Taking the dog we re-homed back to the shelter?

[CGM]

Hi all, bit of a reassurance post really.

We picked up our Staffie from the dog shelter a couple of weeks back (3yrs old) he was spot on, well behaved , friendly , no problem with dogs or people, generally a very nice dog - we decided to take him after a weeks process and at first he was very exited but sure enough he settled in just fine. This past week or so however he has turned into a completely different dog. Very aggressive towards people, he brought a woman down to the floor by biting her arm (luckily she had a thick coat on which sponged any sort of pain he might of inflicted) he has bitten other dogs, and also myself , my dad, Mam, and brother . We have no idea why this is. Unfortunately after a lot of thinking we've decided to take him back, only just yesterday gone we made this decision - just need to know that this was the right thing to do, baring in mind we have had these types of dogs always, and have never had one like this before . We all feel so bad , we just can't understand it. Has anyone else been in this position? I hope he gets sorted

thank you for reading

 

[JoanneF]

Sorry to hear this but taking him back to the shelter is not a bad thing to do. The only other option would be to get a good behaviourist (from an organisation like the APBC or COAPE who uses positive reward based training and not dominance theory which is ineffective and now widely discredited) and put in a lot of work. This will take a lot of time and possibly money - the shelter might help and insurance might cover it. But it is not an admission of failure if you choose to take him back - better to do that than fail to resolve the behaviour properly. 

 

[hollysh]

Ah bless. Its a shame you havent had a good experience. Strange how its happened all of a sudden when he was ok at first. I think that particular breed is the most unpredictable. May upset people for saying that.

 I walk a staff. Shes very friendly to me. Very calm around noise. Other dogs, people. Never had a problem. Been walking her quite a few months now. But i have still only just started taking her out with other dogs. I am very cautious. Dont let them off the lead at the same time. Its just a thought at the back of my mind. However small the risk is. I cant put another dog at risk of harm. 

Think you should do what you feel is right for you and your family. 

 

[gypsysmum2]

If the rescue is a reputable one then, in my opinion, it is the right thing to do. Reputable rescue centres will take your experience of the dog and work on his problems. He may go out to an experienced foster home so that he can be assessed and they may bring in a behaviourist to advise on his problems.

You should not feel bad. If you are not happy with him then he will pick up the vibes and it will affect him and could make his behaviour worse.