Dr Chill, I still grieve over the loss of my dog. Can you help?

I put him to sleep Jan 30th.   He had idiopathic aggression and I could not find another home or farm for him and I couldn't ethically give him up to a shelter with his biting issue so in the end after he bit my friend with no warning, I put him down for the safety of everyone.   I got him from a shelter 2 years ago and we never spent even one day apart.  It still amazes me how fast the time went as I can still remember the day we came home and gave him a bath because he was unbelievably filthy and how the bathroom looked like someone blew up 10 wigs afterwards with fur EVERYWHERE. 

 

I never realized what a great looking dog he was until after his first ever visit to the groomer.

 

I'm going thru all the stages of loss/death and I know it's only been 3 weeks but sometimes I find myself talking to him as if he is still here. 

 

I still have terrible pangs of guilt when I think about how we had to muzzle him and hold him tight while giving him his first sedative shot and how I was giving him treats and playing with him while it took effect.  I find it hard to forgive this deception to my baby.  I hope he forgives me  

 

It's been 3 weeks and I feel a lot better now than I did that first week of Feb but there are still periods when I really miss him.

 

 

I put some of his photos here  Logan's Page.

 

Please give my dog a treat.

I put down my husky 7 years ago I still have dreams of him.  I dont think a dog ever leaves you.

 

That was very nice, Dr. Chill.

Thx Dr Chill. 

Koaj, your pups are two real cuties. 

 

Their friend Snowflake is also unbelievable.

 

I miss my dog. 

The only thing that has ever made me feel better ---- a new puppy.

My pooch is 10 years old now (rescued), I don't think I've been without a dog for longer than 2 months since I was 5 years old. And I never looked at it as replacing, just helping a new friend.

 

MDL-

 

I live with my GF who has a cat who is about 9.5 years old.  Best pet I've ever been around bar none and I grew up with some awesome dogs.  I think about exactly what you talk about above and how I might handle it.  Makes me sick to my stomach.  But at the same time, one of the positives of them being an animal is they don't understand the situation.  And in a weird sort of way, that is to their benefit.  I can't imagine what it would be like if they actually DID understand what was going on.  Not sure I'd ever be able to handle that.  It's just unfortunate that we have to be the ones to make those hard decisions. 

 

agree with 3rd and long... get a new pup.

 

I know it's a noble thing to "rescue" an animal from a shelter, but like a used car you adopt all of the issues that go along with a sheltered animal.  There can be enormous costs that go along with "rescuing" as well, both economic and emotional ( your case in point )

 

Good Luck........

 

MyDogLogan,

 Sorry for your loss. Putting a pet down is very hard thing to do.  In june it will be 3 years since i had to put my beloved golden down due to cancer and it still hurts everyday.  Pets are really the only ones who can give you unconditional love and maybe thats why we all miss our friends so much.

take care

cd

I feel your pain. I lost my beloved English Pointer "Hank" a couple of years back, and I think about him all the time. It's sucks.

 

With that being said, what is this "idiopathetic aggression" that forced you to have to put him down? I understand he bit your friend, but is that a reason to have him put to sleep. Was he biting you? Couldn't you have just kept him away from people? I'm not questioning your decision, I'm sure you knew what was best. I just don't understand it. My dog had cancer in his leg, I spent well over 5k just to keep him alive for another 18 months. I'd never let him suffer, but I'd never put him down because hit bite people. Hell, I got an asshole Rotweiler right now that's a complete asshole to people. He'd do much more than just bite someone. With that being said, I keep him away from people he doesn't know, and he makes for a great pet.

 

 

BC, Logan bit me on Halloween without any warning signs whatsoever.  Before that, last spring he bit a guy while he was on his back getting a tummy tickle. He had always gotten them before from strangers and never had any problems or growled.   I thought maybe the guy caught his finger while playing around the snout area.  The next I told a dog walker that Logan knew very well as we see her pretty much every day at the off leash park about the bite and she said she would test him.  She's very experienced with dogs and unlike most dogwalkers that I see, she has taken the time to really educate herself about canine behavior.  He was very friendly with her and when she went to pet him again after some gentle play he bit her without any warning signs.   No growl, tail position, eyes rolled, curled lips, pupil size etc.  She said there was absolutely nothing to indicate he would bite and it was the kind of bite where he meant business.  I took him immediately to the vet and had him thoroughly checked out.  She could find nothing physically wrong and recommended a behaviorist.   He had a program of desensitization and we followed it last summer.  Then one day we were at Starbucks when he dropped his ball and a woman shuffle kicked it back to him from about 4 ft away and he went after her feet.  The behaviorist and other trainers I talked to thought that he was most likely trained using heavy physical methods or abused.  If he ever gave signs of agitation or was being punished, he probably got the shit beat out of him - likely kicked as he did not like that motion directed at him or not surprisingly at other dogs; he tried to grab someone's leg at the dog park one time when they were playing with their own dog using a kicking motion.   Because he learned that growling or any usual warning signs got him severely punished he never gave any warnings.

 

On Halloween, I went to stroke his head while he was lying beside me while I was on the sofa and he snapped my hand.  Last month he did the same to my friend when she went to pet him and that's when I made the decision.  I thought long and hard about it (several months as you can gather) and 1) I couldn't risk him biting anyone else especially a child; 2) I could keep him away from all humans or muzzled 24-7 but what kind of life is that?; 3) I share my house with a tenant and unfortunately it isn't a separate apt. 4) I tried almost every shelter in Ontario and because I am ethically bound to tell them about his aggression, none would take him and the same goes for the many rescue organizations I tried here and in the US.

 

I feel I should tell the Toronto Humane Society in any case because his surrender sheet indicates he was okay in all behavioral areas which is bullshit and maybe the previous owner(s) has done this before.  He had had zero training other than being housebroken and was STILL intact at 1.5-2 years.  Beyond that, he didn't know any commands. We went to obedience school where he won the Most Improved Dog award and that still makes me very proud of him.

just because he bit every so often you put him to sleep? .... i wouldnt care if my dog bit one of my nuts off i wouldnt put him down

njd, good for you.  Hope you don't get sued if your dog bites someone.

Obviously, it was hard, and I'm sorry for your lose. 

sorry for your loss but id keep my dog away from other people if that was a problem , i wouldnt just kill him

Murderer!! just killling i mean kidding. 

Wow man thats sad. I lost a dog years ago when I was 18...it was hard. Pets are awesome, especially dogs. Im sure your dog forgives you and is in a better place. You will meet again!

 

 

Same story EVERY day for me.  I throw my belt on my bed as I get dressed.  Cat attacks the belt for a while and then lays on it.  I have to pick her up to grab my belt EVERY day.

 

Same thing when I get home from work.  Cat greets me at the door.  As I walk to the bedroom to change, she goes ripping by me and tears into the bedroom....jumps on the bed and gets down in "attack" mode. 

 

Happens every day without fail.  It may be , but it never ever gets old. 

If I lost Oreo i would be on fucking suicide watch. This is seriously the greatest dog I can ever imagine having. Tricks she knows

 

Speak

Sit

High Five

Kiss

shake

 

ANd other shit

 

In sign language she knows Sit-speak-lay down-and jump

 

She swims like a fish runs like a jet and just loves everybody and every other dig she has met. Fucking amazing. In fact im going to take her for a walk around the lake right now.