When Anaya was with us we noted that she was slow to warm to other animals. She has some barrier frustrations. By the time she left we felt she had made some progress in her behavior and we felt comfortable with her new owners. We also had a good friend of ours who is a trainer on stand by for any future support her new family would need. Things were going really well. She had successfully met some neighborhood dogs and was doing really well with her overall training.

Unfortunately, she is back with us do to some behavioral issues that are quite big. I consider myself to be a pretty experienced owner, but my husband and I do not feel adequate to handle her issues ourselves. Nor could I (in good conscience) place her in another home (novice or not) knowing she has such issues that need extensive work.

I've contacted several behaviorists but none so far are interested in taking her on. I contacted our vet and asked for referrals but I've not heard back. I've also contacted rescues asking if they have anyone with extensive experience in working with dogs with behavioral issues, specifically some forms of aggression, but no one is willing.

I suppose I understand as I am not willing to keep her here either. I am not willing to jeopardize my dogs safety, they come first. Nor am I willing to keep her under lock and key, as that is no life for her either. I have the sliding door blacked out so that she can not see out her room and can not see in the house (she is in a building on our property, it's complete with AC and lights and a couch and other normal living room type stuff).

I'm just sad. Very sad.

I'm really sorry. It sounds like a very difficult situation.

I too am very sorry.. doesn't sound easy for anyone and puts you between that proverbial rock and hard place.

I'm sorry. I hope Anaya can get some help wtih her issues.

I'm so sorry to hear this Bless you for caring so much about this girl.

That is so sad. I'm so sorry this happened. Do you know if something happened, since she was doing so well with you before you placed her?

I'm sorry that things got worse. I hope somehting can work out for her.

Yeah, she flipped out at the vet's office when they went to kennel her and took off after a loose cat. And then a couple days later she went after a dog who spooked her (the other dog was in his yard, behind a fence). I'd rather not get into details, but it was bad enough for her to come back to us as her owners, though they've had dogs before, did not feel experienced enough even with the aide of a professional.

That's such a shame. I know how upset you must be about the whole thing. I hope you're able to find someone you feel is experienced enough to take her or find someone that can give you the help you need to help her.

She had been doing really well at your house originally though right? I hope things won't seem so bleak when some time has passed.

She was doing well at our house (she was able to be in the same room with the cat) before and she had done well when she met some of the neighborhood dogs with her new owners (on leash meet and greets). It was the incident at the vet that seemed to be the catalyst for everything else that happened.

She does not get along with my dogs, we were able to have very short and successful meet and greets on leash, but they have to be separated at all times here at the house which makes it much more difficult.

She has been here a few days and my husband and I agreed that if we hadn't found someone to help by today, the only kind thing to do would euthanize her. It would be so selfish of us to keep her locked up all the time. She is such a good dog, except for this one issue. My heart is broken and I have melted into tears several times over the past few days just hoping for her next savior to come along. I am still holding out hope and praying for a miracle.

I'm confused & maybe I don't exactly know all the rules, but I thought you were only a foster home. Do you have control over the decision of euthanizing the dog? What about the organization that chose you as a foster, are they out of the picture?

I know it's a long ways but you might want to give a call to Joe Kapelos at Ewe-topia. You can get his number at www.ewetopia.com. Although they're primarily a herd dog training place, Joe has worked with a lot of issue dogs from small to extremely large of all breeds. Ruffysdad

Thank you, Ruffydad, I'll check it out.

Judy, we are independent fosters, therefore the placement and decisions regarding our fosters are ours.

Oh, I hope this is just a setback and you can work something out for Anaya.

Is her only problem with other animals? Obviously I'm not there to observe just how bad it is, but couldn't she be adopted to a home where she would be the only pet?

She was adopted to a home where she was the only pet, but they are active people and wanted a walking/jogging partner and there is always an opportunity to run across another dog on a walk, etc.. It was on a walk where she flipped out and got out of her harness and attacked a fence to get to another dog, actually.

If she were strictly confined to her own home, I could see that working, but there will always be necessary trips to the vet and then you once again have to wonder what quality of life she would have in that instance.

If an experienced person came along, who has dealt with aggression before wanted to try to help, I'd be okay with that. But I know very few dog owners who have that experience and they also already have animals. This is why I was seeking a professional, but no one wants to take her case. I also firmly believe in positive methods of training and that seems to limit our choices as well.

I guess I understand as a private foster, if you don't have the time, chance or resources to find her the type of home that is willing to work with her shortcomings. I'm sorry it's worked out that way.

But, I feel the need to comment further, just for anyone lurking who might misunderstand...I don't really get the quality of life comment. My Jack is dog aggressive. With management, he lives a full and happy life. He can't go to dog parks, or be off leash around strange dogs, that's true. But, he can go on walks to the park, as long as we give wide berth to other dogs ("No, he doesn't want to say hi to your dog"). He can't go to flyball or agility, but he can take herding lessons. It is noted on his chart at both vets he goes to that he is dog aggressive, and he is managed there, as well. It's all about finding what will work for each individual dog. Does it take more work with a dog like this? Sure, but please don't imply that a dog aggressive dog will have to be confined to it's house, or have a poor quality of life. It doesn't have to be like that.

Good luck with your situation.

I'm sorry, Anaya is NOT DA, she has confinement/barrier aggression. Therefore when confined she reacts to others around her. This could be on a leash, or when there is a barrier between her and another dog, etc..

I did not mean to offend in any way, Paula. I know and see that many DA dogs live happy and healthy lives. There is, however, a difference between dog owners that come to forums like these and those that simply want a dog. I know that I do the best by my dogs and my fosters, I read and do what I can to learn about anything and everything, but Joe Schmoe may not have the same mindset. So I am limited to dog owners like you and me. Those that have experience or knowledge, that have the heart to take on a dog with some behavioral issues and are willing to work on it.

The problem is that I do not know anyone that has the experience to take on such a dog. I do not have the resources to have an aggressive dog in my home. I have my own three dogs to think of, they absolutely come first and that means their safety and general well being are above all others. As much as I love Anaya and want her to find her forever home, I will not put my dogs in jeopardy. I will not keep Anaya confined in a building in my backyard and rotate dogs for the rest of their natural lives, I will not live in fear that she may by chance escape and endanger those around her. That is not how I personally feel a dog should live her life, which is why I have sought out help in all ways possible.

When I decided to foster, I knew that I could not save them all. I can spend thousands of dollars on Anaya and rehab her (or not, really, since I can't find a professional in my area to help) or I can do the very best by her, give her a second chance at life and fight with all that I have and know when the fight is over, and then go on to save other dogs that don't have these issues and deserve second chances as well. How anyone can fault me for that line of thinking is beyond me.

Certainly a dog aggressive dog can be managed. I think it's often really tough finding an appropriate home though. Many people who have the understanding and skills to manage the dog well either already have a reactive dog (which is how they got the skills) or know enough to choose an easier dog the next time.

Is there anyone at ODO in the same area who knows of a rscue that might be able to foster her?

Sorry to hear about Anaya. The rescue I volunteer with recently had a similar situation just this week. It was really heartbreaking, but there seemed to be no alternative as well. I know the foster mom was very upset about it. But she also felt she couldn't risk anyone getting badly hurt.

So you are not alone on this.
{{{{hugs}}}}}

I'm not sure if you mean me by this comment? I'm not finding fault at all with your thinking. Of course your resident dogs' safety and well being must come first. There is no question about that. I even said that you, as a small, private foster, won't have the time/resources that a big rescue might have in dealing with a dog that has behavioral issues and needs to find a specific type of home. I'm not even of the mindset that one must "go all out" for a dog with problems, when there are so many nice dogs in need of help. Each individual rescuer must make the decision they are most comfortable with, once they feel every effort has been made. I only commented on one line in your post, and I stand behind what I said. I did not mean that you, personally, should take the steps that I take with my dog, and I know finding a home willing to do that won't be easy. I just wanted to share my experiences, so that anyone reading might understand that aggressive dogs can live happy lives, too. It was not a comment on what you should do. I think I made an important point, and if it doesn't apply to this situation, then I apologize for taking your thread off topic.

I'm sorry that Anaya is having these problems. I remember going through something similar with Beamish. It still haunts me that we put him to sleep, but I just didn't feel we had any other choice and he was an owned dog. That's an important thing to remember - Anaya doesn't have an owner. Buddy's Parents don't feel comfortable keeping her and how long do you keep a snuggle bug dog separated before it becomes cruelty? Beamish *could* have done well with an experienced owner, who lived on a large property, who was willing to take on a dog who attacked other dogs at random and had bitten my vet. But someone like me, with all of my dog connections online and in person couldn't find that someone to commit to living with his quirks (i.e. dangerous behavior) for the rest of his life. And then he bit my husband in Beamish's familiar house during a familiar routine over an every day occurrence. If he could do that in those circumstances, how could I in good conscience adopt him to someone else? Morally and legally I wasn't prepared to do that.

I know that some dogs with DA or barrier frustration can be managed very well and still live a full, happy life. But it also takes a lot of commitment and some sacrifice on the part of the dedicated owner. And all of us who have done anything with rescue know that finding a responsible, dedicated owner, even with the world's best screening, is a crap shoot.

I really, really hope that a miracle happens for Anaya. She sounds like such a sweet girl with a lot of potential. But if that miracle doesn't come through, I understand the difficult choice.

Sorry, one last question, since I can't remember her story...where did you get her from? Is there a chance they'll take her back (I know some shelters require you to return the dog to them, but I'm assuming this isn't the case).

Hi-

I looked back over your old posts about Anaya and it looks like you got her at the very end of July (you mentioned ACO so I assume she came from a shelter?) and she was adopted out by you less than 2 weeks later and now 2 weeks later she's back with you because of her issues. Do you think that maybe you need to give her a little time to adjust and settle? How did you come about the diagnosis of barrier/confinement aggression? From your description it sounds like prey drive (going after the cat) and some dog aggression. Is this your first foster dog? I can tell that you're very upset about this situation that you're in and I'm sure the idea of putting her down is very upsetting so no disrespect at all is meant by me asking these questions.

No, no, I was being defensive and I apologize. I wouldn't want anyone lurking to get the wrong idea about any of the matters at hand. Sometimes (and it isn't so in this instance) I feel that people say things like, well why doesn't she do this or why doesn't she do that, etc. etc.. as if any of this has been easy on me or my family. Dogs with issues such as confinement aggression can live long happy lives, but I can not provide that for Anaya. I do not feel it would be fair to keep her long term as we are keeping her now.



You have said it much better than I. I can not adopt Anaya out again, unless it were to someone with vast experience or to a professional and unfortunately those homes aren't available right now.



She is from a high-kill shelter. If I took her back because of her issues, she would be face the same fate as here. I am waiting to hear back from one more person, I am hoping that this person will be her saving grace.



Yes, a high killer shelter. I have been working (long distance) with someone who is knowledgeable in the training field. Through phone conversations, video of Anaya's actions and the description of the latest events, we came to the diagnosis.


I think that everyone is missing a key to all of this and that key is that she is confined to a room in our backyard with very little human interaction as she can not be loose in our home. So every couple hours she is let out and gets some playtime, but she spends the vast majority of her days alone. Sure, she is well fed and in good health, but how far does one go to save a life and still have the conditions of it be morally okay?

I don't have the room to shuffle dogs and I will not in any way endanger my own animals. Nor do I want, as much as I love Anaya, an aggressive dog in my home. I will not have my dogs subjected to that behavior because I do not have the experience and resources to deal with it appropriately.

I don't think anyone is trying to give you a hard time about euthanizing Anaya. I think we're just trying to understand what's going on. You didn't want to go into detail but want support for your decision and we're just trying to figure out what exactly is going on.

I personally wouldn't keep a dog that was so aggressive that it had to live separate from any contact with humans or other animals.

What breeds do you think Ayana is, btw? I saw a picture but it was just a head shot. No real reason for asking, just curious.

Yes, that's it exactly. All I recalled reading was she went after a cat at the vet's office and slipped her harness and went after a dog behind a fence. I hope you can see that with only that limited amount of information, some of us might not understand your thinking. Now that you say she's so aggressive you can't have her loose in your house or around your dogs, obviously there is more that we don't know.

I'm also curious how old she is. And did the shelter not mention her aggression at all? Usually aggressive dogs don't even make it to the adoption floor, seeing that they have to be kept in such close quarters with other dogs.

Yes, that is much of our confusion as well. I don't understand how she survived a day in a high kill shelter with these behaviors. And then she was okay before she left us and then came back to us a mess. How the perosn who pulled her said she was an angel at the shelter, and then she tried to go after a cat and dog at her new home and can't even be in the same room with dogs. I'm trying my best to understand it all as well.

I do have good news, though. Someone provided a link for another positive methods only trainer and my husband is going to take Anaya in for a behavioral consult Thursday. Hopefully someone seeing her in person will be able to give us more information to go off of. I pray that this the third chance she so desperately needs.

Oh, she is a terrier mix of some sort we think. But we'll never know for sure.

That's the part I didn't understand, and asked about in my first post. I hope the Consult goes well for Anaya and there's something they can do for her.