This is from a customer looking for a home for his dog... He adopted a 1.5 year-old 30 pound neutered terrier mix in October, and have learned that the place from which I adopted him did a terrible job in placing him with someone in my situation, though they may not have known everything about him that I subsequently learned, either from experience or from a dog trainer investigating his past. The poor guy hasn’t been given much of a chance, so I’ve been patient. He has a wonderful temperament; is playful and loving, a real snuggler. He’s smart and obedient, very happy, loves other dogs, loves people, knows his new name (Cosmo), knows the routine at home, doesn’t try to run away if he’s in the front (unfenced) yard with me. He’s housebroken – I have zero fear he’ll do something in the house before work. He even knows not to eat his breakfast if it will lead to an urge to poop, so he doesn’t eat until he’s been taken out to take care of business. He has never once since the adoption on October 5th awakened me at night to take him outside, and since he sleeps in my bedroom and I’m a light sleeper I would know if he roamed at all. So he’s an angel in many ways and a very happy dog. He and I get along great. The problem? I can’t leave him alone in my house for extended periods, and by that I mean 3 hours is about the limit. After that he doesn’t know what to do with himself and his unhappiness manifests itself by urination inside and chewing on things, despite having all sorts of nylabones, antlers, etc. (So opposite my previous adopted mutt, who was so happy to have a home and able to deal with alone time that he was practically perfect until the last year of his life when he became somewhat incontinent at age 17.) Crate training, you say? That exaggerates his unhappiness so much that even if I’m only gone for 1.5 hours (to cite one specific example) he will lift his leg and pee out the bars of the crate onto whatever surface he’s on, and will poop on the plastic tray, then walk in it while leaving himself no room on which to lay – every time. I’ve punted on the perhaps inevitable by resigning myself to placing him in dog daycare every day I’ve been at work since mid-December (and some Saturdays, too). But that’s a pain to have to drive him there, and though he’s as happy as can be with this arrangement, it’s not my long term plan. Dog trainers have been employed, but the crate training, sedatives, brainwork food holder toys, and other suggestions have been tried and don’t get to the root of it – or aren’t getting results as quickly as I’d like. I’ve been hopeful that he will outgrow his tendencies, and he has gotten better – no doubt about it. They love him at Downtown Doggy Daycare, and comment on his more subdued casual demeanor. And weekday evenings I’m more free to leave home since he’s so exhausted from playing with the other dogs all day. But here’s what’s changed my perspective: 3 weeks ago I had him at the vet for booster shots and had a different vet than I had previously been assigned at that practice. After this older vet heard my story, she said she was going to give it to me straight: this dog is a pack dog who wasn’t socialized properly when he was a puppy in order to deal with being alone, and I’m fighting a REAL uphill battle to expect something to change with time, trust, and traditional training. She said my options were 1) spend a LOT more time with him, such as playing with him for 2 hours before leaving for work, even taking him to work (ha!); 2) acquire a second dog, or 3) get him to a better home for his pack dog mentality, meaning more people and ideally another dog. On those latter options, she said she knows of problem dogs who were instantly turned around by the presence of a buddy, though there is no guarantee; it depends on each of the dogs of course. I replied that the shelter had me sign papers that bound me to return him to them should I ever give him up, but she said they have no legal recourse. Well, I know I’ll do a far better job of placing him with a home than they ever could. And – the cycle stops here. There is no way I send him back to the shelter – I could NEVER do that to him. But if I do find him a better home, I will let them know all about it. So maybe I’ve decided that the sooner I place him someplace else, the easier it will be for each of us. A single guy who’s gone for 9-10 hours at a time just shouldn’t have had this particular dog placed with him. This dog is not only free, he will have lots of stuff go with him (including paid-in-advance dog daycare for up to 20 days), and his shots are all up to date as of 2/14. And anyone who is still interested by this point should realize that they will have vast knowledge about this guy from me anytime that no shelter would ever be able to share on another dog. In no way do I want anyone to be as blindsided as I was and therefore allow the cycle to continue. He is an inside dog – he has very short hair and curls up in a ball on his bed or next to me on the couch when he’s chilled in the house this winter. No one who thinks dogs of all breeds can live outside need apply. My ideal situation is that he go to someone relatively near my place (Waterbury neighborhood in western DM) that will allow us to transition him slowly. With multiple people in the house, and another dog. I will be very concerned with his feelings and the uprooting and loss of stability he’d experience (I’m so mushy when it comes to dogs!). So be warned – I’ll be very picky, and will keep him before I let him go if I’m not certain it will be a clear improvement for him. A long story, and it makes me so sad to think of giving him up. But if he’s obviously going to be happier, I’ll just consider the time I’ve had him to be his foster home for a transitional period. Call if interested 515-279-2177
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:20:02 +0000
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