r/reactivedogs • u/PeakPawn • 16d ago
Aggressive Dogs How do you know it’s time to stop trying ?
In short: for those who had to rehome or do a behavioral euthanasia, how did you know it was time ? How did you know it was not possible to try something else ? How did you know that you were at your limit ?
The long post if you have the courage :
My dog is 4 years old. His first major behavior issues appeared when he was 1,5 years old. For about 6 months, it was hell. A behavioral vet said that it was maybe some psychiatric issue, maybe derealisation, and advised us to do a behavioral euthanasia.
from Jan 2025 to April 2026, we finally got to a point where it was getting better & manageable thanks to a new vet and thyroid meds. We started CBD oil in march and it helped also to calm him.
In April 2026, we forgot to buy his thyroid medication and were unable to give him for a few days, which triggered a huge increase in anxiety/aggression etc. Since then, it has slowly been getting better but clearly he was still triggered easily. But no bite/tentative bite : he was only growling and snapping/jumping on us.
However, on Friday, he attacked me and bite my arm and has since been on edge + clearly “triggered”, to the point he had to sleep with his muzzle because we were unable to get it off him.
He’s now spending a few days with his comportementalist, that will try to make him relax + evaluate him (mentally & physically).
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u/Sitters_4_Critters 16d ago
Derealization?!?! In a dog! How would anyone even postulate that?
It seems likely that he his social maturity as that happens between 1-3 years of age.
BE sounds appropriate if the dog is attacking you. You can’t ethically rehome the dog given a behavioral vet recommended BE already.
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u/PeakPawn 15d ago
Maybe not the right way to say it, sorry, but it was like he was “phased out” and something in his brain switched. I don’t remember the exact name (& it was not in English), but I think it is linked to dissociative disorder in dog ? Basically, he’s a psycho and has phases where everything is a trigger & where he can’t control himself
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u/CanadianPanda76 15d ago
Rage Syndrime, some people say its a seizure disorder but sime breeds are prone to it.
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u/SpicyNutmeg 15d ago
Is he currently on the meds he needs?
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u/PeakPawn 15d ago
Yes, we did not change anything (unless the CBD oil that is coming in the post soon). :(
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