Vet thinks puppy should be put down!! Help!!!

[sjg41463]

I think u have a puppy on your hands

I have a 6 mth old and a 8 mth old they too do a lot of the things you talk about SHOULD I HAVE THEM PUT DOWN ???? I THINK NOT, I thought that is what puppys do LOL I wish I had a bigger house sounds like that pup would fit right in. Sounds like u have a puppy on your hands , I have had a lot of different breeds of dogs throughout my life the boxers by far are the best I have had. We as dog owners have to remember that dogs like people have their own personality if we want them to act a certain way we have to train our puppy to do the things we want them to they are eager to please.

P S Maybe your friend really
doesn't need a puppy

 

[Shakira's Ma]

I have sat here and read every single post and I am still in awe as to why a vet would ever suggest such a hideous thing. This puppy is still just a tiny baby, and she acts just like my Shakira did. My Shakira was like a piranha she would not quit biting it took a lot of training and ignoring to get her to quit. She never, ever laid in my lap or arms on her back, just wasn't her style, I was at a loss as to what to do and knew that this was unique behavior compared to any puppies I have ever owned. I just think that boxers have different behaviors then your average pup. Shakira is now one of the sweetest babies you could ask for, she still can play rough but it is all normal boxer behavior. Such a shame for a vet to not know this and would suggest euthanization, how many pups do you think have died at the hands of this vet, when they were only enjoying being a puppy, Soooooooo SAD

 

[PawPrintBoxers]

Two things are screaming in my mind:

1. IT's A BABY!!!!!!!!

2. Where is the Breeder????????

Dare I say this is a good example of what can happen when someone buys from an irresponsible breeder? Just a guess on my part, but I think I am right. From what has been said, these people have been left high and dry once their check cleared :(

True story: One of my pups from my very first litter was a lovely boy. His owners had had one Boxer prior and had 3 children. They told me they were having troubles at 3 months old with him nipping and biting. Without hestitation I had them come over. They all sat on the floor and interacted with the pup as I watched. They would put out a hand to pet, he would think it was to play and nip at it, and they would quickly draw their hand back. The pup advanced closer because now the "toy" was being moved away. They took this to mean he wanted to be petted and put their hand out again only to have him try to bite it. Not mean bite, mind you. But play bite. Any of you with pups can understand.

I watched this for a couple minutes as they said "See?". Within 5 minutes I had shown them the proper way to pet their puppy and let him know NO on the biting. I showed them how to get a toy instead. And I even sent them home with some bitter apple to help break this habit he was far too used to by now. Within a couple days there was no more hand nipping and everyone was happy.

A responsible breeder will be there for the life of the dog for anything that is needed. Any pup, they do not have to be a show Champion. Just a sweet Boxer that came from the home of a caring breeder

Please tell your friends to have patience, seek a responsible trainer, and understand their pup is the youngest of babies. Plenty of time to help teach him to be a good citizen.

 

[Gus's Teah]

Thank goodness my vets don't have the opinion of your friends...

Our 6 month old boxer, Gus, absolutely hates the vet! I think it's because the first time we took him the vet tech clipped his toe nails and he hates having his feet touched. Anyways, the vet's office is a very scary place for him - he's fine in the waiting room, but not in the examining room. I've been taking pets to our vet for 20 years and have never seen any of them not love Dr. Payton, but Gus hates him (just a little background). Gus was having a skin irritation problem and he was biting his toes; when Dr. Payton tried to examine Gus's feet, he went crazy biting at Dr. Payton's hands and trying to get away. I apologized and told the dr. that he never acted that way at home. Dr. Payton said that there was no need to apologize, that Gus didn't know him and that he was only a puppy in a scary place. He said that as he got to know him that maybe he would trust him more and proceeded to pat Gus on the head and soothe him. I can't imagine if he'd told me that Gus needed to be put down! Needless to say, we would never have taken Gus back!!!

 

[SammynDqtz]

The first thing that got me is the pups age.... he is only a BABY! Please give him time. For another thing, I own a 9 year old Boxer, a 6 year old mutt, and a 2 year old Bichon Frise... ALL of them HATE vets! The Boxer will get nervous and sometimes try to bite, my mutt must ALWAYS wear a muzzle and my little Bichon, though she does not bite or try to, she will growl like mad!
I am not about to lable them as horrible monsters that need put down. Who would like a complete stranger pinning them down and prodding at them?!
I am also going to suggest you pick up a copy of the Dog Listener, it is a great book with positive ways to train. I feel at this VERY young age he can be helped easily if you are consistent and patient.

 

[Tyshart]

Wow

I can not get over how ironic this story is to me. Today I took my 12 week old puppy to the vets for his last set of shots. He acted very similiar to the puppy we are talking about, to the vet. As she was checking him out he started nipping at her, then she decided to clip his toe nails and he went nuts. Growling and biting me and her. Afterwards, we both spoke softly to the puppy and he calmed down. Prior to the visit I had noticed that Boxlee was very strong willed. Progression on training was slow. I've had a hard time getting him to pay attention to me. And he would snap at our faces if we were holding him and he suddenly didn't want held. He had actually bit me on the chin over Christmas. I talked about this to my vet. Do you know what my vet said to me? She said that I need professional help. That the puppy was more stubborn then I was qualified to handle. That she knew an experienced trainer that is great and the sessions are always one on one. She gave me the trainers number and I've called and made an appointment.
To me this seems like a logical sequence of events. Problem with puppy, seek knowledgeable help, work with puppy. You and the puppy learn to communicate. Where is there an option of giving the puppy up, or worse putting it to sleep. I hope this couple stays true to a commitment they made to the puppy by bringing him into their home. Exhaust resources before making a rash decision that would affect so many people, please!

 

[Mama_Zookeeper]

Very sad!

I just found this thread and am shocked by what I have read.

Yes...I do believe dogs have definite personalities. Sometimes re-homeing is the only solution. But this is after exhausting all other possiblities...a couple of weeks with a 9 week old puppy does not seem like enough time at all to make such a drastic decision!

Yes...some dogs are vet aggresive. Maybe I am wrong, but if I had a job where I am dealing with someone who cannot communicate fear or anxiety to me I would EXPECT some strange behaviors. My vet has seen my pups for the last 12-13 years and she is wonderful...then last month Mia the boston bit her! She was having bandages removed (probable latex allergy) and was very red and sore. She lunged and nipped our poor vet in the forehead. We were so apologetic and her response was "it is a job hazard" Mia will now wear a muzzle at the vet to be safe. Not even once was putting her down mentioned!

A puppy is not going to behave like a "dog"! They are babies and will do whatever they can get away with to be sure! Training, exercise, and lots of patience is a must! Even more so with our boxer pups (MHO) because they are so silly to begin with...stubborness is a word unfortunately associated with boxers for a reason!

How old was this pup when it was taken from its mom? A lack of proper socialization could indeed produce a pup who really does not know what is play and what is innappropriate.

How much attention & exercise is this pup getting? Boxers are a very social breed and need to be with their master, they get nervous when left alone for too long. Especially true for a young pup who has energy to burn! A bored pup is a destructive one! I can almost guarantee that every instance of bad behavior in our home has come on a day when we were extremely busy and did not devote enough time to play or exercise.

OK....I am sorry for the long rant & I promise I have jumped off my soap box. What I really wanted to ask is if anyone has heard anything more on this pup? An update please....I am hoping for good news!

Dora

 

[risa6]

In total agreement!

I couldn't agree more with what everyone is saying. Puppies like to bite, squirm, be abnoxious, and pee. That's what being a puppy is all about!

We recently adopted our foster puppy (lab/pit/mastiff mix) because the center I volunteer for said he had agression issues and would probably be put down. This ticked me off since I knew he was a sweetheart, but he needed some TLC. He showed food agression, but is an angel now that I've worked with him. It took a lot of training and patience, but we got there! He still gets into it with my boxer some, but that's just because she's a pill.

I would tell your friend to get some serious training for her boxer and hang in there. Boxers are awesome!!!!

Good luck!

 

[basak]

9-10 weeks old... boy, how can a vet not realize how baby that puppy is???!!!
My Krose is almost 4 and he still doesn't like to be on his back unless he does it willingly. He doesn't like it one bit when he sees a needle coming his way.

Babies cry, dogs growl and bark... their way of communication at that age.

He does deserve another chance. PLease keep us posted

basak

 

[KimbaCloud]

I am sorry about their situation.

A 9 week old puppy should not be acting like that at all. To have a pup at such a young age to growl, bite, and claw is not normal and would make me nervous. There is something in their eyes that tell you if they are aggressive. Some dogs are just born with a mental problem and have bad aggression. So I see where the Vet is coming from. I would call the breeder and talk to them about this and if that was a dead end I would have to think if I had the time and the means to care for this disturbed pup. The training would be never ending, with a disturbed dog you would have many steps and phases that you would have to go through. I do not agree to destroy the dog, but you need to get the pup in some type of training quite before the dog becomes comfortable with these behaviors and also before he gets to big and could really do damage to someone. I am so sorry about their situation and hope they all get through it safely. This aggression problem is what happens when bad people breed. Not one Boxer I have ever met in my life have had any of these problems. I stress that this is not normal behavior for a 9 week old pup of any breed. There is a big difference between puppy play and aggression. This puppy as an adult can snap later. I would be extremely careful in the future. And again hope that they come out of this OK.