I’m reading through here trying to find hope for my dog but it’s just making me sadder. I have a 4 year old, 80 lbs, total muscle pit. He came from the pound about a year ago and so far I’ve spent close to $3000 on vet bills for skin, ear, paw infections, allergies, yeast..anything. He likely has another skin infection now and we have another vet appointment Monday. Between the bills and his behavior, I’m struggling.

He is very dog reactive. I’ve read all the training tips about the different levels of reactivity and how you have to train while they can still focus on you, but Beau doesn’t focus on me. If he sees a dog all the way across a field, he will stop, refuse to move and stare, even if we are in the middle of the street and I have to actually drag him out of the road. If we get close to a dog, he will lunge, bark, and pull so hard that I end up having to drag him away or hold him back. He won’t turn a different direction or even move. He can’t be distracted or re-focused. I’ve tried all sorts of food and toys. Once he sees another dog, our walk is shot. He will then spend the remainder of the walk taking a couple of steps, and stopping to look behind him. If I try to keep his attention or get him to walk on, he will start walking incredibly slowly or refuse to walk at all.

He pulls and lunges around every corner and door and often tries to force the elevator door open with his face so that he can charge some invisible foe outside of the elevator. Except when we get out of the elevator to go back to our apartment, then he walks so slowly that it’s difficult to get him back in the apartment.

Inside the apartment he mainly sleeps. If I try to play with a toy with him, he’ll take the toy and leave. I don’t know what to try now. I’ve looked at training but it’s so expensive in the city and he’s still racking up vet bills.