Euthanasia Criteria

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When a pet dies, it is often just as intense as if a friend or family member dies. But, yet, it is different because a lot of the time, we are putting our dogs to death at the veterinarian’s office instead of letting the dog suffer and die a natural death.

A natural death would most likely either be one where the animal would suffer alone until it was over, or the sick animal would be attacked by a predator and killed instantly. Euthanasia requires us to play God and make the kill ourselves.

It is always hard to make that decision, and sometimes we end up prolonging the suffering of our dogs to avoid our own emotional suffering. It takes courage to do what’s best for the dog in these circumstances. Also, I think most pet owners feel waves of intense guilt when they make that final decision and tell the vet that it is OK to kill their pet, even if the pet’s life is clearly at an end and the pet is suffering horribly. It’s our respect for life that causes us to feel this way. I think it is normal. So long as you can justify why you are doing this, and are very clear the reasons why this is the best choice for the animal, then you can live with it. It is inhumane to prolong the life of a dying animal to the point that the animal is suffering. I have watched that happen, and it doesn’t make the end any prettier. If the animal is dying, then please, end its suffering by going to your veterinarian and having them put your dog to death.

There are two reasons why you put a dog to death.

The first is for health reasons. I think if the animal is suffering and has no way of coming back to being healthy, then it is time to put the dog down, and you can ultimately feel justified in doing so. Yet, what about the dog where the medical costs are beyond your ability to pay? Tough call. You have a higher moral responsibility to support yourself and your family over a dog, when push comes to shove. So long as you can’t find someone else, or a rescue group to take the dog and pay for it’s medical care, then euthanasia is justified. If there is an expensive health problem, and no money to pay for the medical care, and no place that will take your dog… man that’s tough. If the dog’s alternative is to suffer or starve to death, then it is justified to put the dog down. What if the medical problem makes your home unsanitary or unsafe? I remember a situation where the vet botched the spaying of a Bichon, so the dog could not hold in its urine. It peed on itself, where it slept, as it walked along in the home, it could not stop peeing. The owners put the dog down. Yes, maybe they could have put diapers on the dog for the rest of its life, but I believe their decision was morally right.

The second reason is for behavioral problems. This one is a bit more murky because a professional evaluation needs to be done. If the dog is vicious, meaning the dog is mentally unbalanced and dangerous, then euthanasia is justified. A vicious dog is one that behaves in a way that is not natural for canines. It is natural, for example, for a dog to kill animals it sees as prey. So, killing a cat or horse or bird isn’t viciousness… if the dog wasn’t socialized with these as a puppy, then they are food to the dog. Sometimes, even with lots of socialization, you can’t override a dog’s natural tendency to hunt and kill prey… that means nature trumps nurture. It is natural for a guard dog to attack someone or another animal intruding on territory… that can’t be trained or bred out of a dog. Hurting or teasing a dog, or challenging it for dominance or for it’s food could provoke an attack. Again, that doesn’t mean the dog is vicious. Just because a dog bites someone or even kills them doesn’t mean the dog is vicious. That may not be what the law says, but that is true from a behavioral standpoint. If you put a dog in an impossible situation where it feels it must protect, and the dog attacks, then is the dog to blame? If the law is forcing you to put your dog to death, then the higher moral law is to obey the authorities, to put the dog down, and your decision is justified. If you don’t agree with the law, then work to change the law, or fight it in court. But, if you can’t or don’t decide to challenge the law, then the law is to be obeyed, and that is morally right, and euthanasia is justified. If the dog’s behavior is dangerous for the dog, then it is a more difficult decision to put a dog down. What if the dog is an escape artist, and there’s no way to keep the dog from jumping to its death out third story windows, digging out of the yard and being hit by a car, or chewing through walls and consuming something that would choke the dog to death? I think if you’ve done everything, including hiring the best professional dog trainer in your town to help you, and the dog is a danger to itself, and there is no way to find a new home and/or make the dog safe for itself… maybe you should put the dog down. I think it is morally wrong to put a dog down for behavioral reasons if you haven’t first worked with a professional dog trainer / behaviorist on the problem and taken it as far as their program, and your budget, will allow. I think the euthanasia decision should be made in conjunction with the advice and consent of your veterinarian, dog trainer and family. If all are in agreement that the dog is, in human terms, “suicidal”, and is going to kill itself, then euthanasia is justified to prevent the suffering of the animal.

There may be other examples, and you’ll have to decide yourself what to do. I know, personally, how hard it is. The grief and guilt can be pretty intense. If you have to put a dog down, and if you are a dog person, cry it all out, then get another dog once your emotions have calmed down. The new dog won’t replace the old dog, but the new dog will fill your heart with love and fill the hole that was rent in your soul when the other dog died.

Behavioral Reasons for Euthanasia: My current factors considered for recommending euthanasia for potentially dangerous dogs are as follows. Decisions and recommendations like this are never easy. All these factors, as a whole, and other information, should be considered by the owner before deciding to put a dog to death. I think you should talk to a professional dog trainer before making this decision. NOTE: There is NEVER a justifiable reason for putting a dog down because of its breed.

* Training / Behavior Modification hasn’t resulted in an acceptable change in the dog;
* There is significant risk and/or evidence that dog is going to seriously injure someone; aggression problems don’t automatically mean the dog will injure someone or is dangerous; I am referring to the idea that even with reasonable precautions, supervision, training and behavior modification, the dog is still going to get around all of that and hurt someone;
* You have made a reasonable effort to work with the dog and situation; meaning you have PAID a professional to help you, worked the situation properly and diligently, and you still can’t trust the dog to not hurt itself, another animal or a person;
* The dog is so dangerous you can’t place the dog with someone else;
* The owner isn’t willing, or is unable, or unqualified, to work with the dog any further, even with supervised professional help; some people won’t follow instructions, so some of these dogs would be fine in the hands of someone else, but not the current owner;
* Regardless what you do (behavior modification, training, and/or behavioral medications) nothing has made the dog manageable, and your trainer is recommending you consider euthanasia;
* Even behavioral medications can’t alleviate the problem; I am experienced working with drugs prescribed by veterinarians and can give you feedback as to how things are going, or when you might wish to consider another drug;
* This dog is too dangerous to work with. For example, I won’t work with dogs that have demonstrated they are dangerous to the children of the family: I’m referring to dogs which have a “screw loose” and lack the normal social inhibition of biting children. Unless they can be placed in a responsible adult home, they are dangerous and should be put down. REPEAT: DOGS THAT ARE DANGEROUS AROUND CHILDREN ARE VICIOUS AND SHOULD BE PUT DOWN IF THE DOG IS GOING TO BE AROUND CHILDREN. If you decide to keep the dog, then you must keep the dog away from children 100% of the time. Not everyone can do this;
* The decision to put the dog down is being made in a rational manner. I have met people who wanted to put down a dog that didn’t deserve it. I have seen people imagine a dog is dangerous when really that person has emotional problems and the dog is just responding to an unstable home environment. There are cases where vindictive spouses put the family dog down just to get revenge on the other spouse;
* Placement is not an option. Many dogs do better in a different home. I have seen many cases of dogs that were 100% “cured” by living somewhere else. This isn’t always an option and doesn’t always fix the problem. But, a lot can be done in a home with experienced “dog people” who know how to manage a dog properly. On the other hand, you sometimes need to find a dog a new home, and no one, and no rescue organization, will take the dog; or, you are being forced by the law to put the dog down, or risk going to jail. When this is the case, then sometimes euthanasia is the only solution.
* The problem doesn’t change, or worsens, over time, even with professional help;
* The owners are justifiably fearful of the dog, according to the trainer / behaviorist, and there is nowhere else for the dog to go;
* The dog has been professionally evaluated, and the professional is recommending euthanasia;
* The problems have been going on a long time and the dog has been given every chance for change; money has been spent with a professional trainer / behaviorist;
* The behavior is unpredictable and/or uncontrollable;
* There is an extreme temperament problem with dog; the dog IS NOT TYPICAL OF THE BREED STANDARD;
* The problem cannot be solved with proper training, behavior modification, change in the way the dog is being managed, or a leash, muzzle, kennel and/ or fence.

CASE STUDIES:
Case of the Fearful Pup
Case of the Fearful Dog

FREE DOG TRAINING TIP: Dog Training is an INVESTMENT in your dog and your home. Which costs less? A House Training Lesson or the cost of replacing all your carpets because your dog has pee’d and pooped all over the house? A Behavioral Lesson or a lawsuit because your dog injured someone? A dog training lesson or a massive veterinarian bill because your dog was hit by a car? A happy home with a well behaved dog, or a home filled with strife as everyone argues over the dog? When you get a dog, you should invest in your dog’s training and wellbeing. It is much less expensive to hire a high quality trainer that gets the job done instead of a cheap trainer that won’t get the job done. After you’ve wasted your money and tried the “pet store” training programs, or tried one of those “quick fix” trainers, you’ll see you have wasted your money and you’ll need a professional in order to have a trained dog. Why not start out with Sam The Dog Trainer, THE SOLUTION, instead of wasting time with these other programs?