[derisgun]

My parents own a E. Bull terrier that had a rough start and has never been mentally stable.
She was taken from her mom at a week old and taken to the states where she was placed in a foster home with a nursing mom so she wouldnt loose out on social skills.

She has always been aggressive with strangers, she has gone after my dad a couple times when he walked into their room at night and now in the course of 2 months she has gone after my 12 yr old sister.She already has bit my sisters friend when she was about a year old (shes 3 now) and caused a huge bruise and possibly broke skin I dont remember. She has also bit my mother a few times pretty bad because she gets worked up some times its over something like play fighting other times it's over someone just moping. She now is growling at my mom over bones and lunging in her crate if she has any bones (which if that was the only problem I would say its a pretty easy fix).

She has horrible OCD which isn't un common in BT's but the aggressiveness IMO shouldnt be tolerated and I know a lot of people also agree.
One day she could easily grab my sister and she is not the type to just bite once she keeps going.

I briefly talked about it with my mom but I dont think she took it too seriously.
Does anyone have any ideas of how to nicely try and tell someone their beloved dog should be put down? I dont want to go about it the wrong way and cause conflict.

[valiumnopresc]

Start leaving pictures of mauled children around.

[WrinnaArraple]

Sorry, I don't have any "nice" ways of going about it. Sometimes people need the cold, hard truth thrown in their face.

[derisgun]

Start leaving pictures of mauled children around.

I dont live with them, they got the dog when I moved out 3 yrs ago. If I lived there no way the dog would have gotten to this point or been put in situations where she could bite.

[PheliarearY]

If the dog bit a child, has gone after family members, and they haven't put him down I'd say odds are that they won't until they have no other option. it's really too bad no one reported the bite to AC. Then, at least, they would have been forced to realize the dog is unsafe.

Is he really aggressive or understimulated? EBTs do literally get crazy when they aren't well exercised, well trained and handled in a firm, but fair, manner. For lack of exercise and training they are actually worse behaved than APBT in the same situation.

[Dayreive]

Dogs can have OCD? lol

---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------

I would straight up tell them the dog needs to be put down!

[Kingerix]

I think nothing is going to work given the gravity of what the dog gets away with. You can try talking to them abou your concerns perhaps.

[derisgun]

If the dog bit a child, has gone after family members, and they haven't put him down I'd say odds are that they won't until they have no other option. it's really too bad no one reported the bite to AC. Then, at least, they would have been forced to realize the dog is unsafe.

Is he really aggressive or understimulated? EBTs do literally get crazy when they aren't well exercised, well trained and handled in a firm, but fair, manner. For lack of exercise and training they are actually worse behaved than APBT in the same situation.

Yes they are not the right owner for one.
She doesnt get walked everyday, lucky if it's once a week around the block even though they have a treadmill that I trained her to use while I was there one day.
They arent firm with her because my mom thinks it's mean and quite frankly I think they are too lazy.
That dog is allowed to steal food out of your hand or off your plate and god forbid you try and discipline her after.

I've told them many times times that she need exercise and how much it benefits her for you to be in charge.
I've showed them nillif and showed them how to deal with her, I can do anything to that dog and she will listen to me at the snap of my fingers. I've told them I will take her for a bit and whip her into shape but she shuts down when at my house for some reason.

I do think that since they arent willing to work with her and they cant properly manage her the dog needs to be put down.

She talked to someone who shows BT's and has a few of them who said it sounds more like dominance and she listened to her when she suggested that she gets walked 45 min a day by my dad and sister but she said they wont and just makes excuses for the dogs behavior.
There is no getting through to her..

[PheliarearY]

I belonged to another bully breed forum a while back and there were a few EBT owners there. One guy in particular sticks out in my mind because he had a rescue male that was about 2 years old and acted just like the dog you are describing. Which is probably why he ended up in rescue.

This gentleman had an EBT before that he'd raised from puppyhood and it passed away, so he was an experienced breed owner. But after taking in the rescue dog from hell he had to come to those forums begging for advice because his former dog ws so well behaved he'd never dreamed the breed could be so freakin nutty.

It took him weeks of strict NILIF, 2 walks a day, bike rides, obedience training, flirt pole and fetch, just to get the dog to behave like a normal bully. Weeks.

It sounds like your parents aren't willing to put the time and energy into this dog. Even if you did take him and manage to get him behaving, what are the odds they would keep up with the training and exercise when he went back home? Sounds pretty bleak.

It sounds like he is shutting down because he has never been trained and disciplined and has no idea how to react other than stubbornly tuning you out. You could try to take him home again, do the 2 week shutdown to reset his little brain, and then try to work with him which would involve a lot of contests of wills. But I don't know what good that would do if the parents and sibling wouldn't keep up with it.

You may just have to accept the dog is a spoiled monster and will always be that way and pray he doesn't get them sued or harm your younger sibling. I'd work more with her, honestly, as to how to best protect herself if he goes for her.

---------- Post added at 11:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:04 AM ----------

BTW, do they understand that if the dog bites someone and that someone goes to the hospital the staff is legally required to report the bite to AC? If she thinks it's "mean" to make this dog mind, how "mean" will it be when AC comes, takes the dog, and kills it?

Other than that, how happy can a dog be without knowing it has rules and limitations? Just like kids, dogs feel insecure when they aren't living with parents that provide them with boundaries. By not training and exercising the doggie, they could be considered "mean" because the dog is going crazy with energy and probably feeling very insecure.

[derisgun]

My sister is the smartest one about owning dogs it seems although the whole your being mean thing has rubbed off on her. When she goes after my sister she just freezes and stands there because the screaming/arms flying etc makes her worse.

BTW, do they understand that if the dog bites someone and that someone goes to the hospital the staff is legally required to report the bite to AC? If she thinks it's "mean" to make this dog mind, how "mean" will it be when AC comes, takes the dog, and kills it? She lives in a fantasy world thinking it will never happen to them.

Other than that, how happy can a dog be without knowing it has rules and limitations? Just like kids, dogs feel insecure when they aren't living with parents that provide them with boundaries. By not training and exercising the doggie, they could be considered "mean" because the dog is going crazy with energy and probably feeling very insecure. I've tried to tell her this so many times but she just turns it around on me saying how my dogs arent trained and how Izzy is aggressive (which she is only to strangers not her family).
I've told her to do umbilical training with her everyday so she can correct her right away for anything with the prong collar (hell I'm surprised I ever got her to put that on the dog although I'm sure she still doesnt use it right).

It took him weeks of strict NILIF, 2 walks a day, bike rides, obedience training, flirt pole and fetch, just to get the dog to behave like a normal bully. Weeks. Thats so intense, I know they wouldnt be willing to do any of that I told my mom about the flirt pole since I know the dog would love it and they could play in the back yard but no she didnt have the money right then and then it was forgotten about.

I feel so helpless with this and I'm scared for what might happen.

[markkisil]

Leerburg has lots of info on their site....

QUESTION on DOG BITES:
Hi Ed,
I have been trolling around your web site today and am amazed at the stupidity of most dog owners! My daughter (7) was attacked by our neighbors German Sheppard a month ago (she did ask permission and the owner was standing right there) and had to have reconstructive surgery on her face. Anyone who thinks that dogs shouldn’t be trained in a manner that is “not warm, fuzzy and cute” are off their rockers! Thank you for attempting to keep our world safe with training and information on your web site. No child should have to experience what Natalie and countless others have due to the stupidity of clueless owners.
Thanks!
Katie
Atlanta, GAEd's Comment:There are SO MANY STUPID OWENERS out there.
Do you have any other photos? I am writing a book on dog aggression and laying the problem at the feet of these stupid people – and can always use good photos. They may help others in the future. Your daughter is a beautiful little girl. I hope she is doing better
Kind Regards,
Ed FrawleyResponse:
Ed,
Here are a couple more. One is of her on the operating table still under anesthesia, the other is the next night after surgery. Thanks for your research and hard work.
Katie

[derisgun]

Thanks, I was talking to the person who my mom talked to (shes a family friend) and she gave me the site for a trainer who is has 17 years experience in the breed, and has been through extensive training on aggressive dogs.
I sent him a message explaining the situation, we'll see how it goes.

They need someone with Brad pattisons personality to come smack them in the face.

[WrinnaArraple]

Reading the posts in here now reminded me of a bull terrier bitch I know who came into rescue and will never leave her foster home because she is literally insane. There isn't enough anyone could do in the day to tire her, and like what was stated above - it takes an extreme amount of work just to make her somewhat tolerable.

If your family really isn't willing to invest in work with the dog, can you suggest they surrender it to a breed-specific rescue?

[streMunford]

Let it bite you and then report it.

[markkisil]

Can the dog just "get loose" then disappear ? For the best of all?

[WrinnaArraple]

Can the dog just "get loose" then disappear ? For the best of all?

This is usually one of the first things I suggest. I'm not sure why it slipped my mind this time!

[markkisil]

Too much turkey?

---------- Post added at 09:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 PM ----------

I have a "friend up north" where bad dogs "go to live", maybe he needs another dog?

[WrinnaArraple]

Haven't had turkey yet! We're late eaters here lol

[markkisil]

Your in a different time zone then me in MI. It's 9:22 here, way past dinner.
Maybe you just forgot by being so thankful

[streMunford]

Take a syringe. Fill it with antifreeze. Inject the antifreeze into a hot dog. Feed hot dog to aggressive animal. Problem solved.