This Time Kato Bit Willow!

[Shetlander]

So, before putting all the blame on Kato, I would do a little investigating to see if other dogs are not sending Kato fight or flight messages. Just because Kato chooses fight, does not make him the bad dog. JMO, of course.

 

I understand your point about two sides to every story or fight. However, Kato has attacked three different dogs. He has shown little to no bite inhibition. Something is wrong here -- either with Kato individually and/or with the pack as a whole. This is a pretty complicated situation with serious potential for a very bad outcome. Personally, I'm not thinking in terms of bad dog or good dog. Rather I'm thinking in terms of safe and unsafe. Currently Kato is unsafe for other dogs to be around. That fact needs to be at the top of the list when it comes to what to do next and how to handle things.

 

But then I am an admitted safety freak who has seen how these situations can go from a curled lip to deadly in a split second. Except it doesn't really happen in a split second. There is almost always a long road, made of many choices and decisions, of misunderstanding and not wanting to see, that leads up to that awful split second.

[Tranquilis]

good grief. How sad it is when it's more politically correct to pass on a problem then it is to deal with it ethically yourself.

Trust me on this - Angie can make the call; She's not being politically correct. She's at the core of the decision making process at a very successful Rescue, and they have put dogs down, when that was the correct choice. But they've also placed some very odd-ball dogs with great success, too. If Angie says there's a chance, I'm inclined to trust her.

[Lenajo]

Angie hasn't seen the dog anymore than I have, so thank you, I'll take your "advice" with a pound of salt.

 

My opinion stills stands. I think its either fix the dog, or put it down. I don't rehome aggressive dogs that have done damage like that. It's unethical. Period.

 

 

 

Trust me on this - Angie can make the call; She's not being politically correct. She's at the core of the decision making process at a very successful Rescue, and they have put dogs down, when that was the correct choice. But they've also placed some very odd-ball dogs with great success, too. If Angie says there's a chance, I'm inclined to trust her.

[Tranquilis]

My opinion stills stands. I think its either fix the dog, or put it down. I don't rehome aggressive dogs that have done damage like that. It's unethical. Period.

As you say - you've not seen the dog; Your opinion is also well-salted.

 

I think at this point we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Lenajo]

From the sounds of things, it is not important at this point anyway, as the OP does not want to euth or re-home Kato.

 

Just because somebody doesn't want to do something, doesn't make it the right decision.

 

My point about the safety issue (in regards to you saying some people don't want dog/dog interaction, and keep a single dog at home) is that in a world full of people and dogs, the chances of a dog like that meeting a dog at the wrong time are very high. A guest dropping by the home, a dropped leash on the street...etc. You would have to find proactively good owners who both consciously kept the dog away from other dogs, and if (should Murphy's law so inevitably occur) they fail can stop him before he causes damage. (Which is something his current mulit-dog experienced owners haven't even been able to do now.)

 

The likelihood of that being found is slim.

 

And as you pointed out, there are a lot of safe, nice dogs that need a home.

 

As I said, again, fix the dog or put him down. If a veterinary behaviorist can do it I'll be thrilled. I think at this point its his only hope.

[DTrain]

I would try to re-home Kato in a situation where he is alone and mostly a companion dog for someone who has limited outside contact, you may be doing a person like this a favor and a good dead for Kato as well. There is a good chance that Kato could learn a new lifestyle. I have three BC's that are with me all the time. They work and play together, they do everything together and not once have we had a situation where one dog has attacked another. They give each other a growl now and then. My youngest dog is a puppy and he can be annoying. They wrestle but I have never seen aggression between them beyond minor corrections. I watch my guys carefully, I correct them when it is needed. I am very grateful that they get along as a pack. I am thinking of adding another dog to the mix. I could not separate the dogs from each other, I expect them to be together. I could not favor one dog over another. I could not live like that and i would not want to subject one of my dogs to that sort of life. I would find it very difficult to give up one of my dogs but I would not hesitate to give a dog up especially if I knew I was giving the dog a better home and life and making another persons life better at the same time.

[BCjetta]

My border collie is like this. She gives no warning, just attacks out of the blue. Other times she'll be totally fine. Outside the house (ie on walks) she's fine, just snaps at other dogs if they are in her space and pestering her. In a house or other smaller space, no warning and then she lunges silently and will bite and break skin. She's ok with my fiancee's younger aussie, has attacked his cat several times, ok with my cat so far, and has attacked the dog she grew up with (4 yrs older than her) several times. I can only ever see it comming the instant before she lunges so all I can do is keep her seperate at all times when in the house or the car. It actually works ok because my parents have the older dog living with them almost all the time, and the fiancee's cat has peed on my couches too many times so the cats are either outside or locked downstairs unless we are home and watching them. If the cats are up, Hannah is locked up. There is no medical reason, I've tried anti anxiety medication. Nothing has worked. I havent tried training her because I dont' want to risk her attacking the cat again and injuring him. If I could ever find a basket muzzle that fit her, I would try to train her to ignore him/tolerate him.

 

I would say if your dog is the same, managing it like I do, rehoming, or euthanizing are the only 3 options you have.

 

A few things I've noticed with my dog that may be of significance.

She was around before the 2 cats and the aussie and the fiancee. She never had any agression issues before I moved in with my fiancee (ie she was fine when it was just me, her and my cat). I think it may somehow stem from jelousy or posession but I havent linked it exactly. She never growls, lifts her lips or snaps in these situations. The only potential warning is the evil eye and her head held a bit lower than normal. She tends to glance at the other animal and away a few times before she lunges. She will also stop attacking instantly when I yell. Its gotten worse as she's gotten older. Started when she was about 7 and now she's 10. She used to be fine with my fiancee's cat even between attacks but now as soon as she sees him she stiffens up. Good thing is, she also is starting to know as soon as my fiancee yells "letting the cats up" that she has to go away and will willingly run to her kennel and go in.