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Deborah 17 years, 3 months ago.
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I really hate judging people…especially feeling negative judgement, however, I have an aquaintance and she’s giving up her "loved" pet. She claims that she can no longer deal with all the issues her almost adult dog has. Her kids are going to be devistated, they don’t have a close bond with her as it is, (and she has daughters!), wait till this woman does THIS to them. The dog was adopted from a backyard breeder when the pup was 7 weeks. It’s a mix, moslty looking like a husky. She’s a very nice lady, but she’s very hard headed in that she’s difficult to train…so she can be successful in training her dog. Plus she is also scared of this dog at times as this dog is aggressive toward it’s family, in the way that he wants to be the pack leader in the home. His aggression is threatening when he is very focused on either wanting something or in the midst of doing something…and you intercept, like surprise him. Or if you try to motivate him to get off the bed or couch…etc. Touching him while he eats his food or chews a bone is also a big no-no. I’m posting this info because I wanted to get some opinions. As a trainer I know two things about this scenerio…first, your dog will never really be free of these issues, even after you’ve had a behavior specialist/dog trainer help you with this…mainly because it’s so difficult to confirm that the human training their dog can not only be CONSISTENT, but do they truly understand what they have just learned. "There are no bad dogs only bad trainers". That’s pretty rude sounding but it really is accurate. The second thing I know is that it is DEFINATELY managable. When I say that, what I mean is that the dog can still live within the structures of a family life, however it does very much need to be STRUCTURED. There needs to be rules in place for that dog which everyone in the family must follow. NO EXECPTION so this dog can succeed and be "a good dog", so he will feel calm. As well as the family needs to feeling that they can trust that their dog will not be threatening. Predictability is very reassuring…for EVERYONE involved. It is my opinion that few people address their lifestyle and personality needs before they go ahead and choose a family dog. Many dogs end up in the wrong home. An active dog does NOT belong with a family that likes to chill out most of the time… A "guarding" type dog is not always the best family dog… A sledding dog is not always meant for a suburban family… I see too many dogs at the shelters, having come from the completely wrong home…and now they have so many issues…it takes so much time for the new owners to deal with…that often they are abandoned more than once. I’m so sick of it… I’m judging it…and I really hate to judge.
Color me stupid, but your post confuses me a little. At first I got the impression that you are upset that she wants to rehome this dog. But then towards the middle, it seemed more as if you thought it’d be a good idea as she is unable to handle this particular dog. Then again at the end, I see that this upsets you period (people rehoming or surrendering their pets). Okay, so you’ve asked for opinions… here’s mine. Like you, I think that too many people think "I want a (insert pet), but they don’t do their homework in choosing the right breed for thier family or life style. I also think that many who do actually research different breeds, don’t bother to learn how to choose the "right" pet (personality wise) of which ever breed they choose for their home. But, seeing as how this is often the case… I’d rather see someone give up a pet that has become too aggressive for them to handle (especially if there are children in the home), than to see somebody get hurt or possibly killed because they don’t know what they’re doing. In that however, I also think it’s very important to give as much history about the pet as possible when turning the animal over to a shelter or potential new owner.
I am leaning towards agreeing with the previous statement and would like to add that the family would not have had any real ability to know what type of personality the dog would have since it was a mixed breed. There are a good many dogs that are simply friendly by nature that may be more appropriate for her home. I don’t personally feel that all the decisions a mother feels she must make need to be popular with the children. A family is not typically a democracy and I’m sure she is doing what she feels is best for her kids, even some people don’t agree.
Sorry that my post was confusing… I want them to work it out…I know the dog can handle it if handled properly…but she is a right fighter and argues with me about what she feels that this dog is able or not able to do, but I can tell you this dog is VERY managable when I handle this dog. I just wish this woman would LISTEN AND LEARN…like her kids do. Training is really all about the people…not as much, the dog. Cause if the people cannot handle the dog then the dog will fail. I judge those that get dogs without doing their homework and picking the wrong dog…that ends up in a shelter. Poor thing! I hate feeling this way…I just know how awful shelters are for dogs…as a volunteer.
That is true… some people simply don’t know how to handle , train or be in charge with a dog. It would be hit or miss for someone like this to get a dog that would fit with their family. She may opt not to have a dog after this experience.
I think you hit the nail on the head in saying that she argues about what the dog can or cannot do, and that the dog isn’t really the issue. I hate to say it, but you can’t force someone to keep a pet that they’ve made up their mind about. It sounds like, just from what you’ve said about her, that it would indeed be in this dogs (not to mention the kids) best interest to find the dog a new home. They (the kids) may want to learn, but without the support of the adult in the home… I fear that this is a battle that this dog cannot win. How old are these children if you don’t mind my asking?
These girls are teenagers. They are very attached to this dog. The parents bought this dog as a way of teaching them responsibility…as it was THEM that was told to raise him. I just don’t think that all teens are mature enough to raise a pup, (if not ANY teen in this day and age)…especially this type of breed. Had the dog been an easier personality type breed, the outcome may have been different. This is exactly what I mean about people and their choices…if KIDS are going to raise the pup…why not make sure the breed is an easy going character that loves/needs to be controlled. There are plenty of breeds, mixed or not, that are like that. Furthermore, adopting a dog rather than a puppy is a better and easeir option if teens are going to be training. At least the character of the dog is OBVIOUS.
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