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Putting a pet up for adoption
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Anonymous
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OP - If you are still reading, and if you are still in the decision making process - one more thing to consider is does your dog help you to feel secure? I still remember the day I was so tired - I was really resenting the dog - the extra work, the extra hassle. And I was walking with the stroller and the dog and we hit an isolated section of the trail. And suddenly a very strange-looking man who set off all of my "danger" feelings came from the other direction. My dog instantly growled. The man took one look, kept his head down and walked quickly. He may have been harmless. But all I could think of was everything I had to do for that dog was worth it. I only mention this because you say your DH travels. Personally, my dog really makes me feel safe when my DH is out of town. Not that she would actually DO anything. But at least I know she would bark and growl and scare the crap out of anyone breaking in (and give me time to grab my child and call 911).
But I'm not implying keeping the dog is the only solution. You have to do what is right for your family (including the dog). |
Anonymous
I don't know how many grown men are going to cower at the site of a Yorkshire Terrier. |
Anonymous
| My yorkie would scare anyone away! |
Anonymous
| It's the barking that deters intruders. It's not worth it for them if they can just find someone w/o a dog instead. My dog also makes me feel secure. (I'm single.) |
Anonymous
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Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. Someone with a barking dog-- no matter how small-- are just less attractive targets.
Our silly little dog woke us up the other night barking her head off. I thought she was just startled by the thunder storm but when DH and I got up the next morning, we found one of our downstairs side windows wide open. It faces a dark corner of our yard, and someone was surely trying to break in. Love that little dog! |
Anonymous
| I think you should keep the dog. There is something about your tone that makes me think that your difficulties won't last forever, and that somehow you've rationalized that you will feel less guilty about giving the dog away than keeping the dog and giving it less attention than before. That just doesn't make sense to me because the chances of your dog finding a more loving home seem very slim. |
Anonymous
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I lived on the third floor of a walk up condo when my DC was born. We had a dog and I used to have to put the baby in a carrier and take the dog out every time she had to go. It totally sucked, but giving her up was not an option. It was hard that we could not give her the attention that we used to, especially b/c she was sick. I did think about doing it, but knew I wouldn't and knew I would eventually regret it.
I am even more upset that she passed away in January and our DC won't be able to grow up with her. I say give it some time. If after that you really feel like you cannot handle it, then consider other options. |
Anonymous
| Don't give your dog away. Your dog loves you --- regardless of whether or not you shower it with affection these days. Imagine how your dog would feel if you dropped him off with strangers never to return. It makes me sad just thinking about it. My dog was/is my first baby. Sure, I don't have the same time I used to for him now that I work FT at a demanding job and have two kids --- but every night I pull that little dog into bed with me and cuddle with him before I fall asleep. And when I'm laid up in bed with a killer migraine, my dog sleeps on my feet quietly and won't leave my side. FWIW, my dog is 11 and is very high maintenance given his chronic health problems --- but that doesn't mean I should dump him on someone else and hope for the best. When I brought him home as puppy I made a commitment to raise him for life --- just like my kids. If you can't handle a baby and a dog, then please think twice before reproducing again --- b/c I can report that having a second child is exponentially more difficult. |
Anonymous
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An honest question:
what kind of memory does a dog have? If you find a loving home for your dog, will the dog ask in its head "where is my owner, why am I here? -- I'm so sad." |
Anonymous
| Yes, dogs have an excellent memory --- they never forget. That's why dog's never forget if someone has hit them, etc. That person could go away for a year or more but if the dog ever saw him again, he would remember the incident. |
Anonymous
| PP: is there research to support this? |
Anonymous
| Ever heard of google? Look into it. I personally know that one of my jackass childhood friends kicked my dog once during a b-day party. She didn't come over to my house again for over a year, and as soon as my dog saw her he started growling and got aggressive -- which was out of character for my loving poodle. Trust me, your dog will be sad if you give him away. You've had the dog for 7 years -- that's a lifetime for a dog. Bonds have been formed. Either you care, or you don't. But don't say that you are dumping your dog for his sake -- get real. |
Anonymous
Most definitely. |
Anonymous
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