Desperately In Need Of Advise

[Danielle]

I agree with other posters, she needs to be pts.

I'm so sorry that you are facing such a hard decision, but take comfort in the knowledge that it's the right thing to do. She is obviously not a normal dog who will never fit into society properly. Dogs have no idea of age or death so don't be sad for her, she won't understand.

She sounds very difficult to live with and I don't believe any person should feel obliged to live with a dog that is a true burden. When I say burden I mean untrainable and a liability that is not enriching your family life. No doubt your STB is feeling the strain of having her around and you always stressed out, it's not fair on him either. I would not rehome a dog like this, it would just be passing the problem onto someone else.

Don't beat yourself up over this, the situation is out of your control and you shouldn't be made to suffer for it. Give her her wings and move on in your own time.

Big hugs to you and take care.

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.

We did think about running some electrical fencing but we were advised we could face criminal prosecution if a member of the public got a zap, and that's a risk I'm not willing to take. We live in an small outback town so seeking the assistance of a professional isn't really an option for us. I did phone up a dog training centre in NSW to ask some advise. The trainer said it would be a very hard problem to train out of her, if not impossible. For a while I thought she may make a good pig dog given her pray drive, unfortunately after seeking some advise I was told that given she wasn't stock proof they couldn't take the risk with her.

Aside from living in rental accommodation and not being able to build a fully enclosed run, I hate to think of her having to spend the rest of her life on a chain. You see so many dogs around here that spend their whole life on a chain, it's really sad to see.

dancinbcs - After the cat incident I did go to the vets and explain the situation. She told me what I didn't want to hear but I appreciated her honesty; "The dog is a liability and it's only a mater of time before she does something else like this ". It's such a hard decision to make and I couldn't bring myself to do it, but here we are a year down the track facing the same issues. You're right when you say about not getting anything back from her. She isn't an affectionate dog, more like a snooty cat in many respects. She is 4 years old now.

I can't help but feel like I have failed her. I have successfully trained other dogs but she is not like any other dog I have come across. I knew having her pts was always hanging over us but I just wanted to exhaust all other options, hence my post.

After reading your reply , my gut feeling would be to give her her wings-

it is a decision hard to make, and painful to carry out , I know .

However, she is not free to enjoy life to the full ... you are continually on edge and worrying , and if you have the other dog who is biddable, social and settled, then he is also being subjected to all sorts of 'bad' vibes.

To obtain the services/advice of a good trainer, and to apply that advice will not be a miracle cure, as you are aware ..and will require a lot of time & effort from you.

Chaining her may increase her frustration and drive , and cause more problems :D

I do not envy you your position, and hope whatever you decide brings you peace ,and knowledge that you did the responsible thing.

You can use ping string with caution, this is run along the inside of your fences near the top. The only way someone could be zapped is if they're climbing into your yard. How often does that happen?

Anyone renting can put in a fully enclosed dog run, as others have suggested. But I would never chain a dog and especially not THIS dog. It would do far more harm than good given her history.

You haven't failed this dog. It's probably a matter of her breeding - unsound temperament is often the result of putting two animals together with less than ideal traits and there you have it - a pup destined for issues thanks to her lineage.

I think PTS is the kindest thing for yourselves and the dog. Yes, it's a really tough decision, and yes, there will be moments where you'll regret it and think about all the what-if's, but you have to think about the good of the dog and your local community members and neighbours. Nobody wants to see a destruction order slapped on their dog...I'm sure you'd be in that category.

Sometimes, no matter what effort or knowledge or skill we put into training, some dogs just don't respond as we would like them to. It happens.

Give her her wings...it's the right thing to do.

Edited March 1, 2011 by lillysmum

[shekhina]

I have a chronic fence jumper. I have had to think hard a couple of times now on whether to have him, very sadly, PTS. The only reason why I didn't end up going down that path is because he is a truly, lovely dog. He has two problems, escaping and barking. Like you, I feel I have exhausted almost all possibilities. I too thought perhaps he was bored, or needed more exercise...but he would jump the fence or start barking even straight after a very long run/swim/walk/outing etc.

He is now in a run that finally can contain him. He seems to be quite happy in there really and I didn't think he'd like being in a run at all. It's a pretty good size and he gets out for walks, runs around the yard, playing games, coming inside, etc. He still barks, not as bad, but enough for me to still be trying to find a solution for that.

Having an escape artist is incredibly stressful, and I have spent a couple thousand dollars trying to sort this problem out so it can get expensive too. Is my dog worth it? Sure is. I'm lucky that he has adapted very well and seems quite content to be in a run if I'm not in the yard with him or he's not inside or on an outing.

Good luck finding the solution that works for you. Getting to this point with my dog nearly did my head in to be honest.