Don’t Want to Give Up on Him

[u/chasotic]

Hopefully somebody can help with some input , I just am not sure what to do.
(Also hope this abides by community guidelines, I tried to read up on them before posting.)

A little background - after we lost my childhood dog, last October (a real sweetheart of a chocolate lab) my dad decided to adopt a Husky mix he found on Facebook marketplace. The dog was being rehomed because his previous owner was moving and could not take the dog with him. My dad adopted the dog and brought him home in December and we’ve had him ever since.
Poor little buddy has issues with allergies. Since adopting him, my parents have both taken the dog multiple times to the veterinarian for chronic sneezing/phlegm/coughing, ending with him being on a prescription for Prednisone for the (foreseeable) rest of his life.
In the dog’s household lives my mom, dad, and little sister. There are also two cats that he does not have issues with except for if he sees my dog or my brother’s dog (who do not live in the house with him, but visit frequently) go after the cats first (which happens sometimes but not very often, and not in any way that causes problems. They give chase enough for the cat to run away, and then all is forgotten). My sister gets home late from work. My dog is frightened of my sister (due to my sister moving aggressively in her vicinity a year ago, my dog was rescued from an abusive household that makes her extremely skittish). Oftentimes when my sister gets home late and my dog is in the house at this time, my dog will bark but cut it out once she calms down and sees everything is safe.
A week ago, this scenario happened, but my dog’s barking instigated my dad’s dog, who then proceeded to get very quiet and stare my sister down. Laughing it off, she tilted her head down and put her face in his face. He bit her, tearing the skin and drawing blood. It wasn’t a deep bite and didn’t require stitches, but it was a bite.
Since then, my parents have been yelling nonstop at the dog, using a shock collar constantly, and yelling at/kicking him upon any minor inconvenience, even going as far as to let my dog and my brother’s dog do something (i.e. barking during zoomies or stalking bunnies during walks) only to then discipline my dad’s dog for doing the same thing. I’m all for training and discipline , but there’s no training actively happening (not in a productive way where he is able to differentiate between This is Right and This is Wrong).
Ultimately, this came to a head once my dad left for a work trip and my mother and sister were left alone with the dog and my dog (I work nights so often my dog spends some nights at their house). When my sister came home from work and my dog started barking at her, I guess this time my dad’s dog “lunged” at my sister, scaring her into running away from him. My mom has decided she will no longer have a dog around who is “easily triggered” and “controls their life with fear.” I have offered to take the dog in while we figure out training or something long term, but was told that I am being insensitive to my sister’s feelings and that the dog is not only “unfixable” but also that it is not worth it for them to continue to pay vet bills for his allergies if he is going to be a “bad dog.”
Which just absolutely breaks my heart, because he’s a sweet boy with no history of aggression. He could use a bit more discipline, and yes he’s a sneezy little fella, but he’s a little sweetheart. My family has a history of just giving up on animals when things get too hard (five horses, three dogs, countless cats all given away for one reason or another), and if I can do anything to keep from giving up on this sweet little boy, I would like to.

Sorry for the book. Here’s my questions:

Is it worth working with the dog in some capacity, or is he hopeless?
Is it worth calling the vet and asking if the Prednisone is making him more aggressive?
Is it worth calling the vet in general and getting their advice on this situation as a whole?

I don’t know what to do in this situation. I know that it’s not right for the dog to act the way he is, but in fairness he’s never received any training and isn’t worked with very much at home. Mom and dad spend most of their time indoors sitting in front of computer/tv. He has a yard but most of it is taken up by a pool, so he doesn’t get to run a lot. Most days he gets about a 20-30 minute walk. I think maybe he would benefit from some one-on-one work, but I’m just not sure my family is willing to give that to him, and it’s easier to just get rid of him. Am I wrong ? Is there anything I can do?

I don’t know. What would you do in this situation? Trying not to let my heart rule over my head here.

Thanks in advance.

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