End of the line for me and Tubbs

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RatDog
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End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by RatDog » Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:24 pm

Be forewarned this is a real downer of a post. Today was the final straw for Tubbs, he’s gotta go. I was unloading some stuff from my truck and the garage door was open. A woman was walking by across the street about a block away with a stroller and a young child. Tubbs took off across the street at full speed barking as loud as he could and ran up to them. I shouted for him to come and realized his collar remote was on the kitchen counter. He skidded to a stop a couple of feet from the woman and her child, hackles up, barking and growling aggressively. The woman shielded her child and they were all visibly frightened, rightfully so. I ran into the kitchen as it was much closer than trying to catch the dog and gave him a high hard one from the collar. He yelped and ran back into the house. This was not the first incident like this. He’s been aggressive with dogs, people and children before. He has never bitten anyone and I think it’s more a fear thing than anything but it’s incredibly off putting and embarrassing nonetheless.

If I’m being honest the behavior that is most difficult is that he will not chill out when left in his kennel. I built him a very nice and spacious indoor/outdoor kennel. If we try and leave him in there to go run errands or go to work he frantically paces in circles and yelps/howls the entire time. We live in a neighborhood so this is totally unacceptable. We have tried running him before leaving him and it doesn’t seem to make a difference. We have tried a bark collar but the shock from the collar makes him yelp which trips it again and it’s this terrible loop that just ends up with the dog howling and running in circles.

Whole thing has been awful. My wife calls him the divorce dog because we argue so much about what to do about him. It’d be one thing if he had all these issue and was a great bird dog but he’s not. I really believe he has always had some serious screws loose and you can’t really fix crazy. Or if you can it would take time, effort, energy I just don’t have to give. Heartbreaking for me, for the wife and kids, just awful.

I guess if there is a positive side it’s that I have learned a lot and there are many things I will do differently.

Tenderfoot
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Re: End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by Tenderfoot » Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:41 am

Sorry to hear that. I’ve been following your updates and it definitely sounds like you’ve encountered some hurdles along the way that you’ve tried to work through. I don’t think having a bird dog should cause anyone that much turmoil and for me the kennel Anxiety pacing, barking/howling alone would have been a show stopper. Good luck to you

cjhills
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Re: End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by cjhills » Wed Jan 06, 2021 7:08 am

Ratdog:
This is extremely sad news for me.
I guess there are dogs that are mentally screwed up. I really hoped things would work out for you. It definitely is not worth the risk of him biting somebody.
Sorry......Cj

shags
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Re: End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by shags » Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:01 am

I'm sorry that things haven't worked out, but I think you're doing the right thing. A young family doesn't need that kind of stress and liability issues.

Best wishes to you going forward.

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Sharon
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Re: End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by Sharon » Thu Jan 07, 2021 2:50 pm

So hard to give up on a dog, but sometimes it is the best decision. I rescued a JRT ( have rescued many) and am pretty good at bringing such a dog around to be a good housemate/hunter. However, once after 2 years of effort, I had to put a dog down. My best efforts weren't enough.
It happens; don't be too hard on yourself.
" We are more than our gender, skin color, class, sexuality or age; we are unlimited potential, and can not be defined by one label." quote A. Bartlett

RyanDoolittle
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Re: End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by RyanDoolittle » Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:04 pm

Had a divorce dog myself. One of the best dogs I have owned. Wife was more important so the dog had to go. Tough at first but after you sell your first dog it will set yourself up for better dogs in the future. It gets easier to sell a dog after the 1st, especially a dud.

Dont feel bad, I wouldnt keep a dog like that around either. No way would I accept that behavior from a dog either.

birddogger2
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Re: End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by birddogger2 » Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:41 pm

Been there.

Had to make the same choice.

Had a dog that was as sweet as pie, but who could turn vicious with certain provocations. I am certain it was some kind of chemical imbalance or illness, because he would go glassy eyed and stare off into space right before he went off the reservation. He was especially aggressive toward his own son. They got into it a couple of times and one would have killed the other if they were not pulled apart.

If he went after me, that would have been on me, but I could not have that dog in the same yard as my grandchildren. He had to get put down.

Sometimes being the one who has to make the decision...really really sucks...but you gotta do what you know is right.

RayG

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MNTonester
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Re: End of the line for me and Tubbs

Post by MNTonester » Fri Jan 08, 2021 4:40 pm

might I ask, was he a rescue dog?

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