On another forum I frequent we had a discussion about dogs that bite. Should they be put down? Anyone with a pet knows that this is always a last resort. A few alternative suggestions would be to mildly sedated or use a muzzle if needed. Usually animals who bite do so out of fear, but sometimes it is a form of possession guarding. It can be a favorite toy, food or property.
If you have taken in a stray often there is no way to know the back ground of the animal and there may have been a reason that the animal learned to bite. This is common in severely abused dogs as they have had to defend themselves from beatings and such. It may be a form of hording if your dog has gone hungry some time in its life.
Many of the large shelters have behavior specialist and often offer this service free of charge as an attempt to keep dogs in their homes and keep numbers down at the shelter. Before deciding to put your dog down if it bites consider at least one consult with a professional.
In the work I've done with abused children, they have a similar response. I had a kiddo of 6 tell me he was going to "jack me up". I replied, "I'm going to love you up"! He immediately turned from a level 5 tornado into a gooey marshmellow! Put them down, NO!
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