A friend told me of this site and I thought Id come here. I have a rat terrier thats a year and a half old that has human aggression problems. My trainer doesnt feel theres much left she can do for him and frankly I dont want to put him down if theres a rescue that can help him.

He charged at my Friday night with hackles up ears back teeth showing and tried bitting me many times. He had peed on the floor and I called his name to get him to stop. I came out of the kitchen grabbed his leash and the next I knew he was running at me snapping and then took off down the hall. I stood there for a moment like um ok and then calmly walked down the hall way to get him. He sat there in the same way I said he was and every move I made caused him to lunge and snap again. I couldnt reach for him without him trying to take a chunk of my hand. I sat at the end of the hall in tears with my trainer on the phone. She said shed come out again to evaluate him again, but doubted there was much more she could do. My boyfriend came home and then my dog did a 180 and acted like nothing happened.

Thats the 1st time hes tried attacking me. He has bit me before because his foot was stuck and I was helping to get it free. Hes bitten, and drawn blood, on my boyfriend a couple times, bitten my mom, but she cant ever keep her stories straight that I think she might have provoked that.

Ever since I got him I saw he had problems with people for some odd reason, so I kept him social and in the public, especially around men. But then he met my mothers husband, saw how ugly he was, even terrorized my dog when he was in his kennel because he had wined, watched my mothers husband yell and scream at her and me and just be totally ugle. Hes been away from my mothers husband since May but nothing got better. Now when were outside and people walk by, I have to keep him very close to me in fear he might try to bite them.

After Friday night I am honestly scared of my dog. My best friend had turned against me for a reason that I dont know, just an unknown trigger. My boyfriend trainer and I had talked in Nov about his problem and we had agreed to give it one more shot. Now about two months later we dont feel we can do anything more. Id honestly hate and it breaks my heart to think about putting him down if I can give him to a rescue that can help him.

Has your vet done an entire physical exam, including bloodwork to make sure it's not health related?  I'm with a Rat Terrier rescue organization, and to be perfectly honest, it will be very difficult for you to find a rescue that will take a dog with this type of behaviorial background. 

I have been in your situation with my own dog, so I know how difficult this decision is. I had Spot for almost 2 years and after a few months, I called in a trainer because Spot had bitten me several times, and his aggression had only gotten worse no matter what I did to help him. I did everything - meds, training, you name it. He finally started getting aggressive with my other animals, so I contacted my trainer again, and she suggested that I give him up to a rescue who could possibly help him because my trainer thought perhaps the new fostermom, who was a dog trainer, could give Spot the guidance and training he needed to get him back on track. Unfortunately, I found out a few weeks later that they had to euthanize Spot because his aggression was just too severe. My trainer told me that Spot was no longer happy because the behavior these dogs exhibit aren't how they want to be, just sometimes they're not wired right. I am haunted by this only because I wish I was the one who had him euthanized, because Spot was MY dog and I wish I had his remains, and although I was hoping I was giving him this one last chance at life by giving him up to rescue, it wasn't meant to be.

Have you tried taking all privileges away from him?  No couch, no bed - nothing.  Crate him when he misbehaves?  Do you feel you are the alpha of the house?

Spot was on human prozac for many months.  You can see if your vet thinks that will help.  Also have blood work done to see if there's something medical going on.  Prozac seemed to curb Spot's aggression somewhat, but just like people, I believe he built a tolerance to the drug, and his aggression finally escalated.  He had no other medical issues.  The thing with Spot is that he was the most loving little dog, until I did something he didn't like, which could have been anything, and then he'd bite without any warning.  Dogs like that are dangerous. 

Spot came from a Boston shelter, pulled by a fomer rescue member.  I offered to foster him, and the first night I had him he bit me 3 times.  I contacted the shelter and asked if I could speak to the owners who surrendered him because nobody told me that this dog had a biting history. Spot was only about a year and a half old. I spoke to the owners and the told me that yes, Spot had bitten a few people before, but they didn't tell the shelter because they knew he'd be euthanized if they did. These people made Spot's problem someone else's (mine). Because Spot was a liability to Ratbone, I adopted him myself because I wanted to do everything I could to try to help him, and I wasn't ready to have him euthanized until I knew I tried everything I could.

You are not a horrible person.  The fact that you are looking for other alternatives to help shows that you care.  See if your vet thinks prozac is a good idea.  It's pretty inexpensive.  I got mine at Wal-Mart - 10 mgs - 30 tablets was only like $6.00.  He was on 1/2 tablet twice daily.

Sue in NY

The decision is yours, April. You can try to find a rescue who will take him, but I believe it will be very difficult because of his behaviorial history. My trainer suggested the rescue I gave Spot to because she knew the woman who would foster him and thought she would be able to help him. Even my trainer didn't realize the extent of Spot's aggressive behavior. And believe me, I am able to handle strong personality dogs. I have another dog, Sasha, who was and still is a challenge, even at 19 years old. She had also bitten me a few times, but she is a displaced biter - usually biting whatever is closest to whatever annoys her when not correcting another dog (she's my alpha). Unfortunately, she has bitten me a few times, but I am aware of this behavior, and I am able usually to foresee when it could possibly happen to avoid the situation altogether or avoid her biting me by getting out of the way! Sasha warns before she bites. But Spot would just bite unprovoked and without warning for reasons I couldn't figure out.

OMG - aggression BREEDS aggression - not good advice at all!!

Sue in NY

Dang, Tracey, you're good! 

Sue in NY

one of my trainers is from there. She works at a shelter also that offers free training and I use her through the shelter

That was honestly the 1st time he came after me for pottying in the house. I dont know what triggered him or anything. But I have found a lady that wants to take him into her home and work with him. Shes taken in abused and aggressive dogs before. She lives on a nice amount of land, a lot of it fenced in for her dogs. Its her, a couple horses, dogs, cats and her son there. Hell have a lot of room to run and play, friends, and quietness. I think hell do A LOT better there than with me. My life is crazy and my poor pup has been through hell the past year. He was moved 3 times do to abusive situations and I feel that thats part of our problem now. I really believe that with this lady hell get a second chance at life and if all goes well a forever home with someone who will love him and supply things I can not for him