The lab/pit mix was the last addition to the "pack." He was a stray we brought into our home approximately 3 years ago. Last year he began expressing his wish to be "alpha" in two ways: toward me and toward the other two dogs. He bit me once on the hand, but I quickly got that under control and have had no similar problems. I have trained him to obey on command and he does so without hesitation 85% of the time.

Yet, to date, he has been in one very serious fight with the Chow (my husband broke the fight up) and there have been three additional troubling situations, involving both the Chow and the terrier.

All of these situations occur when they get too excited and all of them have resulted in multiple puncture wounds to the heads of both of the other dogs.

The most recent incident occurred today.

Other pertinent information includes the fact that we live in a space probably too small for three fairly large dogs. Also, they share food and are together (not in crates) all day long, and seem to be constantly competing for the "alpha" spot.

Today, my husband and I decided that we are going to find another home for the lab/pit mix. We have talked to our veterinarian and are aware of options such as obedience training. We don't feel that this is a viable option for us at this point.

What other options do we have for placement with this type of history? We don't feel comfortable giving him to a private owner.

We really need some sound advice. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks so much.

A: Two terrier mixes of the same sex getting into fights is completely predictable. Finding another home for one of them makes perfect sense, and aggression toward other dogs is not a reason to put a dog to sleep. Since your female dog has also been injured, possibly this dog should not live with any other dogs.

One thing that gives me pause here, though, as to whether the dog is actually a risk with a female dog is that you are having your dogs share their food. Oops. Stop that! It's very dangerous. Even if you don't keep this dog, you need to feed your dogs separately. Dogs who will never fight for any other reason will often eventually fight over food. Separate them when you feed them, and for any edible chew toys such as rawhide. Food brings out survival instincts in dogs. Don't put them in this position.

So, that does leave a potential question mark that perhaps this dog could live safely with another dog of the opposite sex, if managed differently. The space could be a factor, if for example you don't have a fenced yard for the dogs to play in together. They can work out relationships with a little room to romp. It doesn't take a lot of space, but confinement inside an apartment could be too tight.

Now, the bite to you. It happened when the dog was between the ages of three and four years, and resolved by what sounds like leadership training. You didn't mention whether the dog was neutered by around a year of age. Doing that can avoid some of the problems that sometimes emerge when a dog, especially a male dog, reaches around three years of age.

The bite certainly indicates the need for a skilled owner. The question is, why would such an owner choose to adopt a 4-year old dog who is a risk for biting humans, and who has injured other dogs in the household? I agree with not placing him in a private home, but what does that leave? Junkyard dog, protecting a gas station at night? That can be a horrible life for a dog. He's not a candidate to be trained for assisting a disabled person, military service, or police work.

There are a few organizations around who, for a sizable donation, will house the dog in a pen for the rest of his life. That's a poor quality of life for a dog. Even if the agreement is to give him exercise outings, etc., that is up to the people running the organization, whether they will be able to continue to do as they promise.

Some people do live with some of their dogs kept permanently separated from each other. It's a routine lifestyle that works for many people. If you pass this dog on to someone else, his chances for long-term survival are not great. It only takes one good home, of course, to have him set for life. But if that person passes him on, the next one down the line is likely to have even less commitment to him. It's just a downward spiral until someone says "That's it, no more options."

It used to be that there were not enough homes for all the homeless dogs. These days the dog population is under better control, but the problem is that some dogs are not really viable as companion dogs. That is basically the decision that needs to be made about this dog. If he is a poor risk for someone else to live with safely, it may be most humane for you to make the hard decision to have your veterinarian painlessly end his life. I would suggest you have a local behavior specialist meet with you and the dog, and help you make that evaluation/decision.

I hope it doesn't sound like I take this lightly, because I don't. I don't blame you for trying to help the dog in the first place, for working him through the aggression toward you, or for making the decision to place him when both your other dogs have been injured. It's a heartbreaker for you, I am sure. I agree with you that passing him on to a situation where someone else could be hurt is not the right thing to do. There might be a perfect home somewhere for him--but chances are, that home already has all the dogs it can handle.