Hi. Please no judging. I am devastated but need to know I am doing the right thing or if there are other options. Brief synopsis:
I have a 3 1/2 year old GSD. Very well bred (3/4WGW, 1/4 Czech). I got her at 19 months old and she had been in a kennel with very little socialization prior to me getting her, though she had had training with a private trainer who came to her kennel to train her. I get her at 19 months and she has never seen stairs, she's freaked out by them, but other than that she's environmentally sound-- vacuums, loud noises, things like that don't startle or bother her. Only I and my immediate family can pet her, though. I *can* hand her off to a groomer or the vet and they can walk away with her with no issues.
She's always been super reactive to men (except my husband for some reason). I mean she charges them very, very aggressively, hackles up, ears pinned, tail tucked-- to me that says fear and insecurity. I was hoping I could socialize and train this out of her. Fast forward almost 2 years. I have put a BH on her (barely), but outside of her comfort zone (which is me home alone with her), she is very, very anxious. She's wound tight as a drum. I can take her anywhere and she will behave and listen to me but if someone approaches her and wants to pet, she will either lunge at them or growl and bark. I correct her, but .... the issue hasn't resolved. I have rehabilitated dogs before. It does take a long time with a very damaged dog....but I have an appointment today to have my girl euthanized. Here's why--
last night she attacked my 3 1/2 month old puppy because the puppy was too close to me. My young son and chihuahua were right there and could have been injured as well, but weren't thank goodness. Jetta struck like a rattlesnake. No warning growl, nothing. Prior to that yesterday, my stepdaughter was here (she's a college student and doesn't live here anymore, but she just moved out a few months ago and Jetta knows her well). Anyway, we had all been watching TV (me, stepdaughter, young son and 3 of the dogs-- Jetta amd my 2 chihuahuas). After about 45 mins, my stepdaughter walked up the stairs (short flight of 6 stairs) to grab her sweatshirt and as she was walking back down the stairs, Jetta charged her. It's like she forget who she was in that 30 seconds. The night prior, I went to pick up my husband (he's a truck driver) and I usually bring Jetta to the truck lot with me. She's very familiar with it and she has never barked at my husband. Well, when she saw him, she tried going through the truck window at him. He said -- hey, it's me and petted her, then went back to his semi to check the door and walked back (gone maybe 30 seconds) and she tried going through the window again. Last week she charged me for the first time-- but as soon as she realized it was me, she stopped and loved on me and was very submissive.
Also, every single time my ex husband comes over to pick up our son (which is about 3 times a week, and we are really good friends, no animosity between us at all), Jetta frantically charges him, and instead of slowly getting used to him and getting better with him, she is getting worse.
Same thing with my 25 year old stepson. Every single time he visits. And every time my 17 year old son comes home from school or work, she is instantly reactive and charges him. She has never made contact, and she crouches and submits when he says "hey, it's me", but this dog is just a mess, I guess,
What is so heartbreaking is that at night she sleeps in my room. In her own bed, but in my room. It's just me and her. And she finally relaxes, It's the only time she is ever relaxed, for the most part. And I can't live my life alone in my room with her.
She's almost always been good with the other dogs. I've never considered her dog aggressive at all. She's been great with my corso and 2 chihuahuas and my neighbor's Ibizan Hound. However, in the past 6 months, she's become much more dog aggressive, growling at the other dogs, resource guarding (me being a main resource) and she doesn't respond to correction at all.
Additionally, she started staring obsessively at the ceiling, walls, reflecting lights. I mean OBSESSIVELY. She also clacks her teeth. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Any time she's stressed (which is almost all the time), she clacks her teeth, snaps her mouth together. Not in a way where she's trying to bite anything, just like a nervous twitch or something. The ceiling staring and teeth clacking have progressed with the aggression.
At this point, I truly believe it is not a lack of socialization issue as I had previously excused everything as-- because I have trained and socialized the **** out of her. I really think there is something neurological going on-- brain tumor, or something.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Do you agree that putting her down is the safest thing to do. At this point, she's no longer a dog I can train to behave, she's a dog that has to be managed like a wild lion. And I just can't have that in my home. And she doesn't seem very happy
Please help with words of advice or just to acknowledge that I'm doing the right thing. She's a young, vibrant, gorgeous, well bred dog and I am just heartbroken that I am going to have her killed today :help::help:
Carey
I have a 3 1/2 year old GSD. Very well bred (3/4WGW, 1/4 Czech). I got her at 19 months old and she had been in a kennel with very little socialization prior to me getting her, though she had had training with a private trainer who came to her kennel to train her. I get her at 19 months and she has never seen stairs, she's freaked out by them, but other than that she's environmentally sound-- vacuums, loud noises, things like that don't startle or bother her. Only I and my immediate family can pet her, though. I *can* hand her off to a groomer or the vet and they can walk away with her with no issues.
She's always been super reactive to men (except my husband for some reason). I mean she charges them very, very aggressively, hackles up, ears pinned, tail tucked-- to me that says fear and insecurity. I was hoping I could socialize and train this out of her. Fast forward almost 2 years. I have put a BH on her (barely), but outside of her comfort zone (which is me home alone with her), she is very, very anxious. She's wound tight as a drum. I can take her anywhere and she will behave and listen to me but if someone approaches her and wants to pet, she will either lunge at them or growl and bark. I correct her, but .... the issue hasn't resolved. I have rehabilitated dogs before. It does take a long time with a very damaged dog....but I have an appointment today to have my girl euthanized. Here's why--
last night she attacked my 3 1/2 month old puppy because the puppy was too close to me. My young son and chihuahua were right there and could have been injured as well, but weren't thank goodness. Jetta struck like a rattlesnake. No warning growl, nothing. Prior to that yesterday, my stepdaughter was here (she's a college student and doesn't live here anymore, but she just moved out a few months ago and Jetta knows her well). Anyway, we had all been watching TV (me, stepdaughter, young son and 3 of the dogs-- Jetta amd my 2 chihuahuas). After about 45 mins, my stepdaughter walked up the stairs (short flight of 6 stairs) to grab her sweatshirt and as she was walking back down the stairs, Jetta charged her. It's like she forget who she was in that 30 seconds. The night prior, I went to pick up my husband (he's a truck driver) and I usually bring Jetta to the truck lot with me. She's very familiar with it and she has never barked at my husband. Well, when she saw him, she tried going through the truck window at him. He said -- hey, it's me and petted her, then went back to his semi to check the door and walked back (gone maybe 30 seconds) and she tried going through the window again. Last week she charged me for the first time-- but as soon as she realized it was me, she stopped and loved on me and was very submissive.
Also, every single time my ex husband comes over to pick up our son (which is about 3 times a week, and we are really good friends, no animosity between us at all), Jetta frantically charges him, and instead of slowly getting used to him and getting better with him, she is getting worse.
Same thing with my 25 year old stepson. Every single time he visits. And every time my 17 year old son comes home from school or work, she is instantly reactive and charges him. She has never made contact, and she crouches and submits when he says "hey, it's me", but this dog is just a mess, I guess,
What is so heartbreaking is that at night she sleeps in my room. In her own bed, but in my room. It's just me and her. And she finally relaxes, It's the only time she is ever relaxed, for the most part. And I can't live my life alone in my room with her.
She's almost always been good with the other dogs. I've never considered her dog aggressive at all. She's been great with my corso and 2 chihuahuas and my neighbor's Ibizan Hound. However, in the past 6 months, she's become much more dog aggressive, growling at the other dogs, resource guarding (me being a main resource) and she doesn't respond to correction at all.
Additionally, she started staring obsessively at the ceiling, walls, reflecting lights. I mean OBSESSIVELY. She also clacks her teeth. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Any time she's stressed (which is almost all the time), she clacks her teeth, snaps her mouth together. Not in a way where she's trying to bite anything, just like a nervous twitch or something. The ceiling staring and teeth clacking have progressed with the aggression.
At this point, I truly believe it is not a lack of socialization issue as I had previously excused everything as-- because I have trained and socialized the **** out of her. I really think there is something neurological going on-- brain tumor, or something.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Do you agree that putting her down is the safest thing to do. At this point, she's no longer a dog I can train to behave, she's a dog that has to be managed like a wild lion. And I just can't have that in my home. And she doesn't seem very happy
Please help with words of advice or just to acknowledge that I'm doing the right thing. She's a young, vibrant, gorgeous, well bred dog and I am just heartbroken that I am going to have her killed today :help::help:
Carey