What an awful day...

[Sama]

Well, it is done, no turning back now. A day I have been dreading for 5 years now. We put down my American Eskimo today, I just got the call that it was done.

Clem was born July 31, 2004 and I met him for the first time about a month after that. (I was in Oklahoma assisting my grandma during her last few months of fighting cancer.) He was the quietest calmest puppy you have ever seen, my cousins breed Eskimos and over the next 3 months I spent quiet a bit of time at their house holding him as he would just sit on my lap and enjoy being pet. Grandma lost her fight with cancer late November/early December. Two weeks before Christmas Nancy called me and told me they where giving me Clem because after my most recent visit he consistently would start to howl at 2 am and cry until someone got up to hold him. I took him home later that day.

The problems started but didn't seem to bad at first, he started becoming aggressive with strangers, despite my efforts to socialize him. Shortly after that he began to develop aggression toward other dogs also. He also became very protective of my truck, which didn't seem as bad because it was a game we played with my other dog (he would try to eat you through the window and when you opened the door he licked you to death) but Clem meant it in earnest as I found out when I didn't grab him fast enough as a friend was going on a ride with me. I am not a very social person to begin and as work started to take over my time I would rarely have friends over and on the occasions I did I either had to lock him up to prevent him from biting or we went throw the drill (don't try to touch him, keep your back to the wall, no sudden movements). About that time we learned he was food aggressive on top of it all when my 8? month old niece dropped some food and got bite when she when to pick it up.

So ya, I have been making excuses for him for most of his 7 years now and surprisingly none of the people he has bite has ever reported him or the decision would have been taken out of my hands. He bit my brother-in-law a few months ago and bloodied his ankle through his boot because he was holding a chihuahua that Clem hated. I have been waiting for something to happen so I wouldn't have to make this choice for to long, I do not see him as the scary dog my friends and family see, he has never bit me once and I still see the puppy I brought home a little under 7 years ago, sleeping on my lap during a hard time in my life. Well I made the hard choice today and now it is too late to unmake it. I couldn't even be there for him, I am still haunted by Playdough's death in 2008 although he died an old dog with multiple health related issues. I know my parents made sure he didn't suffer, if it when according to plan he died doing what he loved best, eating table scraps.

I know this was for the best, I just wish it didn't hurt so much.
Rest in Peace Clem
July 31, 2004 - July 31, 2010

[Kymberli]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I went through the same ordeal with my Akita/Chow/German Shepherd I had a few years ago. We found him and his 8 litter mates shoved in a small box and thrown into a dumpster to die. Luckily their cries were heard. He grew up to be the same as your Eskimo, aggressive towards everyone but me. The second you turned your back, you'd get bitten. He bit over 10 people and no one ever filed a report, but we had to make the decision to let him go before something worse happened. It's a horrible decision to make, as these are our family members, but you have to know it was in the best interest of him and everyone else. Hang in there.

[Big Gunns]

I wish I could feel sorry for you, but I don't. My snakes bite...my monitors bite(16 stitches to prove it). I don't kill them though. I house them so they can't hurt anyone. You took the easy way out. You should have found a way to keep your loving pet so it didn't bite anyone....just like I keep my snakes and lizards.

Sorry to come down on you like that, but you basically gave that dog the death penalty because you were too lazy to keep it away from other people it might hurt. The truth hurts. Big Gunns doesn't sugarcoat things. This is the way I see it and in my opinion you should feel really bad about it. I would have NEVER done it. NEVER!!!!!!!

[JamieH]

I wish I could feel sorry for you, but I don't. My snakes bite...my monitors bite(16 stitches to prove it). I don't kill them though. I house them so they can't hurt anyone. You took the easy way out. You should have found a way to keep your loving pet so it didn't bite anyone....just like I keep my snakes and lizards.

Sorry to come down on you like that, but you basically gave that dog the death penalty because you were too lazy to keep it away from other people it might hurt. The truth hurts. Big Gunns doesn't sugarcoat things. This is the way I see it and in my opinion you should feel really bad about it. I would have NEVER done it. NEVER!!!!!!!

1.) a dog is not like a snake of lizard.


2.) seriously? did you really just come down on this guy like that? I dont want to come down on YOU. but that was terrible to say. esp. to someone who lost a pet they loved dearly. don't try to bring the OP down for trying to make the right decision, they did it because they saw no other way to prevent something worse...and as bad as it hurts, I believe he did the right thing.


to the OP. Im very sorry for your loss, I went through this too. Keep your head up and remember the good times.

[rabernet]

I wish I could feel sorry for you, but I don't. My snakes bite...my monitors bite(16 stitches to prove it). I don't kill them though. I house them so they can't hurt anyone. You took the easy way out. You should have found a way to keep your loving pet so it didn't bite anyone....just like I keep my snakes and lizards.

Sorry to come down on you like that, but you basically gave that dog the death penalty because you were too lazy to keep it away from other people it might hurt. The truth hurts. Big Gunns doesn't sugarcoat things. This is the way I see it and in my opinion you should feel really bad about it. I would have NEVER done it. NEVER!!!!!!!

Sometimes what momma preached is best in this situation. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

[ballpythonluvr]

I wish I could feel sorry for you, but I don't. My snakes bite...my monitors bite(16 stitches to prove it). I don't kill them though. I house them so they can't hurt anyone. You took the easy way out. You should have found a way to keep your loving pet so it didn't bite anyone....just like I keep my snakes and lizards.

Sorry to come down on you like that, but you basically gave that dog the death penalty because you were too lazy to keep it away from other people it might hurt. The truth hurts. Big Gunns doesn't sugarcoat things. This is the way I see it and in my opinion you should feel really bad about it. I would have NEVER done it. NEVER!!!!!!!

Why is it that you always seem to open your mouth when it should stay shut???? You think you are so big and tough. Keep your words to yourself for once. To the OP, I am so very sorry for your loss. That must have been a very difficult ordeal for you. You are in my thoughts.

[Simple Man]

Sorry for your loss Sama.

Regards,

B

[Redneck_Crow]

You loved your family and friends enough to make a terrible sacrifice to keep them safe. I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I have never had to deal with an aggressive dog or be faced with that decision, so I cannot comment, but I know it must have been a horrible decision to have to make.

Sorry for the loss of your boy.

Bruce

[llovelace]

I'm sorry for your loss, and that you felt that it was your only option.