Putting Down An Aggressive Dog

Putting Down An Aggressive Dog may be the only thing left to consider, but it still is an incredibly challenging decision to make. Dealing with an aggressive dog’s behaviour will make the owner emotional, frustrated and can be a financial burden. In some cases, the only solution is to consider dog euthanasia. 

Your Options For Dealing With An Aggressive Dog

Before any decision is made regarding euthanasia, you need to consider the other options available:

• Accept your dog’s behaviour and manage it appropriately and with restraint.
• Rehome your dog with responsibility and after successful behavioural training
• Rehabilitate your dog.
• Finally, if all else has failed, consider dog euthanasia.

Vets will consider every other option before recommending dog euthanasia. Your aggressive dog needs to have extensive tests to ensure that its behaviour is not caused by pain. It is unlikely that you’ll be able to sort your dog’s aggressive behaviour in a single visit to your vet. A visit to the vet’s surgery might even cause your dog more anxiety and increase its aggressive behaviour. 

Risk Assessment

Of course, not all aggressive behaviour is the same, and you can remedy it in some dogs easier than others. Before you decide on dog euthanasia, you should consider the following:

• What is the extent of your dog’s behaviour?
• How frequently does it occur?
• Is the behaviour dangerous to people or other animals?
• Are there any particular triggers that lead your dog to bite?

You also might consider these factors:

• Dog Size. Larger dogs tend to be euthanised more than smaller breeds, due to their potential to cause more significant injuries than smaller ones.
• Aggressive Behavioural Traits. Certain breeds have predispositions for aggressive behaviour, and these breeds include Dobermans, German Shepherds, Pitbulls, and Rottweilers. 
• Genetic Abnormalities. Improper breeding can cause genetic abnormalities in a dog that can result in aggressive behaviour. 
• Lack of Socialisation. If your pet is unaccustomed to interacting with other dogs or humans, it can become aggressive. 
• Medical History. Medications and diet can influence a dog’s temperament. 

Gentle At-Home Euthanasia

Your vet has no obligation to put your dog to sleep unless you specifically ask them to do so. Therefore, you will need to convince your vet that they are proceeding ethically to resolve a potential risk situation. If all other alternatives fail, sadly, dog euthanasia may be is the only solution for dealing with aggressive behaviour in a dog.

Unfortunately, Cloud 9 Vets does not believe that the home is a suitable environment to euthanise an aggressive dog. There is a risk that the process may not be gentle, making an aggressive dog even more possessive. Therefore, this situation can become dangerous, and may also be distressing to anyone in attendance. It is likely that you will have to speak to a clinic, which has the necessary safety equipment to make the euthanasia safe for everyone involved.

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