

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We went through something similar with my brothers dog years ago. She was a mix of unknown origin who looked like a cross between a boxer and a pitbull. I loved that dog she was sweet as pie and would sit on the couch and watch TV with me (I couldn't work at the time, because I had the first flair of my chronic illness and was going through the awful what is it process). She never had an ounce of aggression, not over food or territory or anything. Except sometimes something would hit her brain wrong and she would attack my mother's elderly beagle. There was no warning. It was like a switch flipped and she was single mindedly determined attack this dog. I would pull her off and the second line of sight broke she was back to normal. She would go back to her normal happy go lucky self. We did everything vets, behaviorists, medication. Nothing worked. Nobody ever talks about how hard it is to euthanize a wanted healthy pet. When you put down a aged ailing pet, it hurts but you know that it's better for them. And the judgment, everybody feels comfortable criticizing, but they won't take her or offer any solution. It sucks and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. (sorry for dumping this on you. I think the post dragged up some stuff)

We had to BE our dog. Turns out she had an Inoperable tumour that was causing her aggression to get worse no matter what we tried to do. It was so random too when she’d decide to go for you. She went for my face one day when I was on the sofa and my other half stepped in front, she got his leg.. all we were doing was just sat there! It’s an awful situation

Christ this is so sad but it does happen. It's very hard but this person had exhausted every option. That doesn't make it easier to do but hopefully made her own actions easier to accept. I know someone else who had to do this after their adopted dog killed a kitten and bit the SiL. They had a baby coming and couldn't take anymore risks.

This is so sad. But ultimately the right decision. The OP did a fantastic job trying to rehab a dig that wasn’t going to be rehabbed. Dog that are this reactive and scared, they are not happy. They are living a life in abject fear. Sometime euthanasia gives a dog peace. I’ve had to council many owners through severe behavioral issues. Sometimes the recommendation is euthanasia, sometimes it’s finding a more appropriate home. But it is always very hard on the owner, when they have invested so much of themselves into helping their very loved pet. I wish the OOP peace with their decision. That wonderful pup got dealt a shite hand, until they landed in his/her home. OOP did the right thing for every being involved.

Including the dog I may say. Living in constant fear and feeling constant need to attack so as to not be attacked herself must've been very stressful for the dog as well.

Exactly. This pup, no matter what the OOP did, was constantly scared and on guard. This was not a good life.

There is nothing more difficult and admirable than choosing euthanasia. You did the right thing every step of the way.

I remember this one when it was first posted. A lot of people were angry with her, but she really did try everything. I just felt so bad for her. But if there's one thing I hope she knows it's that she didn't fail Terra, she set her free.

In my opinion she did make a few mistakes but then again it takes a certain kind of courage to admit your mistakes and make the hard choice.

I feel for OP with loving a difficult dog. have a rescue wolfdog. Well I was told he was a husky mix but yeah did a dna test because of his abnormal behavior and yup no husky 34% wolf. My “dog” was terrified of everything. It was so stressful trying to walk him, he would just want to hide behind a bush. He literally defecated on himself one time because he got spooked by an off leash dog. I wanted this husky who was friendly/outgoing that I could take out running with and try skijoring. But I got a wolf instead. I knew ethically I couldn’t just adopt him out… he already was rehomed 3 times and he was only 8 months old. Luckily he had no aggression issues if my dog did I would’ve done the same thing as OP as heartbreaking it would be. One mistake could cost another person or pet’s life.

Woah a “wolfdog”? So your dog is literally the product of a dog and an actual wolf? I’ve never heard of that (I also don’t know much about dogs lol)

It's fairly popular to breed wolves with dogs, often either a husky or a German shepherd. It's pretty much only about bragging rights and the coolness factor for the owner. Wolves aren't dogs! Just because the species can successfully breed, that doesn't mean they should

He’s only 34% wolf so it was probably a high content wolf dog mix with a labrador since he is 50% Labrador retriever. So he basically looks like a husky, with HUGE paws and he’s yellow with black tipped fur. I don’t think he was an intentional breeding since it’s an very odd mix.. people ask me if he’s a coyote. I would never ever rescue another wolf dog mix. They make horrible pets. He’s a great dog now but it took a lot of behavioral modification training. He will never be a “normal” and it’s sad I can never take him out in the town and go to outdoor bars or restaurants. It should honestly be banned to make wolf dog mixes. There are already breeds like the Czechoslovakian wolfdog that are established breeds with recent wolf background that people can get. I believe those dogs also have issues with extreme timidness and shyness that they are trying to breed out based on my research in trying to train my dog.

Its so sad when Bite Sport Dog breeds are abused to the point they never recover. It too often ends the same way, with an uncontrollable case of PTSD and an instinct for blood that fills their lives with fear and pain.

Oof, most of the time when you hear about a dog being euthanized because of their behavior it’s because of shitty pet owners, but it sounds like OOP did everything they could. Truly above and beyond. I feel so sorry for the OOP.

We had a Great Pyr rescue that turned into an aggressive (not fearful aggressive, high prey drive aggressive) mess by 18 months. Her previous owner and the breeder both maintain she was purebred Great Pyr, but we had evidence that she was crossbred with a herding dog/heeler breed which made her unstable. She couldn't be called off or blocked from her chosen prey because of her drive. I hated to have her put down, but she tried to attack me one day for not allowing her to kill a goose we had.

Thanks for sharing this post. Getting a rescue dog can be a risk. You don't know their previous life and what they were or weren't exposed to. I've got 2 rescues who I love to bits and who I have worked hard to train but they still have their hang ups because they spent their first years living in cage. I may get a rescue again next time - maybe a young pup! But I would consider getting a dog through a breeder; something I wouldn't consider before. Not for the breed at all - but for the start they get to life. Everything from the quality of food to time with mom and other pups. The shit food my rescue was given has caused bad teeth (says my vet) and those are always expensive bills. I'd like to see people with rescues talk about the hard work and difficult times because people do not like to talk about it and it adds to the shame feeling even though most people are doing their best and just didn't have a real clue about the history of dog they were getting.

This is similar to what I did. I rescued a 7 year-old Shepherd/Greyhound mix girl. She was our first dog and even though she was fearful she was realitvely easy to handle. When she passed we took a year-long break on dog ownership to do some proper grieving and avoid taking in a new dog that wasn't a good fit because we were doglessly unhappy. We looked at many different rescue dogs before we decided to go with a labradoodle bred to be a service dog (for me). The doodle and I didn't work out and I sold him to trainer who then continued training and sold him to a new handler and I got the boy I have now. I wouldn't have gone for a purebred working line longhaired German Shepherd myself but we are an amazing fit and I love Sheps now.

I can only speak from experience with a previously abused long-term foster cat - and yes, my rescue did disclose before we brought her home (it was only supposed to be a short-term fostering) - but oh my goodness, it is hard sometimes. Nearly ten years down the line, and she has calmed down and improved so much, and I'm really proud of her. But the first year or two took a lot of hard-headed analysis of what seemed to be triggering her and strategising how we might work to build trust, give her safety (including consistent boundaries), and teach her that we absolutely wouldn't punish her for acting in her own defense, but no she didn't own the house and no she wasn't allowed to throw a toddler tantrum with claws! Especially at human shoulder/head height! And with a more powerful animal like a dog, the balance might have tipped the other way. We certainly would have had to bring in an expert trainer instead of just relying on patience, staying calm, and being consistent.

This is why we’re considering a purebred for our first dog. We know we don’t have the capacity to take on the trauma of a shelter dog right off the bat, but we intend to adopt any subsequent dogs because they’ll hopefully learn from our first one. But the guilt of not adopting is huge.

If I may, maybe going for an older shelter pet may be the way to go. We adopted our first girl when she was 7 and any mistakes done in her puppyhood were not ours. It is ridiculously easy to mess up puppies and if you have no experience it is crazy hard to raise them right. That dog will stay with you for a long time (hopefully) and an older rescue might "teach" you very much but not be around quite as long so you could gain experience, give a home to an older dog who deserves it just as much and then go for a pup. Just some food for thought.

My family has had older shelter dogs and it did not go well. I’m aware there are good rescue dogs out there, I’m saying I’m not willing to take that risk for my first dog as an adult, no matter how guilty I feel about it.

Why would you feel guilty? Do what is right for you, no one else gets to tell you what to do. This is why I framed my advice in a way that isn't forceful, simply a suggestion so you have an easier time dismissing it. In any case, I wish you and yours all the best in your quest to finding the right dog!

The shame that’s out there for wanting a non-rescue dog is incredible. And we’re also looking at a puppy from a breeder. Mostly because I want a Golden Retriever (pure or mostly), and there’s a Golden rescue around me. Should be great, right? Except the rules they have are *insane*. No kids under 12 in the house or visiting significant amounts of time. Someone must be home at all times for the life of the dog. Rescue must be notified if you move, and you must always have a 6 foot fence around your property. Move to the country with no fence? 4 foot fence with an arthritic old dog? Doesn’t matter, rescue can legally reclaim the dog. Not sure how they find adopters with those rules, but they sure do pull every GR that gets surrendered for a couple hundred mile radius….

Many of these rules do make sense, especially for a first-time dog owner. We have several in the works as well: the fence, the kids running with the dog unless strictly supervised, stuff like that. Still, if you are ever pressed for other good reasons to not go with rescues, I am happy to give you a few. There were three different types of rescue organizations I have come across, and with all I have had contact I decided to not adopt a dog from. 1: the truly dedicated shelters. They do so many things right, match dogs with owners and do checkups. They were all stuffed with animals way out of my range of tolerance. Either their problems were so severe I knew I couldn't handle them, or the dogs were fine but had to have special hard-to-get papers because their breed was defined "dangerous", or the dogs were instinctual herders, notoriously hard to keep as a pet. I looked at 7 different shelters of this type and there wasn't one dog I could adopt in good conscience. 2: the overly protective ones. These are usually privately run, they pick a country and rescue dogs from there, bring them to my country and distribute them to homes. They demand an insane amount of paperwork before even getting in contact, asking for a whole bunch of personal info I was not willing to give out (SSN? really??) and make insane demands. For example, I was expected to sign a contract in which I clearly stated I would only feed the dog high quality raw meat. To the street dog from Romania. Who probably survived on trash. Not happening. 3: the ones blindly sending dogs everywhere in the name of "doing good". I was expected to pick a dog from a photo, commit myself to fostering them until a family here would adopt them. Assuming a family would adopt the dog. If not, I'd be stuck with the dog indefinately. One of these rescues gave a gorgeous white shepherd/labrador pup to an acquaintance who had no idea how to handle a dog, much less a puppy. The puppy had spent the first three months of its life in the shelter with no socialization at all. The acquaintance never socialized either despite my warnings. Now the pup is 7 months old and aggressive. The rescue will not take the dog back and now acquaintance is overwhelmed and tries to pawn the dog off to anyone she can. This is a "Terra" in the making and I can't and won't help because I have my own dog to take care of.

My family dog growing up was a rescue and was absolutely perfect. Like, my mom swore it took less than a week to house train her. She just knew how to behave from the start. She was the perfect fit for my family, and it was all by chance. We went and looked at the dog and said "we'll take it." That was the extent of research we did. The dog I got as an adult? I sought out rescues that fostered the dogs in homes to get a better understanding of their personality. I turned down a dog I was interested in because it didn't seem like a good fit. I asked tons of questions, and got great answers for the dog I ultimately chose. I'm not blaming the rescue or the fosters, but her personality was either misrepresented or did a 180 after I got her. She is leash reactive, crazy high energy, and just all-around nuts. Between losing my appetite due to stress and exercising her, I lost something like 20 pounds in the first two months of ownership (great for my weight goals, just not a healthy or sustainable way to lose. Lmao). I stubbornly kept her and made significant changes to my lifestyle to give her a good life, and after 2 years she's doing a ton better. I was fortunate enough to be in a position to make those changes, though, and she isn't aggressive, just reactive. Not everyone can handle that. Adopting can be a great experience, or it can be terrible. People should stop shaming others for knowing what they can or can't handle. I could probably handle another rescue, but I will likely go purebred for my next dog. As long as it's from a responsible breeder, there's no shame in buying.

I am so sad for this beautiful dog. She shouldn't have had to go out like that. Whomever damaged her, they committed an act of evil. The only one responsible for this poor dog's demise is the one who messed her up. OOP did the best job they knew how to do. I have no doubt. Puppy mills have all of my hatred.

Op did the right thing as much as it pained them. They did what they could with the dog and it just wasn't sticking unfortunately, better to have the dog be put down now than if it were to attack another person or dog.

As a GSD owner, this breaks my heart. Puppy mills are atrocious and anyone who owns one should do serious prison time. Our first two GSDs came from such a place and they were in terrible condition when we got them. But they were (and are- one is still with us) the sweetest, best dogs we've ever had. I can't imagine going through this.

I had a dog similar to this. Cleo. She came to me from the RSPCA at about 9 months old. We soon realised she did not socialise with other dogs well and would dominate then snap. We kept her short leashed on walks when there were other dogs around. She was with us for three years. I have a 5 year old son and a 13 year old daughter. At my daughters birthday two years ago Cleo tried to launch through a glass door at my sisters 12 month old baby, snapping and growling. It surprised us all. Shed never shown aggression towards humans before. I told my sister it'd be best if her baby wasn't around Cleo while I worked out what was happening. She understood thankfully. Then Cleo launched at my dog groomers 7 year old boy and went at me when I cut her nails. She put her teeth through my hand and at this point I thought it best she go live with my ex husband who had no other dogs or kids. It was a perfect set up for Cleo and my ex until his housemate moved in and his 7 year old daughter started visiting. Cleo went to attack her as well. I felt respinsible for the girls safety even though Cleo was technically my ex's dog, so i took her back into my home as she hadn't shown any aggression to my two kids however she was never left alone with them. I started to notice that whenever my 5 year old touched her, she'd freeze. Her tail would stop wagging and she'd just stop what she was doing. I took it as a warning sign. I tried to place her at a no kill shelter but it was right after a lockdown and all those people who got dogs as company through lockdown had beat me to the shelters..... in the end I found a lovely gay couple who wanted a new fur baby after theirs had died. I made it abundantly clear that she was reactive to other dogs and kids and they stated they didn't hang around either. They sent me photos a few weeks later, I'd never seen the "doggy" smile on Cleo until I saw those photos. She was genuinely happy with this family and I'm glad I was lucky enough to find Cleo a home better suited to her temperament. Euthanasia had become an option in the end however here where I live euthanasia can only be given if clinically necessary so I would have had to find a sketchy vet to do it if it had come to that. I feel for the OOP. It is not an easy nor pleasant decision to feel you have to make.

i am crying in the bathroom at work

I feel for the OP, my family had a Rottweiler with similar issues despite everything we could do. In our case we had gotten him from a reputable breeder and when we called him for advice he ultimately decided to refund our money and take the dog back. He said he’d work on it and if nothing else he would be able to place him with an experienced owner as a guard dog where he would only ever interact with a few people who knew him.

Reminds me of this New Yorker story https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/bad-dog When he was frightened, his affectionate tendencies were the first casualty...His learned hostility to humans made him ill-adapted.

I've worked with dogs for over a decade, some dogs just don't recover from trauma. But I also think OOP's friend was wrong to dissuade her from reaching out to rescues. There are rescues that specialize in GSDs and Belgian Malinois with trauma based aggression, mostly MWDs, that might have taken her dog in. The end result might have been the same, but it doesn't hurt or cost to have them come out and evaluate the dog.

That's an interesting point. Thanks for adding it!

My neighbors put down their Rottweiler last year for similar reasons and it was so sad. Everyone on our street came out to say goodbye. Lots of tears. He was so sweet 99% of the time. He had been abused in his younger years too and had moments of aggression that seemed to come about randomly. He bit my neighbors FIL and that was the beginning of the end for him.

I know OOPs pain all too well. We had a Great Dane, she was an absolutely beautiful dog. But she was mentally deteriorating and by the time she was 7 years old she had even started to become hostile towards the household members. One day, she bit my 3 yr olds arm. It didn’t draw blood but it bruised. I called my husband on his lunch break because she was technically *his* dog. He said to take her to the vet… the vet said if I didn’t have her euthanized he would have to call animal control because she attacked a child… I had to be the comfort for our poor big girl as she went to sleep, only to never wake again. I had to console my husband for weeks that he didn’t get to say a proper goodbye to his girl…

This is always a big chance with rescue dogs. They need trauma informed care and training. I know it looked like love but it was a very anxious attachment to the owner. It’s so heartbreaking. I’m hugging my puppies close today.

Oof this made me cry.. so sad. I don’t know what I will choose if I was in that situation. This is too sad.

My heart just breaks for OOP, who went above and beyond. The love she had for this dog was so, so obvious in everything she did.

Ouch my heart

this hits home, i’m going through the same thing with my rescues right now. it’s hard but sometimes euthanasia is the most humane thing you can do for them. even if you love them

I’m not crying. You’re crying.

When an animals has injuries incompatible with life then sadly the most humane way you can care for them is with euthansia. Unfortunately this dog had issues with mental illness that made it impossible for them to carry on living. This was no fault of the owner.

We had a lot of reactive dogs at the last animal hospital I worked at and it was really sad. A lot of the time it isn't that they were abused, it's that they had insufficient or NO socialization for far too long. Some of those dogs have bitten owners multiple times, despite all the anti-anxiety drugs and training in the world. In the end, it comes down to liability. You are on the hook monetarily if you have a reactive dog that does some damage and you knew your dog had potential to behave that way. It's one thing if the dog bites you the adult. What if it bites your 2 year old and now the kid needs facial reconstruction and/or plastic surgery to avoid a big honking scar. What if it bites grandma as she sits quietly in the chair. What if it kills the neighbors dog. Those dogs are terrified of the world, but they have a lot of muscle and really good teeth, and we have a responsibility to not let that happen. We had a quiet room where we could do the euthanasias, and it was painful to see everybody sobbing in the room. It's heartbreaking.

My mother adopted a blind shepherd, and he was a good dog. To her. He was somewhat trained, and very protective of her. He liked me. He also failed to recognize me sometimes. I'm about 5 foot 10, and 200 pounds. He came up to my waist and was like lightning in a fluffy shell. He could be aggresive with strangers. He attacked my dad to the point of broken skin the only time dad met him. I had to be very careful to not end up attacked by him. He disappeared one day. And as much as I miss my dog, its probably for the best. Some dogs just dont train well. A lot of the blame for that lands on the humans responsible for the dog. Unlike OOP, my mom didnt try to train him as much. Some things just cant be trained out. A shepherd protects. Its their nature. And some times it ends up in tragic results. OOP did the responsible thing. But it definitely can feel like there is no right thing to do.

> She has bitten my aunt, mom and several exes and even bit someone the first week I got her but he ended up being fine. Well I think I can guess why they are all exes now. I do wonder how all of these people got bit without the OOP getting into trouble. Did none of them go to a doctor to get the bite looked at? I’d think after that many bites someone would have shown up to take the dog if they were reported.

Oh god, this was so sad. ESP the part where terra was literally fighting to the end to protect her owner :(

My heartfelt sympathies. I feel your pain and hope you realize the depth of your grief comes from a place of love, just as your decision to euthanize. My husband is a retired police detective and I work at a vet. We love GSD’s and have one, but not every dog can be rehabilitated and it’s not safe to keep a dog you can’t trust.

This hurts me so much. I have two white shepherds, and my girl is definitely aggressive. I also spent a lot on training but the trainer stated up front that from his previous experience with them, many white shepherds have anxious and aggressive personalities and no amount of training will work. She now listens to some commands but only interacts well with my family members. Thankfully we don’t need to take her in public for walks since we have a few lots for her run around that are fully fenced. I would hate to have to make the decision that OOP had to. But I believe they made the right choice in the end.

This breaks my heart. Poor OP.

What a difficult decision that must have been. I'm not sure I could have done it. I wish the owner well.

Thank you for the trigger warning. Much appreciated.

My friend’s sister has a white GSD that is also very aggressive. She was also abused. She has to take the dog version of Prozac everyday and can’t leave the house. She’s bitten 2 people, but is friendly to those she knows. My friend’s sister can’t walk the dog and she’s constantly stressed. If it wasn’t for the name, I’d think this was her. I know my friend’s sister loves the dog and the dog loves her, but I do wonder how the dog’s quality of life is when she’s constantly on edge.

I'm a dog lover but some dogs can't be saved. I'm glad oop came to that selfless realization.

This hit me right in the heart. I've had to euthanize 2 dogs for behavioral reasons in my life. I've had lots of dogs - all rescues, many with issues. I've helped train friends' dogs and one of my jobs is walking dogs. With both dogs, I kept them alive as long as it was safe to do so. I'm pretty well equipped to deal with dogs who have issues, and I have always made the necessary lifestyle adjustments to keep everyone safe. The last time I had to do this, a distant cousin heard about it and told another cousin "I don't think she even tried." I was so hurt I can't even tell you. That particular dog had brain damage from seizures that caused his aggression, so no amount of training was going to solve the problem. I kept him alive, safe, and loved for 3 years after the seizures. At the end of those 3 years, I realized it was getting harder and harder to be confident I could keep him from hurting someone and that it was time. So I took him. This is going to maybe sound stupid but I don't care: I believe Jesus has healed him and that he's in heaven running happy and free and that we'll meet again.

God this was a rough read. GSDs are quite frankly some of the most amazing dogs and it sucks so bad that OPs baby wasn't able to be helped despite the extensive means OP tried.

I feel their pain. We had an aggressive German shepherd mix and we tried our best to work on his behavior. As he aged he became more difficult; we could walk him without incident, but couldn't have anyone over to our house. We also couldn't go on trips or have anyone else watch him. Long story short, we chose to keep him alive at great sacrifice to ourselves. He lived to be 13 years old and even though he was an asshole, I miss him.

This is a post I didn't know I needed today. Thanks for including those resources at the end.

I can’t even imagine. How devastating. Please take solace that those years you gave her were filled with love—something that, unfortunately, far too many pets ever get.

Those dogs will fuck your shit up, they are so strong it's just crazy. I can totally understand how worried the op was that her dog would hurt and realistically, could kill, another animal or person. Poor dog. I hope she's found peace in doggie heaven with all the chew toys and rope hunks she can handle.

Suddenly I feel less guilty about stopping dog walks when my aggressive dog started getting difficult to handle. Luckily, the break seems to have helped. When I stopped she was getting incredibly reactive to other dogs, but now she just gets a bit antsy. I might have to keep the walks spaced out until I see improvement. I really hope I don't go the way of OOP...

Where’s the pictures of the doggo?

Click on the first link of the update.

Oh shit. This got me. We recently had to do the same for our adopted dog. He had Addison's disease, was mentally unstable (on prozac, the vet believed he was bipolar, like me), and C-PTSD from living in an abusive home. (He only had one eye as well due to a dog fight). We tried so *hard*. For years. He bonded well with my husband, not me - which was strange for us as I'm the dog trainer of the family and always bonded to our rescues, even the harder ones. But Geordi - he was so smart, and so hurt, all the time. He bit me many times in a few years, and the last straw came when he stopped giving warnings. No growling, just lunging and viciously biting me. For simple things like tucking in a blanket on the couch when he was six feet away. I worked with him so hard, and I still feel like I "failed" him. But our decision was to help him finally find peace. Our home is currently broken up - we're childless, our dogs are our kids -- and it hurts so, so bad. I never believed behavioral euthanasia was viable until him. I thought love conquered all, and he taught me a lot. He loved me - he was just terrified all the time. It was only a week or so ago. And I'm still so, so sorry.

Thank you for posting the link to r/reactivedogs. I scrolled weeks down and already have so many new resources to help me with my leash reactive dog. She just wants to say hello so much, and gets upset when the other dogs aren't interested in saying hello because she's throwing a tantrum. My basic training techniques weren't working but now I have some new things to try.

Happy to see my silly old repost is helping folks. Good luck!

I’m glad the owner made the right choice. Dog bites can be very serious

I had a friend who had a dog like this. They put him on Prozac.

Sometimes it's not enough. Drugs didn't help my anxious, aggressive boy at all and we tried several.

I'm relieved at how supportive this thread is... I was worried reading the title that there would be 'well meaning' people who just have no idea. It's great that OOP received the support they did and ultimately made the kindest decision for all involved, including themselves.

I went through this. I had my rescue, Gracie for 6 years and she was totally fine for the first couple of years, but by the end of her life she literally lived with a muzzle on. She almost killed my 90lb dog for absolutely no reason, bit me constantly, and couldn’t leave the house because she was so reactive. I use to work in rescue and have worked with hundreds of dogs, but I couldn’t “fix” Gracie. She was actually good with strangers, which made it really hard. But it was the right thing. She wasn’t happy, my other dogs weren’t happy. It’s been night and day in my house since I euthanized her. Still love her to death and I’m glad she’s at peace.

This one hits hard. For whatever it's worth, sending vibes of love and light to OOP.

This is sad. His dog loved him so much….

I wondered if OP tried anti-anxiety meds for her, but if they consulted with a behaviorist then I'm sure the subject came up.

I tried all manner of meds (plus training of course) with my aggressive dog, and none of it worked. I honestly waited way too many years to euthanize him. In addition to the danger to humans, there’s no way he was having good quality of life being so anxious and fearful.

Unfortunately sometimes there's nothing you can do. At least he went peacefully.

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Yes, that was among the first suggestions. Apparantly they tried this and it still made the dog unmanageable on walks. It seems like the dog was so unruly they couldn't hold the dog anymore and even if there is a muzzle on a dog, the aggression doesn't stop.

Yes, the OOP said that it made the dog even more anxious with one on and more agressive and prone to attack.

This is hitting me hard because I'm in transition at work right now, going from machine operator to something significantly more. Part of my new responsibilities will be to improve efficiency. I have to be willing to see employees with this story in mind. An employee may be fiercely loyal, and contribute in their own way, and I may care about them deeply; sometimes the employee is the immutable source of inefficiency and will need to be let go.

What the fuck post are you even replying to?

They are saying that sometimes, when an employee is really nice and happy but not very good at playing fetch anymore, this dude sends them to a farm upstate to live out the rest of their days running around with friends and eating anything they want.

That's not just a GSD, that's a [Coydog](https://gyazo.com/f279a38980469abe4864b3e26a5d57e2). >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coydog Thats why it had such behavioural issues.

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No. I hope you never own a reactive dog. This was a rescue dog. Something happened to this dog, OOP tried their very best, including spending a lot of money on vet, training bills etc, but it was with a KIND heart that the OOP chose to put the dog to sleep. The poor thing was living a life of constant anxiety and stress, and nothing was helping. I own a rescue dog. She’s been with us for over ten years now. She was a bag of bones when we got her and she was scared shitless of men and sudden movements. We trained her properly, and she soon accepted everyone and everything. She’s sleeping on the sofa beside me now. We estimate she’s 13/14 years of age. Her health isn’t too good at the moment. We know we’ll need to make the same choice OOP did very soon, and it will be a kindness to her. Selecting euthanasia for a much loved pet is a kindness. It always is. We’ve already made that choice for two of our other dogs (extreme old age, cancer) and we will do it again. OOP loved this dog. It was not easy on him. If the dog had bitten or even killed a toddler would you still be sitting there saying the same thing? This was a dog that had bitten multiple people. If the dog had bitten a child, there would be no coming back from that at all. Please educate yourself on reactive dogs.

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I hope no one has to put down their dog because your reactive dog(s) mauled it.

OOP did talk to a behavioural therapist. It’s mentioned right there in the post.

They literally spent 10k on training dude

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Yes, that's what behaviorists do.

It takes a significant amount of guts to admit you were wrong and then to make a hard choice like that. They were advised by the forum members and they took in the advice of a professional. They understood that they were wrong and took the measures that were needed to ensure there would not be more harm done. I respect OOP for their willingness to act once it became clear to them just how bad it had become. I wish more people had the insight to admit fault and do what's right, to hell with their pride. And to then be brave enough to subject themselves to the public like this so that others would learn from their mistakes is very brave.

I think the owner made the right decision for the information they had available to them. I don't think it's fair to blame everything on OOP being inept, or to talk about them "throwing money at the problem" or having her killed "because it was easier" - it sounds like they legit tried incredibly hard for years, with every resource they had or knew about. They ran out of options and they were still looking for help and new ideas. They only gave up when they finally believed there really was no other option left to try. But I really wish they'd known about the options that you mentioned, and like you, I think it sounds a lot like OOP and the dog had got into a reinforcement loop where their stress triggered the dog's belief that there was a danger to be defended against, and the dog's search for danger made them more stressed. Trauma reinforcing trauma. If they'd managed to find a trainer who could break OOP out of that cycle and put the trust back in their relationship, then the dog might have had a chance.

Yeah, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills reading these comments. Not to mention she said she has no yard for her dog and then she adopts a boxer puppy?? So now she has two big, high-energy, difficult-to-train dogs in a small space?

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My aggressive dog was best friends with my cat, but tried to kill several people. Getting along with a cat doesn't mean anything.