Worried about something quite outside my control

I'd euthanise him in a heartbeat tbh.

There is no shortage of dogs that dont want to try and attack unprovoked needing homes. Hes a ticking timebomb. Even muzzled he has the potential to do damage....and your neighbours sound woefully unprepared.

I flat out do not understand the appeal of keeping dangerous dogs alive. All it takes is one slip up in management...
 
skinnydipper said:
I
A few weeks ago I learned that a Romanian street dog has been living not far from me for 2 years. I have never seen it. It lives in a corner of the living room, goes into the garden to toilet and then back into its corner. Visitors are asked not to approach it, speak to it or look at it. It is too terrified to go for a walk. What sort of life is that for a dog? It would have been far better to have left it on the streets in Romania. It may not have lived a long life but would have had a better quality of life than it has here.
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That is so sad. But I bet they love it lots and lots. :-(
 
MrsJingle said:
Out of interest, and pondering this today, do you currently have any rescue centres for failed foreign rescue dogs set up in the Uk yet? I dont think we have any this side of the water yet but we do seem to have similar problems with totally unsuitable dogs being offered to totally unsuitable homes from all corners of the world with little or no ongoing backup and support.

From all the bad press and disaster stories my bet would be that is going to be the next animal rescue fad with the begging bowl out, rescuers rescuing the already rescued. Absolute madness - poor dogs :(
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I think you just dump them on already overloaded UK rescues.
 
Leo Walker said:
But they arent there. These marvelous homes prepared to take on an enormous, feral, aggressive dog and that have the right experience and the right set up dont exist in reality, or only exist for a tiny, tiny handful of very lucky dogs.
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I would agree with this totally. Most people (at least 90%) who contact rescue centres have a rose tinted view of what taking on a ‘rescue’ is all about. They believe all the dog needs is love and fuss and lots of it when the reality is, they need the total opposite, for the first few weeks at least. A dog needs to be a dog, not a toy!

Specialist homes, who are prepared to take on aggressive animals with issues do exist but they’re not there in abundance.

The harsh reality of rescue is people will lie and tell you all sorts of crap just to get a dog. Most of the time you can sort the wheat from the chaff but some people are GOOD!!

Recent true story. Cocker spaniel, nine years old, lovely girl but an untreated dry eye condition has left her almost blind. Manages very well once she knows her surroundings. Rehomed to a couple “oh yes, we understand her needs and can cope. We won’t move the furniture”. Blah blah blah

Returned 48 hours later because she kept bumping into things!! People are idiots but they can be very convincing idiots :(
 
deb_l222 said:
Specialist homes, who are prepared to take on aggressive animals with issues do exist but they’re not there in abundance
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I’ve never said at any time that these sort of homes are in abundance or easy to find - I’ve just said that they ARE there given time and patience, neither of which people usually have when finding homes for difficult dogs.

I’m only too well aware of the crap people talk when offering a home to rescue dogs - and the reasons they give for returning them - from my volunteering with greyhound and other rescues over the last 20 years. Hence my rant that people need to take responsibility not treat dogs/animals as disposable items ☹️☹️
 
Moobli said:
I’d actually quite like a livestock guardian to keep foxes and out-of-control dogs away, esp at lambing time but in the UK, with the Dangerous Dogs Act, and in Scotland, with responsible access, it’s never going to happen.
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What you need is a guardian donkey! One that has been brought up with what it is to protect. Donkeys naturally don’t like dogs/foxes/wolves etc.
 
Blazingsaddles said:
What you need is a guardian donkey! One that has been brought up with what it is to protect. Donkeys naturally don’t like dogs/foxes/wolves etc.
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Or a mini shetland! My field has a footpath alongside. We don’t get any trouble with dogs since I’ve had the mini. He’ll chase anything out 😂
 
Blazingsaddles said:
What you need is a guardian donkey! One that has been brought up with what it is to protect. Donkeys naturally don’t like dogs/foxes/wolves etc.
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We have some alpacas which are fairly protective of “their” sheep but at the moment with thousands of sheep spread over thousands of acres it’s not so easy. I’d be considering a livestock guardian if we ever get our own place and Lynx/wolves get reintroduced (unlikely but you never know!). I’m much more a dog person than a donkey person though so a LGD would appeal for their reasons too.
 
Moobli said:
We have some alpacas which are fairly protective of “their” sheep but at the moment with thousands of sheep spread over thousands of acres it’s not so easy. I’d be considering a livestock guardian if we ever get our own place and Lynx/wolves get reintroduced (unlikely but you never know!). I’m much more a dog person than a donkey person though so a LGD would appeal for their reasons too.
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I was musiing about this yesterday - when no one seems to care if the wildcat goes extinct, what are lynx going to bring to the party? Is it because they are bigger and therefore 'sexier'?
 
Clodagh said:
I was musiing about this yesterday - when no one seems to care if the wildcat goes extinct, what are lynx going to bring to the party? Is it because they are bigger and therefore 'sexier'?
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Absolutely no idea, except the conservationists seem to think they’ll just tuck into the abundance of deer and leave domestic livestock alone 🙄. My preference would be to throw all the money they’re spending on funding a lynx reintroduction into saving the Scottish wildcat..
 
Moobli said:
Absolutely no idea, except the conservationists seem to think they’ll just tuck into the abundance of deer and leave domestic livestock alone 🙄. My preference would be to throw all the money they’re spending on funding a lynx reintroduction into saving the Scottish wildcat..
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I am convinced that a lynx would soon decide that a ewe was easier meat than a red deer. Although your blackface boys can look after themselves, I expect.
 
Any update? Hope it wasn't awful...

I saw a gorgeous 18mo rescue on the GSD site a few days ago. I couldn't stop thinking about him (still can't) - and the site said he was good with dogs having lived with one, but needed a more active home. Apparently he had gone to nip one of the owner's kids whilst riding past on a bike, which the rescue feels was frustration (he lives in a 2nd floor apartment, poor sod).

I would LOVE to take that dog, but just don't know whether it would be worth the risk as my boys are both entire and get on beautifully - we have never had anything approximating a real cross word between any of our various pairs of dogs, and none of them would ever dream of biting a human (beyond mouthing as pups, which I manage). And that's me with reservations about rehoming a GSD who sounds like a really good dog, a breed I know relatively well, and which we are geared up to own!

I read things like this and it makes my blood run cold. The rescue are criminally careless in this case IMO.
 
dree said:
Why not put them all to sleep humanely rather than bring one over here and leave the others to their horrific conditions?
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I think the issue (and I speak from experience on this) is that dogs from foreign eastern european countries are not as a general rule pts humanely. They are injected with all manner of things like bleach or stabbed to death, or fed liquid parrafin so they die a hideous and agonising death. This is why people get involved.

Personally if I were rich I would just gather as much money as I could, take a small army of vets and go around the kennels and pts the most aggressive dogs with barbituates in a humane way. I don't really consider it humane to transport an aggressive dog half way around the world when it will never be happy.

Having said that I have seen some wonderfully happy ex street dogs as I know someone who used to import them. One went to another friend of ours and is a lovely well balanced dog.

The friend has a collection which she then found were unsuitable for rehoming but rather than have them PTS she has rehomed them herself and bless her for doing so. They get walked twice a day, albeit on leads and never loose and they live as good a lives as they can, she has given them a second chance at life and she did it out of the goodness of her heart most probably for the reasons in paragraph 1. Would they be better off dead? I don't think so....
 
No big surprise there then 🤦🏼‍♀️

What is your friend’s response to the dog biting the neighbour/growling at the family members all weekend? Do they think they can rehabilitate this dog? Do they know anything of his history prior to being brought over? I commend their kind hearts for wanting to help this poor dog but I do hope they don’t involve any other innocent parties in the venture and are totally honest with the professionals they employ to help.
 
SadKen said:
Any update? Hope it wasn't awful...

I saw a gorgeous 18mo rescue on the GSD site a few days ago. I couldn't stop thinking about him (still can't) - and the site said he was good with dogs having lived with one, but needed a more active home. Apparently he had gone to nip one of the owner's kids whilst riding past on a bike, which the rescue feels was frustration (he lives in a 2nd floor apartment, poor sod).

I would LOVE to take that dog, but just don't know whether it would be worth the risk as my boys are both entire and get on beautifully - we have never had anything approximating a real cross word between any of our various pairs of dogs, and none of them would ever dream of biting a human (beyond mouthing as pups, which I manage). And that's me with reservations about rehoming a GSD who sounds like a really good dog, a breed I know relatively well, and which we are geared up to own!

I read things like this and it makes my blood run cold. The rescue are criminally careless in this case IMO.
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You could always offer to foster this dog with a view to rehoming if he gets on with your current dogs? If he’s in kennels anyway then even a probationary period in a family home will give a good insight into his character and temperament for any potential future home if he didn’t work out with you. It would of course depend on the rescue’s rules though as some may not allow another male into a home with entire males. He sounds lovely!
 
I feel so sorry for this dog. From the outset he has been in a position he shouldn't be in. Ultimately he may lose his life because of the ignorance/stupidity of people.

If he bites it will not be an "unprovoked attack" or "out of the blue". He has made it clear he is not coping and, instead of the pressure being lifted, he was put under even more stress.

I think he has done well not to escalate further. He has actually shown restraint but his warnings were ignored.

If the current owners are not going to keep the dog, then the Rescue should be contacted. They probably have a clause in the contract stating the dog should go back to them. If they are well organised they will probably have foster homes or a kennel in the UK for instances when the adoption does not work out.
 
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I didn't actually ask friend directly, he looked very stressed so I asked a mutual friend.
Apparently the neighbour was very nervous when he met the dog again, so it's not really the dogs fault. He is happy and settled and a lovely dog and deserves longer to adjust. Family are going to come round more often so he can get to know them.
He is going to be kennelled during the day so neighbour can come over and do the others. So at least my original worry is addressed. I assume behaviourists have insurance? I doubt this dog is insurable as even when I insure a pup I get asked 'Does it show any behavioural problems'.
 
Clodagh said:
I didn't actually ask friend directly, he looked very stressed so I asked a mutual friend.
Apparently the neighbour was very nervous when he met the dog again, so it's not really the dogs fault. He is happy and settled and a lovely dog and deserves longer to adjust. Family are going to come round more often so he can get to know them.
He is going to be kennelled during the day so neighbour can come over and do the others. So at least my original worry is addressed. I assume behaviourists have insurance? I doubt this dog is insurable as even when I insure a pup I get asked 'Does it show any behavioural problems'.
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I wouldn't be pushing him to meet the family, he needs to be at ease in the current set up first.

I hope they listen to the dog and go at his pace.

They might want to look at Kendal Shepherd's Ladder of Aggression so that they can spot the early signs that he is uncomfortable and take heed.

I hope very much that it works out.
 
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I became a member of the Dogs' Trust to have public liability when I adopted my last foster who had shown aggression before coming to me (she has not bitten anybody since being here). I just hope the behaviourist is very experienced with this kind of dog. And, if he is, having seen a good one at work, he more than deserves whatever fee he charges.
 
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