Aggression problems are very difficult to deal with. Sometimes a dog is aggressive because they are afraid. This is hard to overcome, but can be worked through with time and patience, in a home environment. Sometimes a dog is aggressive concerning one "possession" - their food dish, crate, or favorite human. This can also be overcome with sensitivity training. Sometimes a dog is aggressive to small animals - cats, rodents, birds. This is just a dog's nature, IMO, and is part of owning a dog. ALL of my dogs take great pleasure from hunting and killing small creatures. I don't really dig it, but it's the way dogs are. Some dogs are aggressive to other dogs. IMO, this is an inherent personality trait of the dog, and extremely difficult to overcome. And .... there are dogs that are aggresive, period ... aggresive to people, to other dogs, to small animals. Only a serious, extremely dedicated, professional trainer might be able to help an inherently aggressive dog. An animal shelter is NOT going to have the time, skills or budget to handle a dog like that. A breed rescue will be your best shot, if your dog is a purebred, or a mix with a high percentage of one breed.

Let me tell you a couple stories about aggressive dogs: I had a foster dog, Sparky. He was severely injured when I brought him home to foster. I had him for six months, during which time he was 100% docile and submissive. My dogs, who were 1/4 his size, made him roll over and show his belly. I suspected nothing but this would continue. One day, I came home from the movie to a bloodbath - Sparky had almost killed my dog, Wishbone. He had gotten him by the throat. It was NOT a pretty sight - blood sprayed up my walls, onto my ceiling, Wishbone's neck in shreds. Wishbone lived, but barely. Sparky is currently living in my boarding kennel. I will not take him to a shelter. He would be miserable, and his chances of getting adopted slim. Plus, the potential for human error at a shelter - leaving a gate open, mixing up adoption files - is very real. So, he will stay in my kennel until I find the PERFECT home for him, or I decide the time has come to euthanize him. Only time will tell.

My other story - a few weeks ago two of my dogs got in a fight. These two have always had some "issues" with each other - growling, circling, etc., but never a big fight. Well, they did this time! And, of course, being dogs .. all the others jumped in on the loser. By the time I heard it, jumped out of the shower (why are you always naked when this stuff happens!?) and broke it up, the losing dog (poor Wishbone again) was pretty well bit. The dog that started the fight with him, Jack, is still living in my house, and always will. I seperate them when I am not with them. Problem solved.

So .. the moral of my two long (sorry!) stories is this ... sometimes a dog being aggressive to another dog is a serious, rip-out-the-throat-and-kill kind of thing, and sometimes it is normal dog stuff that escalates a little. Sometimes a dog must be re-homed or euthanized, and sometimes not. I have many, many, many years of experience working with dogs ... and I always get a second and third opinion. Perhaps you should too? Can you contact a behavorist, or trainer? Perhaps Chemc needs to go to a new place, and perhaps not. But I would get a profession assessment of the situation if you could.

Also ... please don't "punish" Chewey or be angry at him. He doesn't understand, dogs don't hold grudges. He doesn't know why you are mad at him. He is no doubt very confused and sad. Please treat him nicely and kindly and love him. You will feel much better about it, and he will be much happier. Even you have to find a new home for him, he needs to know you love him now.