Another sad story

Well, I guess I should have been expecting it...but I still didn't want to. The other day my neighbors had their dog put down.

Why? Because she was "aggressive" and, supposedly, had some kind of brain problem. True or not, I don't know. But I can tell you, for the most part, this dog wasn't aggressive. At least, not around me. Now yes, she did get in fights with the other dog they had, BUT the owners, knowing she was aggressive towards other female dogs, brought the second dog home anyway. 

They had this dog for eleven-ish years or so. And to just waste her like that? Unreal.

That aggression they were experiencing could have been fixed if they just took the dog on walks (which it hardly ever got) and showed her who the boss was. For example, if she ever gave a low growl and showed her teeth to the other dog, instead of screaming at the top of their lungs at the dog, they could have snapped her out of it. Screaming just caused all the fights they had.

This dog was clearly dominant over the other dog they had. The owners never saw the small signs, just the fights. A few years back, I was with their dogs and the older dog had her ears forward, tail up, body stiff and higher than the other dog. Her eyes were locked in on the dog. I told the owner, "This is gonna cause a fight." and told them it would be best to remove her. Did they listen? No. Next thing you know the dogs broke out into a fight.

If they just knew how to control her, provided her the proper excercise and discipline she needed, and looked for the small signs of dominance, they would still have this dog.

This is the reason I want to help my friends with dominant dogs. Because I don't want to see them give their dog away, lose it to animal control, or worse, have it put down. I know I would want help if I ever needed it...