I fostered a dog for two months - a medium size, mix breed shepherd. She was adopted by a great family, and for the first week, everything went great, they loved her, and then she bit one of the teenage kids. From what I have heard, and I don’t have a lot of details, it was unprovoked. It was also unforgivable, the dog was returned to the rescue and is now scheduled to be euthanized when the quarantine period is finished.
I can’t stop thinking about this. I did not see this coming. There were issues with this dog, she had been bounced around a lot - she was reactive with strangers, her house training was not 100%, and she was extremely high energy, but for all that, she was very sweet, willing to please, got along great with other dogs and loved to cuddle up at night.
I would like to take her back, but I cannot keep this dog. I don’t have the means financially to take on another dog and I’m not sure I want to take on the responsibility of a dog with a bite history that I will have to manage for the next 10 or 12 years, but I feel like I should do something to save her life. I feel like I have let her down, and while I do not disagree with the rescue’s decision to euthanize a dog that they can no longer adopt out for liability reasons, I really wish there was another option other than death for her.
It seems like such a short period of time to be so attached to a dog. I was so happy that she was adopted, happy that they liked her, and now this. I am just so sad for her… and I wish I knew what to do.
That’s terrible. I don’t blame you for being upset about this. I would be upset too. You sound like a very caring person and I give you a lot of kudos for fostering. I know how important fosters are to shelters and rescues.
It doesn’t sound to me like you did anything to fail this dog. You gave her a chance at least. I am annoyed that the family gave up on her so easily though. They only had the dog a week and they give up after one instance of bad behavior in a dog with a troubled history? No efforts to train the dog at all?
A lot of times, when dog bites happen, it’s because people unintentionally provoke the dog OR don’t pay attention to warning signs that the dog is frightened or uncomfortable.
With a teenager, I would wonder if the kid might have been teasing the dog.
Well, of course I don’t know the specifics of this case, but speaking speculatively, this is the sort of thing the Two Week Shutdown program for dogs in a new home environment is supposed to prevent. The idea, as I understand it, is to allow the dog to adjust to the new environment and size up the pack structure without being under a lot of demands and without learning too many new things at once. Let the dog establish herself comfortably before having to worry about her place in the pack.
If I put down our dog for biting me, he’d be dead many times over. How bad was the damage? He’s small, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t hurt me, and it’s easy to avoid if you recognize the signs.
Thanks to everyone who posted. I feel very alone in this, and while my dog loving friends understand how much it hurts to lose a dog, I don’t think most people realize how much you can love a dog even in a short period of time. I think sometimes I am the only person who has loved that dog, given what I know of her history, and I really wish things had turned out differently.
One of our dogs (the brown one on the right) came from a shelter where she was scheduled for euthanasia. She was cage aggressive, but for some reason hit it off with us. During a trial period we were not certain we would keep her, as she was aggressive toward strangers several times.
I had a cop-friend who trains dogs come over with a bite suit. We spent two days working with her and he showed us what we did wrong responding to her behavior. He also showed just how crazy she could be if he threatened us and we commanded her to attack. ( he had bruises through his bite suit )
Years later we are happy we kept her.
Interestingly, she is very good now except with stereotypic little old ladies. She growls at them still.
I’ve told this story many times on this board, but I will again. A good friend of my vet (also a vet) was asked to put down a trusted labrador because he had bitten a toddler, supposedly unprovoked. The vet gave him the injection and petted him as he died. As he petted him, he found 32 staples in his ear. He had put down a dog who didn’t bite the kid through 31 staples.
That is one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read.
I do feel bad for you, brainstall.
But at least you gave her a good time while she was with you, it sounds like. Fostering a pet is an amazing and selfless act.
There’s some fresh scientific backing for the oft-derided idea that our relationship with dogs closely parallels parents’ relationship with young children:
It always reminds me of the story of brave Gelert, my grandfather used to tell me this story. It’s a Welsh legend, I don’t know if it is known outside the UK. (Don’t read the link at work, the keyboard tends to get suddenly dusty and it could get in your eye.)
:mad: That is a horrible story.
I totally understand why some rescue groups don’t even want to adopt animals out to families with small children. If you adopt an animal, you should be committed to that animal for life. So many parents will immediately dump the dog if the dog even nips their kid.
I’m truly sorry that you have to go through this. Most people, though, will agree that a dog that bites is unadoptable. They made the right decision. And now that family will have a chance to adopt another (non-biting) dog. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have a conscientious animal owner return a dangerous animal than a non-conscientious pet owner keep a biting dog and hit it (or worse).
I agree that she can no longer be adopted out by the rescue, and the family have adopted another dog already, but I am torn between letting this go and feeling guilty for not doing enough to try to save my foster dog’s life.
I posted this on another thread, but I adopted a gorgeous brindle pit this winter who was a lamb with people, pitifully grateful to snuggle on the bed, never jumped up on you, great with our other dog. Then she mauled a sheep out of the blue and had to be put down. I felt so guilty. I kept pleading with the officer to find her another home with no livestock, but a biter is not given any leeway.
