Update 10/21 - TLDR - This started as me trying to re-home my dog, but I have ended up keeping him in the end. I have a great deal of gratitude for some of the membership here. You know who you are - some really, truly, great people I have been fortunate enough to interact with and meet. This has been a humbling experience and likely will continue to be for the rest of Zekes life, but I owe thanks to a handful of guys for helping me get this far.

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Hello, all,

I have to re-home or euthanize Zeke. His euthanasia date is August 25, this is a last ditch effort to see if anyone would like to give him a second chance. This is destroying me.

He CAN NOT go to a home with kids. He is fine with other dogs, has met and socialized with hundreds and never an issue. Never met a cat so I don’t know. He DOES NOT want anything to do with kids. NO KIDS.

Zeke has been a companion to me for his 6 years, we have thousands of hours training. I don’t even know where to begin, every basic command, many advanced commands, hell, if you have mulch or woods he wont even poop on your grass. Sit, stand, stay, heel, finish, stand-stay, lay, up, down, off, upstairs, downstairs, garage, truck, inside, outside, he knows them all. Has the basics in German, bliben, zeets, plotz etc. We dont have a fence and he doesn’t leave our 2 acre yard. AKC certified, no health issues.

Trouble started when our first born son started getting mobile a year ago. Zeke showed signs of aggression whenever the kiddo would crawl toward him. I reluctantly made a feeble attempt to re-home him then, but instead we hit some more professional training real hard in hopes we could work it out of him, and it seemed to as we had no issues over the year.

We welcomed our second son a month ago and things have been going smooth, but this morning Zeke turned on me out of nowhere. The newborn was laying on the ground and Zeke was across the room lightly growling at him. When I moved toward Zeke to herd him out of the room he turned on me and showed teeth. I got positive control of his collar with my left hand but when we got to the door I moved my right hand to open the door infront of him and he took his shot at my hand . No thrashing etc but a few deep puncture wounds. It was largely unprovoked and I have no trust for him being in the house with my kids/wife. I hate it but he has to go. Kids make him incredibly uncomfortable.

He’s beautiful, super smart, incredibly obedient, no wander lust. Our third 1 hour session with our trainer he couldn’t even believe how good he is. Said he could win amateur competitions with him right then as he was, with no treats or anything. Zeke will work hard literally out of respect. He’s  the perfect dog in almost every way, he just isn’t affectionate and HATES kids.

I don’t know what else to say. If you’re interested please ask questions and Ill answer. I can’t even look at him without coming to tears knowing what lies ahead for him. He’s been my best friend.

Ill get some current pics up tonight when the kids get to bed.











Here he is today.

I'm sorry OP.
That sounds like a terrible situation and you've tried your best to make it right.

You're making the right call.  

Good luck sir!

I wish I could take him, but unfortunately would not be a good fit. I wish you the best of luck, as it is not an easy decision.

Bump for Zeke.

Sorry to hear of his problem.

free bumpski.

hope someone can take him for ya.

It maybe too late to try some of these options

https://journeydogtraining.com/dog-is-aggressive-towards-children/

Can you not take him to a no kill rescue? A quick google shows several in New England.

He could be litter mates with my 6 y.o. girl GERMAN SHEPHERD (surrendered twice before we rescued her.)
We chose a female with a less aggressive nature.

Sorry for your situation. Hope he finds a good home. He'll be as heartbroken as you will.


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Why are you gonna euthanize him? Take him to a rescue

Have you tried kicking his ass for being aggressive towards your kids? Training ain't the answer here. Dog speak is.

Nor is setting up a kill date before asking someone to take him.

You took on a responsibility.  

There are few people who could properly take the aggression out of him.  And you wouldn't like the way they do it.

I'm sorry man.  It's not going to be possible to send him somewhere where he never interacts with kids.  He bit you too.  Someone who he knows and trusts.

I'm sorry, this is a difficult and terrible situation.  It sounds like you've done everything you can for him and he's still aggressively acting out.

Breaks my heart. Good Luck I hope someone can adopt him.

We had to re-home our GS a few years ago for the exact same reason. Broke my heart and my wife still cries about it on occasion. You have my sympathy OP. Try to re-home, you will feel slightly better than if you euthanize.

I’m completely lost as to why you already set a kill date on him. You are here asking for a good home for him and I hope someone steps in but you said you have a date already set to kill him? The last thing on my mind with my German Shepard that I have had for ten years would be setting a date to put him down. It would never happen. Moving forward do not get another dog. Dogs and kids are not a good combo for you

@BLKVooDoo do you know anyone who might want a performance dog and would understand the precautions necessary to keep him and children safe?

Heartbreaking, OP.

My wife & i have no kids—but our work schedules aren’t conducive to helping, unfortunately.

Damn—I wish it was 10 years ago & I would drive down to get him.

Best for all.  Tough choice—but the right one, OP.

Dang OP, that is sad.


The worries you have reminds me of my Dobie Samson who died 35 years ago, but I still talk to at his gravesite in back of my house. The wife & I concluded that the Good Lord took him for good reason at only 10 years old when my wife was 10 months pregnant expecting our son . Our 80lb dog likely would have been very jealous of our newborn, the same way he was jealous of our large pet Macaw which he jumped and gummed wet in dog saliva. He probably would have killed our parrot had I not been there to loudly and quickly yell at him to stop the attack as I pulled him away.

Hate you are having to go through this.  We had to with our mutt a few of years ago.  She was great, took her to dog parks, walks, etc.  Randomly she started getting aggressive with our daughter.  Then she nipped my mother in laws hand and then bit my wife when she tried to get her off the bed a few weeks  later.  That was the last straw.  We attempted to find a home for her but ended up having to put her down.

Sounds like he was protecting the kids

Definitely a bummer. Sorry to hear.  


But also confused as to why you chose to post pics of him with kids after all the “omg no kids!!!” bit

That’s stupid.  Some dogs go bad.  If I had a dog like OP I would put him down, it will likely hurt someone in the future.

Sorry to hear that, OP.

Zoo’s full here, unless he can eat a cat.

He bit. Time to put him down. Had to do the same for our last dog when he took a shot at our middle child and put a puncture in her cheek right below the eye.

It sucks, it's horrible, but it has to be done.

This, have you ever shown him that you can kick his ass?

Give us some more background, here.   This doesn't quite add up imo.

To show that the dog is not a full time raving, crazed lunatic of an animal. But yea..... the biting the hand thing is not encouraging either, and is the point to make for euthanasia.

I’m sorry to hear this.

I had the EXACT situation happen to me as well.  We put it all off until our dog bit a family friend.  

You know what to do.  😢

German Shepherds know what a human baby is.

He bit OP, what is OP doing that is weird?

Man...I'm really sorry to hear that OP.

I couldn't even fathom owning a dog that listens well. Mine was ok for a while, but I failed her in the end. She's a cunt.

I feel like my dog would ruin him lol.

Best of luck. German shepherds are awesome dogs. I'm sure the right person will come along shortly.

ETA: oh, I didn't catch that he bit you OP.
Ya, that sucks ass. You should probably put him down

Yea, this.  I'm sure someone will step up though especially around here.

The dog should have already been put down, don’t give your problem to someone else.

Contact these people via Facebook!   There phone always goes right to voice mail.

@zegermanznew

They are in Amesbury, Mass.

My sister-in-law had a dog that they loved but was overly aggressive towards children. They tried a lot of stuff to fix the dogs behavior. They ended up putting the dog down after they tried to remove him and he attacked the new owners and they gave him back.

Good luck in trying to remove him. The whole situation sucks and it's terrible your going through a rough time. Hopefully you can find someone who can take him in.

Lets figure out logistics. Zeke has a home with me,

I will volunteer to take Zeke to the western PA border or similar distance.

I wouldn't have a dog that I was worried about biting folks. Good luck OP.

Alright, now we are talking.

Well, thats what I do.

That the dog bit was added to the OP's original post from what I read.

Dog needs to go to someone who knows dog think.

Way to step up. Glad to see him going to a good home.

I may regret this, but I'm willing to take the guy as far as Canton Ohio from the pa border.
I work til 4pm weekdays.


Edit: whomever is organizing, please IM me and I'll be sure to check my arf IMs everyday.
I can pick him up at the cranberry TWP interchange.

Wtf is with the kill date? Thats weird dude.

Hopefully he finds a home

It's basically a threat I assume

I have a class starting in a couple day, I cannot travel. Get the dog here arfcom!  We have Ct through PA to OH!

You the Man BLKVooDoo... I will say, I hope for the best...

Op change the  thread title