[Winston's Mom]

Its been a long time since I've posted a topic on this board. But I really need your help. I have two basset hounds Winston and Clementine that we rescued. But unfortunately, we are considering giving Clementine up. We've had Clementine for three years, and she has some serious aggression issues. We have tried numerous training techniques and nothing works. She is very attached to me and very aggressive towards my husband and my other dog. Honestly, we cannot take more of this. When I'm home, she guards me andd tries not to let my husband or Winston near me. She will snarl, growl and even attack them. The other night, I was asleep and my husband tried to get in bed and she bit him. We cannot have that. I'm also tired of being woken up in the middle of the night (off and on for three years)

I know dogs will growl and rough house, but I'm worried about Winston. Last week, she attacked him when he got on the bed. I feel like she's very unpredictable Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. We are considering getting pregnant this year, and I'm seriously worried about how she would act towards a baby. Should we give her back to the basset hound rescue? I just wouldn't want her to be put down. We think that she would do better in a house where a woman is home more. She seems to have issue with men. We were told by the rescue that the man in her last home was not nice to her. Also, we just put her on medication to see if that would help. Please I need your advice.

 

[Aruuuu]

Have you brought in a professional behaviorist? Your concerns are well-founded, particularly with a pregnancy in your future.

I would not let her on the bed, the couch, a chair, etc. -- at all, under any circumstances. Her 'place' is her own bed or the floor. That's it! Before you give her a treat or her food, make her do a down/ or a sit/stay. She does nothing, gets nothing, including going out or coming back in, until/unless YOU say it's okay. You must establish your authority over her. That may help. And I would definitly seek professional help.

This is very serious. Good luck.......

 

[clarejon]

sorry to hear about what you are going through at the moment - hugs

i dont have lots of advice for you but i can say that we got a rescue and we only had him a week before sending him back to the rescue center. he bit my boyfriend twice and bullied my basset puppy.

he scared the living daylights out of anyone who walked through our door (friends and family). he loved me to pieces though but i didnt like him once he had shown an aggressive side. we too are planning on trying for a baby within 6/12 months and made the quick decision he wasnt the right dog for us.

to be honest i think you should send him back to a rescue center and get some advise off people on this site to whether or not he should be put down. just imagin walking him up the street and a little child came over to pet your dog and then the dog bite them - not a nice thought at all.

let us know how you get on.

 

[Winston's Mom]

Thank you both for your advice. Keep it coming! We have definitely tried the professional behavoralist route in the past, and honestly, I think we are beyond that. The frustrating thing is that we've tried different tactics but nothing seems to change her behavior long term. Honestly, we think she has a wire loose. We were just about to start her on medication (puppy prozac) when she attacked my husband. She has bitten him numerous times but never drawn blood. However, this time you could actually see little holes.

Clarejon, what you said really resonated with me. The more she loves me and is attached to me, the less I love her. I know it sounds mean. But I just do not like how she acts towards my husband and Winston. We almost gave her back to the rescue when we got her. She used to run away alot and was aggressive. We got her to be a playmate for Winston. In the beginning the played a lot, but now much less.

 

[murraysmom]

I know this sounds harsh, but I think that once a dog crosses the line to become dangerous to others, if you can't commit to managing him 24/7, then he should be put down.

Passing him along to someone else is not only unfair to a new owner, but unfair to the dog who may end up in horrendous circumstances.

I managed a vicious dachshund for many years. The dog belonged to my husbands late wife, and he couldn't bring himself to put the dog down. We managed him for 7 years- IT WAS VERY VERY HARD, and I was never comfortable with it.

This is just my opinion based on sad experience- good luck with your decision, I really sympathize with you.

 

[biscuit]

Rescues legally can't take dogs --- even their own --- who have bitten anybody.

I'm guessing you've ruled out medical problems? Biscuit got very grumpy after he came down with a tick disease. He just plain didn't feel good, and he became relatively aggressive toward Lady (who he simply hated). He was always a dominant dog, but became close to aggressive his last few months.

So medical problems can contribute.

O/w, I agree with murraysmom. You cannot return him to the rescue, as they can't place him. If you're unable to get suitable intervention from a behaviorist, then you have to put him down.

 

[Winston's Mom]

Thanks! The rescue we got her from said that if we had any issues with her we should contact them directly. So it sounds like that should be our next step. Like I said, she's been very aggressive but has not hurt anyone. Part of me feels that she might be manageable with someone else. So I guess that's my next step.

 

[2hounds]

I'm sorry for what you are going through. This is a tough decision. I would certianly contact the rescue you got her from. They may say she needs to be put down, but they are able to help with that decision.

Good luck,

~Heather

 

[Aruuuu]

This does sound beyond dealing with. Maybe the rescue will take her back to try and find another situation for her, but I'm afraid Clementine's first ever home could very well have damaged her beyond repair. Some things just can't be fixed, and if aggression is hard-wired into a dog, there's just one thing to do ................

 

[Barbara Winters]

she's been very aggressive but has not hurt anyone. Part of me feels that she might be manageable with someone else. So I guess that's my next step.[/b]

In some states it is illegal to give away an aggressive dog. Also if you give her up and she bites someone you can be sued. I'd consult a lawyer before giving her back to rescue or another person.

Your decision is one of the most difficult decisions we as dog lovers ever have to make. If I had an aggressive dog and behavioral training and or medication couldn't make them safe, I couldn't live with a loaded gun nor would I give that loaded gun to someone else. If you give her away, won't you worry that if she bites someone she might be beaten, or that someone else will have to bear the burden of having her euthanized?

Please do what's best for your family, Winston, Clementine and think about her next owners being in your shoes.

 

[Maggie's Mommy]

I totally agree with Barbara. It's like knowingly giving someone a loaded gun and thinking I hope it never goes off. It is a sad situation and one that takes alot of thought.

 

[vienneau4]

Our family had to make the decision to put down our Golden Retriever after he bit my daughter. That's the day I hated being a grown up and having to make a decision like that. The vet told me that I couldn't take him to the shelter and really the only decision was to put him to sleep. I know if we had found someone to take him I would have worried about him everyday. He was on medication for his thyroid, so I would have wondered if he was getting his meds. I would have worried about him biting again and on and on. A really sad day, but in the end you have to do what's best.

 

[Soundtrack]

I suggest consulting with the rescue. Only they know what they are or are not prepared to deal with. I'd think they would have someone look at her, then they will have a better idea of whether they can help you deal with her, or take her back, or recommend she be put down.

 

[Winston's Mom]

Thanks for the advice. I definitely hear what everyone is saying, and I want to do what's respnosible and best for everyone. We are going to take her to one last behavoralist and see if the medication works. Also, I will consult the basset rescue we got her from. I feel like they knowingly gave us an aggressive dog. They told us that she has become very aggressive with her last owners, who gave her up because of that and she kept running away. They also told us if it was ever not working out to contact them.

 

[biscuit]

The rescue Yogi came from warned me he was aggressive --- actually, he's fear aggressive, which is somewhat different, although the rescue characterized him as being just plain aggressive.

The issue is the line that's crossed when they bite someone. I can't remember how it's explained, but I do know there are many aggressive dogs who never bite anyone.

So, yes, they may have knowingly given you an aggressive dog, but that's common. A dog with a history of biting, however, is an entirely different matter.

In any case, good luck!

 

[BubbaLeroy]

So sorry to hear this. I agree with the others that your and your families safety should be the highest priority. You have done all you can, and I'm sure you would not want to wish her unpredictibility on another owner. Sad to say you may be faced with putting her down. A tough decision for sure, one we made many years ago with our Lab. He snapped at our son's face pulling his glasses off when he stepped on his paw one day. The lab was nine, and had never shown any agression and was our very loved companion. We just couldn't take the chance again, and we were so fortunate my four year old son was not harmed in the incident. So we had the Lab put down which was very tough decision and very hard on all of us. We had the vet check him out first and were told it was probably an isolated incident, but due to his age his joints were probably getting arthritic and hurt, and that he was just becoming a cranky old man.
She sounds like a good canidate for the "Dog Whisperer" Ceasar Milano. They just had a show on yesterday with a rescued doxie, brought in to be a companion for their other doxie, with similiar problem. The doxie bit, snarled, very possesive of the mother and wouldn't let anyone else near the bed when the mother was on it, or the mother, etc. Ceasar did his usual and had her under control in a matter o minutes. He recommended lots of walks, both dogs together, putting her in the submissive position on her back whenever she got agressive, etc. Easy to do on a set up TV show I'm sure.
Good luck and we will be thinking about you.

 

[Ed's best friend]

I saw that show as well, and it reminded me of Candice, or boarder Collie that we had gotten from a rescue. She was a wonderful dog, until one day she just started growling and putting her mouth around peoples ankles and growling. It was a horrible time. One day she did that to one of my friend's three year old daughter. I couldn't have it!

We had to bring her back to the adoption center. It was the saddest day, and I have often wondered what happened to her. We had her for 2 years! She never bit anyone, but she was on her way to doing that. It was like something in her snapped.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[maryf]

I also started having a problem with my rescue basset. I've had her since August and everything was fine. Christmas week, she started showing signs of aggression towards my other basset. He'll be just walking around and all of a sudden she growls and goes after him. I started not letting her on the couch and things. When she growls, I spray water in her face. She does stop immediately. I am researching multi-dog households, but I should try locate a animal behaviorist. I want to know if I was the cause of this. She does seem very attached to me also.. She has never bitten an adult, but she wants to bully the other dog. I hope others will have suggestions. thanks
mary frances

 

[biscuit]

Mary, it sounds like the honeymoon is over.

It's not that uncommon for rescue and adopted pups to be little angels (or seem like it) until they know the landscape.

Sounds like she settled in and her true colors are starting to show. She's likely a dominant girl, so you need to be very clear about establishing boundaries and guidelines for her --- which it sounds like you're doing.

Biscuit was a dominant dog, but never crossed into bad aggressive.

Right now, I have two relatively submissive dogs. It's much easier than those dominent - they're always pushing the envelope!

 

[Ed's best friend]

Winstons's Mom....I so thought of you last night. I rented the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan It is on Disc 1 the very first episode, the woman has the exact same problem as you do. Please rent this video ( I got mine from Blockbuster On line, but I am sure you can find it somewhere)...It is amazing. Cesar gets immeadiate results with this dog that is showing aggression towards others and other animals.

Then there is a tape where a woman cannot even walk her dog as he is attacking other dogs and her as she is walking them.

It all has to do with thier perception of the "pack leader". Good luck in this!.

I feel this is worth a shot. There is a reason that your Basset is behaving like he is.

As I mentioned before, I went through this with a Border Collie I had rescued. When I saw this show last night, I told my husband (who was watching it too) that had we only known, we probably could have kept Candice, instead of re adopting her. I wanted to cry.