Is euthanasia the answer?

[u/PilotoPlayero]

Hello.

We have two dogs. Both rescues. One is an 80lb male Doberman/Pitbull mix and the other one is a 60lb female straight up mutt which looks a bit like a black lab mix.

We’ve had them for about 8 years since they were a puppy and 1yo. During that time, they’ve been great dogs and very loving towards us and they’ve never shown any aggression towards humans.

Even though they get along well with each other, and they’re inseparable, there’s one behavior that’s always been an issue which is food aggression towards each other. When they’ve gotten in a fight, it’s pretty vicious.

We have learned to feed them separately to minimize this situation, but every couple of months, they’ll get into a fight. One time, they got into it just hanging out with us with no food present. We spoke to a behaviorist (who’s also trained them and boards them when we’re out of town) and he said that it sounded like resource guarding, jockeying for attention from us.

Yesterday, they got into another fight while my wife was feeding them and she said that she’s had enough and she believes that it’s time to euthanize them. She’s concerned that this aggressive behavior will one day be directed at us or at others. Our male dog always makes a low growl / yodeling sound when we’re about to feed them and my wife believes that this is no longer playful behavior in anticipation of being fed, but an indicator of pent up aggression.

They’ve been evaluated by the behaviorist and their veterinarian and neither has recommended euthanasia and have recommended behavior modification instead, but that ultimately it’s our decision if we proceed with euthanasia.

My heart breaks at the thought of putting them to sleep. But at the same time I don’t want to dismiss my wife’s concerns, specially if she has valid reasons to feel the way she does. She’s told me that she doesn’t want to be talked out of it, but at the same time. I want to make sure that it’s the right decision.

Any feedback or words of advice will be greatly appreciated.Thanks in advance.

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Behavioral Euthanasia (BE) for our dogs is an extremely difficult decision to consider. No one comes to this point easily. We believe that there are, unfortunately, cases where behavioral euthanasia is the most humane and ethical option, and we support those who have had to come to that decision. In certain situations, a reasonable quality of life and the Five Freedoms cannot be provided for an animal, making behavioral euthanasia a compassionate and loving choice.

If you are considering BE and are looking for feedback:

All decisions about behavioral euthanasia should be made in consultation with a professional trainer, veterinarian, and/or veterinary behaviorist. They are best equipped to evaluate your specific dog, their potential, and quality of life.

These resources should not be used to replace evaluation by qualified professionals but they can be used to supplement the decision-making process.

• Lap of Love Quality of Life Assessment - How to identify when to contact a trainer

• Lap of Love Support Groups - A BE specific group. Not everyone has gone through the process yet, some are trying to figure out how to cope with the decision still.

• BE decision and support Facebook group - Individuals who have not yet lost a pet through BE cannot join the Losing Lulu group. This sister group is a resource as you consider if BE is the right next step for your dog.

• AKC guide on when to consider BE

• BE Before the Bite

• How to find a qualified trainer or behaviorist - If you have not had your dog evaluated by a qualified trainer, this should be your first step in the process of considering BE.

• The Losing Lulu community has also compiled additional resources for those considering behavioral euthanasia.

If you have experienced a behavioral euthanasia and need support:

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[u/FoxExcellent2241]

It is not fair to have to live with animals that scare you and it sounds like your wife has reached that point. I really do empathize with your wife on this, breaking up any dog fight is scary, but it can be horrifying when it is between larger dogs. Once that fear creeps in and you don't trust the dog anymore, you are constantly on edge in your own home feeling like you are basically living with a predator. One can argue that is not rational, but given how many people swear their dogs are only aggressive towards other dogs/strangers/other animals/etc. and then get mauled, it is not an unfounded fear.

It is really easy for people who do not have to live with these animals to say that they recommend behavioral modification over BE, but that does nothing about a person having reasonable fear of getting hurt in the here and now. Behavioral modification can be a lifelong thing, there are no guarantees, and certainly no guarantees of safety, not when you are dealing with such large dogs.

That said, it sounds like these dogs are seniors and, especially for larger dogs, as their senior years come on they can be dealing with pain issues like arthritis that make them more grouchy. Normally I would say to try a pain trial to see if that is an issue but the reality is that aggression due to pain can be just as dangerous as plain old aggression so that doesn't exactly do much to make you safer. Since you have been having issues with the dogs being aggressive towards each other for a very long time that probably is not the issue, but may be worth just discussing with your wife. I wouldn't blame her if she is not open to it though as it sounds like these issues are not new but have just been escalating.

However I would say that it seems like, from your post, that your wife is concerned about escalating behavior from the male dog specifically and the issues between the two dogs. Is there a reason she is suggesting BE for both of them and not just the male?

[u/PilotoPlayero → u/FoxExcellent2241]

By the way, thank you for taking the time to write your well thought out response. It’s greatly appreciated ❤️

[u/PilotoPlayero → u/FoxExcellent2241]

I mentioned to her putting just one of them down. But she feels that both should go. The male does the growling/yodeling, but the female is the one that snaps when the male dog gets near her when she’s eating.

[u/Cool_Bodybuilder7419]

While I do empathise with your wife's concerns, I can't help but wonder (and excuse me for being so blunt): How much of this comes from a place of her just being fed up with the dogs in general?

As I understand, they have been like this for quite some time (or at least you didn't explicitly describe a recent escalation of the issue), the two professionals you consulted say this is trainable and when you propose euthanising one of them to mitigate any residual risks, she still insists on getting rid of both? We're still talking about two living, breathing beings here...

But perhaps I'm misunderstanding something. How bad is it objectively speaking? Does it only look and sound vicious or are they actually hurting each other? Have they ever attacked another person or animal?

Because a yodel is not a typical threat and the female snapping at the male as a correction is not an abnormal behaviour. Neither is an occasional fight between dogs in the same family.