Should I Put My Dog Down?: an ethical question

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Henry's vet appointment is for Friday, May 8 at 14:20. It is 05:30 my time.
Henry is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (aka... pitbull) mixed with a Labrador Retriever. (ie. he is a huge and strong pitbull.)
He pulled my mother to the ground and bit her while trying to get to another dog. He has already been re-homed at least 4 times. He pulled me into a wall trying to get to another dog today and almost knocked over an old lady.
So, my question is...does the buck stop with me?

I've heard there are no bad dogs...just bad owners.

The dog needs serious obedience training. If that proves fruitless, then maybe it needs to be put down for the safety of others. Where I live, there is a "one bite" law that says a dog is okay the first time there's a report of it biting someone unprovoked (e.g., the mailman). If it happens again, they might take the dog and put it down as dangerous.

As I said, I love pitbulls and know quite a few, though even from that standpoint I must admit I'm in the minority in that I know how to show them tough love. If you can't wrestle a dog and win, the best option is probably to find a nice person/family who can. Sidenote - as a result of mountain bikes I already had a lot of experience avoiding sharp things, regardless of weather they're attached to a dog, machine or trail. The only reason I've never been bitten like that is my wits and because I'm stronger than I look. Dachshunds notwithstanding, they can turn nasty at the drop of a hat, my late granddad had to put his second up for adoption once more because of that.

My friend just had to intercede on this decision on his mom's behalf & they put down their ailing old lab. I worry that pulling that trigger could do a lot more harm to your family than one dog bite, even the fiercest dogs' teeth aren't as sharp as the side effects of losing a pet.

I voted rehome. I think it's sad to put down a healthy animal for what is essentially dog behavior. Perhaps the next owner can train out the bad dog behavior.

For once, I agree.

It seems as if the dog might be beyond your control. If I were you, I'd try to find a bitbull rescue program and see if they'll take the dog.

Maybe they could train him and find him a more compatible home.

I agree that he needs obedience training and make your decision based on his progress. In the interim a muzzle, harness and (I hate these, I suggest it with great reservations) a pinch/prong collar could be necessary while walking out in public. This could be a second and potentially last chance for Henry with you, there isn't any room for error, the training and equipment will be costly, but could be a life saver.

I would say try the above methods. If they don't work, re-homing might be the proper way to do this.

I don't believe he should be euthanized.

Well that's pretty much unanimous.

He already wears a prong collar. He still pulls. I can't afford training.

So I will attempt to find him a suitable home.

He is not a bad dog at all. He's quite cuddly actually. He just has this fighting instinct when it comes to other dogs.

Also, I don't think I am a bad owner as I am attempting to remedy the situation. He just needs a different environment.

I'll take him to the vet for his rabies shot.

You're doing the sensible thing.

I hope you could adopt another dog soon.

Do you have "dog rescue" organizations in Canada? In the US, they are nonprofit groups that take in dogs that are unwanted or uncontrollable and rehome them or put them out to pasture in a setting where they can be in a rural area with other dogs of the same breed. There are rescues for nearly every breed. You might look into giving the dog to a pitbull rescue group and have them do the heavy lifting of what to do with him.

I grew up with three Alsatians (which can be aggressive) but the ones we had were very soft and didn't want to do much more than play fetch or cuddle up on your lap. We had one of them from when it was a puppy and for a while it was getting bullied by our Jack Russell until it grew up a bit.

I don't think dogs are naturally aggressive but they can be made that way if they have an abusive owner (or if they're trained by the police). This dog's issues are obviously too serious for you to deal with so I would recommend finding him an alternative home where there are people who can give him the support he needs.

Well the vet is great! He knows of a local pitbull rescue and is going to see if they have a spot for him. He says that if not it will be hard to place him because he has behavioral problems. He went after a dog while the vet took him through the waiting room. He says euthanasia remains an option, but first we will try re-homing.

I think you should try to avoid it.

Dogs are pack animals, that need a pack role and to be well socialized.

When people talk of 'bad' owner sometimes that can be true. However sometimes it doesn't mean their owner is 'bad', just is a tricky case, which needs expert help.

I have not read the other post, but as someone who has been with dogs since I was a baby, I have always had dogs as an adult, my sister travels the States as a very respected trainer, if I had a dog that I could not trust, or could not control I would put it down. The dog will know nothing about it and you are quite possible saving others from a great deal of trauma. On a pedantic note Staffies are not Amercan Pitbulls. If it is indeed a StaffieXLab then it might be possible to train it as most of the "Pit and Bull" tendencies have been bred out of them. Pitbulls are another issue all together. I had a dog with 25% Pitbull and I ended up putting her down because even though she was well trained she seemed to have a switch which when turned on made her almost uncontrollable.

Pulling a member of the family over and biting them because the dog is trying to attack another is simply not acceptable. Sorry (and I do mean sorry), but it really is that simple.

I've heard horror stories of dogs attacking kids and the owners getting sued. These were good, loving owners, mind you.

Hopefully you can rehome. As much as I hate the idea of euthanization, it's actually worse I think if the dog is putting people in danger. Not only is dangerous, there's a lot of liability.

Yes.

I'd shoot my own dog if he/she did that (not worth paying someone to do it when the dog has it coming).