Quote: Jo Harker

include ETA...I don't think it means Estimated Time of Arrival.

Edited To Add

ETA: Great Post Denise!

Sorry Denise,
I'm making another exit ramp toward San Jose.
Saaaay, do you know the way there? I'm still lost.

Ahem, I've got the start of a glossary if anyone is interested.
Haven't worked on it in awhile. If I can post it somewhere and if a mod. will take on keeping the bs out of it, it can be our own kind of Wikipedia.

Randy

 Quote: JessicaKromer

Edited To Add

Thanks! Now I can rest one cell of my brain at least!



Edited by Jo Harker (04/09/2009 03:58 PM)
Edit reason: dizzy moment

We had a shetland sheepdog about 10 years ago that was never aggressive till he was about 7. Then he started acting really weird and developed fears that would cause him to start nipping. Our kids were young and if they walked too close to him, he'd snap at them, and finally after about a year of this, he bit one of them for, what looked like, no good reason. Luckily we had a very knowledgable vet who figured out that he had schizophrenia. We learned he lived in a constant state of paranoia and fear and that it would only get worse over the next year. There was nothing we could do except put him to sleep - it seemed too cruel to make him suffer with living that way (in addition to the danger it was to our family or anyone that got near him).

There are times when aggression is caused by something physical and not a behavior issue, so that dog really could have a medical problem that is causing aggression. You really have to know the whole history of the dog.

IMO, the short answer is "NO. aggressive dogs CANNOT always be fixed."

i think there are some so-called "aggressive" dogs that can be, but it's so situationally specific that only an experienced person could make the call. and only an experienced person should attempt to rehab them. unfortunately, there aren't many of them (exp ppl) around.

Very thoughtful post, Denise. I am also on this board learning all I can because of a challenging dog that has been aggressive. I've come to say the same thing to people (all dogs bite.) I have to be 100% vigilant when I'm out walking him, which has included recently putting myself between my dog and a small child who was oblivious to my requests to not come near my dog. Luckily my dog just sat looking bored, but it scared me that it could be so easy for one little mistake (a momentary lack of attention on my part) to cause serious injury to a child or someone else.

I will always have to be super vigilant. Owning a dog with known previous aggression is a HUGE responsibility.

 Quote: ann freier

IMO, the short answer is "NO. aggressive dogs CANNOT always be fixed."

I agree, there are some aggressive dogs that are aggressive due to a problem with their brains, or another physical problem that causes them too much pain to think clearly. We should put these poor dogs out of their misery. They can't function as pack members, and that makes their lives very difficult on top of whatever their original problems were.

I think more are of the category that could be saved through hard work. But maybe we shouldn't save them all.

Presley was my husband's first dog, and now that is what my husband thinks when we talk about getting a dog from a rescue or the pound. I'm sure other families get turned off from dog keeping altogether after a bad experience, compiled with people guilt tripping them for not being good enough owners.

It's a difficult situation for me when I hear about someone going through something like I did. I want to help the dog, but I also know that I can only help so much without hurting that family. They have their own priorities and reasons, and I would support them if they decided to give up on the dog. We do have to think of our human families first.

When I think of aggressive dogs being PTS I have to wonder was it born that way or made that way by bad ppl which makes me think of Micheal Vic's pittbulls.Some of his dogs are being rehabilitated now yet I wonder if they will always be dog aggressive and if they would ever be safe to be around.Until I found this site I tended to believe every dog deserves a chance for they didn't ask to be mistreated or abused but now I have to ask myself what kind of quality of life will they have? What kind of life would it be to have to be always behind a fence b/c you can't trust the dog around other dogs or with ppl? To never have the freedom to be able to have a good romp or be able to play with their person for the person fearing they will trigger an aggressive response? If I put myself in the dog's paws I would choose death I think to being totally isolated.