Sentenced to death

So, I never thought it would happen...I recommended a dog to be put down for the first time today. I am very saddened but very confident in my evaluation.

One of the vets that I have a very close relationship with called me to come and evaluate a 5 month old Beagle for aggression. That's right, I said 5 months. I immediately thought they were just mistaking puppy nipping for biting and was hopeful I would just come in and correct their way of thinking. I mean, dogs have until 3 years old to exhibit aggression...he hasn't even lost his baby teeth, nor has he fully developed his personality. 5 months is really young to start showing the aggression they claimed.

When I first got there, I wanted the background before starting my evaluation. They had informed me that he tried to bite one of their technicians yesterday. It usually happens around food and/or toys. I then changed my way of thinking, however, I was still hopeful that, like any other of my food aggressive clients, it could be worked with and solved. Nope...not the case at all.

Before I tell you what happened, everyone needs to know that this dog was bought from a pet store. Don't EVER buy from a pet store...not only do they usually come sick, but they don't evaluate the parents for temperament. The mom is literally in a small cage, in dirty facilities, all of her life while breeding constantly...this is called puppy mills people. It's unhealthy, unethical and just plain selfish and CRUEL. When you buy from a pet store, you are supporting these people to keep doing what they are doing. These dogs are treated poorly and do NOT deserve this way of life. They are usually sickly and can be aggressive and/or fearful...the worst part is that they cost 3 times as much as a healthy, well mannered dog coming from a breeder. This topic just makes me so mad. SO MAD.

Alright, so I took the Beagle out of the cage and put on his leash. The normal behavior for puppies is that they are curious of everything and everyone. The first sign was that he had absolutely NO INTEREST in me. He didn't even look at me once. He was so calm, yet, not really there. I got some chicken from the technician and decided to take him for a walk, being that walking is one of the most bonding activities you can do with a dog. He showed no excitement to get out and he wasn't interested in anything around him...he was literally...just there.

After we got back, I sat him down and did my usual evaluation with touching. He was tense but not reactive until I got to his nose...he started to bare teeth. Now, this wasn't a puppy playful behavior, this was full on aggression...and not out of fear. I then decided to feed him some chicken and that was the first time he looked at me. I held the leash in a way that if he were to try to bite, he would not have been anywhere near me. I could tell he was about to snap a couple of times and the worst part about it is that he didn't give a warning growl like most do. He is the silent but deadly type. His eyes were empty and he showed no signs of personality, just aggression. I have never seen a dog, let alone a puppy, display this kind of behavior. I think he is the Hannibal Lector of dogs.

He proceeded to puke, which was strange. I decided to see if he would be territorial around it...he was. I felt very uncomfortable to be around him. He is a loose cannon and there is no way he could EVER be around children or even guests in your own home. I mean, he was dropped off at the vet by his owner who had him since he was 3 months old due to him trying to bite her several times. So, he doesn't have loyalty or trust with those who take care of him either. You can't place dogs like this...they don't just "grow out of it".

As I was giving my diagnosis, Both of the veterinarians agreed with me 100% and was glad I came up with this conclusion. They weren't over reacting, this dog could hurt someone really bad. This isn't his fault...it's a clear case of human error (puppy mill). Scumbags.