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[whit72]

So sorry to hear of this, I went through this with a previous dog however it was only towards men , we were able to manage his behavior for about ten years until he was euthanized due to illness. For me there was solace because he was abused, this situation is sad because we don't know the etiology.

Good luck

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[Boxergirl]

I'm so sorry you are faced with this decision. I live with an extremely fearful, anxious dog and I evaluate his quality of life daily - knowing that someday I may have to decide to release him from his fear. Whatever decision you make will have been made with love. Sending you strength, clarity of thought, and much support.

 

[Sadies Mom]

First I would like to say, that I do not envy the tough decision you are facing. Try to take emotions out of it and look at the whole situation. It sounds like it would be a decision between keeping the dog because you do not want to give up and keeping your family and friends safe. To keep everyone safe you would have to remove the dog and/or use a muzzle. Dogs are pack animals and a stable dog will be included in most situations and ask your self if Xerxes is happy living in this current state of mind. I can not imagine living in constant fear of not knowing what will set Xerxes of and when. Do not beat your self you over your decision, just make sure you know you made the right one, no matter what it is. Keep us posted.

 

[Mario]

I'm so sorry to hear that he's getting worse. I'm beginning to worry for you & your immediate family

 

[rdryan]

I have an appointment with the vet for Friday morning. Unfortunately, even if there was a chance this could be turned around with time and effort and careful management, I am not equipped in my current situation to do so safely. And there isn't a rescue that is willing to take this on either. He is miserable. As I said before, he knows something is wrong, he just has no clue it is him. Breaks my heart but I have to take the emotion out of it and remind myself that living gated to a bedroom 3/4 of the time, is no life for him and risking him causing serious damage to someone else is not the right thing to do. It might be months before I slip up and he bites again or it could be tomorrow.

Sucks, sucks, sucks, sucks.

 

[cinnamon roll]

Please try to not beat yourself up too much. You have done all that you could do with that you were handed. I am so sorry that you weren't informed truthfully of his past. My heart breaks for you. Please know that we will be here for you.

 

[TWW]

Sound like a random display of dominance. a Behavior issue.
Sorry to say not a easy fix at 2yrs. Really going to be hard with a constant flow of people.
Muzzle and a lot of training to hopefully fix.

Sorry but a very hard call for you with what to do.

 

[ruthcatrin]

 

[NYDDB]

Damn, it does suck, and my heart goes out to you...

You have taken great care to follow every option available to you- and, as you said, he is miserable.
Please do not beat yourself up, as difficult as this must feel to you at the moment...it's always best to look at the big picture.

 

[DMikeM]

My BB breeder had to do this to her first male BB. Same exact symptoms. She said "There was something just not right with him, it was better to let him go than to live in misery"

 

[cayeesmom]

My heart breaks for you. But don't feel guilty because you cant help him, I think you done so much for him already by giving him a chance. Some dogs have what I call "brain ghosts" and as much as we want to, we or they can not change their behavior.
Summer before last I took in an adult Golden mix found walking the streets. Could not understand why no one was looking for her, so sweet and well behaved. Well after a couple of weeks she started showing her true self, sever anxiety [not separation], would have "attacks" out of the blue, no triggers. After 3 months of trying every thing and resorting to meds, she still tried to go through a window,a neighbor saw her and called me, she had chewed up my wooden window trim, made a big enough hole in the glass to stick her muzzle through it, blood all over the place. I had to make the hard decision to set her free.
Sometimes we have to let them go because we love them and we have the power to set them free from their pain be it physical or mental.

 

[Bbb]

I am sorry you are dealing with this, it must be heart breaking for you. You cannot fix what careless breeding created. I had a similar dog, and spent thousands of dollars and countless hours with behaviorists and trainers. Nothing could change him and as he matured he became more dangerous. I eventually lost him to complications from a stress ulcer that perforated his stomach. I feel your pain over this but be kind to yourself and realize that sometimes the only choice is to give them peace.

 

[whit72]

I don't mean to hijackthis thread and I feel for you but in the topic of breeding there are billions of dogs with questionable lineage and most never act out, I have seen pitbull bait dogs with missing legs recover and never show One ounce of aggression towards people or other animals. What makes the mastiff so susceptible to questionable breeding? I'm asking because it strikes me as odd that these breeds which are usually rock solid stability wise can be so affected by a parent with a lousy temperament.



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[musicdeb]

I'm so sorry. You made the decision based on love and respect for Xerxes. Hugs to you and Xerxes. You did your best. I'm so sorry.

 

[rdryan]

I don't mean to hijackthis thread and I feel for you but in the topic of breeding there are billions of dogs with questionable lineage and most never act out, I have seen pitbull bait dogs with missing legs recover and never show One ounce of aggression towards people or other animals. What makes the mastiff so susceptible to questionable breeding? I'm asking because it strikes me as odd that these breeds which are usually rock solid stability wise can be so affected by a parent with a lousy temperament.

Personally, I think it's because one, they are a guardian breed, so their instincts are to protect their people and place, add an unstable temperament to that and they lose the ability to really distinguish when guarding is required and when it isn't. And two, they seem to be a very sensitive breed. Sensitive to handling and experiences. Add an unstable temperament to that and their reactions to things can be excessive. In either direction. I have read of Mastiff's who have lived a crappy life and turned out to be beautifully balanced companions in the right home. Same as all other breeds. I have seen first hand other breeds of dogs that were whackadoodle because of poor breeding but their smaller size and less powerful stature made them easier to work with safely, easier to manage and just less likely to cause as much damage with one bite as a large breed.
And I am sure there are many poorly bred Mastiff's who don't end up biting family members due to bred in temperament too.

 

[whit72]

Thanks rdryan

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[Milton Meathead]

I am so sorry to hear about this. I just had a chance to read through the entire thread and I cant imagine what you are going through. This sort of sounds like a dog my sister in law used to have. He was a 160lb Akita....She had him from a puppy and he was wonderful...My husband used to bring him everywhere until he was about 9 months old when he started growling at people strangers and friends...being a large dog, my husband did not want to take any chances of him biting someone and having lawsuits etc...so he was kept at home. He was an outside dog so the only interaction he had with people was with my sister in law, husband and his family. When I met my husband, Hercules was already 2 years old and he lunged at me. I could never trust him and was always afraid of him. Just his eyes intimidated me and I never went near him. My kids however could ride on his back always supervised of course!! and he was great...He lived his days out until he was 12 years old...a nice long life however, he was not socialized and Im not sure how happy he really was..no life for a dog to live in solitary confinement when they need their pack. Anyway...story is the same yet much different but the bottom line is the same. I wish you all the best and I am sure the decision you make is the best one for you and your family. The last thing you would want is something terrible to happen and then never be able to live with yourself knowing you made the wrong decision.

 

[Kelly]

Hey rdryan, Im so sorry for what you're going thru.

 

[Mamacast]

Sometimes we have to let them go because we love them and we have the power to set them free from their pain be it physical or mental.[/QUOTE]
You have made every effort, find peace in that.

 

[Bean]

I am shocked at how fast it got to this point. We thought we had a handle on his triggers and were making some headway and then this. My heart is broken. I love this dog incredibly. I thought I was helping by bringing him home and keeping him out of a shelter but what a mess we have now. My mom had to go to the ER and of course the bite was reported so animal control is coming tomorrow so I can show them his needles are up to date. I offered to go there with the paperwork but they insisted they will come here..... ugh.

I'm surprised animal control is following up. I guess it's a good thing they are doing their job, but (at least in Ontario) if a family pet bites, it is not reported. They only report when a stranger's dog bites, or upon specific request.

I am sorry to hear about this unfortunate series of events. Obedience will not help a behaviourally rooted issue. Sometimes these things are very hard to deal with and require help from a professional. In the mean time to avoid future incident, perhaps adopting nilf, and even asking guests, even family members to ignore and not make eye contact so as not to trigger another bite. Perhaps not a solution, but a remedy until you can work with someone who can help.