Any dog owners out there???

tracy551

New Member
I have had dogs most of my life. We actually have 4 dogs now. A bassett, 2 beagles and a boxer. The boxer is my problem. We purchased him in June of 2006 at a local pet store. He was 10 weeks old. Cute as a puppy can get. We have had him around all different sorts of people since he came to our home. Over the past couple of months he's become really aggressive towards people in general. Not our family or their friends (but I don't trust him )
Well to top all the growling issues, this past Saturday he jumped thru the front door window after the mailman. We ended up taking him to the emergency vet. He severed a main blood supply to his leg and was actually bleeding to death. if we wouldn't of got him there when we did he would have died.
I know this is a HUGE problem. But I love this dog and I am worried. He is the only dog I have ever had who really is attached to me and loves me like a dog should. (I know that sounds corny but he's definately a momma's boy)
What I'm asking is has anyone ever had an aggressive dog and if so what can I do to help or stop this situation? husband says we have to get rid of him but I can't bare to think of that. :sad:
He would be affraid, and feel abandoned. and frankly I don't think my kids could deal with it either.
ANY ADVISE PLEASE!!!!!!!
 

tracy551

New Member
He is not fixed. I talked to the vet and she said it may or may not help. Right now I don't have the money to get him fixed due to the huge bill from the pet ER. But I will definately be putting alittle away each week until I can afford it. I'm willing to try anything.
 

Steely

Active Member
Being fixed is crucial! I would not get rid of him until you first see how that helps. Boxers can be an aggressive breed, but it is not something that cannot be trained and worked with. I would recommend calling your local trainer, and seeing what they recommend - researching training methods for aggressive dogs - watching dog whisperer - whatever you can learn, so that you can help to modify his behavior. He can be helped, you just need to take the time and energy to help him.
Kinda like a difficult child........sorta.
Great, I know!
 

mom_in_training

New Member
Wow, How scarey, Jumping through the window.... Yikes!!!! If having him fixed does not calm him down I would worry about liability issues, What if he had gotten to the mailman? That would have been really bad. A neighbors dog bit another neighbor and was sued due to nerve damage from the dog bite. Rotts, Pitts and Chows are known to be overprotective and some ins companies won't even insure you if they know you have a dog (Like the breeds above)or that has had any incidences of aggression. I hope that fixing him will change his aggressive behavior but if not I would be hesitant to keep him.
 

goldenguru

Active Member
I too am a dog lover ... thus my nickname goldenguru. I mean I LOVE dogs. So with that said ...

I would have to agree with your husband. An aggressive dog is too much of a liability. It would be tragic if he had gone after a small child instead of the mailman. You yourself stated that you "don't trust him".

If it were me ... I would euthanize him. I'm sorry if that sounds heartless - but if it were me I would not take a chance on an aggressive dog.

True story ... about 10 years ago my parents adopted a cocker spaniel who had slight aggression issues. I would not let my kids play there unless the dog was locked up in a bedroom. He was too unpredictable. One day my mom's cleaning lady brought over her 6 year old child. The child was sitting on the floor and the dog came over and bit the child in the face. It required stitches.

They immediately had the dog destroyed. But, the damage was done.
 
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flutterbee

Guest
Getting rid of the dog is not the answer. You would just be passing on the problem to someone else. What if the adoptive family has children that get bit by the dog or if they abuse the dog because of his aggression. If it comes down to it, euthanasia is the best option. Talk to your vet about that.

First, though, I would try training. Ask your vet for references to local trainers. Get the trainers opinion.

Good luck.
 

meowbunny

New Member
If you can't afford to have him neutered, you probably can't afford the training that MIGHT (mind you, might, not will) make a difference. Neither the neutering nor the training can wait until you have the funds. There is the addd factor that there is no guarantee either of these methods will help in the long run. Quite honestly, the odds are that they will not help. Had he been neutered as a pup; had there been training when he was a pup, he would have had a chance. Today, the odds are against him not being aggressive. I'm so sorry.

Sadly, it is time to have him euthanised. This dog is dangerous.
 

mrscatinthehat

Seussical
See I don't agree that it is too late. My brother had a dog that was fine except when people kissed or other affectionate things (strange I know) and they got him fixed. Guess what it went away. I know it doesn't work for all dogs but I don't know that giving up hope immediately is the answer.

Only you can make that decision. I would look into one of the groups that help with paying for neutering. They are out there in some areas. Or see if your regualar vet is willing to make a payment plan or something. Explain why. Most vets are pretty understanding that you want to help your dog have the best life possible.

JMHO that you should try all options before doing anything drastic but it is obviously your choice.

Beth
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Contact your local ASPCA office and find out about reduced charge neutering. Perhaps if you explain the situation, you would qualify for help in that regard. Getting him fixed may or may not help with his aggression, as your vet said, but it usually does help.

Next, he's only a little over a year old and still trainable. You can contact your local 4H and see if they offer any dog training classes for cheap. Also, look in your local Pennysaver and see if there are any local ads for dog training. Again, you may be able to find a bargain.

IF all else fails, you may have to consider either giving him away to a single pet family or putting him down. I sure hope that isn't the answer!!
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Tracy, this dog ABSOLUTELY needs to be neutered immediately, and a competent trainer should work with him to address the aggressive behaviors if you're going to keep him. If you can't do this, there <u>IS</u> an alternative to having him put to sleep. There are very dedicated Rescue groups for practically every breed of dog. They will take him, put him in a loving, safe foster home where he will be well cared for and his training needs will be addressed. Then they will very carefully select a suitable new home for him - probably with an experienced owner in a home with no young children. YOU <u>DO NOT </u>HAVE TO HAVE HIM EUTHANIZED!!!

I belong to an online group of Boston Terrier owners who have access to the names of pretty much every Rescue group there is. I am SURE that I can find a Boxer Rescue group in your area who will take this dog. Most will even pick them up or arrange transportation. If you like, I can PM you with some groups and their contact info.

I guess I'm becoming a very militant "dog person" but I cringe whenever I hear that someone has bought a puppy from a pet shop! Almost all pet shop puppies come from "puppy mills" where they're cranked out by the hundreds with little thought of anything but the money they will bring. They live in little cages, they're taken from their mothers way too soon, and have not been properly socialized to be suitable as pets. For the same money you would spend for a puppy from a pet shop, you could seek out a responsible breeder who takes great care to breed for temperment as well as health. A responsible breeder would never breed a dog with aggressive tendencies or one with any kind of potential health problems or genetic defects that could be passed along. With a puppy from a pet shop, you're running a very high risk of having a dog with serious problems.
 

mom_in_training

New Member
Forgot to mention, Recently I was facing having to give up my dog Celene because I could not afford the surgery she needed to remove a large mass. I looked high and low for funding. The ASPCA sent me a link to many funding groups but in the end I applied for Care Credit and qualified. Here is the link just in case you are interested in a way to pay for neutering. I realize that neutering if that is what you choose to do is not extremely costly for you to even consider applying for Care Credit but in my case I had no other avenues financially and needed whatever avenue of funding that I could get quickly.

http://www.carecredit.com
 
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flutterbee

Guest
I belong to animal welfare groups and advocate for animal rights and animal welfare.

However, passing along an aggressive dog IS NOT the answer. There are too many issues at stake. Safety issues...both for the dog and people that come into contact with it. There are too many non-aggressive, highly adoptable, homeless dogs out there.

Since you bought him from a pet store (a no-no), you have no way of knowing anything about his breeding. Like Donna said, they just pump out puppies with no regard for the breeding lines, care for the mother or socialization.

Get him neutered and try the training. If that doesn't work, the humane thing to do is euthanasia. It's a lousy choice to have to make. However, we have to be responsible; to our pets and to those that come into contact with them.
 

skeeter

New Member
There is a Greater Ohio Boxer Rescue group - we got Buster from them. Depending on what part of PA you are in, they might also take yours. They will take your dog and foster him (and also neuter him if he hasn't been) and work with him on the agression, or make sure that his eventual "forever family" can handle him.

While I agree that it's not too late for him to be trained, etc., I am concerned that you say you don't "trust" him. Most boxers are intelligent (Wyley, our other one, forgot to read that line in the description, however!) and they will sense when they have the "upper hand" in a relationship.
At a year old, your boy is NOT full grown yet, he can easily put a quarter to a third more weight on himself. Buster was 55lbs, but Wyley is 75lbs, and a previous boxer of ours was 90lbs and ALL muscle.
Boxers can be some of the best dogs around, but like any big breed they sometimes need a "firm" hand. And you need to know the limitations of your dog. Buster had been beaten before we got him, and I knew he needed to be "introduced" to strangers in a very careful and scripted manner. Wyley has yet to meet a person or other animal that isn't his "friend".

If you cannot commit to the training needed for your boy, I would seriously suggest finding a rescue for him that will carefully screen who his next owners are. If you can't do that, then I, too, agree with putting the dog down. He cannot be owned by just "anyone", but needs a very specific type of family to be a part of.
 

WhymeMom?

No real answers to life..
Does he behave the same way if you are not there? It could be a protection thing that has to do with YOU. If his behavior is not different when you are there then it could be a bigger problem....hope a solution arises and you can avoid "putting him down".....
 

OpenWindow

Active Member
If you can't afford obedience classes and/or neutering, I vote for calling or emailing a rescue group in your area to see if they have any suggestions or will take the dog. When I lived in St. Louis we fostered puppies for a stray rescue group that had many pit bulls, among other breeds. They had a program to deal with retraining aggressive dogs who had been abused, neglected, and some obviously involved in dog fighting. They were very thorough with this training, and with finding the right home for every dog, especially those with special needs. If the dog wasn't ready to be adopted, they took very good care of them in the shelters or with very qualified foster families. They even make you sign an agreement when you adopt the dog that if you have to give the dog up for whatever reason, you return him to the rescue group because they cared that much about these dogs. They also make you agree, if you adopt a puppy that hasn't been trained yet, to take him to obedience class. We have an American bulldog that weighs 90 pounds, and obedience school made all the difference. He is protective, but he will sit on our command even if he's not sure of who is at the front door.

Hopefully they can give you some good advice so you can get the aggression under control and can keep him. If you can't find a rescue group in your area, look up Stray Rescue in St. Louis and email them your concerns - I'm pretty sure you'll get a helpful response.

Linda
 

4sumrzn

New Member
I love my doggies, always have been a dog person! I've been in 2 situations like yours....

1) My "dream dog". I finally got the kind of puppy I'd always wanted. Took her to classes. After about 18 months, she ended up being very aggressive...I was upset. She never made it to the loving, cuddly, trained wonderful dog I had hoped for. She wanted the mailman for dinner & ended up turning on my older dog....not once, not twice, but three times. The 1st, my husband put his hand in the middle to try to break it up....went right through his hand. The 2nd, I got lucky & a broom worked. The 3rd...I should've done something when it happened the 1st time (regret)....she almost killed my older dog. I was very lucky this didn't happen to a child or person & $800 later, my old dog was fixed up & alive (I thought she was dead). Anyway, my dream dog was no longer the next day. Sadly.

2) I ended up adopting an 18 month old dog....from a trainer that saves & trains them to adopt them out. He's been the "dream dog" I've always thought of. He's awesome.....loving, sweet, smart, trained, puts up with difficult child (that alone could make a dog freak out) & I "thought" everything was going fine the past 2 years. Well, he's always been a big fan of the mailman too (thank goodness our mailman is cool).....he's cleared the fence twice & "held" him at the end of our yard. He's charged at the door. He can't stand the UPS truck even driving down the street...but, "it's all good"...I thought. A friend of ours came around the back of the house 2 weeks ago...he was not happy....barking at her like crazy. She decided to reach over the fence & pet him...he bit her!!! AHHHH...I was a mess. Thoughts of getting rid of him just CRUSHED me. Once again, here I am....do I take that 2nd chance??? I love him to death....it breaks my heart to think of losing him. I've decided to work with him more in training...I gave up much of that because of time spent on difficult child. I keep telling myself....that wouldn't have happened if she would have kept her hands to herself (probably not the right thinking, I can't trust him anymore I suppose).

So, with my book I'm writing here.....I would suggest getting him fixed 1st. I make sure my dogs are in "lock up" in a room every day before the mailman comes. I've informed my neighbors to NOT reach over the fence. GO to training classes if you can!!!!! It's amazing what they learn with "treat training". We work extra hard to tell difficult child to stop digging in his ears & squeezing him, that he might get upset (she still does it though). And, one more thing....FYI, my parents had their Boxer on Prozac for quite awhile....calmed his butt right down! Sorry for the book & I'm not sure I helped at all, sorry.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
He is the only dog I have ever had who really is attached to me and loves me like a dog should.
Sounds like he's owner protective.

My female border collie was/is like that. She broke through he wire kennel door one day and her nose and shoulders were torn and bleeding. I had put her in the kennel to keep her out of people's hair when I wasn't home. She thought she was protecting the place.
It took yrs of training, but the dog trainer literally saved her life, because I was going to have her put down.
You may be able to do some of the training yourself--basic Down-Stays over and over, and make sure he does them when you're out of the room (you start by standing close, then peeking around the corner).
She will never, ever be 100% perfect. She will always be owner protective, but she is very manageable on a leash. One day, I had a friend over, and the friend was chatting and patting the dog on the head.
"Whatever happened to that mean dog you had?" she asked.
"You're petting her."
Arrrgh! She jumped 6-ft up in the air. It was pretty funny.
"Wow, what a difference!" my friend said. (After she calmed down, LOL!)

difficult child came with-me to the dog obedience classes. He was distracting and annoying (what? My difficult child? ) but that's actually what you want in dog obedience. The more distractions, the better the training.

I agree, your dog should be neutered. But don't expect miracles.

by the way, when your dog freaks, do you immediately run up and pet him and say, "Shhh, it's okay, sweetie." ?
If so, you are reinforcing his bad behavior.
When he freaks, you grab his collar and in a firm voice, say, "NO. Sit!"
Then when he sits, you say, "Good sit."
Only praise correct behavior.

I wish it were that easy with-difficult child.

 
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