What do you do when you have tried every thing to deal with a dogs bad behavior and nothing has worked?

Question

We have been at the vet, he has been on meds, we've tried a kennel, chains, everything. He has seperation anxiety and he escapes and destroys doors and windows and siding and car tires and sides of car etc.......we have tried behavior modification techniques and nothing is working. Hes a 100 pound shepard. When we have to go somewhere and he has to stay home I have to go with the fear that he is going to escape out of his kennel and tear apart my house. I have chicken wire on the ground in the kennel and a roof on it. He actuallt bent and destoyed the chain links yesturday and when free proceeded to tear the sliding glass door screen off the house and peel back the siding around the door. I love my dog but I am afraid that I have tried everything to control this, spent hundreds of $ on meds and vets and training and fencing etc.......I am afraid that maybe I may have to find him someone who can be with him all the time or put him down.......I just cant handle him anymore

Answer 1

It sounds like you've worked very hard to help him. Sometimes there are issues that require professionals to diagnose and treat and this sounds like one. If you didn't get the dog until he was older then perhaps there were some issues in his puppyhood that created all this anxiety. If it were my dog, I'd seek professional help from a dog trainer or I'd place him with someone who knows what his problem is and is willing to spend all the necessary hours working with him. Putting him down would be a last resort, obviously, after you've tried the other two things. There are people out there who would be willing to work with him, but you can't allow your life to be destroyed by an animal. We have several pet trainer yahooers who can help you. Check the Internet for some local listings of trainers/behavior modification specialists in your area or ask local vets for recommendations. If you don't have the money to pay for that, try asking some of your local no-kill shelters for recommendations or ask them if they'd be willing to take the dog to see if they can help him. There are many programs (inmate programs for example) where animals are taken and trained, so maybe you can find something for him. Good luck.

Answer 2

Your best bet if you are wanting to keep this dog is to work one on one with a behavorial trainer.
They can come into your home and first hand see the situation and make tweeks and corrections that being so close to the problem you may not be seeing.
If you have tired medications and those sre not working this may be a dog that is truely miserable. It may be in his best interest to put him down. Please do not place him is rescue or at a no kill shlter with out telling them the whole and plain truth about why you are placing the dog.
I work with a rescue and it is heartbreaking to get a dog in that we have been told all sorts of lies about and then find out that the dogs has huge problems and has had and that it could be a danger to someone. We hate to have to make those decisions. It happens rarely but it does happen.
If you can find someone who is willing to take him on knwing the problems he has you could try placing him and see if it works out.
Good luck with your decision.

Answer 3

That's a heartbreaking decision to make....there isn't really an easy answer to this. You did your best for him...you might try calling an animal shelter, and see what suggestions they have. If in other ways, he is good, obedient dog, maybe he could be trained as a companion for the elderly? Or a seeing eye dog? Something like that?
Good luck, whatever what you decide.

Answer 4

Two methods that may help you.
One, walk the dog and wear it out before going out so all it will want to do is sleep. Time spent with kindness will do the dog and you good to bond.

Two, deprive all bones etc, and stock up on the biggest you can get and when go out, give it to it. I'm sure that'll keep him/her occupied for a couple of hours.
I have trained some of the most ficious dogs and wildest of dogs, and horses and they can be brought round with love and care even ones that wreck homes.
My mother had this beautiful Alsation ***** who had white pups and one day witnessed her being beaten to a pulp. I was a kid and daren't say anything but this dog was ferocious because the way she was treated. I was the only one who knew she had been getting beaten and when this person (leave nameless) had walked out of the kennals I went in there. She went crazy at my fingers that I put up to the kennal.
Over the following months (she was kept for breeding purposes) I sat outside her kennal talking to her and she finally came up to the kennal door for me when I went to see her.
I chanced putting my fingers through the kennal grids to have her lick me. I knew I was now safe to enter the kennal.
Her name was Lady, a beautiful dog who deserved only the best but was considered a threat because of her being treated so badly yet that side of things was unknown.
Then I got told she was going to be put down because of unable to re-home her (when got too old to breed from). It was time for me to admit why she was ficious to prove why she could be re=homed by showing her gentle side. Everybody only saw the culprit with her, thus her fear showed by being ficious.
I paid the price for being honest, but it was well worth it because she was taken out of his care and she was not abused again.

Point being to the story...
A dog can come round, and if got when already grown, the previous owners may have damaged the dog yet they really can be brought round with love.

Answer 5

My dog suffered this. We ended up giving him a new home. Have you tried calming serums also? If not then go to:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2001+113757

The calm zone might help. It did not with our dog but maybe it might work with yours. Our dog went to a farm where he could run around and be happy all day long. Good Luck. I hope everything goes ok.

Answer 6

Put him down. You really have tried everything and made a good faith effort to save him. Some shepherds have attachment disorders that are so severe that it is kinder and more humane to put them to sleep than to let them live in misery every day. Sorry for your loss.

Answer 7

IF you truly have done all you can(have you? Have you followed through for MONTHS w/NO improvement??) then put the dog down. For it's sake. DO NOT dump his problems on some one else.

Answer 8

Can he stay outdoors when you're gone? What if he had another dog with him? Can you get a dog sitter? Good luck to you.

Answer 9

od...... thats lab behavior.
theres a book called marly & me
it may help and its a good book you should read it.