Is Behavioral Euthanasia Warranted for Aggressive Dogs?
Behavioral euthanasia (BE) refers specifically to euthanizing an animal due to behavior reasons (rather than medical issues or as a hospice option).
Behavioral euthanasia is a very contentious topic, as some parties may argue that behavior-based euthanasia should never be an option.
But make no mistake, behavioral euthanasia is – in some cases – truly the best option for everyone.
It’s important to remember that every case of dog aggression is unique and should be treated as such, since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment for it.
Aggression can be caused by any number of factors, including:
Ultimately, some cases can be treated, while others cannot.
Behavioral euthanasia is generally reserved for the most extreme cases of aggression in dogs, meaning that the dog is a severe risk to you, other people, other animals, or even themselves.
Behavioral euthanasia shouldn’t be considered until every alternative avenue has been explored, and only after a thorough vet check and a consultation with a certified dog behavior consultant (NOT just a standard dog trainer).
Make sure to read our full guide on how to decide when an aggressive dog should be euthanized to ensure you’ve explored all alternatives and have done what’s required to help your dog as best you can.
All owners of aggressive dogs have to come to the best decision possible for their specific situation.
You Had to Euthanize Your Aggressive Dog: Coping with the Decision
Euthanasia is never an easy decision, and it may weigh heavily on you long after the event passes.
Just remember that no outside party really knows your situation with your dog.
On the other hand, if “it” happening again means that your dog has growled at someone, then you might be in a very different conversation. Growls and snaps to people aren’t acceptable either, but just because a dog growls at the delivery man when she’s ten months old doesn’t mean she is going to be a dangerous dog. There are lots of dogs who can be turned around, or at least managed, as long as the owners acknowledge that the behavior needs addressing, and can find good advice about how to do so.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: A much happier place than the conversation above! We are beyond sick of winter here, but take our joys when we can. This weekend Willie and Maggie got to play with Max, a new friend to Maggie and an old one to Willie, although we lost touch for a few years with the owners. Max is a six-year old Border Collie who is equally squishy and sweet to people and dogs alike. He loves to play “race horse,” Willie and Maggie’s favorite game, and we got to watch the three dogs run and run and run in huge, yard-gulping circles around the fields.
If there is anything harder than euthanizing a beloved dog for serious behavioral problems, I don’t know what it is. And yet, sometimes, that is an option that dog owners have to consider. These were some of the hardest cases I worked with when I was seeing clients full time. I would drive home, sick at heart, and wonder why the hell I hadn’t found an easier way to make a living. Often I’d run into people who would say “Oh! What a wonderful job you have!”, no doubt envisioning me spending my days running through fields of daisies with Golden Retriever puppies.
Is there another home out there? This can be the heart breaker. Just because it is possible for a dog to be rehabilitated in a specific type of environment doesn’t mean that it is available. How many people can cope with a dog who has a history of serious aggression to people? How many prospective owners have the skills and a life that makes it possible for them to do so? Finances must also be considered. Any aggressive dog should have extensive veterinary work to ensure that illness or pain isn’t causing the behavior. In addition, working with a trainer or behaviorist can be expensive. There are indeed people who are able and qualified to take on a dangerous dog–some of whom read this blog, bless them. I have taken on a few dogs in my own home myself. But there simply aren’t enough people out there who are willing and able to take on an aggressive dog, and the number of dogs who need a new home far, far out number the homes available to them.
1. Risk Assessment: No one begins a conversation about whether their dog should be put down for aggressive behavior if there haven’t been several incidents (or one horrifically serious one). And every dog owner has to know that if “it,” the aggression, happened once, it might happen again. That is true even if the dog is carefully managed and the owners work hard on a treatment plan. The question is, what is “it”? What are the consequences if “it” happens again? I was once called by a public health employee about a case in which a dog had damaged someone’s face so badly it required 400+ stitches to repair. The dog had then been given away to someone else, and ended up mutilating a child’s face, arm and shoulder. Would it be possible, I was asked, to work with the dog and make it safe? Yes, perhaps… anything is possible. But there is always a risk that it might happen again, and in this case, “it” was a horrific injury to an innocent person. Who would be willing to risk that kind of damage to another person. Of course, a seriously dangerous dog could live in a cage with extremely limited social contact, but that brings up the issue of quality of life (which I’ll discuss later on in this piece).
How Do I Move On After Having My Dog Put Down? | This Morning
This post is the second in a series discussing euthanasia for behavior. Find the first post here and all of the posts here.
Making the decision to euthanize your dog for behavior is incredibly difficult. It’s a decision that only you can make – but you don’t have to make it alone. Below, you’ll find a series of factors to consider while you make a decision about the best option for your dog.