This question might sound crazy but after a few toddies… here goes. If you have a dog that is strictly a pet and lives on soft food diet, could you de-tooth the dog in response to biting issues? If he had no teeth and he is only a 20lb dog… it seems like a possible alternative to euthanizing?????

I have never heard of it being done so I am just throwing this out for some feedback. I have a 3 year old Sheba Inu that recently became aggressive when we brought home a new dog. We have isolated the dog and are muzzling him during walks and training. But he is miserable. He has always lived among the family until this aggression sprouted its ugly head. He has bitten 4 times in the last 6 weeks. I honestly don’t think I will ever trust him again… I except responsibility and blame. I didn’t work hard enough to establish pack rank and get his respect. I obviously failed him somewhere along the way.

I realize now… after finding this site, reading Ed’s articles, and watching the DVDS that just because a dog sits when you say sit and lays when you say lay doesn’t mean they respect you. Hind sight is always 20-20. I have always had dogs and never had an aggressive dog until now.

I am trying to save this dogs life. After reading the article about the 2.5 year old that was mauled to death… I realize I can’t live in constant fear and mistrust of this dog. Has anyone every done this or heard of it being done?

Are there any reasons why it couldn’t be done?

Thanks again.

First off......I don't think that a vet with any ethics would touch an idea like that with a ten foot pole. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I have to apologize for laughing as hard as I am, De-tooth, ROTFL!! Ok, seriously Your comment of:

 Quote:

I didn’t work hard enough to establish pack rank and get his respect. I obviously failed him somewhere along the way.

It's never to late, maybe a little rougher since he's older, but it's not to late. Dogs in the wild that have ruled over their pack for years, get it taken away sometimes by young whipper snappers after years of being the alpha. I would suggest a crate, microprong collar, and training.

Well I made someone laugh today... my day is complete ;-)

Morals and Ethics… right wing and left. I realize it isn’t an A-typical solution. Most would just euthanize the dog and be done with it. To me it seems more humane to lose a few dozen teeth then the alternative.

I am doing everything you suggested Chris…

Removing a dog's teeth is not akin to declawing a cat, although declawing is not a good alternative (they take the claw AND amputate part of the paw, the "fingertips"). Just like debarking a dog. These are convenience surgeries that benefit us, not the animal.

It's only been six weeks. Give the dog more time, and examine the way you conduct life at your household with respect to the dogs. You may have to consider rehoming the dog if you don't want to euthanize it, but if you do rehome then make it extremely clear to the new owner what problems the dog has, why you are giving it up, etc. You want the dog to be happy, not to be someone else's problem.

Stop and think about this for a moment. What all do dogs use their teeth for OTHER THAN biting and eating? They use their teeth to groom themselves and scratch an itch. They use their teeth to defend themselves, which is totally different than aggressively biting someone - what if your new dog decided to jump on your 'old' dog one day for whatever reason? You'd end up with a dead dog, and that would at least be partly because the dog would have had no way of defending itself. They use their teeth when playing, to hold things in their mouth. Their teeth are used for many things other than aggressive biting. Heck, their front teeth even serve to hold their tongues in their mouth! Have you ever seen an old dog that has lost some of its teeth due to being old and not having adequate dental care? Its tongue sticks out of its mouth all the time (TELL me you've never seen that before), and it's because the teeth are not there to hold it in!

On top of that, tooth removal is VERY painful. Have you ever had an adult tooth removed? IT HURTS, let me tell you, even with local anesthesia. With dogs, they have to be put completely under, and that raises its own risks. Allergic reactions to the anesthesia and even death are two risks with putting a healthy pet under for surgery. After surgery, the dog will be in pain, you will have to check its mouth daily, take it back to the vet if the mouth becomes infected, etc. It won't be fun for you OR the dog. Tooth extraction is ALWAYS a last resort even when there is a valid medical reason why the tooth should come out.

You're gonna be out a big hunk of money if nothing else, if you choose to have your dog's teeth removed. You'd be better off spending that money on a trainer that has experience with dog aggression and can help you work through your dog's issues with you.