Comment on Rehoming a pet: How to cope with the grief by Leah.
Edit: He never bit anyone but us, but he came close with groomers and once our friend, who is a dog lover and never thought anything of it. But after that, we didn’t feel comfortable having him around anyone but us. In addition to that he was very reactive on walks and we worked with him for a 1.5 years with all of the professionals mentioned above. Everything got worse, it’s like the more exposure he had to strangers (both human and dogs alike) the worse his reactivity got. I still have regrets, I constantly wonder what or if we could have done something different or more. I just keep praying for him to be healed so he can live a long happy, healthy life with his new owners. He deserves that, as I said, he was so very loving. He just made dangerous decisions and we couldn’t figure out how to fix that. I’ll miss him forever, and some people tell us to get another dog and the breeder even offered another, but even with the vet and behaviorist telling us it was genetic with him, that it wasn’t anything we did or didn’t do, I just don’t see myself ever wanting another dog. Not because I’ve lost love for dogs or anything, I just feel like I failed him and I can’t do that to another dog. I can’t risk it. But also, I love him so much and if I can’t have him, I don’t want another. Anyone going through these types of feelings?
Leah Also Commented
Rehoming a pet: How to cope with the grief
We were first time dog owners, not that I never had exposure. I grew up with dogs, my parents have ALWAYS had dogs. But I never expected this experience. We got our Kirby as a puppy from a breeder. He started resource guarding certain things about a month after we got him. His biting was aggressive now that I realize what was happening and I don’t think I explained it well to the breeder, vet, and trainer at the time and they’d refer to it as puppy biting and said he’d grow out of it with training. His aggressions didn’t happen regularly but it did get worse as he got older and more unpredictable. But the time in between the attacks were so wonderful. He was so loving and such a great companion in those times. He was my baby. We hired a behavioral trainer, behaviorist, and a vet that specialized in behavioral sciences. Nothing helps, not meds, not training, not exposure. He kept biting us in unpredictable situations, things one would never think would be a problem. It got to a point where we knew he’d be better with someone with experience in aggressive dogs and better for our mental health as well. We made the decision two months ago to return him to the breeder as they said they’d find that type of home for him. And they did, and I so happy for him because they saw in him what I did. But I’m still a wreck, I’m jealous, I miss him like crazy, and I feel like I failed him. I think about him all the time and I still want him here with me. I’m constantly wondering if they’re doing the things I know he loved, like I’d sing to him and if they’re playing with him the ways he liked to play. I feel like I’ll never escape the sadness and emptiness. When does this get better?