Hi, I would like some advice regarding a troubled and dangerous dog.

Firstly I would like to mention, he is not my dog and the owner doesn't know I'm posting this - any good advice will be passed off as my own.
Secondly - no point passing judgement as you will be preaching to the converted here.

Ok - he is dangerous and large and powerful. He was a rescue. At the point of rescue the owner was told the rescue centre knew absolutely nothing about him at all.

He has attacked people - the SKY installer man etc. He has bitten and drawn blood from the family and their other dog. The post is no longer delivered to the house. He is dirty and will urinate all and everywhere, particularly liking other peoples beds. He will poo in shoes etc. He eats and drinks so fast he often vomits. He can open door handles so bedroom doors tend to be locked now, although sometimes they forget to do that and come home to carnage. He will take food off plates, counter, dinner table, frying pan! He will eat dirty underwear.

He is walked on a red 'Beware' collar and leash although he will lunge, go to attack and has been known to rip shopping bags out of peoples hands. He's destructive and will destroy bedding, curtains, soft toys that aren't his. In his effort to scream at the windows, gates and doors at passing people, children, dogs (I say screaming because it's way beyond barking), everything in his path gets destroyed.

He has been with them 7 years.

I have tried to suggest things in the past, like training or a behaviourist or something but, it's all come to nothing really. They took him to training but, was asked to leave. That was many years ago. I have my own theories and thoughts and have tried to gently suggest things.

It;s coming to a head at the moment. The family do not have the time or money that would be needed to turn this dog around and, believe it or not, they do love him very much and the thought of having him put down is upsetting.

Is there anything else, at all, that they could do??

TIA. I'll check back in later - after a Google session myself and a Tesco run

I am not sure what advice can be given if they won't train him or PTS I would say eventually the choice will be taken from them if he bites again anyway as the law now is quite clear on that point.

How old is the dog, you say they have had him 7 years. and came from a rescue centre. And have all things been happening from day when they got the dog. Or are these new things that have just started.

I'd agree with Molliepops, or go one step further and say the dog needs destroying.

Hi, molliepops and Croctacus,
Obviously, having him PTS is an option. However, they do love him and I was posting to see if there is anything else they could do. A charity that helps to train difficult dogs or medication or...anything.

Their budget is seriously tight. I've seen a place where you send them away for three weeks and then they come and go through the rules/training with you when it's done but, that costs about £700.

Tim, the rescue 'thought' he was about 2 yrs when they got him. His behaviour has been the same the whole way through, although as he's aged it's definitely got more entrenched and aggressive. They have made excuses for his behaviour in the past as they felt sorry that he had a rough start so, probably didn't tackle it as they should/could of.

They now discourage visitors to the home because of him. I have always been able to just walk in but I think that's because I'm not scared of him and completely and utterly ignore him. For others though he's a screaming bag of fur and teeth - that's hard to ignore!

I really have issues with the rescue people considering the youngest child was about 6 when they took him on. On balance I think it's been lucky they haven't had a more tragic incident.

Just to add - their heart is in the right place. I think they thought that providing him a loving home with safety and all the things a dog needs would just work it's magic.

The dog is clearly disturbed by its environment. Best thing would be to find a loving home for it with peopler who are firm, fair and loving. This family are obviously the wrong family for this dog

How on earth have they put up with that behaviour for 7 years??

If, as you say, the dog has displayed this kind of behaviour since day one something should have been done long before now.

You say they love this dog but what about their other dog? They need to consider the safety and happiness of that dog. It's not fair on that dog to be forced to live with an animal that attacks it.

I'm sorry but if this dog is as bad as you have described it to be, given it's age as well, I doubt anything can be done to turn this dog around.

I don't know of any charitable dog training schemes you have to pay for them and for a dog like you are describing it may be expensive. We were looking at one on one training for over exuberance (not a bad bone in her body) and were quoted £65 an hour.

The first thing that springs to mind is that this dog needs a behaviourist rather than just a trainer. This dog needs someone who has the experience of working with troubled/aggressive dogs. At least assessed to see if it's something that can be dealt with or not due to the time that has passed since they first got him.

The other point is, is this a calm household? Another poster suggested the home environment could be an issue, and that's a fair point. Another one to consider is does the dog see the vet every year for a checkup - is it something health related (although possibly not due to the 7yrs known bad behaviour, but worth ruling out).

Not sure if you've read this, may be of some help:
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-ad...tfactsheet.pdf

Sounds more like it's the people who need training first, before they'll be capable of doing any good for a dog.

There's absolutely NO excuse for a dog to do most of that stuff more than once.
After that, it's up to the owner to ensure it never happens again.
7 years of repeated bad behaviour?
What have they been doing? Praying that the dog's temperament will improve?

Sad thing is, judging from some of the mischief he gets up to, he's probably quite a smart dog.
Wouldn't be surprised if he resorts to bad behaviour because he's bored shitless.

I'd suggest the best thing they could do would be to take the dog to a rescue centre and make a solemn vow never to own another pet again.

Shelters wont rehome dogs like the OP describes. It's not just a case of bad behaviour that can be turned around with training. From what the OP has said this dog has vicious tendencies and shelters can't rehome vicious dogs.

Very true and is it really fair to pass onto someone else a dog that bites and has all these problems ?

TBH, it wasn't really any potential future owner I was thinking of.

I just thought that the dog, itself, might have a better time of it in a rescue centre.

I am a dog lover dog owner for many years and worked with dogs for 10 years. This dog has so many problems and is 9 years old. The family might have had the best intentions but have had no idea what they are doing. As much as i hate to say this it would be kinder and safer for the dog and humans that the dog was put to sleep. The dog is 9 years old and if its been like this all its life, then the chances of things turning out well in a new home for him or the new owners are very small.

Hi
I'm not going to go in to breed, as it's specific but, the first dog they re-homed through this rescue charity was so laid back it is permanently horizontal.

They were asked to re-home the fella in question and accepted, knowing how 'horizontal' the first doggy was, they had no reason to wonder. This dog was a X breed though.

They stuck with him. He had had a possible bad start, he was an unknown. Yep, they have done 7 years of this. And yes, he's very clever.

I know that the current owners have lived in cloud cuckoo land. I know that he probably should never have been placed with them in the first place.
Like I said - preach to the converted...

However, this is the situation. It is what it is. Remonstration and judgement is no good here. Suggestions and solutions are the way to go..?

Please...

Edited to add - yes - thanks Tim - he is 'probably' about 9yrs old.

Unless they are prepared to put in the work and see a behaviourist as I posted earlier, then things won't change. My worry is that it appears they haven't put any effort in to train/get help in the last 7years, so will they consider that course of action?

There is no quick fix, no free one either.

Solutions i think are limited, rehome with someone who as experience but also home most of the time , so they MIGHT be able to get the dog out of some of these habits but i dont hold up alot of hope because of the age of the dog and how long the problems have gone on for. To late to train the owners as they have let the problems go on for too long.

Unfortunately they can't afford a behaviourist. They genuinely can not

They have stuck with him for years - adapting their lives to accommodate him.

As I said, we are coming to 'last ditch attempt' here.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

We tried

To answer some previous questions - I believe he is vaccinated and checked over by the PDSA yearly.

I know the owners worm him regularly and keep a check on him - after all - worms aren't the only thing that creeps out of his bottom. Under-wear elastic also goes through undigested. So I've heard.

You could give them that Dogs Trust link I posted further up - it may help.

EDited to add: have they spoke to the PDSA about the dogs issues? They may have some suggestions.

And sorry to say this is why they have failed, ( adapting their lives to accommodate him.) They have not taught the dog right from wrong or what is exceptable and what is not. You would get the same kind of problems with children if they are not taught right from wrong or what is exceptable and what is not. Dogs have to be taught these things like children.

I will - thank you.

I agree.

I have a pooch and he is a love. Non-aggressive, happy, loving, tolerant and clean to the point of bursting. He is such a good chap and we all adore him. He has a lovely nature and goes to rule so much that we no longer have to say anything. He just does it.

Such a happy boy.

Which is why I have tried to gently nudge, guide and 'teach' the owners of the boy in question. My own hackles went up when they first accepted him and I did try to make the right noises.

But, like I said, they are not bad owners as such. Just unaware and unprepared.

Thanks, Tim.

Edited to add (again), they can't be accused of giving up on him, at least

I think they can be accused of giving up on him, and that was a long time ago. This poor dog needed a behaviourist a long time ago and one assumes that in taking on a dog they've not considered insurance? A policy will cover behavioural treatment and either paying for that or putting aside training is part and parcel of owning a dog. Dogs cost money.

The amount of damage he has caused and the cost of replacing them may have paid for a professional several times over.

Can I suggest buying them a book, Click to Calm?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Click-Calm-H.../dp/1890948209
BAT
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/161781050...JS64EFA2Y2RMJB

Also try The Other End of the Leash
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-End-Le...d+of+the+leash

But really, they need a professional to train then to train the dog. How you approach that, I don't know. One would assume that they can see a different between their dog and yours and the relationship? Perhaps you can lead by example?