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I have a 4 year old female that is dog aggressive towards my other female dog. She is also a little weary of small children and my husband and I are adopting 2 small kids. We have done everything under the sun to try and find her a good home, but either the people want a guard dog that will stay outside all the timeor they just seem like they would be a good match for her. I have talked to a Dobie rescue and they said that ifthey were to take her and she was to growl at them once then she would be Euthanized asap because they could not have a dog they couldnt trust. Which I understand, but this Dobie will growl a little when she is forced to do something she doesnt want done to her. She has never snapped , but they said they wont take that chance. So I am at a loss here. I dont know what else to do. I would like to find her a local home just so I would be able to be sure she is getting the kind of care she should, but at the same timeno one local is intersted.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks,
sdaly

>>I have a 4 year old female that is dog aggressive towards my other female dog. She is also a little weary of small children and my husband and I are adopting 2 small kids. We have done everything under the sun to try and find her a good home, but either the people want a guard dog that will stay outside all the timeor they just seem like they would be a good match for her. I have talked to a Dobie rescue and they said that ifthey were to take her and she was to growl at them once then she would be Euthanized asap because they could not have a dog they couldnt trust. Which I understand, but this Dobie will growl a little when she is forced to do something she doesnt want done to her. She has never snapped , but they said they wont take that chance. So I am at a loss here. I dont know what else to do. I would like to find her a local home just so I would be able to be sure she is getting the kind of care she should, but at the same timeno one local is intersted.
>>
>>Any help would be greatly appreciated,
>>Thanks,
>>sdaly

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

There's no easy solution here. If the dog came from a reputable breeder, that breeder will want to take responsibility for her now. If not, rescue may be her best chance. It's not in her best interests to be passed on with aggression problems and go through what she would go through in such a case before being put to sleep. One thing you might consider doing is paying for an evaluation of her temperament by a veterinary behavior specialist. Your veterinarian can help you find one. Then both you and the rescue would have more accurate information for decision-making.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47