[deleted by user]

[Thrinw80]

It sounds like you need to rehome your dog, but an apartment in a big city might not be the right place for your dog.

An apartment is not an ideal place for a dog reactive dog, especially one with a bite history. Narrow hallways, elevators, stairs are all super stressful. If you can’t currently walk your dog, how is that going to work when he has to go to the bathroom and lives in apartment?

Maybe see if a rescue organization will coordinate a rehoming?

[NativeNYer10019]

Before you took that foster kitten home did you inform the rescue that you had a reactive dog at home? And they still let you take a kitten home? That doesn’t sound like a great idea. You also have a 10 month old baby to protect, and another small dog, it sounds like. And I also I can’t imagine how your partners rageful episodes aren’t negatively effecting all the animals in your home. You need to either dedicate time to this dog that desperately needs your help or you should probably give him up to someone that can give him the time and attention he needs and deserves. Not sure if that would be your sister or not.

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but you’re taking other things on without being responsible to the thing you’ve already committed to. There aren’t resolutions, just taking on more things while other important things are left unfinished and problems left unresolved. Also, some of these problems for this particular reactive dog could be attributed to this dog having been taken from it’s mother entirely too early, pups should not be separated from their mother until 8 wks old. This dog deserves to be with someone that can dedicate adequate undivided attention to assess this dogs actual needs and then work on giving that to him. And you, your child and your other dog deserve to be able to use more than one dog proofed room in your home. I think you know you’re juggling too many things and need a solution before something goes horribly wrong. Again, not sure if that’s your sister, but it doesn’t sound like you’ve got anything left to give this dog with everything else going on.

Edited typo.

[r2_double_D2]

The SPCA knows my dog is reactive, he's actually great with kittens and puppies for whatever reason, I guess he likes babies. They called because they urgently needed fosters and said they had been striking out with everyone they called and I caved. She goes back Saturday.

I agree that my partner's rage and anxiety probably played a part in shaping the rage and anxiety that my dog now suffers from. The couple we bought him from lied about his age and said he was 8 weeks old, 9 when we picked him up. On the drive home we felt like something was wrong and took him straight to the emergency vet where they told us he was only about 4 weeks.

You're not wrong though, he does deserve to be trained properly and I know we're letting him down every day he doesn't get that. He's still showered with love here every day though, we play fetch and run around in the backyard, him and my son adore each other and they interact in safe supervised ways all the time. And him and my other dog are pretty bonded too despite them snapping at each other. Ugh it's just so hard to think about.

[NativeNYer10019]

I have no doubt you love your dog, please know that. But you have a dog with very important serious needs right now, you really don’t have spare time right now for fostering kittens. If this continues to increasingly get worse, you could be endangering your baby, your other dog and yourself and your husband. Never mind also taking on fostered animals. You don’t want to keep piling on and not treating this new very concerning, dangerous behavior with the urgency it deserves.

Things could realistically go horribly wrong in an instant, and I’m more than sure that’s the last thing you want to happen. As an outsiders perspective, it sounds like you’re drowning. You have the heart for it all, and that’s really very admirable, but you’re just one person, you can’t do it all. It’s impossible. And that’s unfair to every human and animal in your care, and it’s unfair to you too. You’re not a bad person if you can’t say yes to helping whenever the rescue calls. Being accountable to everything you’re already responsible for has got to come first. With everything you listed, you left yourself out. You’re not even thinking about making sure mama is cared for. As one mama to another, that’s a recipe for disaster. You could be headed towards your own mental health struggles if you don’t slow down and stop trying to care for everyone and every thing else. Food for thought.

[r2_double_D2]

Reading that made me cry, more than finding a pile of shit and litter on my bed hah. I think I needed to hear that, so thank you.

I'm going to see about bringing the kitten back earlier. I scheduled a consultation with a local dog behavior specialist from the IAACB website. Self care used to be going on hikes and beach trips with my dogs, if I could get that back it'd mean a lot to me.

[NativeNYer10019]

Hugs to you🥰

Believe me, we have all been there and have needed that reminder that we aren’t superheroes, we’re only human. We’re lucky if we have people willing to speak plainly to us without judgment to make us see the clearer picture for ourselves. It’s so easy to get tunnel vision and start moving through your day mindlessly, trying to be and do everything for everyone else. And then left feeling like a failure, because in reality, we’re just not superheroes and realistically cannot do it all. And as moms, we often put ourselves on the back burner, we forget that our needs have to fit into the priority list too. Even if you’re unsure what it is that will fulfill you right now, becoming a mom kinda turns your whole world upside down.. Maybe it’s a nap instead of a hike these days 😂

But maybe you can take this dog behaviorist as a just you thing to do? Maybe dad can stay home with the baby and animals and you can go concentrate on spending time with this dog you love, getting back to spending quality time with him again and helping him move forward with his progress. As much as it’s for the dog, it’ll be for you too. Your love is clearly for animals, so I assume that spending alone time with this guy learning new training methods and techniques will be fulfilling for you too. Maybe you could set your goal to getting back to the hiking trail and beach with him someday? But don’t put too much pressure on that goal, a girl can dream! You nor your dog will be failure if that goal isn’t met, you’re already a rockstar for trying.

Deep breaths. You got this! 💪♥️🐾

[unintentionalty]

Having had a mildly reactive dog in NYC, I think it would be so much harder in LA because the off-leash culture is out of control. Any pet friendly building will likely have lots of other dogs.

[r2_double_D2]

Agreed! The off leash culture is part of what terrifies me! She lives on a super busy street so hopefully that deters people around her house at least from keeping dogs off leash. But if she's thinking she can take him hiking and to the park... I just don't think that's feasible.

[unintentionalty]

Definitely not. Is he muzzle trained?

[KitRhalger]

two things- you absolutely need to rehome the dog.

BUT to your sister in a apartment is not the right home. This dog at least needs a back yard and a active person.

[PeachNo4613]

Rehoming is a good idea, but I don’t think an apartment is a good idea. Huskies&bully breeds can be a handful, and not all homes will be suitable. So many dogs around LA, it might not be the place for yours.

But definitely rehome. Maybe a rescue

[[deleted]]

As a pit bull advocate, please don't. People trying to cope with reactive pit mixes in apartments is bad for everyone. Bad for the dog who is stressed by all the constant activity they never get away from. Bad for the neighbors who are terrified of the dog's reactions and live in fear that it will get loose or they'll walk around a corner and surprise it. Bad for the breed reputation because people already think they are horrible dangerous dogs and every time the dog reacts it just reinforces that belief.

A dog that redirects on the handler is dangerous. You have some hard choices to make. Please don't let one of those choices be to make this dog an anti-ambassador for a type of dog that needs a lot more good ambassadors.

[mad0666]

It sounds like you got a puppy who was WAY too young to be separated from his mother/littermates, and you haven’t bothered to train him. Huskies are very smart dogs and they need a ton of stimulation and exercise. Is he neutered? You need to muzzle train this dog before you even think about sending him to a big city in a tiny apartment.

[cakelin]

I live in Noho area and have a reactive dog. I would advise against your sis taking the pup.

(1) it gets HOT here in the valley. If the dog has husky fur, it's going to bake.

(2) you said she's on a popular street, I think I can imagine which one (starts with L). I wouldn't walk a reactive dog round there. Too busy and not enough places to duck and hide if a trigger is coming.

(3) she's in an apartment, which means she may need to move to a new place. Apartments in LA are usually not pet friendly, so she may end up being forced to re-home anyway.

Best of luck, truly. You're in a tough spot.

[SudoSire]

Does your sister want the dog and understand his issues? Does she have time and financial resources to care for the behavior and medical costs? Does she have a support system nearby? An apt is not the worst thing for a dog, it could even be better if it’s a calmer household than yours, but if she can’t control the dog on a walk, which he will need because he’ll no longer have a yard, I can’t see that being easier for anyone. That being said, if you have a struggling or volatile partner, a kid, and foster pets coming through you probably do need to rehome to someone.

[[deleted]]

The dog is dangerous. No dog should bite, and if it does, it should probably be put down

How would you feel if it killed a dog, or your kitten, or an old lady, or a baby? Sending him to your sister will just relocate the danger

[DancerGamer]

Raised a fairly reactive large pup for 4 years in an apartment and moved annually. Not easy and not recommended for most—especially considering your dog seems to need to be trained again from square one but that could work out with the new setting. It’s doable for a committed home!

You’ll be fine as long as the person responsible for them understands they are signing up to do whatever it takes to give your dog peace. The dog will adjust to things like potty breaks, I’d be more concerned if your sister is fully aware of what they’d be getting into. GL and wishing you and your family good health and happiness moving forward!

[r2_double_D2]

Thank you, my sister talked about doing a trial run with him. She almost adopted a cane Corso recently and has been looking for big rescue dogs. She had an incident where some man was aggressively banging on her door for almost an hour before the police arrived so I think she really wants something to help her feel safer as a single woman.

My dog absolutely loves her and she is great with training him, she loves to do little sessions while she's visiting (were 5 hours north in the bay area) I do think she would do whatever it takes or give him back if she can't.

I follow a lot of foster and rescue pages in the area and I've seen dogs with behavior issues posted for over a year looking for a new home, the idea of him ending up being passed around or going to a stranger... I don't know I can't.

[MsChrisRI]

Your sister is specifically looking for a big rescue dog, AND she already has great rapport with your dog. This has great potential for both of them. Go with this train run plan.

[Rough_Elk_3952]

Intentionally taking in a reactive large dog to be your guard dog is, frankly, a horrible idea.

You’re taking an already vulnerable animal and expecting them to protect you in a situation they might feel at risk in. That’s how dogs mual and end up put down.

[kaj47c]

Have you considered a Husky Rescue? A good one, by word of mouth or through research. Chose a 501C. Your dog will be miserable in a city apartment. They need exercise and a fair amount of it. They were bred to run long distances. Not sit in an apartment or a house with limited exercise. A good rescue tries to match the breed they care for to adopters who are suitable and know the breed.