-Ranger
(Before I start, I know this will be one of those posts that gets hit from all angles and I’m ok with that. It’s been an emotional week, but upon prayers and seeking some wisdom from others I feel this is the best approach to seek first.)
We have a 17 month old male lab/hound mix (plott hound) who’s around 60 lbs that we adopted when he was 10 wks old from a rescue out of Clarksville TX. He is a family dog who lives with me & my wife, a 14 yr old boy, 10 yr old girl, 1 dog for 14 months (12 yr old lab who passed a month ago), and 2 cats. He hangs out with us constantly inside and outside. But this dog is high energy and is always ready to go! He was boarded a couple of times when younger at a kennel during a couple of trips when we couldn’t bring him along and played well with other dogs. He spent last deer season with us at the deer lease almost every trip. He has also spent around 3 months this past spring at a trainer for bird hunting and some basic training. He is a started dog and knows here, sit, wait, place, heel, back (to release), fetch, hold, out (for toys/birds), gives high fives (my daughters favorite trick with him), and is e-collar trained, etc. He is house trained and crate trained. He loves to run and play, take walks, but also likes to relax and nap too. At the trainers he got along with most dogs except if another dog possessed dominant traits then he wanted to be the dominant dog.
Overall he has been a great dog and I was excited to hunt him this upcoming season, but this past Tuesday night on 7/16 we had an incident I can’t look past. He was in the kitchen while I was preparing dinner and our daughter came in. He was sitting near me and she bent down to hug and pet him, and unfortunately he snipped at her and got her under her eye. She had to get 2 stitches. I honestly think it was a worse case scenario. I’m not taking up for the dog but it was not an attack, I think more of a territorial/possession act.
So here is the kicker, my 10 yr old daughter has Down Syndrome. Due to her intellectual disabilities from that, we don't feel as if we will be able to make her understand enough to not put Ranger in this situation again (and by no means am I blaming her and taking up for the dog, it was kind of a perfect storm but I’m not willing to think that it can be prevented in the future because of her disability). Even though it’s a hard decision we are hoping to rehome him with someone who would be a better fit.
We feel he would be best in a home with no pets and no kids under 15 (this is based off his interaction with our son). Ideally a residence with space would be great where he has room to exercise. Not sure how he would do at a dog park since we’ve never taken him.
From a hunting standpoint; he retrieved a few doves last year at an early age. While I didn’t hunt him on the duck hunts with I did bring him out to hunt up a few cripples after the hunts and he sniffed them out. He loves chewing on antlers so I think he could find you a few sheds, and I also simulated a blood trail for him with a deer my son shot last year. On a side note, I just brought home a buck mount yesterday and sat it on the dining room table, my wife had to get onto him several times this morning cause he wanted it. I sincerely think he will be a bad azz hunting dog (I’m basing that off comparing him to the 2 bad azz black labs I’ve had over the last 20 years). He will make someone a good retriever and possibly assist on some blood trails too.
If he were a vicious dog, I’d put him down. But he is not, he is very playful and in the right home will make a great pet. Unfortunately, we’ve just realized we aren’t the perfect home for him. I’ve put down 2 old dogs and this is as hard a decision as both of those times because as a family we are attached to him. But I know as a ‘Dad’ I have to make some hard decisions along the way while raising kids and this falls under that category. My daughter’s safety is priority 1!
So whether it’s you or someone you know that might be interested in Ranger please contact me direct via text or phone call.
Also, on another note, if you have any information/connections on therapy dogs please share that with me as well. We are going to entertain that for our next dog given our daughter’s situation.
Grateful TBH!
Kurt Roy
21/4/930-3814
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(Before I start, I know this will be one of those posts that gets hit from all angles and I’m ok with that. It’s been an emotional week, but upon prayers and seeking some wisdom from others I feel this is the best approach to seek first.)
We have a 17 month old male lab/hound mix (plott hound) who’s around 60 lbs that we adopted when he was 10 wks old from a rescue out of Clarksville TX. He is a family dog who lives with me & my wife, a 14 yr old boy, 10 yr old girl, 1 dog for 14 months (12 yr old lab who passed a month ago), and 2 cats. He hangs out with us constantly inside and outside. But this dog is high energy and is always ready to go! He was boarded a couple of times when younger at a kennel during a couple of trips when we couldn’t bring him along and played well with other dogs. He spent last deer season with us at the deer lease almost every trip. He has also spent around 3 months this past spring at a trainer for bird hunting and some basic training. He is a started dog and knows here, sit, wait, place, heel, back (to release), fetch, hold, out (for toys/birds), gives high fives (my daughters favorite trick with him), and is e-collar trained, etc. He is house trained and crate trained. He loves to run and play, take walks, but also likes to relax and nap too. At the trainers he got along with most dogs except if another dog possessed dominant traits then he wanted to be the dominant dog.
Overall he has been a great dog and I was excited to hunt him this upcoming season, but this past Tuesday night on 7/16 we had an incident I can’t look past. He was in the kitchen while I was preparing dinner and our daughter came in. He was sitting near me and she bent down to hug and pet him, and unfortunately he snipped at her and got her under her eye. She had to get 2 stitches. I honestly think it was a worse case scenario. I’m not taking up for the dog but it was not an attack, I think more of a territorial/possession act.
So here is the kicker, my 10 yr old daughter has Down Syndrome. Due to her intellectual disabilities from that, we don't feel as if we will be able to make her understand enough to not put Ranger in this situation again (and by no means am I blaming her and taking up for the dog, it was kind of a perfect storm but I’m not willing to think that it can be prevented in the future because of her disability). Even though it’s a hard decision we are hoping to rehome him with someone who would be a better fit.
We feel he would be best in a home with no pets and no kids under 15 (this is based off his interaction with our son). Ideally a residence with space would be great where he has room to exercise. Not sure how he would do at a dog park since we’ve never taken him.
From a hunting standpoint; he retrieved a few doves last year at an early age. While I didn’t hunt him on the duck hunts with I did bring him out to hunt up a few cripples after the hunts and he sniffed them out. He loves chewing on antlers so I think he could find you a few sheds, and I also simulated a blood trail for him with a deer my son shot last year. On a side note, I just brought home a buck mount yesterday and sat it on the dining room table, my wife had to get onto him several times this morning cause he wanted it. I sincerely think he will be a bad azz hunting dog (I’m basing that off comparing him to the 2 bad azz black labs I’ve had over the last 20 years). He will make someone a good retriever and possibly assist on some blood trails too.
If he were a vicious dog, I’d put him down. But he is not, he is very playful and in the right home will make a great pet. Unfortunately, we’ve just realized we aren’t the perfect home for him. I’ve put down 2 old dogs and this is as hard a decision as both of those times because as a family we are attached to him. But I know as a ‘Dad’ I have to make some hard decisions along the way while raising kids and this falls under that category. My daughter’s safety is priority 1!
So whether it’s you or someone you know that might be interested in Ranger please contact me direct via text or phone call.
Also, on another note, if you have any information/connections on therapy dogs please share that with me as well. We are going to entertain that for our next dog given our daughter’s situation.
Grateful TBH!
Kurt Roy
21/4/930-3814
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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