09/06/2025
𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐭, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭.
Last week was a tough one. I always try to celebrate the wins, but sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, things just aren’t fixable.
A client came to me about their young, giant-breed dog who was showing increasingly concerning behaviour. He’d had a solid start—well-socialised, thoughtfully raised, and deeply loved. But around six months old, reactivity began to emerge, and it had steadily worsened.
Our consultation went mostly well—until, right at the end, the dog suddenly lunged and attacked me. No warning signs. It was quick, serious, and deeply concerning.
Based on what I observed and the history shared, I had some strong suspicions. I knew I needed to act fast, so I urgently reached out to other professionals to get a second opinion and gather more insight. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but I also couldn’t ignore the signs.
The very next day, the owners got in touch—absolutely devastated. After a great deal of soul-searching, they had made the painful decision to have him put to sleep. A family member, after learning of the incident, disclosed that they’d been bitten weeks earlier—something the owners hadn’t known. With children in the home and rehoming not being a safe or realistic option, they were left facing an impossible situation.
Their vet confirmed what I had suspected—likely a genetic issue, a form of ‘rage syndrome,’ compounded by poor breeding. And the breeders? They’d blocked the owners and vanished from the internet. That speaks volumes.
This dog didn’t fail. His family didn’t fail. He was failed—before he ever had a chance.
💔 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.
People often say, “I want to buy so I know what I’m getting.” But stories like this are proof that isn’t always true.
If you're thinking about bringing a puppy into your home, please do your research:
✅ Choose ethical, reputable breeders—those who health and temperament test and are transparent about their dogs.
❌ Avoid backyard breeders, online listings, or anyone vague with details.
A responsible breeder supports their dogs for life.
An irresponsible one disappears the second things go wrong.
