Horrible situation - same sex aggression rehoming problem

scruffyponies

scruffyponies

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 March 2011
Messages
1,830
Location
NW Hampshire
Visit site
I have a Presa Canario (F,2.5,32kg, born in rescue) which has attacked older resident bitch (F,8,40kg), resulting in significant damage to head and ear. Two brief spats between same pair over the past year(ish), resulted in minimal damage to either, and they returned to sharing a sofa/bed and playing normally. Full disclosure: the same dog bit smaller resident dog 2 years ago, aged 7mths, but not since - that (now elderly) cavalier spaniel is friendly and relaxed in her company.

My family have given me 1 week to have her gone / PTS.

She is healthy, playful, loving, good with chickens/rabbits (not cat tested) and non-reactive to 'ordinary' strangers (delivery drivers etc) and dogs in and out of the home . Plays with new and resident dogs (best friends with resident Cavachon). Walks and travels well. Fully handleable - you can pick her up, roll her over, check her teeth and clip her claws.

I am heartbroken, and desperately looking for alternatives to kennels. Will PTS if that's the only option.
Given what has happened, I need to find a home with a male dog/no dogs and large breed experience, and it has to be a loving home.

Grateful for any advice or if anyone knows somebody please DM.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2025-05-29 141839.png
    Screenshot 2025-05-29 141839.png
    795.8 KB · Views: 40
Last edited:
scruffyponies said:
I have a Presa Canario (F,2.5,32kg, born in rescue) which has attacked older resident bitch (F,8,40kg), resulting in significant damage to head and ear. Two brief spats between same pair over the past year(ish), resulted in minimal damage to either, and they returned to sharing a sofa/bed and playing normally. Full disclosure: the same dog bit smaller resident dog 2 years ago, aged 7mths, but not since - that (now elderly) cavalier spaniel is friendly and relaxed in her company.

My family have given me 1 week to have her gone / PTS.

She is healthy, playful, loving, good with chickens/rabbits (not cat tested) and non-reactive to 'ordinary' strangers (delivery drivers etc) and dogs in and out of the home . Plays with new and resident dogs (best friends with resident Cavachon). Walks and travels well. Fully handleable - you can pick her up, roll her over, check her teeth and clip her claws.

I am heartbroken, and desperately looking for alternatives to kennels. Will PTS if that's the only option.
Given what has happened, I need to find a home with a male dog/no dogs and large breed experience, and it has to be a loving home.

Grateful for any advice or if anyone knows somebody please DM.
Click to expand...
Sorry for your dilemma. What caused the latest?
 
To be honest, having had this at home between bitches, the first time would have seen her separated from the others. You will struggle to find somewhere for her when she has now bitten or fought with other dogs in the home four times in two years, now escalated, and I don't think it is wise to give her the benefit of the doubt with other dogs, especially given her breed/size.
We sent the younger bitch back to her breeder until the older one passed away, but obviously not everyone is going to have that facility. I also suggest you contact the rescue. I wish you the best of luck.
 
ihatework said:
I’d be very cautious of rehoming her, she may be utterly wonderful 99.9% of the time, until that 0.1% she isn’t (as she has shown).

If the rescue won’t take her back I think for my ow piece of mind I’d have her pts.
Click to expand...

Just to add, we had a father and son who fought, my Mum rehomed the son (and his mother, to the same family) to give the older male more attention and ended up putting him to sleep anyway as he unfortunately became unpredictable around people as well and she couldn't have lived with herself if she'd passed him on and he'd then gone on to hurt someone.
 
I'm Dun said:
I tried to return a dog to the RSPCA when my grandparents in their 80s could no longer manage. The dog had come from the RSPCA. They refused to take him back, so that might be the case here.
Click to expand...

They can advise if nothing else. This dog may not be suitable for rehoming, I doubt it is. Who is going to want to cope with very large dog with ? unpredicatable aggression.
 
Birker2020 said:
What caused the latest?
Click to expand...
I was away for a week. I came home and all of the dogs rushed to the door. Terrible management and our fault. We didn't see it coming. What I would give to go back to that moment.
skinnydipper said:
As you adopted the dog from the RSPCA, contact them in the first instance. Don't rehome without contacting them first.
Click to expand...
It was, and I have been in touch. I have been given a list of local behaviour people. If she went back and passed an assessment, she would go into kennels and probably stay there until she either went bonkers or died.
 
scruffyponies said:
It was, and I have been in touch. I have been given a list of local behaviour people. If she went back and passed an assessment, she would go into kennels and probably stay there until she either went bonkers or died.
Click to expand...
Sadly aggressive dogs need 100%tight management. I’m sorry it all went wrong but how can you trust her not to kill that other dog next time? She’s a very big dog and sadly they aren’t bred primarily for their family living capabilities.
Dogs fight for breeding rights. Bitches fight for breathing rights. As the older dog is significantly injured I can’t see you can pass her on.
 
Oh that's difficult. Contact all of the rescues to start with. I wouldn't put her down just because she's spatting with another bitch, a lot of bitches fight. I suspect you'll find someone with no other dogs happy to have her.
 
I would suggest a breed specific rescue may be the way to go.

Given that she sounds like a generally sound and easy dog if you remove other dogs from the equation, you would assume she should be able to be rehomed.

That said, do breed specific rescues for a Presa exist? A quick Google search doesn't seem to offer much hope..
 
I haven't responded to each of you, but wanted to say that I am reading all comments and very much appreciate the experience and common sense in this group.
I have been a member long enough to be apprehensive about posting something so personal and emotionally charged, but I need to hear it, to process the situation.
 
scruffyponies said:
I haven't responded to each of you, but wanted to say that I am reading all comments and very much appreciate the experience and common sense in this group.
I have been a member long enough to be apprehensive about posting something so personal and emotionally charged, but I need to hear it, to process the situation.
Click to expand...
It must be an awful situation. We pts a border dog years ago that kept attacking the other resident dog. He had other issues as well but whatever it’s still a horrible choice to make.
 
I had this many years ago with two terriers, a bitch of 2 years old and a pup dog coming up to 1 year old. The bitch was the aggressive one, and attacked the young dog a few times pinning him down by the throat until eventually he snapped and both ended up with extensive facial and throat injuries, mostly fairly superficial but enough to make it look like a slaughter house.

They couldn't even be within the same room together after that but fortunately an old friend had just lost their elderly dog and took the bitch on as the only pet in the household. She was never aggressive again with anyone or anything and neither was the dog pup that we kept. Had it not been a very close friend I would not have rehomed I would have PTS, as a very aggressive terrier could very easily end up in the wrong home even all those years ago.

Horrible situation even though I could find a home I still felt incredibly guilty that I had failed in some way. I really am sorry but I think I would PTS, the risk is very high with that size of dog and given the history. :confused:
 
scruffyponies said:
It was, and I have been in touch. I have been given a list of local behaviour people. If she went back and passed an assessment, she would go into kennels and probably stay there until she either went bonkers or died.
Click to expand...

Have you contacted any of the behaviourists recommended by RSPCA? What was their advice?
 
Last edited:
I very much feel your pain, you obviously love her. I’m afraid I think pts is not the worst option given she’s a big dog, has been aggressive and really hurt another dog. Her future is therefore very uncertain given her type and the type that might want to re-home her. It’s awful, I’m not sure I could do it, but pts is a definitive secure option. Could you live with yourself if you later heard something about her having done worse?

How many dogs are there in the house? Cavalier, 2xpresas, cavachon? They’re very different dogs. Are they all bitches?
 
By the looks of things, you can't keep her even if you keep her separate from the other dogs and alternate them for affection. There are meds that you can use to take the edge off her while you sort the new way of living but it does take determination, patience and high awareness of which dog is where and most importantly, everyone in the household has to be on board to have a chance of success.

Please don't discount kennels, just because they don't appear 'nice' to us doesn't mean that most dogs aren't absolutely fine there. In fairness to the RSPCA, the branches usually are fine with spending money on behaviourists and the like so if she goes back to them, she will get checked out albeit in kennels. Despite knowing how dire the rehoming situation is, I think she would have a good chance of a new home if her only fault is that she needs to be an only dog. There are lots of people (normally men - where's the rolly eyes emoticon when you need it?) who want a big dog but aren't able/experienced enough to deal with issues. You could rehome privately but TBH unless it's someone you know well and are able to take her back if it doesn't work out, I really wouldn't go there.

In saying that, PTS is a viable option too and for what it's worth, I wouldn't judge you for doing it. But I would strongly advise that you speak to your vets in advance of the appointment and after an open and frank discussion, ensure that they are aware that the decision you have made is final and that they are onboard with it. The very last thing you need at a time when emotions are high is to have all sorts options offered or to feel that you are being judged and found wanting. Rightly or wrongly, some vets do refuse to PTS for behavioural reasons.
 
I'm Dun said:
I tried to return a dog to the RSPCA when my grandparents in their 80s could no longer manage. The dog had come from the RSPCA. They refused to take him back, so that might be the case here.
Click to expand...
I took on a dog that had been rehomed originally by the RSPCA, she was about 4 when she came to me and she stayed for the rest of her life. They just don't follow up on their rehomes.
 
From the sound of it, this wasn't a noisy scuffle, no harm done incident. The dog has no bite inhibition, she intended to cause harm.

scruffyponies said:
I have a Presa Canario (F,2.5,32kg, born in rescue) which has attacked older resident bitch (F,8,40kg), resulting in significant damage to head and ear.
Click to expand...

The RSPCA have provided a list of behaviourists. Whether the family decide to keep her, rehome her or have her pts, before they make that decision, in fairness to the dog and any future home, and for peace of mind for the family that they are making the right decision, a behavioural assessment should be carried out and advice given.
 
Last edited:
skinnydipper said:
The RSPCA have provided a list of behaviourists. Whether the family decide to keep her, rehome her or have her pts, before they make that decision, in fairness to the dog and any future home, and for peace of mind for the family that they are making the right decision, a behavioural assessment should be carried out and advice given.
Click to expand...

SK I suspect given the tone of SP's other responses that you are on user ignore. Your repetition of the same point is beginning to sound a little over the top.

SP has to rehome, her family have made that clear and given her 1 week. SP cannot be helped by a behaviourist, the dog needs a new home, pronto.
.
 
ycbm said:
SK I suspect given the tone of SP's other responses that you are on user ignore
Click to expand...

Yes, you could be right. We didn't see eye to eye about her elderly dog who from the description was in pain, I thought she should see a vet for evaluation and prescribed pain relief if the vet felt it necessary, she didn't agree.

But I will repeat this because I feel it is significant.
skinnydipper said:
From the sound of it, this wasn't a noisy scuffle, no harm done incident. The dog has no bite inhibition, she intended to cause harm.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
skinnydipper said:
Yes, you could be right. We didn't see eye to eye about her elderly dog who from the description was in pain, I thought she should see a vet for evaluation and prescribed pain relief if the vet felt it necessary, she didn't agree.

But I will repeat this because I feel it is significant.
Click to expand...

OK, I think this is feeling like bullying now.

The OP is trying desperately to avoid having a dog she loves PTS, have some compassion.
.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top