My Funny Picture - Do i have to put my dog to sleep?

Do i have to put my dog to sleep?

My dog lia is a beautiful great, loving, playful dog! The only thing is, is that she doesn't get along with animals and kids! I have had her for 4 years, and I have had a baby since then! She loves my daughter, but often growls at her, she bit her on her cheek yesterday for no reason at all! I can not keep her, as much as i want to, but i would really hate to have to put her to sleep! I would put her in the pund, but she would be a very unhappy dog! Is there any where i can take her that would take good care of her and adopt her out, or anyone i can give her to! I want to send her toys, a dog bed, and her dog food with her! Please help Lia, she is a fantastic dog that needs a good home with a good owner, with no amials or children! She could be your loving best friend! Lia is like my second child, and I would like to visit with her if I could! I live in cartersville ga, and will be willing for you to meet the loving dog to take home! I will email pics of her if want to look at her!

Public Comments

You should try putting an ad in your local newspaper stating Lia needs a really loving home with no children and no other pets. If you can't find one then you might as well take her to the nearest shelter since you can't keep her. If they can't find her a home then eventually she will be put to sleep. It's hard finding a home with no children and no pets. good luck.
What type of dog is she?
Search your area for a no kill shelter. I had to get rid of a dog in Virginia, and the local no kill shelter was fabulous! They took great, loving care of the dogs that had to be dropped off, and you could leave the doggie items for the next owner. We kept our dog untill they found her a home. They went to the home of the potential owner and did a full interview. Check your yellow pages, contact your vet, take out an ad in the paper...I'm so sorry you have to do this, I konw it's hard! But you are doing the right thing.
Try putting an ad in the local newspaper, free dog. Note the breed (or what type of mix & size), age and house broken. If it is a pure breed, then many have national clubs and a lot of them have rescues. They may help you find a new home. You can leave the part about biting off the ad, but you will need to disclose this information to anybody interested in the dog. Reading your information, I know you know that. Once a dog bites children, it cannot be trust it. A trainer probably could resolve aggression around other dogs. Being around other children, you cannot take a chance. There is nothing in you statement to indicate that you have a viscous dog. A lot of dogs do not like small children. It is not that uncommon. Small child can be confusing to dogs; they put their tail between its legs, lower it head, and looks for a place to hide. They can live rewarding lives in homes that do not have kids. A side note: I have put dogs down, and it a horrible experience. It was some of the worst days of my life. I also - cannot imagine not being there when it happen, holding my best friend when it is put to sleep. I know you are a caring person as this is the reason you posted this. I hope things work out for you.
Re-homing her, even to a home with no other animals or kids, doesn't solve this dog's aggression problem - unless she will be isolated from the entire rest of the world forever. She is a liability and will need intensive re-training (this is expensive and time consuming and there are no guarantees). I'm sorry for you and her. Best.
There is probably a group in your area. I live in the San Francisco East Bay, here we have Tri Valley Animal Rescue which actually uses fosters instead of kennels for dogs. They are great, but you will have to find something like that in your area.
I'm glad you're taking her out of your home because of her aggression towards your baby. You shouldn't put in ad in the paper, it will only prolong the process of taking her out of your home because people will not like the fact that she bit your baby. Never ever take a chance when it comes to the life of your child. Get her out of your house as soon as possible. It may be hard, but you may have to give her to a pound. If you're worried about how a pound might treat her, can you find a non-profit adoption program in your area? Here where I live, it's called Haven Humane. Since you have a very good reason to be getting rid of your animal, they should take her. And they are very kind to animals, catering on finding them a good home. Don't take a chance and let too much time go by. edit to add: NO human bond with an ANIMAL compares to the precious life of your CHILD.
Look for a rescue group that deals with your type of dog. Let the group know that she is not good with children. Place and advertisement in your local 'green-sheet' / newspaper or possibly on Craigslist. I do not think you can sell animals on Craigslist but they might allow an "adoption fee". Check their regulations on animals to be certain. Be honest with yourself and the dog- Has Lia ever shown aggression inappropriately... a family friend growled or snapped at when not displaying any threatening behavior... or bitten anyone else? Good luck in rehoming Lia and may she find a good home fast!
You could try taking a good picture of her then get some photocopies. Put it on bulletin boards or any where else you can. Put your contact number and say something like, available to household with no children, good for older couple. You would have to word it best for you. Also you could say price only $50.00 or what ever you think. That way you only get someone who really wants a dog. Then you could interview them before they get the dog. UPDATE Don't believe anyone that says she will never be good in any home. My dog is snappy and could never be alone with children. But as I am single and I watch him he now has a good life and I think he is the best dog for me. If you can find some single person or an older couple they could probably give your dog a good life. Also, as I said, at least in the beginning put a price on her. People always think something with a price is more valuable than something you offer for free. Then if you find an older couple who you like but they could not afford the money, you can give her to them.
Do you want to be responsible for putting this dog into a home where another child may be bitten? Under no circumstance would I give her to a shelter. If someone wants her, knowing her faults, then fine. But if you can't find a decent home for her where she can't hurt anyone then the right thing to do is euthanasia. It is just wrong to put her back out into the unsuspecting public if you know she bites. You have to make sure people know what they are getting with her, if not you are the responsible person for another bite. And don't feel guilty about having to get rid of the dog. Your daughter comes first. I'm sorry she bites.
i would hate for you to have to get rid of her. but if it comes to that theres a website petfinder.com that might help. but i would suggest retraining and using baby gates to keep her away from your child for now. A good trainer will find the root of the aggression and help to fix it. I hope this helps
In my opinion a dog that bites a human (esp.a child) in the face sould be euthanized. I know you love her, and I sympathize with your situation. However, if you place her she will have the opportunity to do it again. She won't get a home if the potential new owners are made aware of her "problem" and the rescues and shelters are already so full and overcrowded. Sorry I don't have a positive answer, but you need to think about how guilty you would feel if she did this to someone else's kid after you placed her.
I commend you for wanting to do the right thing for your dog. Unfortunately, this situation happens many times where the dog and child don't mix, and it is a huge reason for dogs being surrendered in the US. You didn't say what kind of dog this is. Sometimes the larger herding breeds are not good with children-the instinct to herd is too strong. Some other breeds just don't have the patience level to be around small children. Sometimes it is impossible to figure out. Anyway, if your dog is a pure breed, you could go on-line and find a breed rescue group in your area to surrender the dog to. My group takes in dogs who bite all the time, and we assess aggression levels before we allow them into new homes. If they have to go to a home without children, that's what happens. There have only been two dogs put to sleep with our rescue for aggression that couldn't be controled. If your dog is not purebred, there are also many no-kill shelters who may be able to take the dog and find her a new home, as well. Consider this, if you put an ad in the paper, you really will have no way of knowing what will happen to your dog when she is gone. She could end up worse off than now. Or someone elses child could get bitten. I would try rescue groups, and in the meantime keep the dog away from your daughter at all times, just to be safe. One unexplained dogbite from a previously non-aggressive dog should not be a death sentence. It should certainly be a reason to not keep the dog in the house.
You went and had a baby without trying to train your dog first??? I'd say get a trainer and see if you can at least get her over some of her issues. Otherwise you are passing on a problem....tho she might be fine with a more experienced owner. Almost any dog will come in contact with other animals and kids sometime in their life. They MUST be trained and socialized or they are a law suit waiting to happen. Your dog could probably be trained. But if you won't bother, then why should someone else? I appreciate you love the dog, but it sounds like you've been keeping your head in the sand a bit rather than working to change yours and your dog's behavior. Talk to a behaviorist. Talk to a trainer. Check out the Dog Whisperer and Cesar Millan's DVDs, books, etc... He has some really interesting ideas for WHY dogs act the way they do....less about the dog and more about the owner.