Rehoming
an Aggressive Dog
Facing the Hardest Decision
If you have an aggressive dog that is a potential danger to other dogs or other people, you are faced with some very tough choices. How do you know if the behavior can be changed or if the dog is beyond helping? How do you do the right thing for your family and your dog?
Aggression may appear in young dogs and even puppies. Sometimes it is even a result of a bad gene pool. However, most aggressive dogs are aggressive as a result of life experiences. The dog may not have been socialized properly as a puppy. He may have suffered abuse, neglect or other trauma. He may not be getting enough exercise and mental stimulation. These are all contributing factors to aggression. Every dog is unique and each dog will react differently in similiar environments.
If your dog has aggressive tendancies (bite history or attempts to attack people or other animals), it is your responsibility to correct the behavior and prevent further problems in the future.
Rehabilitation
Do NOT try to rehabilitate a dog with a bite history on your own. You can certainly find free advice on how to train an aggressive dog and some of these techniques may be beneficial. Watching a television show will not provide you with all that you need to know to address the problem. PLEASE contact a professional trainer in your area when you are trying to address aggressive behavior issues. Find someone who has a background in dealing with aggression and someone who will work one on one with you and your dog.
Contact your local shelter to discuss the problem. They should have a list of recommended trainers or behaviorists that can help.
You may be able to rehabilitate your dog. Professional trainers can work miracles in some cases. Even though the aggression can be corrected for some, dealing with aggressive behavior issues is not something that will be fixed instantly. It will take money, dedication, consitancy and time to correct the problem.
Sometimes, however, you may not be able to correct the behavior. Instead, you may only be able to learn how to deal with the situation differently. You may
always have to walk the dog with a muzzle. You may never be able to take the dog to the dog park. You may always have to keep the dog separated from other dogs. If the behavior itself cannot be corrected, finding ways to keep the dog safely may be a successful outcome for you.
Decisions to be Made
If you are unable to rehabilitate the dog or keep the dog safely (no possibility of future bites or attacks), the remaining options become a bit grim.
An aggressive dog that is surrendered to your local shelter will be euthanized. This is done to protect the public. In many cases it is the proper thing to do. There are some no-kill shelters and sanctuaries that may take an aggressive dog. However, most no-kill shelters or sanctuaries will turn you away if the dog has a bite history.
Do NOT Lie in an effort to save your dogs life. If the dog has a bite hisotry, it is not fair to the shelter or potential adopters not to have this information. Do not try to find the dog a home on your own without disclosing his history.
Dog attacks on other dogs or people will leave long lasting mental and physical scars on the victims. They can even be deadly. Knowingly keeping a dog with a bite history is like playing Russian roulette. An aggressive dog is a ticking time bomb. When the outcome is bad, the reputation of all dogs is tarnished.
There are numerous reasons that a dog becomes aggressive and dangerous. Please trust the professionals in your area. If your trainer or veterinarian is suggesting euthanasia, take their advice. In some cases, humanely euthanizing the dog may be the right thing to do.
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