I am back, not to normal quite yet, but there is a little brighter future and more work, but it will be joyful.
The Heartbreak: We had to give Bandit back to the breeder over the weekend. It was a very difficult decision for us. It was a first for me to abandon a pet. But it is what needed to be done. We had been working with the breeder to bring some of his escalating behaviours under control since late summer. While some things were getting better, the one thing that caused us the most difficulty was not. He wanted to be the dominate figure in the house and was starting to use his size (90 pounds at 10 months) and teeth to push back, we had been trying to work through this. The last straw was when he nearly got me in the face, (his teeth grazed the flesh and left welts) and he did get my hand, I have a few healing holes.
Monday and Tuesday were difficult and after crying and agonizing I sent the breeder a note, asking how Bandit was doing. If he was adjusting (to living outdoors in a kennel after being a house dog and the new rules). We missed his presence (chaos and all) just like a year or so ago when we had to say goodbye to Axel his predecessor. We do have Lini, and she tries, but her temperament is very laid back and pretty easy going, (unless you are a rabbit or a squirrel in the yard). The breeder called last night to reassure
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| Bandit with Jeff, the breeder, you can see how big Bandit is! |
The joyful part? He offered us another puppy. I don't think that would have been the case if we had not worked so hard to try and bring Bandit around. We drove 5-6 hours round trip to spend an hour or two each week with the breeder and we did all the homework and training he suggested and Bandit was happy to comply -but the Dominant Aggression just would not stop. So we go this weekend to view them and make a selection. I don't know if it will be released or if they plan to keep them a little longer, but I am making preparations! I know a new puppy will not be the same, but it will be close and that will have to be good enough.
There will still be sadness, as we adjust. Bandit did have a sweet side that he showed us most of the time, but the times he wanted to be boss were scarey and becoming more frequent, not less. We knew he needed more that we could physically give him in terms of control and that was the best thing FOR him.
Stay tuned! Lots more later- Beth
That would be scar to live with an aggressive dog and not know what to expect next. I hope your puppy is more cooperative.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry. It is so difficult to give up a dog. Many years ago, we had two Shar Peis, a male and female. The female was really my dog, and for many years she was a great companion. She was always pretty headstrong, but in her old age, she became aggressive, particularly towards my husband as she tried to protect me. We think her sight was failing and that she got confused especially at night. We finally had to decide to not keep her because she was too aggressive. It was after that when we got our first pug.
ReplyDeleteWe had to do that once, with Ginger, Destructo-Dawg. I could tolerate the constant destruction, wasn't happy about it, but figured she would eventually grow out of it, or run out of things to destroy..but, when she took little Sunny's head in her mouth and shook her violently, trying to break her neck, well, that did it for me. I wasn't even upset when she bared her teeth and growled in my face while I was in my knees giving her a bath. But don't you touch my little sweet Sunny like that! Unfortunately for her, she didn't know the good life she was giving up when she went for that last ride.
ReplyDeleteBandit is sure a handsome fellow. Maybe he will make a good police dog?
Food luck with the new pup, show us pictures !
So sorry to hear of this. Some dogs, once they have made a decision in the wrong direction are almost impossible to turn around. Last May, I had to have my German shepherd put to sleep, because she kept attacking some of my other animals. When she attacked my 13-1/2 year old Jack Russel it was the last straw. Everyone kept trying to get me to find another home for her, but I couldn't take a chance that her next attack could be someone's child! My heart is with you. Have fun with that new puppy! I did get another GSG in September and she is filling my heart full to the brim!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry but good for you for admitting it wasn't working. It's best for you and Bandit to call it quits before anything happens. When my older son got a puppy two years ago, she was a biter, including drawing blood on our faces, noses etc.. We had a trainer out a few times, because I said that it was our responsibility to train her properly, or else she would be better with a different, more experienced family. I never blamed the dog, but knew it was our job to set the tone and teach her we were boss. For us, it took time, but we saw progress and successfully kept at it. Aggression is a tough animal quality to work with and it takes a great deal of patience. I wouldn't have been able to work through that. You may be sad, and you're entitled to grieve as you feel the need. However, the best and most responsible thing to do is to know when you were are out your league. Bandit will hopefully have a happier life where he can be with those who confront her more effectively. Please know that it is honest and responsible animal lovers like you who are the most amazing dog owners. I sure hope you fall in love with one of those new puppies and give it another go. There is certainly a puppy out there that would be so lucky to have you raise it forever.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that it didn't work out with Bandit, but it is the best thing to do in a case like this. We have a border collie and the opposite problem, he is way too friendly and wants to jump on everyone he meets.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
So sorry about this. You did the right thing. You have to protect yourself. And I'm glad to see that the comments so far are supporting. So many people nowdays are absolutely crazy about pets. That's just my opinion, but I've seen first hand what an aggressive dog can do. And, the owners are ALWAYS blamed by some. You did the right thing.
ReplyDeleteWe had to take a dog back once, too. We think she had been abused by a male, and she was petrified of almost all males (hubby, too, and he's great with all dogs). I have 2 sons, and when their friends came over, the dog would almost freak out. It got worse and worse, no matter how hard we worked with her. It got to the point that I was afraid she would attack someone. I couldn't let that happen, so, we had to take her back. Some animals are like that. I've had dogs since I was born, and had never had such a problem with any of the other dogs, over the years. I hope your new puppy has a much more gentle personality.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry this happened Beth. Sadly, I have experienced this but not for the same reasons. Hope the new pup is doing well and Bandit is doing well with the breeder.
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