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Given the circumstances, I too would have returned her to the rescue. Props to you for doing such, I have seen to many others simply pass a "problem dog" along to another person and that opens up an entire can of worms.
On a side note, when your cousin's child went to pet the dog on top of the head? Wrong approach. Always allow dog to sniff and then pet under the mouth. This way the dog might feel less of a threat from an unknown hand coming towards it. Not saying this changes anything, just a little tidbit for down the road
yanno, I was thinking about your comment here, and that isn't what happened. The child's father was petting her, and he said to his son, come on over and pet her, and the boy simply started walking towards them from the side, and she whipped around and barked at him...as if to say, stay away...it was as if, he took another step she would have bit him? She was guarding....?????? I can't help but wonder if it had anything to do with the boy being autistic...regardless, she shouldn't have done it...I'm not trying to make excuses for her?
I'm presently so saddened by the fact that I had to return my dog. I adopted her before Thanksgiving...she was so loving and loyal to me. They thought she was about 3 - 5 years old. She had a whole lot of fear, but was incredibly loving...playful, smart, and well behaved when I was home.
I had Christmas Dinner as I always do, and my friend was sitting on a chair, my dog was sitting aside of her, friend was patting her, and all of a sudden, dog tried to bite her, but just scrapped her hand. I immediately repromanded her.
Next episode, took her to the groomers, and when I went to pick her up...the groomer told me that she is extremely cage aggressive, and they had to muzzle her and hold her down to do her nails. Groomer said, come with me, and I walked back to her cage, she was unable to open the cage b/c the dog was biting at the cage and so out of it, she didn't even realize I was standing in front of her. Finally she calmed down when she saw I was there. Groomer said she would no longer cage her until grooming was complete, and she saw me, then she would come out of the cage, plus, I had to give her a seditive for grooming.
Next episode, I was walking her, as we take several walks a day. We were stopped to talk to a friend, and all of a sudden while the friend was petting her and talking to me, she growled, terrible. So, I pulled her back and repromanded her. We were on leash.
Third episode, we were having Easter Dinner at my home, and my cousin's son was sitting on the floor petting her, and told "his" son who is 12 to come over and pet her on the head, and she swung around and growled and snapped at him, and I interveined and once again repromanded her.
Fourth episode, again we were walking on leash...I stopped to talk to a friend, and the woman was petting her, and all of a sudden, she really went ballistic, jumped up while growling and trying to bite her.
She also experience seperation anxiety...when I'd pen her in the kitchen, she would literally jump over the eat at counter, so I placed her cage on top of the counter, had the highest gate I could find between the kitchen and dining room backing up two high back chairs up to the gate, and she got out, twice, don't ask me how. Obviously my concern was her hurting herself, so I put her in her cage and sometimes she would get so nervous in there, she experienced diarrah.
The man who owns the property where I live, said, she had to go, as I live in a 55+ community, and he was worried about liability.
I learned that the rescue from which I got her is now affiliated with a training center, which they place dogs with problems as my girl, and work with her for however long it takes. However, when I contacted the Rescue, they said, she hadn't really been in foster care, but, she showed none of this behavior when she was there, no cage agression, no agression towards other dogs, no biting?????
I feared that they didn't believe me, however, they did say, that sometimes when a dog is placed in a home, these things come out, b/c they are protective of their humans.
I just hope and pray they do the right thing, and place her in that training center where whe can be observed and fixed, b/c if they home her again, she will eventually bite someone...
they asked me if I wanted another dog...I don't want another dog, this was heartbreaking, and my home seems so empty without her there...but she needs some kind of correction that I cannot give her and someone who is dog savvy and is home with her all day.
she also would go under my sofa, bed and chairs and pull off the dust covers underneath...which was minor, and she wouldn't swallow any of it, she just simply enjoyed pulling them down.
she seemed fine when I was home, but a very fearful dog in the car...she would pant, and pant. I tried making the car a possitive experience, for her. Taking her out, sitting in the car, giving her a treat, talking to her petting her, and on short trips she was fine, but if I'd go into a store and come out, she'd be there all curled up shaking???? Poor little thing....
I just hope and pray I didn't do her any more harm by not knowing how to handle these situations. I've had dogs all my life, but raised them from puppies....and never in my life have had to deal with something like this...and feel so guilty like such a failure, and I'm certain, taking her back is going to hurt her more, do her more damage, her feeling abandoned again.
I called my groomer, and asked her if she would call the rescue and explain to them my dogs behavior when she was there...and hopefully she will receive the help she needs to find a forever home where she will be safe and loved.
I watch Ceasar all the time and adore dogs...I guess what I'm saying is, I surely didn't know dogs as well as I thought, and fear, by having her all this time, I did her more harm then good...
I just feel so sad...so empty, and will never ever get another dog again. I adopted her about 4 months after having to put my old boy down for cancer...I'm an older woman, and this is so so very difficult.
Do you think they can break the behavior? Help her with the anxiety?
Thanks for allowing me to vent....just can't get her off my mind...she was truly a joy, but feared her literally hurting someone....
That is really too bad, for you and for the dog. I adopted a dog with behavioral issues from the animal shelter, and it took over a year of intensive training to break him of his worst habits. Luckily I had the time to do it. He's still moderately cage aggresive, and he is afraid of other dogs, since he was used as a bait dog for pit bull fighting. I only walk him with a gentle leader (it fits like a bridle for dogs) and when I see someone walking another dog towards me, I usually try to go the other way.
He's a good little guy, but he still has issues. It seems your dog had some serious problems, and needed more than you were capable of giving him. Plus the property owner was kind of a dick.
Don't give up on finding another dog. Their companionship is priceless.
That is really too bad, for you and for the dog. I adopted a dog with behavioral issues from the animal shelter, and it took over a year of intensive training to break him of his worst habits. Luckily I had the time to do it. He's still moderately cage aggresive, and he is afraid of other dogs, since he was used as a bait dog for pit bull fighting. I only walk him with a gentle leader (it fits like a bridle for dogs) and when I see someone walking another dog towards me, I usually try to go the other way.
He's a good little guy, but he still has issues. It seems your dog had some serious problems, and needed more than you were capable of giving him. Plus the property owner was kind of a dick.
Don't give up on finding another dog. Their companionship is priceless.
thanks so much, greatly appreciate, but no, I'm done...I thought putting my last little guy down was hard, but this, this is really much harder...I wish I could have done something to correct her. I've had dogs all my life, all kinds of dogs...one of them being a redbone coonhound, and a neighbor who used to raise them said, he never saw one submit as my guy had done, but I raised him from a puppy and worked with him all the time...same with my dobies, labs, etc. I've never had a bitter, and it got so when I walked her, I became afraid, and that is another reason why I took her back, b/c she was probably feeling my fear as well...the last woman, she really went after....as far as the property owner, you can't blame him, he feared the liablity. I know a woman whose dog didn't bite the man who is claiming the dog did bite him and is a 50,000.00 law suit. She said the stress of this and the money spent on an attorney is just so hard.
So sorry to read your story. Can't rep a lot of you again until I "spread it around". You had no choice as you have to abide by 1. your intuition, 2. safety of your human family members, acquaintances and delivery people, 3. the property manager.
You really had no choice.
You do have a choice to let another adopt you in the future. Never say never. You'll never know when the circumstances may change in the future.
We've been through this twice within a 15 month period with two dogs dumped on our property. Tough decisions and they had to be put down, one after a vicious attack on a neighbor (thankfully, no problems with the human who owns, through attrition, an average of 12 dogs) and the other attack on our little canine guy without any provocation. It was sad, but that is the responsibility of having dogs, not just the loving, training, grooming, pilling - it's knowing when it is time to send them back, in your instance; or pts, in our situation.
Cried like an infant when I read this as I remembered our situations. Don't give up on getting your canine-fix. Pet-sit or volunteer when you feel up to it -- JMHO
OMG, I am furious...
The rescue where I got my dog, they put her picture up to home her again...I don't believe this??????
I cannot believe this, I was promised that they work with a training center, and she would go there for as long as need be???? I cannot believe they would be so cruel...and they don't even have her name listed, which she knew....they are calling her a name they had her under from before...my God she was bought back to them 3 times, you'd think they would do the right thing by her, I am so so angry I cannot tell you how angry I am....this is a very unkind, inhuman thing to do...they are no better then someone who abuses a dog, it's just a business to them...I'm done with rescues...I'm really really done...how dare they do this to her....I have a mind to report them!!!!! That poor little dog.
We had a similar experience with a 5 year old Maltese. He had been badly neglected and we suspect he was also abused. We got him when his owner passed away and the family was asking around to find a home for him. He was very anti-social when we first got him and agressive. At first I feared that I made a mistake taking him, but I felt so sorry for him because I knew no one else would keep him the way he was. It took about a year, but he gradually came around. For the most part he is a very loving dog. He jumps around playfully whereas previously, he just sulked around with his tail between his legs and snapped at everyone who tried to pet him. He will still snap at some people who approach him and we tell people not to approach him, but let him come up to them and sniff first. Oddly, there are some people he takes to right away. He will jump up and snuggle up to them. Others he snaps at all the time. We are retirees and have no small children around him, and our 4 year old grandson knows not to approach the dog. We never leave the two of them in a room together, but I would never leave a young child alone in a room with any dog. He has never actually bit anyone but will give out a low growl if he wants to be left alone. He is a perfect angel when being bathed or groomed, and I feel that my life is better for having him in it.
Most dogs from shelters (or that were abandoned) come with issues. The person who adopts them is taking a serious responsibility. Its a long term commitment.
That said, nothing in the OP is unusual. Many shelter dogs are far worse. The same could have happened with a pure bred puppy. Its really a shame you needed to return her, since there was some progress made. It takes time and it was your responsibility to know the unreliable nature of the dog and not let it interact with people, unleashed or without muzzle. You need to have good control of the dog and a crucial factor is being able to read her body language and anticipate her moves. Most dogs give signs before they bite or attack. Growling is actually a good thing. The dog is telling that she is unconformable. It's only a sign and there is nothing terrible about that. The human (as Cesar says) has to act to put an end to that situation.
As for shelters, they do their thing. Being flooded with unwanted animals, they try to roll them out ASAP. Sorry about that.
One more point: dogs behave differently at the shelter. The fact they didn't observe the behaviors you mention, means nothing. When you bring the dog home, in the first week or so they are usually quiet and reserved. It takes a couple of weeks before they settle down and only then start showing the problems.
Last edited by oberon_1; 05-10-2013 at 12:14 PM..
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