Need Help

[pitbullyankee]

This may get a little long......I rescued my dog Simon 9 years ago when he was 5 weeks old. He is the love of my life and I mean that. He has not had a easy life....he had some trauma before I got him and he is deaf as a result and his throat is partially paralyzed. He has been a great dog. He was approved to stay in our home when we were foster parents and he was GREAT with the kids. He has always been a great dog. He is getting older and has developed MANY lumps on his body...the vet said they are just fatty lumps though....he has a heart murmur thats about a grade 4 according to our vet. We had some tests done because we wanted to get his teeth cleaned....anyway....Simon has changed....
We used to be able to trust our dog with everyone all the time...except of course...strange dogs....but even then when on a walk Simon really paid no mind...he loved his walks....now....we can no longer walk him....he go beserk when he sees other dogs and people....my husband had to physically restrain Simon because he wanted to go after someone.
I know I am all over the place....a couple years ago Simon tried to bite the vet to the point he knocked her glasses off her face....we chalked it up to her getting to close to his face to fast without letting him know she was there and she startled him....then he was in my car and my husbands coworked came up to the car and he played it real cool and then snapped at her...we chalked it up to her getting to close to his mommy....
well....here we are.....we can not walk him anymore like I said....there were children playing a few yards down and he was going beserk again and I knew in my gut if given the chance he would bite those kids....so now we look before taking him in the yard....
A few weeks ago...Simon was in Amys crate and we needed him to come out of it...so my husband reached in to get him out...and Simon snarled and snapped at him.....the next day....I was the was he snarled and snapped at and he made contact and left me with a pretty good mark. I always swore that if Simon ever did anything like this I would put him down....yet I continued to make excuses....the other day he did it again to my husband.....he played it real cool and as soon as my husband knelt down its like Simons eyes changed....and when he reached in to touch his nose which is Simons sign to COME to us Simon snapped at him again......Can I keep making excuses...yes I can because I love this dog....but I do not trust him now. I am struggling because my brain and my heart can not agree what to do. My friend may be coming to stay with me and she has a 5 month old daughter.....and I do not trust Simon....when Melissa came over before to drop her baby off for me to watch....I swear Simon went into prey drive or something....he paced and slobbered and really wanted me to put the baby on the floor....he put his ears back....I ended up crating him......I just do not understand.....And I am so emotionally messed up about this.....I know there are some great dog people here.....please help us with this.

[RealPitBull]

Shannon.....

Can you answer the following questions as best as possible?

1) Was he 100% fine (i.e. no aggressive behavior, growling, snapping at humans) UP TO A CERTAIN POINT? And if yes, can you pin point when this first began, and can you think about something that might have happened to him/something unusual that preceeded the first incident?

2) How old was he when the first incident occurred?

3) Is this something that has gotten progressively worse as he's aged, OR is this really a night and day kind of thing, where one day he was fine and the next he started exhibiting aggression that kept escalating?

4) What sort of health tests have been done on Simon? It is EXTREMELY unusual to have a dog's behavior change so dramatically, especially an older dog that's been ok for most of his life.

[pitbullyankee]

Simon has always been reactive when people came up to the fence.....reactive enough that on trash days etc etc we did not let him out when we knew people would be out there....Simon has always been dog aggressive...no surprise there.....
Let me see.....it was April of 2006 when he tried to bite the vet...and I mean bite...he lunged mouth fully open all teeth shining.....and snapped at her face....she jumped back in the nick of time....then in May of 2006 he tried to bite the woman that worked with my husband....there was another time July 2006 when he saw someone pass our car....he was in full attack mode and actually went after our other dog Amy and we almost had a full out dog fight in the car....Simon has decided not even puppies are ok anymore and will attack them....He is so very quiet and cool when he does this that you do not see it coming until he is right up on what he wants to bite and then BAM there it is.
We have had a full blood panel done on Simon...everything came back normal. He has tried to bite Rick and I only this past December. But his aggression has elevated like I said to where we can not walk him anymore. He will get so worked up at someone walking the yard or the house he attacks the other dogs. Amy has more than once needed some kind of wound treated because of him. Now when someone comes into my home....he seems to be ok but because I do not trust him I put him away.
The only thing that has changed....Simon has those fatty lumps.....and one is HUGE on his ribcage.arm pit area....its pretty big.....I have had it removed early on and was told it is just a fatty lump....I had this done two times by two different vets....other than that nothing has changed not the family makeup....not the dogs he lives with...nothing.....
the elderly lady next door is terrified of Simon because he runs the fence snarling and acting like a vicious dog.....he still listens to us very well and we have no dominance issues from him where we are concerned....I just do not get it. The other thing that is different is he can not jump much anymore....he used to jump in bed with us each night and now he falls sometimes when he tries.....or he hesitates.....thats all I can think of.
Like I said a 5 month old is moving in with us soon......and I do not know what to do.

[pitbullyankee]

And Mary...sometimes throughout Simons life....every now and again ...VERY rarely....Simon would see someone...random people and have a really low growl....and watch them....then that was it....he went on about life...
Now when he is in the ZONE he almost kind of chirps.....if that makes sense.....

[RealPitBull]

Have you ever worked with a professional? Because as you are obviously aware, this is an extremely serious situation and bringing a young child into the house with Simon seems like a recipe for disastor. What concerns me especially is that this behavior is being directed at family members.

Aggression like this which is most likely fear-motivated (most aggression is) is very difficult to treat. It sounds as if this is something that had been brewing and one day just came out full blown. It also sounds to me that Simon has had a lot of opportunity to "pratice" the behavior - lunging/growling through the fence, out the window in the car, and has snapped/bitten with the result being people backing off from him. Lastly, pain/sickness may be contributing to the escalation in aggression.

Basic bloodwork is likely to miss something; a full thyroid workup is essential. I'd suggest having Hemopet.com do the bloodwork. What other kind of exams has he gone through? XRays? Ultrasound?

I'd also suggest speaking with a behaviorist (board certified vet. behaviorist) who could come into your home and do a complete history/evaluation of Simon.

In the meantime, strict management would be essential - prevent as best as possible all opportunities to practice the behavior; use a Gentle Leader headcollar to walk him (if you need info on this, let me know). Don't let him out in the yard where he can practice lunging at the gait/fence - take him out on leash. Beging practicing "sit" for everything. Keep him away from other dogs/strangers.

[pitbullyankee]

the walking thing....there is no way....I am scared to walk him. And my husband just wont.
We have had ultrasounds done to his heart. Its in bad shape. Has been since he was a puppy. The vet said early on when he was about 2 that his heart would not make it past 4 or 5 and now he is almost 9.
My husband thinks we need to put him down. I almost agree with him. Melissa came over tonight with the baby.....and I just know the baby will be mobile soon and there is no way I trust Simon...

Mary I was always taught that if a pitbull bites at a human ESPECIALLY the owners.....he is to be put to sleep...
Any dog really I guess.....Simon is just not who he used to be. We had one trainer...private sessions....and she would not work with Simon....he sat and stared at her....and she said his stare was not healthy and would not work with him.
With me....and even with Rick he is our dog...silly Simon....but sometimes he is a potential monster....he is in pain from his legs....and Rick woke up the other night because Simon was having trouble breathing....he was gasping /coughing and could not catch his breath....the vet says she does not hear anything in his lungs....

I guess I know what the end result is going to be....my husband said maybe we can work it out when we move but I do not see how.

[RealPitBull]

I don't advocate the mindset that says if your Pit Bull tries to bite you it's an automatic death sentence. I think there is a lot more to consider, and the owner is the biggest part of the equation.

Having said that, it's obvious that there is a lot more going on with Simon than a simple behavior issue. I wouldn 't doubt that his health issues are playing a huge role in this, and that the environment is as well. Since it sounds to me like you cannot provide a situation that would be safe for humans, have a baby moving in, and are so fearful of Simon's behavior that you cannot even walk him, I don't know that you have any other options besides euthanasia at this point.

It is impossible for me to give truly adequate advice because I'm not there, and don't know all the details. I've never met Simon, and I can't tell you what his prognosis is. I can give you a guess: not good. I can also tell you that I believe this is the sort of dog that would require a home with very capable owners, no children, and closer supervision of a veterinary behaviorist. If even one of those elements are missing, it's a bad thing. By far the veterinary behaviorist is the key equation.

I wish I could give more definitive advice. I am very sorry this is a position you are finding yourself in. I am sure it is truly heartbreaking for you, and you have my deepest sympathies. I wish there was something I could do to help you fix it.

[pitbullyankee]

It is ok and I thank you for listening and not bashing me. Simon has been a great dog and has been with us since he was 5 weeks old. I love him more than you could ever know.
I just think that I have to be a responsible owner. He is in pain....he is not himself....sometimes the old him shines through...most times he is either in his ZONE or laying around sleeping....maybe it is just his time to go to the bridge....if anything changes I will let you know.

[RealPitBull]

I'm really sorry, Shannon. Please keep me posted. Thoughts are with you **hugz**