We got a dog about a year and a half ago. We were told that he was a beagle mix. (he was 3 months old when we got him) My husband promised to take care of the pup and walks and doctors and feeding and poop...you know the drill. WELL, he didn't. I did it all. I loved on the dog as a tiny pup, I took him on walks, I took him to the vet, I picked up the poop. Big surprise, right? unfortunately, I don't think that we got a beagle mix...I think we got a border collie mix. That dog has been nipping at my children since we got him. Within the past 8 months it has become bighting. He has bit through the skin, he has made them bleed, he has bit them in the face a few times. I got really mad at my husband about 7 months ago and told him that HE needed to get it together and walk the dog (I was prego and not going to do it), get him into some obedience classes (he never did) and that if he kept biting the kids he was out.
Well, he bit my 5 year old again. Broke the skin, made him bleed. My son told the dog to drop my son's toy and then went to grab his toy and the dog bit him. Big tears, bleeding, upset son. Upset mama..;pissed off dad. He is mad that he can't keep the dog. I told him that we are getting rid of him. I have a 3 month old, and soon she will be scooting about and grabbing toys and I can't risk that the dog is giong to bight her! He is mostly mad at himself, at taking on the responsability of a dog without having the time to take proper care of him.
I feel awful. As much of a pain as the dog is, I do love him. But, I love my kids more. He really is a friendly dog!! He just doesn't respect my middle son as someone that has any authority over him. We have told the boys that we will be getting rid of the dog, and they are both okay with that decision....that alone lets me know we are making the right decision.
So, here's the question. If I take him to a pound or something they will put him down. There is some kind of law/rule that if your dog brakes skin or causes someone to bleed that he is dangerous. My dog isn't dangerous, I don't think, I thin khe is bored. I think he would be GREAT for a family with older children or a person that doesn't have kids. Where can I find families like that? ANyone have an experience with getting rid of a family pet? I can NOT give him to a place that will put him down. I already feel bad enough that we have to do this, I would feel HORRIBLE if they killed him
Please, help us make the right decision!
Laura
Hi Laura,
Talk to your Vet, tell him what is going on, and that you need to find another home for your dog. My Vet has helped me place puppies and always has fliers up for animals needing homes. The plus side is the Vet's office usually knows the families wanting to adopt so they can recommend a good match.
Also see if there is a no-kill shelter in your area or a small non-profit shelter as another alternative. The larger humane shelters do euthanize after a certain period, but smaller, privately funded ones often do not.
I am so sorry that you are going through this. As a pet owner, I hate to see it - but, as a parent, I can understand. You simply cannot have your children hurt and scared by the family pet.
Good Luck and God Bless
I'm sorry you've had to make this hard decision, but I think I would do the same.
Look for "no kill" shelters in your area. They have a policy of never putting any animal down. They will find a foster home for your dog if they don't have a permanent home right away. They will ask what problems you've had and what type of home you think would work for your dog.
http://www.nokillnetwork.org/d/Washington/
http://fluffynet.com/no-kill-shelters/
Put an add on a pet finder type website
Maybe look into some rescues (Not pounds or no kill shelters, but rescues)
You might be able to find a no-kill shelter in your area, or if you really think he's a border collie mix, try contacting a border collie rescue. There are breed rescues for all breeds - some just try to stick with pure-breeds but some will take mixes of their breed as well. Your veterinarian may have some resources for you as well or you can try googling dog rescue or dog adoption in your area and see what you come up with.
Your dog may have some issues with dominance aggression and need some very firm and consistent training, as well as lots of exercise. Any dog that is apt to bite is a potentially dangerous dog, regardless of the reason or if they break skin or not. He should also be neutered, if it hasn't been done already.
Regardless of why he bites, he bites. Therefore he is dangerous... around the kids.
Not all dogs, like kids, nor do well with kids, nor do well around kids.
Thus, a nipping dog.
Then, your Husband does nothing to take care of the dog.
Or, you hire a Dog handler to train it and you all about the dog.
A dog pound, will put down an animal if no one adopts it.
But when you give the dog to an animal shelter or Humane Society, you need to tell them the 'temperament' of the dog. ie: it does NOT do well with kids.
Your dog, does NOT do well, with kids.
Maybe an elderly person or an Adult, would adopt it. Someone that would want a companion.
In many States, there are also dog "Foster Parents." So research that. They take in animals and try to find someone to adopt the dog.
For example:
http://www.petfoster.org/comments.html
Or if you have friends/relatives that want a dog.
Im a dog person, and if I have to get rid of my dog because he bit my baby, it would hurt me very deep in the heart, but it would hurt me more if something worst happens to my baby.
I defintely would not take him to a shelter, they will put him to sleep if they can't find home for him.
What I recommed you do is just to spread the word to your friends, put some flyers with pictures at his Vet's clinic, talk to the vet techs and receptionist about finding a home for your little pup.
Good Luck ;)
I would make fliers, place ads and spread the word by mouth. Try to re-home your pup. When looking, you should be very clear and upfront about your dog's temperament. I've seen dogs with behavioral issues get placed in well suited, loving, homes. Having a smart, active, untrained, ill-socialized, 1 year old dog is a lot of work, and takes some practice and skill. Some people are up for the challenge. They find the retraining process rewarding. Here's the craigslist pet re-homing link for our area: http://seattle.craigslist.org/pet/
And also, a hug. I know this can't be an easy decision to make.
I think you're making the right decision. Your dog may do very well in a home without kids. Maybe a retired couple or a single person who has the time, love and attention to give the dog what he/she needs.
My SIL had to get rid of their dog because it was being aggressive toward the baby. It tried to lie on the baby and sit on it a few times so the dog was gone! Through an ad in the paper they were able to find the dog a new home with a single gentleman. Last they checked the dog was happily being walked several times a day and was being lavished with love.
Try the newspaper and you can be choosy about who the dog goes to.
In the meantime keep the dog separate from your kids. They may develop a fear of dogs or permanent damage if this continues.
My heart goes out to you...but it's for the best.
They will likely put him down, they simply get too many dogs. I've worked at a vet and as a volunteer at a city pound and it's just awful... the majority of cases of euthanized pets are cases exactly like this. You can find a family yourself, post it on your facebook page, ask around, post it on craigslist, post it on pet finder or contact a rescue, post it at your vets office (though usually they are flooded with people who already have too many animals_... let people know it's a dog that nips small children and needs to be re homed in a family with older kids who can take the time to train him , love him and entertain him.
I LOVE MY DOG!! She bites a child? She's out. No dog should ever get the chance to repeatedly bite anyone, let alone a defenseless child. This has now become his go to reaction bc it has been allowed and therefore reinforced as acceptable. If you rehome him you need to be very upfront about the biting. Make sure whoever takes him understands he bites and he has to watched at all times. He needs strict obedience training and even then it will take time because biting is all he knows.
Also, IMO, it has nothing to do with the breed. Border collies do need a TON of exercise but they are not "known" biters. It doesn't sound like this is the right dog for your family, you are doing the right thing by rehoming him. Your dog is dangerous. He bites children (to the point of bleeding) unprovocted.
I'm not trying to sound so harsh, I just want you to know how this all sounds to an unbiased observer. I know you love your dog, you don't want to think he could be dangerous, but he is. I bet if you put up an honest ad or contact a rescue group, someone will be willing to rehabilitate him. He could still have a happy, productive life...just not with your family, or any home with children. Until then, I would keep him away from children. Good luck, I know its hard.
i'm angry with your husband. he has really put you in a terrible position by refusing to step up to the plate here.
you're completely right. you can't keep a biter with small children around.
look for a no-kill shelter and offer to donate enough to cover his costs for a few months. it will take them a while to find the right owner. alternately, start actively campaigning yourself. it is not easy to find the right human for a dog like this, but they DO exist. you just have to be as diligent as if you were job-hunting.
when i brought my first baby home, my beloved kitty starting peeing everywhere. i adored her but i couldn't get her to stop and i couldn't stand to have my baby around that (not to mention we were in an apartment with a pet deposit.) no way was going to have her put down, but finding a home for an adult cat with a peeing issue was hard. it took some time, but i found her an amazing home, where her issues went completely away and she lived for many happy years. i know how lucky we were, but stick with it! advertise in the paper, in craig's list, recruit every single person you know and keep doing it.
i'm so sorry you have go through this. it's a very hard decision.
khairete
suz
Tell all your friends you are giving away your dog to a nice family w/older children. You would be surprised how word of mouth can get you places. If none of your friends want him, maybe they'll know of other families who may want him. Send emails, messages and texts. Put a little spin on it - you wanted Snoopy but you got Lassie instead - that sort of thing, to make it more interesting. (either the pound or another family, I think you are still going to have to tell about the biting).
Or call the pound and ask if they know of any shelters/organizations that don't euthanize biters.
Sometimes dogs, like people are a little spunkier than others. And usually boarder collie mixes are wonderful dogs, but this might be personality related and a teething situation, too. Plus three kids, one spunky dog and a mom who is at wits end are all generating an anxiety attack. Dogs definitely need time, love, affection and all sorts of things. I lost my dog about two years ago (boarder collie mix) and missed her ever since. She didn't realize she was not human she was so much part of the family. Well, so much for dog stories...anyway, you are right to have to find an alternate home for a dog you cannot care for. I had to do that when my son was small with another dog as I didn't know who was pooping on the floor while I was potty training both of them. AWFUL and at one point I had to give up a dog because it did destroy just about everything in the house and kept running away no matter what we did. We sobbed and sobbed as we left her. All I can say is it really isn't easy, so check around what they do with the dog. Ours was adopted out immediately to great relief. You are making the right decision, it is sadly probably just not the right time to have a dog.
Laura:
If my dog bit and broke skin - UNPROVOKED? Sorry - he's being put down.
I have a boxer pit bull mix - he's a jumper - we're working on that - he's also a HUGE kisser - love his kisses!! there are times when he goes to kiss that his mouth is open and one gets nicked...however, it's NOT intentional.
Nipping and lunging is NOT acceptable and at this point if you haven't gotten trained - he has no "controls" and therefore might not be trainable. You can contact places like PetSmart and see if they will help you train him. If not - put him down. Don't just give your problem away to someone else. Sometimes animals are hardwired wrong.....
Laura, please get in touch with a rescue, an all breed rescue. This dog is NOT a lost cause and is definitely trainable. We've had much worse dogs come through our rescue and rehomed them after dealing with their issues. I'm on the other side of the country, so I don't know what rescues are in your area. I would do a google search for all breed rescues and see what comes up. In any other scenario, chances are, t his dog will be put down. This is NOT his fault, it's your husbands fault. If you have any problems, please contact me privately, I will help you if I can.
One aggressive move toward my kid (breaking the skin??) and a dog is out . . . no ifs, ands or buts.
I'm amazed that your husband hasn't dealt with this.
I'm sorry for the dog, your children and you. But you have to fix this immediately. Your middle child may be afraid of dogs forever now.
Good luck - I would look for a breed rescue group and also post on Craigslist (and carefully investigate potential buyers).
I did a quick google search for "border collie rescue washington state" and it pulled up a ton of stuff. On Monday, take a couple of hours to call around, find the shelter that is the best fit for your dog/closest to you, and then take the dog in. The kids will be sad, but also relieved, I'm sure. No one likes to be bit by a dog.
I am a huge dog lover. We have rescues ourselves. But I agree with the other posters, a dog that bites simply isn't safe for young children. I wouldn't be able to have him put down either; I'm sure he's trainable, but he shouldn't be living in your house.
The dog has a high chance of being euthanized simply due to the overpopulation of domesticated animals. Truthfully - I'd pay to have an obedience/behavioral trainer come to your home, evaluate your dog and help you train him - including the older children.
It's not the dog's fault he was never given the basic training every dog should be required to have... neither you nor your husband are animal trainers. Your husband should take responsibility for this animal's plight and pay to have it trained properly. It is definitely not too late to train him out of this behavior... but needs to be soon, be consistent and EVERYONE must learn how to control the dog thru the training.
I haven't read the other responses, so I'm probably going to repeat.
There are LOTS of animal rescues out there. I would Google "animal rescue shelters" and your city name. I'm sure you'll be able to find someone that's willing to take him. You'll probably have to disclose that biting. I'm not sure if a shelter will take him, but it's worth a shot. Sadly, if no rescue shelter will take him, you'll probably have to have him put down.
The very first time he broke the skin on one of my kids, we'd have been at the animal trainer. You can't let behavior like that continue or you will wind up with an aggressive dog.
I truly hope you can re-home your pet and he doesn't have to be put down.