A man faced with difficult decisions when his dogs began fighting non-stop made a last-ditch attempt to get advice when he reached out to the internet for help.
The man, who posts to Reddit under the username u/Material_Carob3741, said he was “heartbroken” to be in the position, but had been told he needs to make some “very hard choices” when it came to his dog, Hoku.
Hoku is a deaf female pit bull mix, who he unexpectedly took in to his family when her owner abandoned her. The family has another dog, six-year-old Boston terrier Roxie, and he says that at first, the two dogs got along well.
But as Hoku “grew and got stronger,” the pair started fighting—sometimes seriously–and their Boston has been injured.
He described Hoku as “so smart [and] gentle with people,” but it had gotten to the point where Roxie won’t eat when the pit mix is around, and his 7-year-old child has admitted to being afraid of her.
The family has tried positive reinforcement, keeping the dogs apart, and working with a vibration collar, but at their last vet visit, the man was warned that he “may need to make some very hard choices soon.”
“Hearing that crushed me,” he wrote in a post to Reddit’s r/pitbulls on October 16. “I love Hoku so much and want to make sure whatever happens next is the kindest and safest path for everyone—including her.”
He asked if anyone had been through a similar situation and how they handled it, and added: “Please be kind—I’m already really struggling with this.”
Redditors responded in their droves, upvoting the post more than 600 times, as people shared their own stories, one writing: “As hard as it is, it might be worth looking into a deaf dog specific rescue to responsibly rehome her. Especially concerning the safety of your child, other dog and even potentially yourself and your wife.”
Another suggested a “specific trainer who specializes in special needs dogs or deaf dogs,” but if that didn’t work and they were forced to give her up, “try to find a rescue that has a special needs program or that specializes in deaf or hard of hearing pups, to give her the best chance of a good rehome.”
And one reassured him: “In your situation, since you have a household that probably needs relief, please reach out to deaf dog rescues and or just pibble rescues in your area in hopes to get her adopted to a house that can work and train her.”
They added: “It’s okay to not be able to keep a dog you never planned on in the first place. You’ve done the right things so far. Otherwise, the next steps are go slowly and take lots of time and work.”
Experts agree that when there is ongoing conflict between dogs in the home, rehoming may be the only option. A report from the American Kennel Club suggests working with a dog trainer who utilizes positive reinforcement approaches, but if it continues, rehoming one of the dogs could be the safest option.
Any owner needing to rehome a dog for behavioral reasons must be transparent with the reasons why—this will help the dog go to the right home, and prevent them from having to be rehomed again in the future, the AKC advises.
A report from Better Behavior Veterinary Services agrees that in the case of inter-dog aggression within the home, rehoming should be considered as a treatment option, and can work really well for the rehomed dog. Outside help for two fighting dogs should be sought as quickly as possible.
Newsweek has contacted u/Material_Carob3741 via Reddit for comment on this story.
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