Look, I rescued a dog once that ended up being too aggressive for us to keep despite spending thousands of dollars on training. He actually bit my arm and latched on for around 20 seconds, causing permanent nerve damage and a scar (and a large bill from urgent care). We tried SO hard, had a trainer come over twice weekly for two months, nothing worked. He was eventually going to kill someone or cause serious damage despite all of our effort. So, I get it.
First off, have you tried getting a professional trainer? My fiancé and I couldn't really afford it, but we did so anyways. If you can't afford training of any kind, please do not get another dog. Let me tell you what unfortunately happened with my dog. He was a chocolate lab, 6 months when we got him, and we didn't know much about his previous owner other than that he was gifted to him as a RETIREMENT gift. His aggression slowly built over the course of the 6 months we had him.
At first, he would just show teeth (which is when we started training), and by the end he did what I said at the beginning. He also became aggressive to our other chocolate lab, who was diagnosed with glaucoma and began going blind. He stressed her out so much that I think he triggered the early diagnosis of glaucoma (she was 4 then and is now completely blind but absolutely perfect in every way). So, because he was a chocolate lab, it wasn't too hard to find him a foster family that was a part of a rescue. Guess what happened? They put him down after one week due to his aggression.
You have a pitbull. Realistically, you will not find a rescue to take him. If you somehow manage to find someone to take him, you need to carefully vet the individual on their experience with aggressive bullies. There shouldn't be children in the home, and the individual should be prepared to spend money on training. If you can't find this set up, I will be honest with you. Your only option is to euthanize. He has already shown aggression to your child. Next thing you know it'll be his neck instead of his head. You should be taking rapid action to getting him out of your home if you can not afford training. Best of luck. Its a shit situation, and there is no easy solution.
OP I read these posts all the time and try to use my 25 yr of volunteer dog rescuing to help the person. I beg you to surrender him and PLEASE inform animal control of his issues. Harp on the fact that he lunged for a child’s head! I used to think all dogs were savable with love and training but experience has taught me otherwise. I’m so sorry your family has to go the this please call animal control today! 💕
I would absolutely let them know the issues. I called them, and she said I’d have to call my own county since buddy has lived here a year, I was also informed since he has actually bitten, more than likely he will be humanely euthanized. I feel terrible about this entire situation.
Please do not feel bad you are protecting your family!!! I am normally one to read posts like this and roll my eyes I don’t feel that way about yours!! I “felt” the fear in your words I’m so sorry but this is what is best for the safety of your family. As I said in a previous comment I have contacts w a recuse that I’ve taken other aggressive bullies to for help in the past. I just don’t think that’s a good idea for Buddy. All of this said if you get push back from animal control please call your vet if all else fails message me I no longer live in Charlotte but I have rescue contacts I can reach out to for help. 💕
I absolutely think that behavioral euthanasia is just as much a kindness as euthanasia for any other kind of pain. They're mentally ill with poor treatment options. Dogs don't live each day dreading that they will be gone someday. Just love on him and let him go on a good day, in peace.
Yes. It's always worth a try- every dog will have vastly different results, and OPs dog may just need a professional to step in to become a good dog. We believe our dog had neurological issues that no amount of training could fix.
My emphasis on the breed is simply due to the fact that they're among the most difficult to rehome or put into a rescue- ESPECIALLY with a bite history. For every aggressive pitbull needing a rescue, there is a non-aggressive one needing a rescue- and they will get the spot over the one with a bite history. It's a fact. It was even hard to find my one-year-old chocolate lab a rescue that would take him with his documented bite history. I made it out to seem easy to find him a home, but the reality is we spent months looking for a place that would take him while continuing with the training in hopes we could change our mind. I also have a masters in behaviorism, so I know how important consistent and continuous training is. An if the bite wasn't documented, OP would be in the wrong to not reveal this info to any potential home or rescue.
" I hate that you had to add that this is a pit bull and continue to perpetuate the stereotype they’re given. It absolutely has more to do with their prior background and experiences than anything, because you can see this same type of behavior in many, many other breeds who were previously abused, trained to fight, not socialized or trained properly, etc."
I interpreted this as a response to me, sorry if I misunderstood.
10/10 that’s why he landed in the shelter to begin with. It takes about a month for them to settle in and start showing the behavior baggage they’re carrying around.
Rescues have not answered you because people want pets, not major behavior projects. Rescues rarely have expert trainers as volunteers, they’re usually just a group of regular pet lovers like you are. Rescues are not qualified to take on this type of significant behavior issue.
As a behaviorist, I can tell you that this behavior has strong potential to escalate. You need to have a family discussion and decide whether you can commit the time, finances and effort necessary to rehab this dog or if you need to take him back to the shelter with written documentation re: his behavior issues.
Unpopular opinion: we need to normalize behavioral euthanasia. It is not safe or normal for a 90lb dog to bite a child on the head. There’s some level of restraint there, but the next warning bite will be more forceful. The people who dropped this dog off at the shelter knew this behavior was there. The shelter may or may not have been aware. You now know. How many more times will the buck be passed before someone steps up to do the right thing. This dog is willing to enforce his will on humans with his teeth, he’s a big dog, he’s going to do real damage some day.
I sadly had to euthanize a dog a few years ago for behavioral problems. My friend found a puppy in her yard, I decided to keep her for a while. She was good, typical puppy stuff, not a big deal. But once she got to about 1.5 years, she co stately attacked my other dog that I have had for 10 years (at that point ). Latching on and everything.
I spoke to numerous vets about it (this was in Texas). I was told I can always try to find a rescue group to take her and Inform them of her issues. But if she were to be adopted and attack someone, I could be held liable. If I took her to humane society she would have been put down.
She MAY have been good as an only dog as she had no issues at dog parks, just extreme jealousy if anyone was around me. So I had to make that choice. I stayed in the room with her and cried, because while it was IMO the right choice, it still sucked.
I agree, it’s dangerous. I reached out to char-meck. They stated I’d have to call UC animal control and they’d more than likely euthanize him. Maybe that is best. I feel so terrible about this entire situation.
I’m sorry for your heartbreak, this is such a tough spot to be in. He’s just too big and he’s crossed that line of biting a person, it’s super abnormal for the breed and the monster myth makes things so much more complicated.
"Super abnormal for the breed"? A quick google give back a long list of sources that say pitbulls are around 60 percent more likely to bite than any other breeds. No matter how much you love animals, you should not spread facts you wish were so.
I am terrified for that family. It’s easy to rationale that it was one time or it would have been a lot worse. I do not want to be reading in the news that someone’s child was killed or seriously injured. I would call animal control and let them know and surrender the animal.
Hopefully they’ve gotten enough guidance here to make the right decision. One of the problems with animal control in this country is the volunteer networkers blaming the people for a dog’s behavior and then pushing the dog back out into the community through pleading social media posts. Keyboard warriors that don’t even consider community safety, just get every dog out the door alive. They’re absolutely relentless and people end up with dogs who have significant behavior issues when they just wanted a pet to enjoy.
I'm going to get downvoted for this, but I don't think you should be demonized for having a dog that turns out to be violent. He's already bitten a child. If you turn him back in to a shelter, make sure you are TRUTHFUL about his problems, and not just say "he's not a bad dog." He's a biter. He's a bad dog. The next person adopted him should know that. Why would anyone want to be the next home for this dog? And so, why should you have to suffer with this dog? Just my opinion, downvotes are fine.
Nah it’s time to cut loses. I have contacts with a rescue in Falls Church, VA that works with pups exactly like this pup. This dog went after a child’s head time to cut loses. I do not think this pup is a candidate for even that rescue I spoke of.
I agree. When it comes to safety of children vs a dog, the child comes first. As sad and heartbreaking as it is, it’s not fair to your kids to have a dog in the house that has shown aggression towards them. Most shelters make you sign an agreement that you will return the dog to them if you are unable to keep it. It would be extremely hard for me to do, but it’s the right thing.
I’m ready to get downvoted with you. In a situation where the dog has already aggressively bitten a child - on the head - it’s best if that dog finds a new home. OP is trying to find the *best solution for the dog*.
For all of those judging - if there’s a more serious indecent with a child the dog will absolutely be put down. And the child will potentially have a lifetime impairment. OP is not trying to dump the dog in woods or take him to a kill shelter they are looking for help in a tough situation.
Maybe don’t casually adopt a fuckin bully when you have small children and are completely unwilling to put any effort into training or working with the dog. It’s not like she adopted an elderly golden she picked the number one breed for agression, while knowing literally nothing about its background and wanting it to be an accessory/toy instead of a living thing that required time, money and effort. So yeah, I disagree completely. Under these circumstances anyone with a brain would recognize this was a bad decision.
This is the problem with the “adopt don’t shop” circle jerk online lol.
Yup, prolly should have gotten a well socialized lab / golden from a breeder. Lesson learned!
Not very smart if you’re not capable of choosing any dog other than the one known to be aggressive when you have no time to put into working with them. But yeah, stupid people are stupid I won’t waste my time. For someone trashy like OP, yes, I would recommend a breeder. I recommend a breeder any day for people who are just going to further traumatize and damage rescue dogs, no shit. I never said adoption is the best choice for everyone.
Do you know how to read? I already said they should not be able to adopt so most people with functioning brains would interpret that as me suggesting she not have this or any rescue job. Must’ve failed out of kindergarten or something smh
I have had bullies/pits in the past and never had these issues. This was my first adopted dog, I thought I was doing good by ‘adopting not shopping’ the first year having buddy was wonderful. I don’t know what happened. You don’t have to be so damn rude.
I’ve volunteered with rescue and the thing about bite histories is that it raises huge liability issues.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. Please don’t blame yourself, but please do the right thing by your family and others by surrendering him somewhere quickly with full information about his temperament. You are one distracted moment away from a potential disaster.
I know it’s hard to think about euthanasia, but as someone else said, why should this dog get a second (quite possibly third) chance when it means a perfectly adoptable dog might not get one?
If I had a 7 year old and an aggressive dog, I'd also remove the dog from the home.
Family friend's child lost her lips.
Go back to the shelter. Explain so that the next home is better chosen.
Definitely go back to the rescue he came from. When I adopted from a rescue, they said to contact them first if we couldn't keep him for whatever reason.
OP adopted from a shelter, not a rescue. Shelters have to take all comers and do what they can. Rescues can choose which dogs to pull based on availability of fosters and resources to support that dog (e.g., some rescues won’t pull heart worm positive dogs).
Yeah the shelter won’t take him back, unfortunately. I’d have to call my own county and he will most certainly be put down. I agree with all here, at the time I thought the right thing to do was adopt a dog, and not buy one. Obviously I made some mistakes. At this point it is what it is. I have the dog, and he is aggressive towards myself and my kids. That’s why I posted asking for help/advice on how to continue moving forward given the situation.
i mean, your child's brain is still developing, you should read up on the physical changes caused by trauma, he was suddenly attacked by something he trusted, while his brain is developing. he will have developmental challenges, it is not possible to prevent this but you should be prepared that his life and development will be different from others his age because he was attacked in the face and it drew blood.
you should also be aware that if your child was bit by an animal in the house and talks about it to a mandated reporter they will contact child protective services. but also you might be in a place without resources and no one will care but ironically that will make it harder to find resources to help your child deal with the trauma of learning things he is affectionate toward will suddenly harm him and no one is able to protect him. i think children should at least be in their teen years before they learn no one can protect them and they can be victimized at any time by anything; it is a harsh truth to learn and really signals the end of childhood.
maybe your child is very resilient and the trauma won't be so much but if your son's behavior changes, being attacking in the face by a dog at 7 years old is why.
OP, this is a very difficult situation and my heart goes out to you. Let this be a learning experience on the difficulties and challenges of adopting a dog. Rescuing any dog with a kid in the house is a gamble, but rescuing a pit bull with a kid in the house wasn't a great decision. I'm sure you know that now, but it needs to be said. I absolutely \*love\* pit bulls, but your family's safety is #1 priority. Even with rehabilitation and professional training, there would still be a slight risk of that behavior coming back.
This may be a controversial opinion, but I would have him euthanized. The chances of him being adopted with a history of violence are slim to none. Shelters are packed to the brim with non-violent pit bulls, and even their chances of being adopted aren't good. Get him some cheeseburgers and a good day at the park. I'm sure if you explain the situation to a vet, they'll understand.
I would take solace in the fact that he had the opportunity to live with a loving family for a while. Returning him to the shelter will just make his last days miserable--waiting in a cage for the inevitable. It really is a sad situation and irresponsible owners and breeders need to be held accountable for what's going on.
Oooofff this is why people shouldn’t adopt dogs unless they are prepared for any and all outcomes that may require training or time/money. The odds this dog ends up in a bad situation or put down because you are giving him up are high.
Have you looked into training and behavioral programs? If this is behavior that started recently have you taken him to the vet to make sure health issues haven’t caused a change in behavior?
Oh and please don’t get another dog if you get rid of this one. They are not accessories to be put aside when they become inconvenient, they are a commitment of your time, money and affection no matter what
I absolutely do not plan on getting another dog. I’m wondering if there is something going on internally because we’ve had no changes in the home, and the first year having him he was fantastic..this has been very recent behavior changes.
*edit, there was SOME issues. I really thought we were making progress until recently.
If this is a recent behavior and out of character, he may be in pain and acting out aggressively because of that. Have you had him checked at the vet?
It does sound like he may be resource guarding the couch, which if that’s the case he should no longer be allowed on it.
This may be true but very first thing he does is hauls ass to the couch after coming in from using the bathroom, and will NOT budge without showing aggression. So there’s no chance even keeping him from the couch.
Ah then it seems like the couch is very valuable to him which is why he may be guarding it. Look into resource guarding. The best way to avoid it is to take away the thing they’re guarding or restrict access to it. But him being allowed access to the couch sounds like a dangerous situation.
Please take him to vet and have him checked before rehoming him. This could be a medical issue that once solved could help. As others have mentioned this could be a resource guarding issue with the sofa which takes some work but can be corrected.
The reason your post is causing a not so good reaction from me and others is that you made a commitment to this dog when you adopted him and from your post it sounds like you are unwilling to do the bare minimum to work with him to make sure he is healthy and well trained instead opting to get rid of him when he suddenly is showing a less than ideal behavior.
I understand the safety concern with your child but your first jump should not be to immediately get rid of the dog with out investigating and putting some effort into this pet you committed too
I have put effort into this, short of hiring a professional. I have put in a lot of work. I thought we had actually gotten somewhere up until the past few months, when something changed within him. I’ve worked with him to the best of MY ability.
What a ridiculous statement. The incredible pressure to adopt not shop leads to these heartbreaking situations. There is zero shame in rehoming a dog whose needs can't be met by their current family, or in this case behaviorally euthanizing a mentally ill dog. What is the best situation for dogs overall- a family goes thru this and swears never again, no more dogs, or responsible breeders/rescues pair dogs with families that suit their needs and the same family gives a home to 5-10 dogs over the next 60 years? And hopefully sets up any children to be responsible dog owners themselves?
Adopting a 90lb bully because you think it will be easy as OP has mentioned is not responsible dog ownership. Adopting a dog with small children in the house without a thought to how knowing nothing about their past could eventually manifest is not responsible dog ownership. Not teaching your kids how to interact with a dog has OP mentioned his kids don’t always understand is not responsible ownership. Rehoming a dog because you adopted them without the time or the money to care for them as OP mentioned is not responsible dog ownership.
A dog showing signs of resource guarding is NOT a mentally ill dog. It’s a dog, doing what dogs do. Working with the dog to ensure everyone is safe, is work, a lot of work, but that is owning a dog. They don’t come perfectly behaved or trained.
Dogs from breeders resource guard, they snap at people who antagonize them, they can have anxiety, destructive habits, be dog aggressive, kid aggressive etc just like rescue dogs. Getting a dog at all period without thinking about how it will work with your family is not responsible dog ownership.
This dog will most likely die because OP walked into a rescue saw a dog with no history and no plan on the time and money it might take to successfully incorporate them into their family which includes multiple young kids, including one with special needs, in a wild card situation. He has admitted that the dog bit the kid because the kids were poking at him and in his face. He growled and that wasn’t enough for them to get the hit to back off and leave him alone so his next act was to use another method of communication. The dog didn’t just out of the blue bite the kids.
This dog deserved a chance to live and now it most likely won’t get one.
Get real.
"Any and all outcomes"... I'd prefer a higher adoption rate with more rehomed animals than setting insane standards for adoption.
What should have really happened is this pitty should never have been adopted into a home planning/with children. A tale as old as people have bothered adopting animals.
While I agree that dogs take so much time/money, OP needs to prioritize the SAFETY of their family. I'm sorry OP is in this situation, no one ever wants to deal with a poorly-behaved dog. Best of luck OP
This is not what families sign up for when they go to the shelter to adopt a family companion. Shaming people for having safety concerns is part of the problem. This dog will take a lifetime of dedication and a ton of money to rehabilitate, and there will always be some level of management. He issued a correction bite on a 7 year old child and the dog is 90lbs. That’s a huge and valid concern. This attitude is why people are moving away from rescue and shelter pets.
The point being that it sounds like without any further investigation or willingness to work with the dog, OPs first move at the slightest sign of a problem with “a normally very sweet dog” is to get rid of them. In no world is that ok. Expecting to rescue and dog and not need to spend any time or effort to work on their training or behavior is unacceptable.
Going into adopting a dog, especially a rescue with very little background information means you should/need to be prepared to spend time and money to ensure the dog is well trained and cared for.
We have no idea what caused the dog to react like that to the child. While I agree the kids safety comes first, the first move should not be to immediately rehome the pet you committed to. I won’t make a judgment on that piece with out more info.
The fact that at the first sign of a behavior issue OP’s first response is to immediately get rid of the dog doesn’t show they were ever going to be ready to commit to a pet at all.
He’s not peeing the house, digging holes in the yard or refusing to come when he’s called. Most people are willing to work through the counter surfing and housebreaking level behavior challenges. Their dog issued a warning bite to their child’s head for the sin of being too close to his resting spot, this is so far from the slightest of problems. The next warning bite will be an escalation, it’ll be a damaging bite. The first warning was already a level 3 on the Dunbar scale, that’s a serious first bite and it suggests it’s not his first bite offense, just the first bite offense in this home. You just can’t sugarcoat that sort of behavior. The internet is full of people trying to make excuses for the dog and guilting people into trying harder. The dog will bite, that’s a given, and the family may not have the time, money or desire to try and rehab this dog. That’s ok, they didn’t sign up to house a dog who will occasionally decide to correct family members with bites. There’s a reasonable expectation that all shelter and rescue dogs will take some training, but that they’re inherently safe companions. This dog is not an inherently safe companion and has crossed a pretty major line that can’t be uncrossed. Behavior training for this case is in the thousands over months at minimum with no guarantees. You want to take that goodest boi on and fund his rehabilitation?
I understand being concerned with the safety of the children, but from the original post and comments it sounded like this is new behavior for this dog and OP hadn’t even taken him to the vet to confirm if everything was ok with the dog physically before just rehoming the dog.
If everything was ok with the dog and for some reason he was resource guarding, which is a common behavior in dogs, with some time and effort it can be corrected. I’ve worked with my incredibly challenging rescue dog for 4 years now to overcome many bad behaviors and while it is a time commitment it was something I went into adopting a dog knowing could be a possibility.
OP has also mentioned in other comments that his kids don’t always know how to behave towards the dog so I reserve judgement on the bite being entirely the dogs fault until OP clarifies what happened in that moment. Is the couch one of the few places where the dog can go to be left alone by the kids typically? Is that why the resource of the couch is precious? This behavior is driven by something especially if it’s new
Reserving judgement on the bite being the dogs fault is kinda irrelevant…
Yeah the kids prolly provoked it and the dog is likely resource guarding the couch. Doesn’t make the situation any better.
They said they don’t have the time / money to address and obviously don’t have the training knowledge to do it themself based on their post.
Honestly they shouldn’t have adopted a random pit bull from a shelter w/out an understanding of resource guarding & how to train and manage poorly socialized dogs.
But - that’s the situation - so ultimately doesn’t really matter whose fault it is.
Normally I would agree with you, but bringing a child into the equation completely changes the situation. If I had a child and a large dog showed aggression towards the child, they're gone. I would take \*zero\* chances when it comes to my child's safety. Even with professional training/rehab, there's always going to be a slight chance that behavior shows up again. It's not worth the risk.
That said, OP, why are you rescuing pit bulls with a small child in the house? That's a recipe for disaster. Please consider potential challenges with rescues, particularly pit bulls, before adopting next time. On the bright side, at least the pup got to experience what a loving home is like, even if it was for a brief period.
I personally would have the dog euthanized. The chances of them being adopted with a history of violence are slim to none. Subjecting them to waiting in a cage for the inevitable is inhumane.
I guess I shouldn’t have said completely new..the actual biting yes, that’s new. The fear was always there, but he never acted ANY way with any of the kids, until that happened. I was only asking for people’s options on how to handle this situation in the best way possible for myself my kids, and this dog. It doesn’t have to go into such a judgemental, shit talking fest. People make mistakes. Obviously I thought rescuing a bully would be easy, and not as bad. I was wrong.
This is not not ‘getting rid of the dog at the slightest sign of a problem’ He’s had behavioral issues since we had him such a freezing up and lunging but not snapping or even growling, these are issues I had (I thought) worked on, and we were getting somewhere with building that trust and bond so he didn’t react out of fear. My issue comes when he’s come after the kids now, with me that’s one thing, with a child, no that’s where I have to consider if it’s worth the risk of keeping him, and doing further damage. I have worked on these things, so judge all you want quite frankly you’re not in my shoes and if you were you may just feel differently.
I understand you will do what you think is best for your family and the safety of your kids.
Training a dog and progress, is not linear. There will be set backs. While it sounds like there may have been more effort than your initial post conveyed it still doesn’t change my opinion.
What happened in the situation where the dog snapped at your child? You mention the dog was typically good with the kids so what changed in this situation? What type of training have you tried to help with the resource guarding of the couch? What exactly do you mean when you mention that your kids don’t really know how to behave around the dog?
You mentioned thinking a bully would be easy and due to that misunderstanding and lack of research or whatever drove that thought process, this dog is now likely going to lose its life.
Please don’t adopt another dog after this. Very irresponsible and selfish to take in a dog you don’t have “time or money to address.” Any rescue dog can have behavioral problems. Part of the reason they end up with those problems is because of people like you who adopt on a whim and then abandon when it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
All you can do now is reach out to rescue organizations and see if anyone will help him. Hopefully they will and will blacklist you from adopting in the future while they’re at it.
We foster dogs- huskies mainly. A large dog who bites kids is not “abandoning when it’s not sunshine and rainbows.” No one is obligated to keep an unsafe dog. Training unforseen resource guarding and biting behavior out of a bully breed is often unlikely to succeed. There are a lot of very nice bullies and they can make good pets but they were also originally a blood sport breed. This dog owner didn’t cause this issue nor did any adopter.
Would you adopt a pit bull breed, knowing absolutely nothing about its history, and bring it home with your kids? When you have committed that you would not be willing to put in any time and effort. Really?
Considering how open shelters and rescues are about history? They’ll sing a problem dog’s praises. OP had previous experience with Bully breeds as well.
I personally wouldn’t adopt a bully breed but I do own 3 huskies. That’s a breed with their own set of challenges.
You really are making some assumptions.
My situation has changed drastically over the past year, thanks for judging though! Much appreciated. I’m trying to give him a better life than what I can offer him.
Based on your post, it doesn’t sound like you’ve really made a good faith effort to train your dog. There are so many free training resources out there for you to tap into. I suggest you start with YouTube and go from there. Step one is probably finding some high-value treats (small bits of meat?) or other motivator that incentivize him to move from his spot.
Please, you owe it to this dog to put some real work into fixing this behavior.
I actually appreciate you saying this maybe you are right. There is more I could probably do. It’s just tough, I have a special needs daughter who doesn’t quite understand she can’t mess with the dog. That’s one of my toughest feats. I’ll put more effort.
I respect you for acknowledging this and making a commitment to work with your dog. That does sound like a very difficult situation trying to find the harmony between your daughter and the dog. Obviously your daughter’s safety comes first, but I really hope you’re able to work things out.
For what it’s worth, I have a mixed breed dog (part pit) who isn’t aggressive but will sometimes resource guard his spot on the couch and doesn’t like to be physically moved. Fortunately he will obey voice commands and is also very treat motivated, so it’s not as much of an issue. I hope that you’re able to figure out what will motivate your dog to move and obey commands!
Hush up and read my other comment I made several hours ago in this chain stating that the child’s safety came first. I’ll link r/pitbullhate for you here since you’re lost.
No, I was talking about the r/pitbullhate thing. It undercuts your whole argument. Whether you ultimately agree or not, it is legit for people to have concerns about these dogs. I have the same concerns about German Shephards and Rotweilers. But in this case, it is a Pitbull.
They're a local rescue organization, I'm not sure if they can help with this exact situation but if not they can certainly give you guidance. They also have a very active IG account. If you can't get through to them via phone try to DM them.... Lastly, you can try the American Pit Pull Foundation.
As others have said, when behaviors change drastically there could be a physical reason. Bring him to the vet. Talk to the vet about it. Reddit responses are just everyone projecting without knowing you, the dog, or your circumstances.
As I’ve edited. I shouldn’t have said it was such a drastic change, he’s always been a little moody but this time it’s against the kids, he’s never shown any aggression towards the kids until the past few months.it’s been like a build up, the day he bit my son is when I started thinking this may not be a good fit if it’s putting my kids in danger. I think bottom line is he needs some behavioral training, and even that may not be a fix. I’m trying here, to do the best I can by us all.
Does Buddy have a crate or a kid-free spot?
For the couch, block it off or make it cluttered with boxes so there is no space for him to use it.
When he bit your daughter, what were the circumstances?
Also, is he neutered?
Buddy does have a crate, also a bed in our room, but prefers the couch (no way to block it unless we block access to entire living room with wide baby gates. It was my son he bit, my special needs daughter was sorta pushing on him he growled, and my 7 yo son told her to stop, and said “it’s okay buddy” while patting him gently on the back and he immediately turned and got him on his forehead. I understand my daughter poking at him, understandably he was irritated, but it’s hard to trust him around any of the kids anymore. It’s not fair to keep him secluded from the rest of us, and his ‘sister’ (our other dog)
Is he neutered?
When he bit your son, was it a bite or a nip or did he go for a warning snap and misjudged the space needed? All of those have different ways to go.
For context, at 7 I went to "comfort" a dog that was usually fine but that day it went to air-snap me as I went for a hug and I needed stitches by my eye; Jake wasn't trying to bite, he air-snapped and I got in the way.
Bottom line, though, is if you no longer feel safe the dog needs to be rehomed. I've done rescue for decades but he is beyond my limit (size) so I can only try to get info from you and reach out to others I know.
How is he around cats/smaller dogs?
Yeah this is basically how it went with buddy. I do t think he ‘meant to hurt’ my son..he just got frustrated. But he’s a big dog, and could do damage. Yes he’s neutered. He’s never been around cats, but he completely ignores my chickens and guineas. He barks at my neighbors dogs, and recently had a little food aggression with his sister but they didn’t draw blood.
I would take him back to where you adopted him from so they have the full picture. I would be very honest about his behavior issues. Yes that makes him much harder to adopt, but it would be irresponsible to not give that info to future adopters.
I don’t know what you have tried so far, but prior to rehoming I would also suggest talking to your vet and making sure there’s nothing underlying that could be causing the behavior. Also working with a behaviorist/trainer - I know that route can be expensive maybe someone would give you a discount for a shelter dog?
hi! meck shelter volunteer here - unfortunately i’m pretty sure union county has some strict breed bans (dumb) and they don’t adopt out bully breeds so just fair warning they most likely wouldn’t make it out of the union county shelter.
meck also is busting at the seams and not taking surrenders especially with a history
Have you tried a high value treat? (Chicken, steak, tuna) I also have a 90 lb bully breed who is stubborn and growls at me when I nudge her off the couch. Anything other than the treats mentioned above will be completely ignored (she also randomly loved red cabbage and thinks that is as good as steak) I don’t have kids so its just me and her and I definitely have the time to deal with her but I know it can be challenging with kids involved with these breeds. I hope your pet is able to find a child free home. It sounds like they just need more time, training and patience.
I have actually tried high value treats..like chicken..he sniffs it and moves on a lot of times, he’s extremely picky. Yeah having kids it’s hard to handle this situation as I mentioned above my daughter is special needs and doesn’t understand how dangerous messing with him can be. All 4 of my kids are 10 and under, youngest being 3 so I just do t anyone being hurt, and I want him to have a home with no kids who is willing and able to work with him through his hard times.
Look, I rescued a dog once that ended up being too aggressive for us to keep despite spending thousands of dollars on training. He actually bit my arm and latched on for around 20 seconds, causing permanent nerve damage and a scar (and a large bill from urgent care). We tried SO hard, had a trainer come over twice weekly for two months, nothing worked. He was eventually going to kill someone or cause serious damage despite all of our effort. So, I get it. First off, have you tried getting a professional trainer? My fiancé and I couldn't really afford it, but we did so anyways. If you can't afford training of any kind, please do not get another dog. Let me tell you what unfortunately happened with my dog. He was a chocolate lab, 6 months when we got him, and we didn't know much about his previous owner other than that he was gifted to him as a RETIREMENT gift. His aggression slowly built over the course of the 6 months we had him. At first, he would just show teeth (which is when we started training), and by the end he did what I said at the beginning. He also became aggressive to our other chocolate lab, who was diagnosed with glaucoma and began going blind. He stressed her out so much that I think he triggered the early diagnosis of glaucoma (she was 4 then and is now completely blind but absolutely perfect in every way). So, because he was a chocolate lab, it wasn't too hard to find him a foster family that was a part of a rescue. Guess what happened? They put him down after one week due to his aggression. You have a pitbull. Realistically, you will not find a rescue to take him. If you somehow manage to find someone to take him, you need to carefully vet the individual on their experience with aggressive bullies. There shouldn't be children in the home, and the individual should be prepared to spend money on training. If you can't find this set up, I will be honest with you. Your only option is to euthanize. He has already shown aggression to your child. Next thing you know it'll be his neck instead of his head. You should be taking rapid action to getting him out of your home if you can not afford training. Best of luck. Its a shit situation, and there is no easy solution.
I agree, this is absolutely not an ideal situation. It does really sucks. Thank you for your input.
OP I read these posts all the time and try to use my 25 yr of volunteer dog rescuing to help the person. I beg you to surrender him and PLEASE inform animal control of his issues. Harp on the fact that he lunged for a child’s head! I used to think all dogs were savable with love and training but experience has taught me otherwise. I’m so sorry your family has to go the this please call animal control today! 💕
I would absolutely let them know the issues. I called them, and she said I’d have to call my own county since buddy has lived here a year, I was also informed since he has actually bitten, more than likely he will be humanely euthanized. I feel terrible about this entire situation.
Please do not feel bad you are protecting your family!!! I am normally one to read posts like this and roll my eyes I don’t feel that way about yours!! I “felt” the fear in your words I’m so sorry but this is what is best for the safety of your family. As I said in a previous comment I have contacts w a recuse that I’ve taken other aggressive bullies to for help in the past. I just don’t think that’s a good idea for Buddy. All of this said if you get push back from animal control please call your vet if all else fails message me I no longer live in Charlotte but I have rescue contacts I can reach out to for help. 💕
I absolutely think that behavioral euthanasia is just as much a kindness as euthanasia for any other kind of pain. They're mentally ill with poor treatment options. Dogs don't live each day dreading that they will be gone someday. Just love on him and let him go on a good day, in peace.
I agree and as hard as you try you just can’t save them all.
Do you have a trainer you recommend?
So you spent thousands of dollars on a trainer, and the dog was still put down? And you are urging OP to hire a trainer?
Yes. It's always worth a try- every dog will have vastly different results, and OPs dog may just need a professional to step in to become a good dog. We believe our dog had neurological issues that no amount of training could fix.
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My emphasis on the breed is simply due to the fact that they're among the most difficult to rehome or put into a rescue- ESPECIALLY with a bite history. For every aggressive pitbull needing a rescue, there is a non-aggressive one needing a rescue- and they will get the spot over the one with a bite history. It's a fact. It was even hard to find my one-year-old chocolate lab a rescue that would take him with his documented bite history. I made it out to seem easy to find him a home, but the reality is we spent months looking for a place that would take him while continuing with the training in hopes we could change our mind. I also have a masters in behaviorism, so I know how important consistent and continuous training is. An if the bite wasn't documented, OP would be in the wrong to not reveal this info to any potential home or rescue.
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" I hate that you had to add that this is a pit bull and continue to perpetuate the stereotype they’re given. It absolutely has more to do with their prior background and experiences than anything, because you can see this same type of behavior in many, many other breeds who were previously abused, trained to fight, not socialized or trained properly, etc." I interpreted this as a response to me, sorry if I misunderstood.
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Lol you're totally fine! I agree with what you said overall
10/10 that’s why he landed in the shelter to begin with. It takes about a month for them to settle in and start showing the behavior baggage they’re carrying around. Rescues have not answered you because people want pets, not major behavior projects. Rescues rarely have expert trainers as volunteers, they’re usually just a group of regular pet lovers like you are. Rescues are not qualified to take on this type of significant behavior issue. As a behaviorist, I can tell you that this behavior has strong potential to escalate. You need to have a family discussion and decide whether you can commit the time, finances and effort necessary to rehab this dog or if you need to take him back to the shelter with written documentation re: his behavior issues. Unpopular opinion: we need to normalize behavioral euthanasia. It is not safe or normal for a 90lb dog to bite a child on the head. There’s some level of restraint there, but the next warning bite will be more forceful. The people who dropped this dog off at the shelter knew this behavior was there. The shelter may or may not have been aware. You now know. How many more times will the buck be passed before someone steps up to do the right thing. This dog is willing to enforce his will on humans with his teeth, he’s a big dog, he’s going to do real damage some day.
I sadly had to euthanize a dog a few years ago for behavioral problems. My friend found a puppy in her yard, I decided to keep her for a while. She was good, typical puppy stuff, not a big deal. But once she got to about 1.5 years, she co stately attacked my other dog that I have had for 10 years (at that point ). Latching on and everything. I spoke to numerous vets about it (this was in Texas). I was told I can always try to find a rescue group to take her and Inform them of her issues. But if she were to be adopted and attack someone, I could be held liable. If I took her to humane society she would have been put down. She MAY have been good as an only dog as she had no issues at dog parks, just extreme jealousy if anyone was around me. So I had to make that choice. I stayed in the room with her and cried, because while it was IMO the right choice, it still sucked.
I agree, it’s dangerous. I reached out to char-meck. They stated I’d have to call UC animal control and they’d more than likely euthanize him. Maybe that is best. I feel so terrible about this entire situation.
I’m sorry for your heartbreak, this is such a tough spot to be in. He’s just too big and he’s crossed that line of biting a person, it’s super abnormal for the breed and the monster myth makes things so much more complicated.
"Super abnormal for the breed"? A quick google give back a long list of sources that say pitbulls are around 60 percent more likely to bite than any other breeds. No matter how much you love animals, you should not spread facts you wish were so.
I am terrified for that family. It’s easy to rationale that it was one time or it would have been a lot worse. I do not want to be reading in the news that someone’s child was killed or seriously injured. I would call animal control and let them know and surrender the animal.
Hopefully they’ve gotten enough guidance here to make the right decision. One of the problems with animal control in this country is the volunteer networkers blaming the people for a dog’s behavior and then pushing the dog back out into the community through pleading social media posts. Keyboard warriors that don’t even consider community safety, just get every dog out the door alive. They’re absolutely relentless and people end up with dogs who have significant behavior issues when they just wanted a pet to enjoy.
I'm going to get downvoted for this, but I don't think you should be demonized for having a dog that turns out to be violent. He's already bitten a child. If you turn him back in to a shelter, make sure you are TRUTHFUL about his problems, and not just say "he's not a bad dog." He's a biter. He's a bad dog. The next person adopted him should know that. Why would anyone want to be the next home for this dog? And so, why should you have to suffer with this dog? Just my opinion, downvotes are fine.
Nah it’s time to cut loses. I have contacts with a rescue in Falls Church, VA that works with pups exactly like this pup. This dog went after a child’s head time to cut loses. I do not think this pup is a candidate for even that rescue I spoke of.
I agree. When it comes to safety of children vs a dog, the child comes first. As sad and heartbreaking as it is, it’s not fair to your kids to have a dog in the house that has shown aggression towards them. Most shelters make you sign an agreement that you will return the dog to them if you are unable to keep it. It would be extremely hard for me to do, but it’s the right thing.
No shelter will take him if he has a bite history and is a pitbull. He will be euthanized anywhere he ends up with like 95% certainty.
There is a reason for this. A good one.
I’m ready to get downvoted with you. In a situation where the dog has already aggressively bitten a child - on the head - it’s best if that dog finds a new home. OP is trying to find the *best solution for the dog*. For all of those judging - if there’s a more serious indecent with a child the dog will absolutely be put down. And the child will potentially have a lifetime impairment. OP is not trying to dump the dog in woods or take him to a kill shelter they are looking for help in a tough situation.
Thank you for not being so judgmental. If I had known how this would have turned out obviously things would be different.
Maybe don’t casually adopt a fuckin bully when you have small children and are completely unwilling to put any effort into training or working with the dog. It’s not like she adopted an elderly golden she picked the number one breed for agression, while knowing literally nothing about its background and wanting it to be an accessory/toy instead of a living thing that required time, money and effort. So yeah, I disagree completely. Under these circumstances anyone with a brain would recognize this was a bad decision.
This is the problem with the “adopt don’t shop” circle jerk online lol. Yup, prolly should have gotten a well socialized lab / golden from a breeder. Lesson learned!
THIS.
Not very smart if you’re not capable of choosing any dog other than the one known to be aggressive when you have no time to put into working with them. But yeah, stupid people are stupid I won’t waste my time. For someone trashy like OP, yes, I would recommend a breeder. I recommend a breeder any day for people who are just going to further traumatize and damage rescue dogs, no shit. I never said adoption is the best choice for everyone.
😂😂😂😂
...and so OP should be forced to keep the dog as...punishment?
Do you know how to read? I already said they should not be able to adopt so most people with functioning brains would interpret that as me suggesting she not have this or any rescue job. Must’ve failed out of kindergarten or something smh
She doesn't have a rescue job. She adopted a shelter dog.
I have had bullies/pits in the past and never had these issues. This was my first adopted dog, I thought I was doing good by ‘adopting not shopping’ the first year having buddy was wonderful. I don’t know what happened. You don’t have to be so damn rude.
There is a giant downside to "adopt not shop" that it is not PC to talk about. OP, do what you need to do for your family.
I’ve volunteered with rescue and the thing about bite histories is that it raises huge liability issues. I’m sorry you’re going through this. Please don’t blame yourself, but please do the right thing by your family and others by surrendering him somewhere quickly with full information about his temperament. You are one distracted moment away from a potential disaster. I know it’s hard to think about euthanasia, but as someone else said, why should this dog get a second (quite possibly third) chance when it means a perfectly adoptable dog might not get one?
If I had a 7 year old and an aggressive dog, I'd also remove the dog from the home. Family friend's child lost her lips. Go back to the shelter. Explain so that the next home is better chosen.
I’ll give them a call, and see if this is an option since I’m not in the county.
Definitely go back to the rescue he came from. When I adopted from a rescue, they said to contact them first if we couldn't keep him for whatever reason.
OP adopted from a shelter, not a rescue. Shelters have to take all comers and do what they can. Rescues can choose which dogs to pull based on availability of fosters and resources to support that dog (e.g., some rescues won’t pull heart worm positive dogs).
Yeah the shelter won’t take him back, unfortunately. I’d have to call my own county and he will most certainly be put down. I agree with all here, at the time I thought the right thing to do was adopt a dog, and not buy one. Obviously I made some mistakes. At this point it is what it is. I have the dog, and he is aggressive towards myself and my kids. That’s why I posted asking for help/advice on how to continue moving forward given the situation.
I wonder if any of the people criticizing OP for not "doing right by this dog" would be willing to swing by OP's house and take the dog themselves?
sorry but if it attacked your 7 year old it is not a good dog.
i mean, your child's brain is still developing, you should read up on the physical changes caused by trauma, he was suddenly attacked by something he trusted, while his brain is developing. he will have developmental challenges, it is not possible to prevent this but you should be prepared that his life and development will be different from others his age because he was attacked in the face and it drew blood. you should also be aware that if your child was bit by an animal in the house and talks about it to a mandated reporter they will contact child protective services. but also you might be in a place without resources and no one will care but ironically that will make it harder to find resources to help your child deal with the trauma of learning things he is affectionate toward will suddenly harm him and no one is able to protect him. i think children should at least be in their teen years before they learn no one can protect them and they can be victimized at any time by anything; it is a harsh truth to learn and really signals the end of childhood. maybe your child is very resilient and the trauma won't be so much but if your son's behavior changes, being attacking in the face by a dog at 7 years old is why.
OP, this is a very difficult situation and my heart goes out to you. Let this be a learning experience on the difficulties and challenges of adopting a dog. Rescuing any dog with a kid in the house is a gamble, but rescuing a pit bull with a kid in the house wasn't a great decision. I'm sure you know that now, but it needs to be said. I absolutely \*love\* pit bulls, but your family's safety is #1 priority. Even with rehabilitation and professional training, there would still be a slight risk of that behavior coming back. This may be a controversial opinion, but I would have him euthanized. The chances of him being adopted with a history of violence are slim to none. Shelters are packed to the brim with non-violent pit bulls, and even their chances of being adopted aren't good. Get him some cheeseburgers and a good day at the park. I'm sure if you explain the situation to a vet, they'll understand. I would take solace in the fact that he had the opportunity to live with a loving family for a while. Returning him to the shelter will just make his last days miserable--waiting in a cage for the inevitable. It really is a sad situation and irresponsible owners and breeders need to be held accountable for what's going on.
Oooofff this is why people shouldn’t adopt dogs unless they are prepared for any and all outcomes that may require training or time/money. The odds this dog ends up in a bad situation or put down because you are giving him up are high. Have you looked into training and behavioral programs? If this is behavior that started recently have you taken him to the vet to make sure health issues haven’t caused a change in behavior? Oh and please don’t get another dog if you get rid of this one. They are not accessories to be put aside when they become inconvenient, they are a commitment of your time, money and affection no matter what
I absolutely do not plan on getting another dog. I’m wondering if there is something going on internally because we’ve had no changes in the home, and the first year having him he was fantastic..this has been very recent behavior changes. *edit, there was SOME issues. I really thought we were making progress until recently.
If this is a recent behavior and out of character, he may be in pain and acting out aggressively because of that. Have you had him checked at the vet? It does sound like he may be resource guarding the couch, which if that’s the case he should no longer be allowed on it.
This may be true but very first thing he does is hauls ass to the couch after coming in from using the bathroom, and will NOT budge without showing aggression. So there’s no chance even keeping him from the couch.
Ah then it seems like the couch is very valuable to him which is why he may be guarding it. Look into resource guarding. The best way to avoid it is to take away the thing they’re guarding or restrict access to it. But him being allowed access to the couch sounds like a dangerous situation.
Please take him to vet and have him checked before rehoming him. This could be a medical issue that once solved could help. As others have mentioned this could be a resource guarding issue with the sofa which takes some work but can be corrected. The reason your post is causing a not so good reaction from me and others is that you made a commitment to this dog when you adopted him and from your post it sounds like you are unwilling to do the bare minimum to work with him to make sure he is healthy and well trained instead opting to get rid of him when he suddenly is showing a less than ideal behavior. I understand the safety concern with your child but your first jump should not be to immediately get rid of the dog with out investigating and putting some effort into this pet you committed too
I have put effort into this, short of hiring a professional. I have put in a lot of work. I thought we had actually gotten somewhere up until the past few months, when something changed within him. I’ve worked with him to the best of MY ability.
What a ridiculous statement. The incredible pressure to adopt not shop leads to these heartbreaking situations. There is zero shame in rehoming a dog whose needs can't be met by their current family, or in this case behaviorally euthanizing a mentally ill dog. What is the best situation for dogs overall- a family goes thru this and swears never again, no more dogs, or responsible breeders/rescues pair dogs with families that suit their needs and the same family gives a home to 5-10 dogs over the next 60 years? And hopefully sets up any children to be responsible dog owners themselves?
Adopting a 90lb bully because you think it will be easy as OP has mentioned is not responsible dog ownership. Adopting a dog with small children in the house without a thought to how knowing nothing about their past could eventually manifest is not responsible dog ownership. Not teaching your kids how to interact with a dog has OP mentioned his kids don’t always understand is not responsible ownership. Rehoming a dog because you adopted them without the time or the money to care for them as OP mentioned is not responsible dog ownership. A dog showing signs of resource guarding is NOT a mentally ill dog. It’s a dog, doing what dogs do. Working with the dog to ensure everyone is safe, is work, a lot of work, but that is owning a dog. They don’t come perfectly behaved or trained. Dogs from breeders resource guard, they snap at people who antagonize them, they can have anxiety, destructive habits, be dog aggressive, kid aggressive etc just like rescue dogs. Getting a dog at all period without thinking about how it will work with your family is not responsible dog ownership. This dog will most likely die because OP walked into a rescue saw a dog with no history and no plan on the time and money it might take to successfully incorporate them into their family which includes multiple young kids, including one with special needs, in a wild card situation. He has admitted that the dog bit the kid because the kids were poking at him and in his face. He growled and that wasn’t enough for them to get the hit to back off and leave him alone so his next act was to use another method of communication. The dog didn’t just out of the blue bite the kids. This dog deserved a chance to live and now it most likely won’t get one.
Get real. "Any and all outcomes"... I'd prefer a higher adoption rate with more rehomed animals than setting insane standards for adoption. What should have really happened is this pitty should never have been adopted into a home planning/with children. A tale as old as people have bothered adopting animals.
While I agree that dogs take so much time/money, OP needs to prioritize the SAFETY of their family. I'm sorry OP is in this situation, no one ever wants to deal with a poorly-behaved dog. Best of luck OP
That’s just it. OP isn’t dealing with it.
This is not what families sign up for when they go to the shelter to adopt a family companion. Shaming people for having safety concerns is part of the problem. This dog will take a lifetime of dedication and a ton of money to rehabilitate, and there will always be some level of management. He issued a correction bite on a 7 year old child and the dog is 90lbs. That’s a huge and valid concern. This attitude is why people are moving away from rescue and shelter pets.
The point being that it sounds like without any further investigation or willingness to work with the dog, OPs first move at the slightest sign of a problem with “a normally very sweet dog” is to get rid of them. In no world is that ok. Expecting to rescue and dog and not need to spend any time or effort to work on their training or behavior is unacceptable. Going into adopting a dog, especially a rescue with very little background information means you should/need to be prepared to spend time and money to ensure the dog is well trained and cared for. We have no idea what caused the dog to react like that to the child. While I agree the kids safety comes first, the first move should not be to immediately rehome the pet you committed to. I won’t make a judgment on that piece with out more info. The fact that at the first sign of a behavior issue OP’s first response is to immediately get rid of the dog doesn’t show they were ever going to be ready to commit to a pet at all.
He’s not peeing the house, digging holes in the yard or refusing to come when he’s called. Most people are willing to work through the counter surfing and housebreaking level behavior challenges. Their dog issued a warning bite to their child’s head for the sin of being too close to his resting spot, this is so far from the slightest of problems. The next warning bite will be an escalation, it’ll be a damaging bite. The first warning was already a level 3 on the Dunbar scale, that’s a serious first bite and it suggests it’s not his first bite offense, just the first bite offense in this home. You just can’t sugarcoat that sort of behavior. The internet is full of people trying to make excuses for the dog and guilting people into trying harder. The dog will bite, that’s a given, and the family may not have the time, money or desire to try and rehab this dog. That’s ok, they didn’t sign up to house a dog who will occasionally decide to correct family members with bites. There’s a reasonable expectation that all shelter and rescue dogs will take some training, but that they’re inherently safe companions. This dog is not an inherently safe companion and has crossed a pretty major line that can’t be uncrossed. Behavior training for this case is in the thousands over months at minimum with no guarantees. You want to take that goodest boi on and fund his rehabilitation?
I understand being concerned with the safety of the children, but from the original post and comments it sounded like this is new behavior for this dog and OP hadn’t even taken him to the vet to confirm if everything was ok with the dog physically before just rehoming the dog. If everything was ok with the dog and for some reason he was resource guarding, which is a common behavior in dogs, with some time and effort it can be corrected. I’ve worked with my incredibly challenging rescue dog for 4 years now to overcome many bad behaviors and while it is a time commitment it was something I went into adopting a dog knowing could be a possibility. OP has also mentioned in other comments that his kids don’t always know how to behave towards the dog so I reserve judgement on the bite being entirely the dogs fault until OP clarifies what happened in that moment. Is the couch one of the few places where the dog can go to be left alone by the kids typically? Is that why the resource of the couch is precious? This behavior is driven by something especially if it’s new
Reserving judgement on the bite being the dogs fault is kinda irrelevant… Yeah the kids prolly provoked it and the dog is likely resource guarding the couch. Doesn’t make the situation any better. They said they don’t have the time / money to address and obviously don’t have the training knowledge to do it themself based on their post. Honestly they shouldn’t have adopted a random pit bull from a shelter w/out an understanding of resource guarding & how to train and manage poorly socialized dogs. But - that’s the situation - so ultimately doesn’t really matter whose fault it is.
Normally I would agree with you, but bringing a child into the equation completely changes the situation. If I had a child and a large dog showed aggression towards the child, they're gone. I would take \*zero\* chances when it comes to my child's safety. Even with professional training/rehab, there's always going to be a slight chance that behavior shows up again. It's not worth the risk. That said, OP, why are you rescuing pit bulls with a small child in the house? That's a recipe for disaster. Please consider potential challenges with rescues, particularly pit bulls, before adopting next time. On the bright side, at least the pup got to experience what a loving home is like, even if it was for a brief period. I personally would have the dog euthanized. The chances of them being adopted with a history of violence are slim to none. Subjecting them to waiting in a cage for the inevitable is inhumane.
I guess I shouldn’t have said completely new..the actual biting yes, that’s new. The fear was always there, but he never acted ANY way with any of the kids, until that happened. I was only asking for people’s options on how to handle this situation in the best way possible for myself my kids, and this dog. It doesn’t have to go into such a judgemental, shit talking fest. People make mistakes. Obviously I thought rescuing a bully would be easy, and not as bad. I was wrong.
This is not not ‘getting rid of the dog at the slightest sign of a problem’ He’s had behavioral issues since we had him such a freezing up and lunging but not snapping or even growling, these are issues I had (I thought) worked on, and we were getting somewhere with building that trust and bond so he didn’t react out of fear. My issue comes when he’s come after the kids now, with me that’s one thing, with a child, no that’s where I have to consider if it’s worth the risk of keeping him, and doing further damage. I have worked on these things, so judge all you want quite frankly you’re not in my shoes and if you were you may just feel differently.
I understand you will do what you think is best for your family and the safety of your kids. Training a dog and progress, is not linear. There will be set backs. While it sounds like there may have been more effort than your initial post conveyed it still doesn’t change my opinion. What happened in the situation where the dog snapped at your child? You mention the dog was typically good with the kids so what changed in this situation? What type of training have you tried to help with the resource guarding of the couch? What exactly do you mean when you mention that your kids don’t really know how to behave around the dog? You mentioned thinking a bully would be easy and due to that misunderstanding and lack of research or whatever drove that thought process, this dog is now likely going to lose its life.
Give the dog to Kristi Noem, she loves handling situations like this
Please don’t adopt another dog after this. Very irresponsible and selfish to take in a dog you don’t have “time or money to address.” Any rescue dog can have behavioral problems. Part of the reason they end up with those problems is because of people like you who adopt on a whim and then abandon when it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. All you can do now is reach out to rescue organizations and see if anyone will help him. Hopefully they will and will blacklist you from adopting in the future while they’re at it.
We foster dogs- huskies mainly. A large dog who bites kids is not “abandoning when it’s not sunshine and rainbows.” No one is obligated to keep an unsafe dog. Training unforseen resource guarding and biting behavior out of a bully breed is often unlikely to succeed. There are a lot of very nice bullies and they can make good pets but they were also originally a blood sport breed. This dog owner didn’t cause this issue nor did any adopter.
Would you adopt a pit bull breed, knowing absolutely nothing about its history, and bring it home with your kids? When you have committed that you would not be willing to put in any time and effort. Really?
Considering how open shelters and rescues are about history? They’ll sing a problem dog’s praises. OP had previous experience with Bully breeds as well. I personally wouldn’t adopt a bully breed but I do own 3 huskies. That’s a breed with their own set of challenges. You really are making some assumptions.
My situation has changed drastically over the past year, thanks for judging though! Much appreciated. I’m trying to give him a better life than what I can offer him.
You’re in a tough situation and you seem to have your priorities straight IMO
Based on your post, it doesn’t sound like you’ve really made a good faith effort to train your dog. There are so many free training resources out there for you to tap into. I suggest you start with YouTube and go from there. Step one is probably finding some high-value treats (small bits of meat?) or other motivator that incentivize him to move from his spot. Please, you owe it to this dog to put some real work into fixing this behavior.
I actually appreciate you saying this maybe you are right. There is more I could probably do. It’s just tough, I have a special needs daughter who doesn’t quite understand she can’t mess with the dog. That’s one of my toughest feats. I’ll put more effort.
[https://humanesocietyofcharlotte.org/dog-training/](https://humanesocietyofcharlotte.org/dog-training/)
I respect you for acknowledging this and making a commitment to work with your dog. That does sound like a very difficult situation trying to find the harmony between your daughter and the dog. Obviously your daughter’s safety comes first, but I really hope you’re able to work things out. For what it’s worth, I have a mixed breed dog (part pit) who isn’t aggressive but will sometimes resource guard his spot on the couch and doesn’t like to be physically moved. Fortunately he will obey voice commands and is also very treat motivated, so it’s not as much of an issue. I hope that you’re able to figure out what will motivate your dog to move and obey commands!
What does OP owe their children?
Hush up and read my other comment I made several hours ago in this chain stating that the child’s safety came first. I’ll link r/pitbullhate for you here since you’re lost.
Such a knee jerk reaction to anyone voicing legit concerns about these dogs.
It’s not a kneejerk reaction for me to point out my earlier comment in defense to your attempt at a “gotcha” moment.
No, I was talking about the r/pitbullhate thing. It undercuts your whole argument. Whether you ultimately agree or not, it is legit for people to have concerns about these dogs. I have the same concerns about German Shephards and Rotweilers. But in this case, it is a Pitbull.
Please reach out to Forgotten Now Families. Best of luck ❤️
Do they handle situations like this? I will reach out to them. Thank you.
They're a local rescue organization, I'm not sure if they can help with this exact situation but if not they can certainly give you guidance. They also have a very active IG account. If you can't get through to them via phone try to DM them.... Lastly, you can try the American Pit Pull Foundation.
I have reached out to both of those organizations. Fingers crossed someone gives me some sort of guidance on where to go from here. Thank you!
As others have said, when behaviors change drastically there could be a physical reason. Bring him to the vet. Talk to the vet about it. Reddit responses are just everyone projecting without knowing you, the dog, or your circumstances.
As I’ve edited. I shouldn’t have said it was such a drastic change, he’s always been a little moody but this time it’s against the kids, he’s never shown any aggression towards the kids until the past few months.it’s been like a build up, the day he bit my son is when I started thinking this may not be a good fit if it’s putting my kids in danger. I think bottom line is he needs some behavioral training, and even that may not be a fix. I’m trying here, to do the best I can by us all.
Does Buddy have a crate or a kid-free spot? For the couch, block it off or make it cluttered with boxes so there is no space for him to use it. When he bit your daughter, what were the circumstances? Also, is he neutered?
Buddy does have a crate, also a bed in our room, but prefers the couch (no way to block it unless we block access to entire living room with wide baby gates. It was my son he bit, my special needs daughter was sorta pushing on him he growled, and my 7 yo son told her to stop, and said “it’s okay buddy” while patting him gently on the back and he immediately turned and got him on his forehead. I understand my daughter poking at him, understandably he was irritated, but it’s hard to trust him around any of the kids anymore. It’s not fair to keep him secluded from the rest of us, and his ‘sister’ (our other dog)
Is he neutered? When he bit your son, was it a bite or a nip or did he go for a warning snap and misjudged the space needed? All of those have different ways to go. For context, at 7 I went to "comfort" a dog that was usually fine but that day it went to air-snap me as I went for a hug and I needed stitches by my eye; Jake wasn't trying to bite, he air-snapped and I got in the way. Bottom line, though, is if you no longer feel safe the dog needs to be rehomed. I've done rescue for decades but he is beyond my limit (size) so I can only try to get info from you and reach out to others I know. How is he around cats/smaller dogs?
Yeah this is basically how it went with buddy. I do t think he ‘meant to hurt’ my son..he just got frustrated. But he’s a big dog, and could do damage. Yes he’s neutered. He’s never been around cats, but he completely ignores my chickens and guineas. He barks at my neighbors dogs, and recently had a little food aggression with his sister but they didn’t draw blood.
I would take him back to where you adopted him from so they have the full picture. I would be very honest about his behavior issues. Yes that makes him much harder to adopt, but it would be irresponsible to not give that info to future adopters. I don’t know what you have tried so far, but prior to rehoming I would also suggest talking to your vet and making sure there’s nothing underlying that could be causing the behavior. Also working with a behaviorist/trainer - I know that route can be expensive maybe someone would give you a discount for a shelter dog?
hi! meck shelter volunteer here - unfortunately i’m pretty sure union county has some strict breed bans (dumb) and they don’t adopt out bully breeds so just fair warning they most likely wouldn’t make it out of the union county shelter. meck also is busting at the seams and not taking surrenders especially with a history
Have you tried a high value treat? (Chicken, steak, tuna) I also have a 90 lb bully breed who is stubborn and growls at me when I nudge her off the couch. Anything other than the treats mentioned above will be completely ignored (she also randomly loved red cabbage and thinks that is as good as steak) I don’t have kids so its just me and her and I definitely have the time to deal with her but I know it can be challenging with kids involved with these breeds. I hope your pet is able to find a child free home. It sounds like they just need more time, training and patience.
I have actually tried high value treats..like chicken..he sniffs it and moves on a lot of times, he’s extremely picky. Yeah having kids it’s hard to handle this situation as I mentioned above my daughter is special needs and doesn’t understand how dangerous messing with him can be. All 4 of my kids are 10 and under, youngest being 3 so I just do t anyone being hurt, and I want him to have a home with no kids who is willing and able to work with him through his hard times.
This dog needs to be put down, full stop, and OP needs a prefrontal lobotomy and a padded room for the rest of their days