Courtney Guthrie

OK,

This post is VERY hard for me to even think about writing, It's been on my mind for 2 months now.

As everyone knows Red has tempermant issues, IMHO they are somewhat fear based and somewhat other(I have no clue). There is no pattern, no rhyme or reason nothing that stays the same to trigger a response. BUT It's getting worse....a little better now...but still worse.

She was NOT always like this, before she turned 2, she was my happy go lucky good girl I could take anywhere. As she has gotten older she has changed a LOT. Some of it, I believe stemmed from issues with me as a handler. Most of it I feel is genetics for her.

The Schutzhund trainers have seen her and worked her and thought she was OK. She goes into "fight" mode though when pushed and thus we officially retired from Schutzhund this past summer.

I'll give you guys a run down and some history here.

Red was gotten from a BYB, he did some health testing but not enough and his dogs were NOT breeding quality. I got her for free from him, originally she was my ex's BUT when we split I kept her. She is VERY bonded to my grandma and my grandma to her. BUT she is my heart and soul dog......she has taught me more than I'll ever learn....more than I'll ever get from another dog. She was great until aound 2 years old. She has never liked kids but she tolerated them and was great with a select few. We started training in Schutzhund when she was 18 months old and the trainers loved her. She would go out on the field and work then come off and play with a friend's little girl. We participated in a Schutzhund trial and got her BH.

We moved when she was about 2 years old. We moved out of my parent's house and into the big world by ourselves with Hobie(my old dog). I worked, went to school and spent all extra time with the dogs. She was great...much more protective and watchful but still my happy go lucky dog. Love everyone she was introduced too. She changed MANY minds about Pit Bulls in this time of her life. They were astonished at her size and friendliness......she's a little dog, 40 lbs. We met Ketra and her dogs at this point and she started to like Gypsy. We went a LOT of places and had a blast.

Before I moved home....I had an employer scream and yell at me at the groom shop that I worked at. Libby, her dog Gypsy and Red were all there. Libby left the room and tried to get Red to go with her......she did and then came back to me. The day after that, I went to work for an acquintance at another groom shop since I was in town for another week anyway. Red growled at a guy with a baseball hat on....something she'd never done before. I attributed it to the incident the day before. We moved home and she was fine BUT she would growl at people in the pet store that wore hats and looked thugish. I had her evaluated by my Schutzhund trainers and she passed again with flying colors. They said that she was fine and to just watch her.

Libby and I went to Seattle for a bully BBQ. We took Red and gypsy on the public transportation system. They did great, we sat in back as it was more roomy and out of the way. We stopped at a stop and a few african-american guys got on and ran down the aisle towards us.....Red stood, growled and snarled at them, they were wearing black clothes and baseball hats for the most part. She would not completely calm down immediately, she finally did and was OK. We then went walking in downtown Seattle where she did great and stayed relaxed. Then we were standing waiting for an elevator, it came and opened and had reflective sides and she barked at a lady in the elevator. This was VERY very unlike her. We went elsewhere and she was wonderful. I got back and had the Schutzhund trainers evaluate her again, they said that she was just being a dog, protective and to keep watching her which I did. She got better and we started Competitive OB classes, she had no problems there and did wonderfully in the class. Quite a bit of time passed and she was doing good. Then we were out with my best friend and her kids, Red barked, growled and tried to jump on him. She got corrected and went back to being her normal self.

I moved in with Libby and Red did great and continued to do great. Until this last summer. She has resumed barking at people randomly. They can be wearing a cowboy hat, baseball hat, clean clothes, preppy, thug it doesn't matter. Red had an indcident with Libby's neice about 2 months ago. There was no teeth marks and no teeth hit skin. She bumped her neice with her head and scared her. Red was hyped up because she was being played with at the time but there was no excuse. Fast forward to last month....Libby and I went downtown and Red didn't bark but she STARED people down and low-growled at some people. She was silent....it honestly worried me and I moved away from the area. We went and walked more and then went into a tire store to check out rims. The sales guy came up and shook my hand, Red instantly stiffened and watched the exchange, I truly believe that she would have bitten him had he fell or tried to do something, moved the wrong way. She never barked or growled just watched and watched. Then Libby and I went on a walk in Zuni and on our way back, Red went after a bicyclist....she was ON leash but she still tried, she has been around tons and tons of bikes and never acted that way. It was random and completely out of the blue.

Also, She is VERY protective of the truck, house, car and yard. She would bite someone that tried to steal the car, break in the house or came in the yard. That honestly was OK with me BUT it has gotten to the point where it's not good. She is too vocal and too showy with aggression for my liking anymore.

Mind you, I quit taking her to iffy places and only to places where she can be controlled and feels comfortable. Unfortunately, those places are becoming VERY few now. She is so picky that MOST of the time she is OK BUT now it has gotten to the point where I'm not comfortable taking her out in public. Although she LOVES to go everywhere. She is NOT a dog that is happy sitting at home, she normally genuinely loves people. I have lightened up on her and she has been better...but I think the part about her not being allowed to be herself ties into the whole picture of she can NOT be herself because of her tempermant. I have pushed her to see where her break is and I can NOT get a definete answer as she is so choosy.

I'm taking her to see a behavorist when I decide where and find a good one BUT in my heart, I know what I have to do. I wish that I could "fix" her and make her go back to being the happy go lucky dog that she is 95% of the time. There is ONLY A 5% TIME FRAME THAT SHE IS DIFFERENT. Most of the time she is GREAT! Ketra knows her and can vouch on her behavior and maybe give some outsider looking in information.

The liability that I have by having her is HUGE. No matter how vigilant and careful I am there is always a chance.....that freak accident and I honestly don't know that I can afford that liability. It is HUGE and with her tempermant getting more and more unstable........I don't know what to do. Honestly, I'm crying writing this as she has been the BEST dog in the world and as I said before there is only a 5% time frame that she is different in. I NEVER thought that I'd ever have to write something like this about my little dog. EVER! I'm at a loss and have been battling it for a few months now. I will NOT make the final decision until after winter as I want to give my grandma and parents a chance to see her before I do something. She is currently not going anywhere where there are other people, she goes running and for rides in the car but she doesn't get to go on walks downtown or anything like that.

I'm giving it my all and will do everything I can but ultimately it's coming down to the same question.........Can I afford the Liability of it all??? The simple answer is NO but the complicated answer is YES.

This was NOT an EASY post for me. BUT it was something that I needed input and advice, words on.

She is an American Staffordshire Terrier/ Pit Bull. I quit taking her out in public at all and she is much more comfortable and less stressed. She is getting evaluated by a behavioist in June when I go home to WA for a visit...I want it done where she is completely comfortable and not stressed out and I'd rather her be put to sleep where she is completely comfortable and not stressed.

Courtney

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Tululajhs Red Chrome Kahpone-AST-CGC, TT, BH

Osyrius Silver Chrome VonMarionHaus- GSD-Nothing Yet