I know I mentioned it before, so I will mention it again. The county shelter usually has a mobile adoption thing every Saturday in front of the Petco in Sherman, Tx. Sometimes, they have the large kennel out there with medium and large breed dogs. One time they had a collection of dogs, including an Akita. The Akita was fine with almost all the dogs except one. A spaniel of some type, if I remember. He attacked her. Then things settled down. Then he attacked her again, totally ignoring the other dogs in the kennel. This time, there was blood. But it was the Akita's blood. The other dog had toothed him him the fight. However, they knew the Akita launched the first lunge. So, even though the spaniel drew blood, it was considered self-defense. Possibly, wisely so. For the Akita, they called another ACO to drive out and pick him up for his last ride. He had seen his last sunrise.
Some might say, who the heck puts an Akita in general population? Trained ACO's who don't know that much about Akitas, that's who. Should he have been kenneled alone with special instructions? Sure. But we are then expecting JQP to have a knowledge of proper handing of that dog. People who can barely park it between the lines.
At a Petsmart in McKinney, Tx., ( the very one I helped to build back in 1999), there was a rescue org, actually a few there. This one org had a brindle Rhodesian Ridgeback that had spent quite a bit of time in shelters. And was totally DA. If he could see the dog, it was something to ward off. The lady's instructions were detailed. Limit public exposure. Always, always muzzled in public. A strong leash and harness or a collar that will not slip off. None of those stupid flexi-leads. This 80 lb dog would just snap that right out of her hand in full pursuit. In her words, he needed a one pet home. Preferrably with no children.
Anyone here fit that bill? Not many, I imagine. Most people here have more than one pet, sometimes children or grandchildren, too. Work for a living and would have to leave the dog crated or kenneled. And everyone here is dog-wise and educated, hence this thread. As opposed to a regular redneck who, the first time the dog acts up, will try to show the dog "who's boss" because he's seen it done on t.v. and the dog rips him a new one and now has a bite history. There might be someone out there who can handle that dog, not me, in spite of my superior strength and height. Meanwhile, 9 other dogs with no problems have been put to sleep because this one dog took up the time and resources.
But I do think most dogs are misdiagnosed and are only "aggressive" out of fear or lack of socialization. In most cases it is a defense mechanism. I would get so angry watching animal police shows where they did the food guarding test by sticking a fake hand in the food, more than once. This one dog, in particular, they strove to make fail. They stuck the hand in and the dog pushed it away. The stuck it in again and the dog pushed it away. They put it in a third time and this time the dog mouth and grabbed the hand and moved it away. They decided he failed the test. When I was a child, I was taught not to bother a dog while he is eating. Disobedience earned a hand slap or a spanking, whatever it took to leave the dog alone. Let me rephrase that. When I was a kid, kids were not allowed to go around sticking their hands into the dog's food bowl. I understand the need to be able to take something away from the dog if necessary, but ideally, you teach trade, so that they don't become resource guarders. Resource guarding, btw, is a survival skill. So, that dog got PTS for doing what it takes to survive and for not putting up with bad manners that would have earned me a spanking.
Another time, another show, they had an emaciated and starved Boxer who had not even gained all of his weight back and they put him through the hand in bowl test. And he air snapped and snarled. And failed. And died, via euth.
And if it weren't for the likes of DPU, Sir Drake, and Snownose, and others, some of these dogs would be dead because of once again, the sins of Man. Dogs that turn out to be okay.
So, I'm not here to say euth all the dogs that lift a lip or even get in scuffles, either. As has been pointed out time and again, it must be a case by case evaluation, but we are woefully lacking in people, resources, and time.
And I think it is valid and worthy to rehab an aggressive dog, even in a shelter. There's a guy on t.v. who's favorite socialization dog is Popeye, named because he lost an eye in a dog fighting ring and was seized and probably was going to get the needle but now is able to walk off-leash down the streets of Los Angeles. If he can do it, why can't others?
One last example to think about. It breaks my heart but I will repeat it. At the Sherman Animal Shelter is a 9 year old female Lab. When she was 6 months old, her owner poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. He got a fine and a probated sentence. She was giving reconstructive surgery but the scars won't diminish and the hair is spotty and she looks like the canine equivalent of Frankenstein. And she is human aggressive. Especially towards people of darker skin color (like her original owner) but towards humans in general, of all hues. She cannot be adopted out partly because of the HA, and because they cannot refuse adoption on the grounds of a human's skin color. And the state of Texas has decreed that she will live out her natural life there, as an example, I suppose. And she is still there. Over 4th of July weekend, I donated some food at the shelter and I am powerless to stop myself from walking through there. She is still there, last kennel on the last row, facing the hills. If I could have just 3 seconds with her original owner, I would rid the world of a monster.
Is there a way to rehab her after nearly all of her life in a shelter with her first experience with a human being that of a living hell? Is it humane to try and rehab her enough to live with a human? Or should she go to her final rest?