Ever Had to Surrender A Pet ?

As I hate it as much as typing this, I feel we are running out of options. We love our pitbull so much, heck, his name is Groot. But he has just gotten out of hand , and to be honest, dangerous.
He is just over 3 years old and just crazy and destructive. Plus he injures myself and my wife. Scared what he would do in public because sometimes he is good and friendly, and sometimes trying to eat people.
Groot is basically uncontrollable and unpredictable.

We have alot of traveling this year to do to visit family and grand kids and scared of him hurting someone. We have tried to put him in a kennel one time, and it did not go well.

What would you do?

a reply to: Groot
Sorry to hear this, but to be truthful, that is pretty much a death sentence.

a reply to: Groot

We had to get rid of a cat once, he started hissing at our toddler and that was it. Gone. Gave him to a farmer.

As far as a dog goes, no. Our daughter has a pit-Lab mix that has more energy than any dog I've ever seen but he's not mean or rough. He's around five years old and will jump and spin around in the air when he sees someone he knows. I've never seen a big dog do that.

a reply to: Groot

Have you ever try to contact a dog trainer or behaviorist?
I have no idea what something like that would cost but I am sure that they would be able to guide you on how to handle him.
If it was me and I did not want to give him up, I would make some calls.
My wife and I have owned Pitbulls and Pitbull mixes over the years, they are great dogs but need firm guidance.
We have a 12 year old Pit/Lab mix and a 5 year old Olde English Bulldogge right now, both males.
When the Olde was younger (1-2 years old), they had a power struggle which led to a few fights.
But thankfully with some constant guidance, he has grown out of it.

originally posted by: HalWesten
a reply to: Groot

We had to get rid of a cat once, he started hissing at our toddler and that was it. Gone. Gave him to a farmer.

As far as a dog goes, no. Our daughter has a pit-Lab mix that has more energy than any dog I've ever seen but he's not mean or rough. He's around five years old and will jump and spin around in the air when he sees someone he knows. I've never seen a big dog do that.

He is great around the grand kids and our kids. 75% of the time he is sweet and gentle, a nanny dog. But the going off and snapping at people is what has me worried. Think if I could find him a home where he is outdoors more and interacting with other people and animals would be better for him.

originally posted by: Topcraft
a reply to: Groot
Sorry to hear this, but to be truthful, that is pretty much a death sentence.

I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion so fast.
Any dog can change with the proper handling....will it be easy?...probably not but it is worth a try to save a pet that you love.

originally posted by: RazorV66

originally posted by: Topcraft
a reply to: Groot
Sorry to hear this, but to be truthful, that is pretty much a death sentence.

I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion so fast.
Any dog can change with the proper handling....will it be easy?...probably not but it is worth a try to save a pet that you love.

That is what we are trying to do. We live in a small apartment. I work all the time and my wife can't handle him outside. He needs a better place to live.

originally posted by: Groot

originally posted by: RazorV66

originally posted by: Topcraft
a reply to: Groot
Sorry to hear this, but to be truthful, that is pretty much a death sentence.

I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion so fast.
Any dog can change with the proper handling....will it be easy?...probably not but it is worth a try to save a pet that you love.

That is what we are trying to do. We live in a small apartment. I work all the time and my wife can't handle him outside. He needs a better place to live.

Try calling a Pit rescue near you and explain the situation. Dogs like that must have an alpha owner and a lot of training to keep those tendencies at bay.

As someone who has rescued pets and also had to make the hard decision to occasionally put them down, I understand your painful dilemma... A few things to consider -

1. If he bites someone, even if not seriously, you can face legal liability or loss of your homeowners insurance at a minimum. If it is a serious or life threatening attack, you can be charged criminally in some places.

2. Shelters and rescues are overrun with pits and pit mixes.... There is a reason for this. My mother and my daughter have both taken in pit rescues who were wonderful dogs. Never had a problem with them. But pits have a breeding that often causes them to be unpredictable and they CAN flip on a dime. So many people are unwilling to take pits because you are legitimately playing roulette.

3. If your dog has already shown unpredictable or aggressive behavior, you should be exorbitantly careful who you place him with if you give him a new home. Changing ownership is very stressful and frightening to an animal... Especially if he has bonded with you already. This could make him even more unpredictable. If you can't find someone who specializes in pits and understands them (works with them daily), then it might be more humane to simply put him down.... I don't say that lightly because I firmly believe everything deserves life

originally posted by: Groot
As I hate it as much as typing this, I feel we are running out of options. We love our pitbull so much, heck, his name is Groot. But he has just gotten out of hand , and to be honest, dangerous.
He is just over 3 years old and just crazy and destructive. Plus he injures myself and my wife. Scared what he would do in public because sometimes he is good and friendly, and sometimes trying to eat people.
Groot is basically uncontrollable and unpredictable.

We have alot of traveling this year to do to visit family and grand kids and scared of him hurting someone. We have tried to put him in a kennel one time, and it did not go well.

What would you do?

I can't say what works best for you and your family/situation, but I had a similar thing happen with one of our dogs.
I found a dog that was dumped, she appeared to be half pit and half hound, she is a very healthy and beautiful dog, and crazy rambunctious too.

She was always hurting herself, as in running over things, (thorns?) and had cut herself several times, and one of those times she was bleeding like a stuck pig, so I tried to help stop the bleeding.
I grabbed her by her collar and tried to stop the blood, she became insane, she (of course) thought I was trying to murder her, she is a big sissy, so she always thought the worst.

She is giving me the most trouble I have ever had with a dog, she twists and turns, and somehow, she twists and gets my two fingers on my left had caught in underneath her collar. I couldn't get 'em free and I was literally afraid that I was going to lose my fingers!
To make a long story short, after she crapped BIG TIME in my computer room, (she was a house dog at that time) and blood was everywhere, and my fingers caught and there was no escape, I had to hit her hard in the face twice. I know, I know, but I just knew that I was going to lose my fingers, and, I love that dog, but...
So, I did escape, she ran off, we opened the door and she went outside. I really can't say how we stopped the bleeding, it was REALLY crazy!

We decided that she was never going to be in the house again.
I tried my best to think of a place for her to live that she would be happy at, I couldn't come up with a solution, so we still have her.

She has a really good heart, but she is crazy sometimes, and she has bitten at one of our small dogs too twice. That is a no-no around here. I took her to the vet and asked them what to do, they were of no help at all about what to do, I asked them if they thought it might be a good idea to put her down. I hated that idea, but it would've been a last resort, I promise, I don't do that kind of stuff.
We went over several possibilities, and one that I asked them, "Is there a pill that can be used to calm her?".
It turns out, they said, "Yes, we can try Prozac".
We tried that, and later that day she got sleepy and slept several hours, she was lethargic for several days, maybe a couple of weeks.

It definitely helped, she is 45lbs, so we placed her on 20 mil of Prozac, she eventually has gone up to 30 mil. She is a completely different dog, she minds like you wouldn't believe, but I believe that part of that is she assumes i am going to hit her again. I gained her trust after a while, but I can't change what I did, so there will always be that between us.

I say al;l of this because it all depends on your dog, you, and your needs, as in, if you honestly think that this dog could hurt anyone, you have that putting it down decision.
I LOVE animals, I don't even consider that, but, sometimes it's for the best.
I have a place locally that will take her, but they will send her to very cold and snowy states, like Montana, etc. I dont want her to live outside in that kind of temperatures at all, so instead of her (possibly) suffering through that, although they do act like this is a real adoption, they literally act like it's a human child. They are thorough...

That was my only three options.
Prozac, euthanasia, or being taken up North where she 'might' not be a happy dog, I only wanted the best for her.
I swear, I know that putting them down is cold-hearted sounding, but sometimes it could be the best in the long run. I don't just up and mention this anytime anyone has any dog problems.
I was at the veterinarians one day and a guy had brought a beautiful brindle (striped )pit in and wanted it euthanized, I thought, "What the hell?", but I guess I'd have to have been there. It turns out it bit his daughter, so he did what he thought was the correct thing. Of course, I judged him on that decision, but, I now know all it not as it may seems sometimes.

So, y'all can judge me how you want, sometimes we need to do what is needed.
One thing too, I know that some people think that all pits are murdering monsters, not all are, but sometimes because they have VERY strong jaws they can be a menace to family.

In the end, we sometimes have to do whatever it takes for the dog and out family.

Even though we care very much for her, if I could ind a family that would care for her, I'd give her up, but I'm so afraid that they would do what the people that dumped her did, leave her on a country road.
She can't help what she is, but Prozac helps her.

originally posted by: Groot

originally posted by: HalWesten
a reply to: Groot

We had to get rid of a cat once, he started hissing at our toddler and that was it. Gone. Gave him to a farmer.

As far as a dog goes, no. Our daughter has a pit-Lab mix that has more energy than any dog I've ever seen but he's not mean or rough. He's around five years old and will jump and spin around in the air when he sees someone he knows. I've never seen a big dog do that.

He is great around the grand kids and our kids. 75% of the time he is sweet and gentle, a nanny dog. But the going off and snapping at people is what has me worried. Think if I could find him a home where he is outdoors more and interacting with other people and animals would be better for him.

Take Groot to a vet.
75% of the time , a good dog ?
Take Groot to a vet.
There may be something wrong healthwise.

Sadly, that behavior is consistent with inbreeding. Several breeds have been ruined by generations of inbreeding... American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Stafforshire Bull Terrier (pibull breeds), Rottweilers and Dobermans all have this problem. American breeders, have bred them stupid.

My wife is a trainer and handler, and has been doing that for three decades... she knows her stuff. There are rescues out there, that have experience with these breeds. That may be your only option besides euthanasia.

It's tragic... and my heart breaks for both you, and Groot. It's not the dog's fault... and it's truly sad.

I hope you find a resolution to your situation... I hope Groot can be saved. Best of luck

EDIT TO ADD: I just saw the pics... he is a beautiful pooch. I truly hope that he can be saved.

Groot all chilled out....



Groot going all out...

originally posted by: Groot
As I hate it as much as typing this, I feel we are running out of options. We love our pitbull so much, heck, his name is Groot. But he has just gotten out of hand , and to be honest, dangerous.
He is just over 3 years old and just crazy and destructive. Plus he injures myself and my wife. Scared what he would do in public because sometimes he is good and friendly, and sometimes trying to eat people.
Groot is basically uncontrollable and unpredictable.

We have alot of traveling this year to do to visit family and grand kids and scared of him hurting someone. We have tried to put him in a kennel one time, and it did not go well.

What would you do?

If you wanted to keep the dog, you could look at some very expensive trainers who might, or might not, get it under control. Generally these people train the owners as much as they do the dogs.

The thing is that these dogs are bred for their capability as guard dogs and despite our affection for them, they act out of pack allegiances and instincts, rather than what we would think of as affection. They are fiercely loyal but their loyalties and responses are different from human ones and we tend to anthropomorphize their characteristics.

In a different environment under different circumstances they are great dogs but the dog often acts the way it does in diverse and sub-optimal environments.

If the dog just will not fall into line, you must consider the potential harm it could do. Putting a dog down at a vet's is a peaceful and humane end. The dog simply goes to sleep and then ceases.

I have had to put down a companion dog that had eaten some poison and was going to suffer until it passed, had I not intervened. Sometimes the hardest things are kind.

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: Groot

originally posted by: HalWesten
a reply to: Groot

We had to get rid of a cat once, he started hissing at our toddler and that was it. Gone. Gave him to a farmer.

As far as a dog goes, no. Our daughter has a pit-Lab mix that has more energy than any dog I've ever seen but he's not mean or rough. He's around five years old and will jump and spin around in the air when he sees someone he knows. I've never seen a big dog do that.

He is great around the grand kids and our kids. 75% of the time he is sweet and gentle, a nanny dog. But the going off and snapping at people is what has me worried. Think if I could find him a home where he is outdoors more and interacting with other people and animals would be better for him.

Take Groot to a vet.
75% of the time , a good dog ?
Take Groot to a vet.
There may be something wrong healthwise.

I do want to save him, and we will take him to the vet. He is due for his shots anyways.

I would have never got a pit bull. There are lots of breeds of dogs, many mutts, that have nice personalities and are not so darn protective. They are better choices. People are afraid of pit bulls, and dogs can sense people's fear and will go after them.

When a dog gets old, they sometimes get mentally messed up and they start to get real crabby, even though they are nice most of the time. We had to have my father-in-laws dog put down when he died because the dog was old, really sore, and would snap at people if they came near him. It was a nice dog, but it was not right anymore, that is the only animal I had to have put down because it was crabby. We did not trust it around kids or people, it even tried to bite me a few times and many times grabbed at my daughter when she got close.

The humane society may be able to find a home for your dog, it is still young and sometimes people out in the country like a dog like that on their farm. If it is starting to show strong crabbiness, the Human Society might advise you to put it down, the vets give them a shot.

Get a border collie the next time, they are very mellow dogs. Not many people fear that kind of dog so the dog doesn't go after them, like I said, dogs can sense fear.

Is this your first pit? I have found there are alpha's and non Alpha's looks like you have a Alpha which can be hard to control.

Hire a trainer! Surrendering him to a shelter means there is a very very high probability of him being put down due to his breed and his behavior. At very least do some research and start training him yourself or surrender him to a pit bull rescue.

a reply to: chr0naut

If you wanted to keep the dog, you could look at some very expensive trainers who might, or might not, get it under control. Generally these people train the owners as much as they do the dogs.

The thing is that these dogs are bred for their capability as guard dogs and despite our affection for them, they act out of pack allegiances and instincts, rather than what we would think of as affection. They are fiercely loyal but their loyalties and responses are different from human ones and we tend to anthropomorphize their characteristics.

In a different environment under different circumstances they are great dogs but the dog often acts the way it does in diverse and sub-optimal environments.

If the dog just will not fall into line, you must consider the potential harm it could do. Putting a dog down at a vet's is a peaceful and humane end. The dog simply goes to sleep and then ceases.

I have had to put down a companion dog that had eaten some poison and was going to suffer until it passed, had I not intervened. Sometimes the hardest things are kind.

That's the thing, he is great around trusted family members. Anyone outside of that is a crapshoot. I can't trust him. He is only 60 lbs, but all muscle.

originally posted by: Topcraft
a reply to: Groot
Sorry to hear this, but to be truthful, that is pretty much a death sentence.

No, it's absolutely not. There are tons of people and organizations that can work on a young dog like this and help his behavioral issues. A good pet owner will keep their pet secure so it won't be a problem until it can be trained and the situation can be helped. To immediately jump to this conclusion is ridiculous.