Hello Everyone,

My name is Jeff, and until Tuesday I had two very sweet dogs. The first, a Chihuahua mix named Piper, who was 3 1/2 years old and my best friend in the world. I had her for almost 2 years. The second, a Lab mix named Sammy that I saved after she was abandoned before she was weened. She is now a little over 1 year old.

Tuesday evening after dinner I filled their treat ball, (a plastic ball that dispenses treats as they roll it across the floor), and set it down for them to play with. They quickly emptied it and I decided to give them a second round of play. I refilled the ball and set it down. Piper nudged the ball with her little nose, a treat was dispensed, and both dogs went for it. With no warning, and with no real history of fights, (beside the occasional spat and an accident when the lab first came to live with us), Sammy grabbed my Pip and shook her hard. I practically fell in between then and pulled them apart. The whole scene played out in about 5 seconds...

Within 10 minutes we were on the freeway to the emergency animal hospital. It was the longest ride in my life. When Piper and I arrived they took her down the hall, but I could hear her crying from across the building. The vet came out and told me he was preparing to give her morphine to stop the pain while he examined her. The cries became less frequent, but were regular enough that I had to go outside. And wait...

Two hours later I was called into the examination room. The doctor showed me two x-rays, and explained that there was significant internal damage. He said that it might be possible to save her, but she would need surgery then and there, and more operations in the future. He asked me if I was on a budget, and explained how he could help discount everything he could, and refer me to vets that could help me further. Regardless of what he could do for me, it would cost several thousand dollars to save her that night, to be followed by a lengthy stay at a clinic closer to home, and that I was looking at boarding costs, and another few thousand dollars in procedures and medicine over the next few weeks. Her outlook would be very long term if she made it, with some pain that might not ever really go away. He told me that I knew the alternative, and that it was a decision that I would have to make.

I sat with a box of kleenex looking at my wallet and bank card, with all of 400 dollars between the two. I could hear her crying in fear and pain, and knew that it had to stop. I hurt so bad in that room. They gave her another shot and brought her out to me for a few minutes to say goodbye. I signed the papers and they took her into the next room, and I went to the lobby to pay the bill. The vet discounted everything and gave me a lot of the services for free so that I could afford the bill. I could still hear some crying in the background, and as I turned and walked to the door, in the last moment as I opened it, the crying stopped...

The first decision was done, but the second one was waiting for me at home. My Sammy. In an instant she turned into a killer, and in an instant it was gone again. The last few days, now totalling four between us, have been slow and hard. I have built a memorial case and hung it over Piper's favorite spot on the sofa--it's filled with all her favorite things and my favorite pictures of her. I can't even look at Sammy in the eyes, but occasionally I watch her from across the room, moving around the house. I have noticed that she stops every few hours or so, stands with her front paws against that wall, and smells the display, taking her time, and then slowly walks away.

That night I was ready to call animal welfare, but stopped myself knowing that it may be a decision I would regret later--losing one was bad enough. It is still so early on and I have to make sure that enough time has gone by that I can see past the emotions I have now and make the right decision. I have spoken with friends and family, consulted with several vets in my city, and also talked to a retired police officer who headed up the K-9 force and now oversees dog training and consults the city's animal welfare office.

Of all those I have spoken with, the officer has been the most informative. Even though I asked the big question in my initial e-mail to him, during the following phone conversation as he described what he could do to help me with Sam, the question of putting her down never came up again. He has told me that he can help me train her one-on-one, and then in a group starting in about 3 weeks. She will become extremely disciplined in a few months when we are finished--she will sit, lie down, heel, shake, roll over, and fetch. Most importantly, he told me that when we are finished she will freeze, drop everything in her mouth, come to attention and await further commands with one word, "NO".

All of this aside, he warned me that he cannot promise one thing--that when all the right pieces fall into place, 1, 2, or 5 years down the road, no matter how well disciplined, she may snap and it may happen again. It is rare that an accident like this occurs, and the size difference had a definite impact on what happened, but for some reason people will never understand, when all the right stresses are in place, some dogs can just break for a second, like turning a light switch on and then right back off, and become what they really are--wolves...

I don't know if I will end up keeping her or adopting her out after she has been trained. For now I have calmed down enough to have taken euthanasia off the table as an option at all. I am partly to blame for this, not having disciplined or properly trained Sammy, and she is so sweet and loves me so much.

I guess I am posting this rather long story here to ask everyone how I should feel about Sammy, and how I should act around her. I am a logical person and know that while I am understandibly angry at her, she will never fully understand why. Acting towards her based upon my anger now, (four days later), is something that she doesn't understand and I can see the hurt in the way she acts. But should I play with her, pay attention to her, and let her sleep in the bed with me? Everytime I look at her I am taken right back to the exam room on Tuesday night, hearing those cries...

Am I making the right decision for now--training her and putting off the decision to keep her or adopt her out until after she is trained?

Am I the only one who has been faced with something like this? How did anyone else handle the situation?

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks,

Jeffrey (Kenchimato)
Galveston, Texas

I am so sorry for what you have gone through and also sorry for your loss.
I have no experiance with dogs but I hope you can find a solution,
Good Luck,

Cleo1

JEFFREY IAM SO SRRY FOR WHAT HAPPENED HOW HORRIBLE FOR YOU. MY SITUATION WAS NOT LIKE YOURS BUT I HAD A MINATURE POODLE THAT I HAD FOR 3 YRS I GOT HIM AT 6 WEEKS AND I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER DOG EVEN THOUGH IN MY IGNORANCE THERE WERE SIGNS SUCH A BITEING ON MY HANDS ETC BUT AT AGE ONE I REACHED TO PET HIM AND HE GRABBED MY HAND AND BIT ME AND FROM THAT POINT ON HE BECAME MORE AGRESSIVE AND WOULD HAVE WHAT I CALLED SPELLS WHERE HE WOULD GROW AND THEN WALK AOUND DARING ANYONE TO COME NEAR HIM I HAD TO MUZZELL HIM FOR BATHS OR FOR ANYTHING HE DID NOT WANT TO DO. IF HE WENT FOR A CAR RIDE I COULD NOT GET HIM OUT OF THE CAR UNLESS I GOT THE LEACH ON HIM . SO AFTER 3YRS AND MANY BITES AND NOTHING WE DID HELPED MY VET SAID WE NEEDED TO PUT HIM DOWN. I HAVE RECENTLY LOST MY 16YR OLD BICHON AND I MISS HIM SO BUT THE PUTTING DOWN OF THE POODLE WAS EVEN HARDER BECAUSE TO LOOK AT HIM HE WAS A YOUNG AND HEALTHY DOG BUT I COULD NO LONGER TRUST HIM BUT I WENT THRU A BAD DEPRESSION FEELING LIKE I LET HIM DOWN SOMEHOW BECAUSE I HAD NEVER HAD AN AGRESSIVE DOG BEFORE AND I DID NOT KNOW THE THINGS TO LOOK FOR AND IAM A WOMAN AND NOT A TAKE CHARGE TYPE OF PERSON. I HOPE YOU THINK THIS OVER VERYGOOD AND DISCUSS IT WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND FIND THE THING THAT YOU CAN LIVE WITH. FROM HERE ON OUT YOU WILL NOT COMPLETELY TRUST HIM BUT HOPEFULLY HE CAN BE HELPED OR WILL YOU ALWAYS FELL SOME RESENTMENT TO HIM. I JUST DO NOT KNOW BUT I WISH YOU THE BEST AND HOPE OTHERS WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU MORE.
SO SORRY JOANNE(RAGGS MOMMY)

I am so sorry for what you have had to endure and your terrible loss. I think that you need more information before you can make a decision. Perhaps if you could find out the "why" you could learn to trust Sammy again. I have heard of "Springer Rage" but it can apply to other breeds as well. I am sorry I really do not know to much about it.

You are in my prayers this evening for guidance and healing.

Dugan's Mom
Kristine

Wow....what a traumatic experience for you and Piper...you did the right thing. Surgeries and long hospital stays would be so hard on you both.

I don't have any real advice, except to say you are very thoughtful and logical in your explanation and decisions. Keep listening to your intuition...

This is a good reminder that our beloved pets are animals after all with certain instincts...maybe Sammy will do better as a single pet too....Training sounds like a good next step.

It seems to me that you should try to find a suitable home for Sammy. A home with no children or other pets would be best. Since your budget sadly doesn't have room for vet care, keeping a dog who might need vet care as well as extensive professional training doesn't seem like a good idea. However, if you cannot find a good home, you should keep her since euthanasia would be immoral in these cir%%stances. I believe that euthanasia is only appropriate for a pet when a human in similar cir%%stances would choose to die. You should make the same choice for your pet, as you would for yourself.

What happened is clearly not Sammy's fault, and she deserves a chance for a long and happy life.

Best wishes,

Daisy's Mommy

Dear Jeffrey,
I cannot tell you how terrible i feel for you.
The pain of lossing a pet you had shared such a short lifetime with is something I am learning to live with now. AND now you must deal with the decision of what to do with your other dog.
You have done so much research, I guess my advice would be like someone else said here is to listen to your intuition.
You must not feel guilty in any decision you make.
I don't know what I would do as you really have thought out all the angles so logically.
I am so sorry for your pain of losing Piper. I will be thinking of you.
You can at least be grateful for having a compasionate vet who I'm sure made every effort for your little dog to be out of pain and as comfortable as possible.
Maybe Piper like my Starry didn't know they had short lives and are happy again.
Please be strong and keep us posted..star's mom.

I want to thank everyone for responding. Regardless of whether or not I can find anyone with a similar experience to mine, what I have really needed was just to talk to people who understand the kind of pain this has caused. I appreciate all of you for taking time to read our story and especially those who have replied. It has already been a big help to me just to hear from you.

A few notes:

Cleo1, I actually have a cat as well as Sammy. His name is Hiroshi, and his brother was named Kenchi, (hence the name I used here). Hiroshi is my oldest pet--I adopted him when he was a baby in early 2002. I call him "old man", and after Pip I admit I have been closest to him. He usually keeps to himself, but when the dogs weren't around, and I fell asleep on the couch watching television at night, I would often awake to find him on the end of the cushion watching over me. I have been sleeping in the spare bedroom in my house since Pip usually shared the pillow next to me, and while I have kept the door closed between myself and Sam, I have made sure he is with me every night, and he has been there to support me. I appreciate your well wishes.

JOANNE, I am learning how hard it is to deal with an aggressive dog myself. I am sorry to hear of the recent loss of your Bichon, and understand that it seemed harder to lose the Poodle. I have had many pets over the years, and some have gone with age, sickness, or had to be given up because my family moved and they could not come. But, somehow Piper seems so much of a greater loss--partly because she was so young, and partly because we shared a very special bond that I somehow did not have with the others. You hit the nail on the head when you said that I will not be able to trust Sammy again. In a lot of ways, that is the hardest part of what I have to face now.

Kristine, after I read your reply I looked online for information on Springer Rage. I found a lot of good information, but many times the articles I read referred to something called Dominance Aggression, so I researched that as well. I found a lot of good information on both subjects, and as a result of this search, I have been led to believe that what has happened has most definitely been a result of Dominance Aggression. After reading about that, (something that I would not have done if you had not mentioned Springer Rage), I have been able to look back at the weeks proceeding this and picked up on the warning signs I could have noticed if I had known before. While it is true that this doesn't help me now, it has helped me understand what has happened here, and will help me deal with the future. Your reply has been very helpful. And your prayers are much appreciated.

RIT & Cleo, thank you for your support. I hope I am making the right decision, but also understand that my ideas can be clouded by the feelings that are so fresh in my mind. I will take your advice and follow my intuition, as well as any advice anyone else here can give, because I need to be as informed as possible in order to make the right decisions from here on out. And, you are right that this has been an important reminder of what our pets are. I am a big science buff, and I have always been particularly interested in dogs and cats, but this has really brought what I knew about them home to me. It is one thing to watch a program on the Discovery Channel telling me that dogs are really wolves under their skins, and quite another to see that in action. I love Sammy so much, and I am going to try as hard as I can to move past this and make it work if I can.

Daisy's Mommy, your response has echoed my own feelings exactly. At least for now, I cannot imagine a future with Sammy in my home. I have started to think about what her future will be, and a major idea has been that she would make a good companion for someone with no children, perhaps on a farm or ranch near here in Texas, where she can run free in the fields, smell everything, and be a good guard dog for someone. Regardless of where she lives in the future, I will complete the training process with her. I cannot keep or adopt her out until it is finished, and my hope is that this process will give me enough time to clear my head and make the right decision about her. Even though my anger made me originally consider putting her to sleep on that first night, I have felt very strongly since then that to do so would be incredibly immoral. Usually, my budget allows me to take good care of the pets, but unfortunately this happened right after replacing a car radiator, moving into a new home, etc. It has been a "perfect storm" so to speak. Knowing that the budget is usually better has made this even harder in a lot of ways--if things were as they usually are, could I have saved my Pip? I have to keep telling myself that the answer is "No", because a life with pain for her just to make me happy would be immoral as well.

Starry, I am not a religious person, but if I had one dream right now it would be that Piper is somewhere out there running on the beach in her own dreams, (like she loved to do with me), and that maybe someday she will be there running towards me again. This whole situation has made me question a lot of things. Part of what has made this so hard is that Pip did have such a short life...

And that makes me think that I spent so much time talking about Sammy and what I can do for her in my original post, that I haven't really talked about Piper...

Pip was a gift from my best friend, that knew I had wanted a Chihuahua for a long time. He surprised me with her one Saturday night, when I was on a date, and told me he would bring her over to me the next day. It was so sudden that I hardly had time to react. Sure enough, Sunday morning she was there, and when he left, I was left wondering if the responsibility of having a dog was too much for me to handle. It was hard to wrap my head around a new addition to the house that would need so much attention, as Hiroshi pretty much does his own thing.

That worry didn't last long. Before I knew it, Piper dug her way into my heart deeper than anyone or anything else really has. Oh, I walked around the house so many afternoons just talking to her and asking her advice about things as she sat on the couch looking at me like I was crazy, and all the while you would think that I expected her to chime in with a response in perfect English at any moment. We went through a hurricane together, and came out on top--best friends. She went from being a pet to being a little sister to me, and while I would brag about how great a dog Sammy was to friends, Pip was something different--she was a person, a human being--at least to me...

Oh, we watched our favorite shows together, and at night when I bumped into her she would occasionally snap at me, but if it was cold at night, the next morning she would always be curled up under my arm like she belonged there.

My father died in 1995, and I cried some a few months later, (we had differences), but this past week has been the worst in my life. My co-workers avoid me like the plague, and I go through periods of staying busy typing and answering phones and then lowering my head into my hands in agony, with tears streaming out of me like a waterfall.

This is going to be very hard for a very long time--that is obvious. I very much appreciate everyones support.

Thanks,

Jeffrey

Sammy is lucky to have such an understanding caring friend!


Daisy's Mommy

JEFFREY, I KNOW YOUR LIFE IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN ALL I HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IS MY RAGGS LOST BUT YOU HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN ABLE TO GRIEVE OVER PIP FOR THE CONCERN OVER SAMMY. I ALWAYS SAID NEVER JUMP TO ANY DECISION UNLESS IT IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE NO CHOICE IN. I KNOW WITH MY POODLE(MY FIRST PUREBRED DOG) I TRIED TO DO EVERY THING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE BUT HE BECAME A HAZZARD AND NO AMUNT OF LOVE I HAD FOR HIM COULD CHANGE IT. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY BITES WE GOT OR NEAR BITES. I READ EVERYTHING I COULD FIND ON AGRESSION AND NOTHING WAS LIKE HIM. I FEEL THAT IN HIS CASE IT WAS POOR BREEDING AND IF ANYTHING HE TAUGHT ME IT IS TO BE CAREFUL RE THE DOG YOU GET I WAS IGNORANT NEVER HAD A DOG THAT WAS LIKE THAT SO I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR. MY HEART IS WITH YOU JEFFREY AS YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE FOR SAMMY. MY POODLE WAS RIGHT AT A YEAR OLD WHEN IT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT HE WAS PERFECT OR SO I THOUGHT. LET US KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING AND IF POSSIBLE ALLOW SOME GRIEVE TIME FOR PIT BECAUSE IT WILL BE THERE WITH YOU UNTILL YOU ADDRESS IT. WHO KNEW THAT THE LOVE OF ANIMALS WOULD CAUSE SUCH PAIN BUT IT IS LIKE WITH A CHILD PAIN COMES WITH LOVING SOMETHING BUT LIFE WITHOUT LOVE WOULD NOT BEE VERY WORTHWHILE
JOANNE(RAGGSIE MOM)

Sorry to contradict, but I feel strongly that there is no such thing as a bad dog. There are dogs that are badly trained, abused, mistreated, spoiled or in other ways ruined by their human owners. The only exception is that extremely rare case where a dog has brain damage. That being said, all dogs can be trained by the right trainer. All dogs can live a beautiful life in the right environment with the right owners.

Some dogs need a home with a single male owner. Some do well with families. Some thrive in small apartments. Some need a lot of space and experienced owners. A prime example of this was that terrible case in California where two dogs were living happily in an isolated area in the country with experienced dog handlers while their owners were serving long prison sentences. Both dogs had been severely abused and needed a lot of space. The lawyer who represented the dogs ownersl, took the dogs to her city apartment. This was done against the advice of the dog handlers and the vet, who even wrote a strong warning letter, stating that these dogs could not live in populated areas. Well, the two dogs killed a neighbor. This would never have happened had the dogs been left with the handlers who loved and cared for them in an appropriate environment.

Care should be taken when acquiring any pet to make sure it is a pet we can handle. If a mistake is made, and this can happen even to good and responsible people, and the owner cannot handle the pet, it is the owner's moral responsibility to find a suitable home for the pet. Euthanasia is unthinkable for any animal who is not gravely ill and suffering.

Daisy's Mommy

Hello Everyone,

I felt like dropping in this evening, even though it is late and I have to be at work early tomorrow. It was very difficult getting through the weekend here at home, and when I wasn't sleeping I usually found excuses to get out of the house. I was very glad to get back to work this morning, (for once), because I was able to stay busy all day. However, when I got home it all came back.

Tomorrow's going to be tough--one week. I know in the end I will be okay, but right now I feel very guilty, and am angry at just about everything. My mom is coming for her first visit this Friday from Dallas. I have been looking forward to her visit for three months now, but after what happened I haven't been able to focus or be happy about anything.

Sammy occasionally follows me around but I can't find it in me to really spend any time with her. I feel guilty even petting her--like I am betraying Pip. Part of me wants to stay mad at Sammy forever for Piper's sake, but it isn't right. It is taking its toll on me as well as Sammy. She used to jump and go crazy everytime I walked in the door. Now she comes out, wags her tail a little, and goes back to bed. When I walk into the room, she keeps to the corners, and when I look at her she glances away and sulks out of the area. She really wants to be close to me and it is obviously hurting her--she is picking up on my feelings even though I am steering clear of her and not raising my voice. She acts scared of me now...

I will update more tomorrow.

Thanks,

Jeffrey

Jeffrey,
I don't envy your position. it isn't Sammy's fault for what happened, she was only acting out of instinct. She was trying to lay claim on her treat, and Piper was just too small to take such a retaliation. I have no doubt that Sammy didn't mean to take Piper's life, and she most certainly realizes now what she has done. Unfortunately we cannot turn back time. What is done is done. Sammy should not be punished for what happened. With that being said, if I were in your shoes, I don't think I could look at Sammy the same way again. As much as I loved her, I would always resent the fact that she, intentionally or not, took my babies life in an act of aggression. I would have to find her a new home where she would be loved unconditionally...she still deserves that unconditional love. It would be hard to loose her, but it would be harder to keep her...does that make sense? Maybe you could find a wonderful home for her (with no other pets, or at least pets of a more compatable size) and then rescue a new furbaby that really needs a home...which would save a life at the same time...a sort of tribute to your Piper. That way you can still enjoy the company of a furkid without all of the negativity you have toward Sammy. I know you love Sammy, and although you are angry about what happened, you don't want her to be sad. Only you know what you are feeling towards her, but if you don't think you can move past your resentment, she would be better off placed in a new home. I think you already said you had decided against it, but I would still like to add that I certainly don't see this as a dangerous animal type of case, so euthanasia should be out of the question. This was strictly a case of dominance aggression with tragic results.[quote]Sorry to contradict, but I feel strongly that there is no such thing as a bad dog. There are dogs that are badly trained, abused, mistreated, spoiled or in other ways ruined by their human owners. The only exception is that extremely rare case where a dog has brain damage. That being said, all dogs can be trained by the right trainer. All dogs can live a beautiful life in the right environment with the right owners