Where do we draw the line?
So today I've been reading on and off a discussion about a dog that's pretty much a train wreck waiting to happen. There's lots of drama involved, but the point that stuck out to me the most was the fact that this dog, even though worked with patiently, would most likely never even be suitable as a pet, no matter how well managed.
Many suggestions on how to work with this dog were made, and agreed upon by the current owner who has been saintly with this wreck. The ultimate and final route of management though, as agreed upon by many, is euthanasia.
I'll spare getting in to details on this particular dog because really, it brought my thinking to a much broader scale.
At what point do we draw that line with fearful or aggressive dogs? How do we separate our own feelings and what's best for the dog based on its quality of life?
I see it a lot lately, people so adamant that certain dogs can be rehabbed and rehomed to live a happy and full life, but it's simply not true for all dogs*. What plagues me the most about this train of thinking, approaching these dogs with bleeding heart blinders on, is the danger to the people who might be put around that dog. Is keeping a dog alive to be meticulously managed and limited to a poor quality of life, while possibly endangering yourself and those around you really worth it? Just because you might believe euthanasia is inhumane, evil, or whatever your adjective of choice may be?
These are just some thoughts running through my mind right now. Personally, I believe no dog should have to be micro-managed in order to live a life where the basics (feeding, socialization and exercise) are a struggle.
* In no way am I dismissing rescue dogs or organizations. I'm merely against the notion that all dogs can be saved. Blanket statements and mentalities are a dangerous thing in my humble opinion.
** Edit: The aforementioned dog is not mine. She is also in very experienced and knowledgeable hands. The situation merely brought the topic to my mind to be applied to dogs as a whole though. Sorry for the confusion!
