r/TikTokCringe • u/GhostofTinky • Aug 25 '26

Discussion This is a disaster waiting to happen.

The dog isn’t allowed to be around a toddler because he growls at her. I don’t get it. A family dog is supposed to get along with the whole family. Why are the parents concerned about why the dog “doesn’t like her”? What about the child’s safety?

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u/stevebobeeve Aug 25 '26

Look. I hate the idea of euthanasia as much as anybody, and I would certainly try to find any avenue to avoid that. But at the end of the day you have to remember that this has always been the bargain between dogs and humans. For 30,000+ years of domestication. We keep the docile ones and the aggressive ones have to be destroyed. That’s always been the deal. It’s how we even have dogs to begin with.

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u/Zadsta Aug 25 '26

This is such a huge issue in rescue. I spent 6 months as the animal care manager at a dog rescue and we had to euthanize a dog for behavior. Our on staff behaviorists and outside behavior consultants spent MONTHS trying to get this dog safe to adopt out, but there was no amount of training that would make this dog safe. When the decision was made, 70% of our staff quit in protest. This was not a “oh this dog growled at someone once” and was euthanized. There were months of work invested and of course no one wanted to see this dog die, but what do you do with a dog that is aggressive towards most people, all men, children, and all other animals? People love to think “there’s a home for every dog” but the reality is there are very few people willing to take an aggressive dog and it’s a HUGE liability for a rescue to risk their reputation if the dog does attack someone. We would much rather make room in our facility for a dog that can actually be saved than indefinitely hold a dog that is a danger to all our staff and volunteers. BE is always a last resort but it does have its place, I wish more people in rescue understood that.

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u/borborygmi_bb Aug 25 '26

Also in a lot of cases behavioral euthanasia is kindest to the dog too! Like what kind of quality of life does a dog have when it can’t be outside the home at all and is so fearful/anxious it has to turn to aggression?

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u/MediumExternal7565 Aug 26 '26

My very first dog unfortunately was like this. I was a kid, he was my baby but he was so aggressive and honestly? I don’t think he ever had fun his entire life. Every situation, every human, every other dog besides me made him tense and snarling. We tried EVERYTHING. Eventually after he bit my cousin we had to have him BE’d. My grandma put it best “He’s not a happy dog. He doesn’t enjoy life.”

Compared to my current dog who loves Everyone and wants to be best friends with every dog he meets and I just know every day is a good day for him. I

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u/borborygmi_bb Aug 26 '26

I’m sure it was a heartbreaking decision but it sounds like you made the right decision. he isn’t scared anymore ❤️

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u/MediumExternal7565 Aug 26 '26

Thank you. One of the few times I’ve seen my dad cry and he didn’t even really like the dog. It sucked but it was better/more responsible than dropping him off at the pound where he’d have been more terrified and someone else would get bitten.