Gutted :(

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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After a year of owning our rescue dog he has just gone too far now.

He is a 4 yr old working cocker spaniel who had a rough start with what seems to be ignorant rather than cruel owners (much the same imo).
We took him on in the understanding he was abit 'funny'. Abit funny turns out to be a resource guarding hyperactive unpredictably aggressive dog with a severe bite.
Although 90% of the time he is a gambley happy spaniel :(When he gets in one of his 'moods' or you put your hands in his vicinity without him coming to you then your are at risk of loosing it.

His bite history is up to 7 now, people, inc. step dad, boyfriend, vets, me and one other dog who he really went to town on :(
His bites are deep drawing alot of blood.

It just makes me so angry that people take on this 'cute' puppies and just don't have a clue how to care for them or raise them to be happy well rounded dogs :mad: God knows what happened to him.

He is just too unpredictable. we do not want to be responsible for him biting a child or stranger. We have spent hundreds with top behaviorists and vets, they don't really see much option. He is muzzled when out, which he hates (still got a open bite from trying to get it on him) but is now even worse in the house. After every bite he is strange and sulky for days after, poor boy.
Feel useless, I want him to be happy and safe. I feel like I have let him down, vets booked for next Wednesday for him to be pts.
I see no other option, heart broken. And he is so beautiful :(

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So sorry to hear this, sounds as if you are making the right and kindest decision. Though his past has obviously not helped, there is a thing known as "cocker rage", which sounds very similar to what your lad has, although I believe it is more common in show lines, so please don't blame yourself, it sounds as if the odds were stacked against him from the start.:(
 
How awful for you sending lots of hugs for you, least you managed to give him a happier life than he had. A tough but right decision which can't have been easy to come to x
 
Im sorry to hear this,if the vets and trainers drew a blank then I agree enough is enough. It could well be genetic and anyone that breeds from a parent with an iffy temperment is just as much to blame.

Having said all this its put you in a desperate situation and you must be feeling dreadful but I for one think you are making the right decision however sad that it is. Hugs to you.
 
So sorry for you. Hope it does not put you off rescuing again. Also really admire your bravery at having him PTS rather than passing the problem on.......
 
Thanks guys. I know its going to be horrible, he appears to be bright, happy, healthy dog. He has this edge to him that is dangerous, doesn't stop me loving him to pieces. But I just can't be sure he will never bite anyone ever again, its is actually probable that he will.
Our house is ran around him, tbh i have forgotten what it is like to have a normal dog. It is my belief that he can't be 100% happy if he feels the need to defend himself in such an intense and severe way against us.

The real issue is the lack of warning, no hackles, growling or anything other than what can be described as a 'hard eye'.

We are just a normal dog loving family, not canine behavior experts. I know I have done my best but doesn't leave me feeling terribly guilty :(

He is such a character, he drinks out of glasses!! and when he is being 'himself' you wouldn't believe what he capable of :(

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Buds_mum said:
It is my belief that he can't be 100% happy if he feels the need to defend himself in such an intense and severe way against us.
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Anyone who has ever owned a dog who is never truly happy, relaxed or off guard, and knows what mental pressure that puts on a dog, never being able to settle, will know exactly what you mean...you are making a brave interest in the best interest of the dog x
 
Im so sorry to hear this - but I want to tell you that you are doing a very brave thing and I wish more people would be as responsible as you are being

I would do exactly the same in your position; a dog that cannot be trusted with it's own family is not a pet, it's a liability. Some people put themselves first though and either keep dogs like this (which imo is not fair on the dog itself) or rehome (which simply passes the problem on to someone else, which may well end in disaster)

He is a beautiful boy, and is lucky to have had such loving owners - massive hugs to you

Kim
 
It does sound a bit like cocker rage from what you say, him giving no warning, I'm no expert just read a bit about it before I got my cocker. Very sad for you but a brave decision and sounds like you've really done all you can ;(
 
So sorry but have tried everything,gone above and beyond what many would have done and,now,you are doing the right thing. He will not know. What he will know is the love and kindness you showed him. My thoughts are with you next weds.x
 
You are very brave and I agree, wish more owners were as responsible as you. You are certainly doing the right thing. Stay with him til the end xx
 
Sorry,on phone-missed a full stop and a 'you' out of that first sentence-it reads a bit sarcastic but was not meant to be at all:-/ Should've read 'So sorry:( You have done everything...' etc
 
Thank you for all your replies, means alot. Just giving him a great week up until then, we were hoping our behaviorist may just take him on but doesn't look possible (which I suppose really does show).
Don't feel brave tbh, feel like a massive failure. Poor baby. xx
 
I think that some dogs are just born funny, frankly. I've got two siblings, one is easy, one is aggressive with dogs and odd with people sometimes.

If you go ahead, I don't think anyone can blame you, quite honestly. I feel for you. :(
 
You're not a failure, although I can understand feeling while you have failed, it is natural to feel guilty but some dogs cannot be fixed and as I said, imagine how stressful it is being under that sort of pressure 24/7 and to not understand why.
Who's that? What's that noise? Is this person going to hurt me? and it never stops.

A lot of the issues with ours were genetic, it can skip generations, it can effect some siblings and not others and there is sod all you can do about it.
If I had seen the mother before we brought them home.....

Hope he has a good week x
 
I agree with whats been said and you are making a very unselfish decision there. It could well be breeding and a mix of mistakes made in upbringing one is bad enough 2 and the dog is damned and anyone giving him/her their 2nd/3rd/4th chances and trying to pick up the pieces, the buck stops with you, the most sensible and caring owner he has no doubt ever had.
 
Hi all. thought I would just update. Unfortunately this morning Rossi bit my mum, whilst she was drying him (a routine which happens every morning).

Enough was enough and we took him to the vets, he also got my arm whilst I muzzled him so thats 9 or so bites in his tally (all causing deep puncture wounds and blood).
He soon relaxed with sedation, but still did his best to show the vet what he was capable of. Poor boy. I stayed with him and will never forget the betrayal in his eyes, but we were left no option and even the specialist spaniel rescue said he was classed as pts dog.

Feel really awful. but abit relieved, I think its hard to admit we were actually really scared of him.

So no more Rossi, I hope he somewhere relaxed and happy. My mum has stitches and antibiotics so he really has left his mark on us :rolleyes::(

I will remember him for his excubarent nature, lovely kisses and beautiful ears.

Rip lad, despite everything the house is empty and we will miss you.
 
Venevidivici said:
Sympathies & hugs to you. (Hopefully,latest incident helped to reassure you you were making the right decision.) RIP little troubled boy.x
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I couldn't say this any better.
It is a pity that you were encouraged to keep trying with him for so long and you have done the right thing.
We sometimes get rage dogs handed in and they are not safe to either keep or rehome. One owner had spent thousands on behaviorists and none had mentioned that rage is incurable as well as unpredictable. Such a waste of emotion and undue stress in a lovely home that could have had a rewarding companion instead for those years.
 
God, so sorry to hear this. I am not sure i could do the same even if i knew it was the right thing and even if i knew i had to. I think I would eventually but I can only imagine how hard it must be to do it. It's such a shame that we can't always help every troubled soul but you did all you could. You do wonder what makes any dog act like that though, especially no warning. A guy I know had to make that decision with his Akita - he knows her behaviour was his own stupid fault (he molly coddled her) but when she showed the chance of going for a small child having already bitten people and some dogs he had to do the responsible thing.

RIP Rossi - hopefully he's at peace now :(
 
RIP Rossi and hugs to you and your family. Please don't feel you failed because you lost definitely didn't. You tried everything you could and he is ultimately free from whatever it was that was troubling his little mind now x
 
RIP Rossi. Thoughts to you and your family but please don't feel you failed him or that you saw a look of betrayal in his eyes. You gave him more chances than most other people and you did the responsible thing for him in the end.
 
Thank you for your kind words :( house is very empty and my little terrier is looking for him (poor little chap has lost 3 'big brothers' in a year).

Certainly was alot of heartache, I hope he's happy somewhere now. x
 
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