I have a constant inner dialogue from when I wake up until I finally sleep at night. A myriad of thoughts and tasks fill the space in my mind, from things I need to do to memories that randomly pop up from time to time.
I recently got a new puppy. A cute little German Shepherd, who I will fondly call “Menace” for this article, is currently ten weeks old and full of piss and vinegar, as the adage says. She is everything one would imagine in a puppy – mischief, spunk, innocence, and teeth. Oh, those teeth… those teeth bring me to the purpose of this article (or perhaps soapbox); about a year ago, while talking to a coworker, I learned that there were behavioral euthanasia groups; there are several on Facebook and curiosity got the better of both myself and my coworker. I joined one of these groups. The requirements are that you must be supportive, and you cannot be a dog trainer. Okay, simple enough, admittedly, I lied about the latter part, but hey, curiosity, right? They accepted my profile and admitted me to their group. That’s when things turned completely sour for me.
If only I could turn back time and undo my decision to join.
It was a shock to my system. I wish I hadn’t joined. It was like witnessing a train wreck. You know you shouldn’t look, but you can’t help it. I started reading. Hundreds of posts from people seeking comfort because they were considering putting their dogs down for reasons that, from a trainer’s standpoint, were fixable. I am not a purely positive trainer; I am a balanced trainer. I use tools; I have a myriad of tools at my disposal. Do I keep things as positive as possible while using the tools to help me – absolutely. These people, sometimes at the advice of veterinarians, were euthanizing dogs for fixable ‘behavior problems.’ More disturbing were the reasons for some of the dogs being euthanized.
An 8-year-old Corgi—his family had had him since he was eight weeks old. They had a baby, and the dog growled at the baby. At least the dog gave some sort of warning instead of going straight to a bite. They had sought the help of a behaviorist, their vet, and a trainer. All of which told them to put the dog down. Why? Because it growled? Then you post all of these pictures of this now 8-year-old dog, from when it was a puppy up until the day you called someone to come to your house to give it a needle. And you feel so guilty and stressed out about your decision that you don’t know if it was the right one- well, it’s too late now; you already killed your dog…
A 6-year-old Boston Terrier mix—”the heart dog” euthanized for attacking other dogs and people—went everywhere with you, and she was with you all the time at home. There was no mention of trainers, vets, or any other professional who could have potentially helped, but you want to know if there’s anything you can do to feel better because you are leaving for two days to go on vacation and are struggling to be happy and excited.
Then, the dog that brings me to the purpose of this writing and the aforementioned “Menace:” a 6-month-old Belgian Malinois puppy euthanized for biting. Let that sink in. A Malinois puppy that was biting. I sat in shock and disbelief that someone would euthanize a puppy—a puppy— for biting. It is part of the natural order that puppies test things with their mouths. I am a sensitive person, and I am not ashamed to admit I cried. I cried for this puppy that I didn’t even know, that I wanted to reach out and save because I knew I could. I knew I could help this puppy, give him an outlet to release all his working energy and channel it into something useful. He needed a job. Working dog breeds aren’t for the faint of heart (ask my feet); they require energy, work, long days, and sometimes longer nights, and if they are a puppy, you should multiply this. As I sit here and write this little blog, I look at my “Menace,” she is currently dragging a full-size dog bed around my computer room, knocking things all out of whack, getting bored of that, and coming to chomp my ankle and bring blood, I know she doesn’t know any better; it’s my job as an owner and trainer and handler to teach her better.
Are there cases where euthanasia is the best option? Of course. Out of the many posts I read (50 or more), I read only one that I agreed with the euthanasia diagnosis. That particular dog, a working dog breed, had a non-treatable neurological disease that required the dog to be at rest most of the time to prevent him from hurting himself. A working dog on a farm can’t be a working dog, releasing energy that it was naturally bred to do – That is not fair to the dog; the risk of injury is too significant, and the mental outlet is not there. I agree with this for the well being of the dog.
For me, dogs are a lifelong commitment. Not necessarily for humans, as we will outlive our dogs, but for them, it’s their whole life. We have taken on this responsibility to nurture, train, and give them outlets for what we as humans have bred them for. If you are reading this article and are at your wits end and thinking about behavioral euthanasia, reach out to a balanced trainer. Seek professional help; if that dog is your “heart dog,” do whatever it takes to keep that little piece of your heart. Remember, you are his whole heart, world, and everything that is happy for him.
-EW
