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Thanks for the update, Lindsey. I know you did what you thought what was best for both your family and Kira. Only you know your limitations. It sounds as tho the facility will place in Kira in an home that will be right for her. Bless you for trying!
ABSOLUTELY feed your dog in the crate - that way it becomes his/her 'den' and home. That's one of the BEST ways to get your dog to love the crate. That and hiding treats among the bedding!
"One" of the best ways, and I am sure it's fine for some.
My dog is in probably the largest crate there is, and of course he can stand up and turn around, but that crate is never going to be a diningroom.
He happily sleeps in his crate at night and often during the day. But he is a messy eater as it is, and I am not about to feed a mastiff in his crate, sorry--no can do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren
I was thinking about putting her crate in my daughters room and letting her use it as a bedside table.
This is what we do.
Lindsay, I am so sorry. You did the best you could.
As Shelby said, bless you for trying.
My daughter is crushed and that is my fault. Kira is upset and that is also my fault for not thinking before I jumped. In the long run however I know Kira will be better off and I know my daughter will heal in time.
Your daughter will be okay in time. I guarantee it.
My parents had to get rid of one of my dogs. He came to our house with ringworm, and I caught it from him. My mother hung in there longer than most would have. (She was a nurse.) She tried to treat that ringworm for almost two years. It just kept coming back. We were passing it back and forth between us. One of us would heal and then it would pop back up on the other and vise versa.
Anyway, I was devestated, but I did understand. Your daughter will understand too. She'll eventually rationalize it in her mind. Just make sure you instill in her the importance of committing to pets for life. Use this as a good lesson for her to learn the importance of thinking through a pet selection prior to the committment.
Well I made the decision today that I could not cope with this dog.
No harsh words from me- You did your best and came to the decision after trying to make it work. No one is perfect and you did what was in the best interests of the dog as well as yourself in the end. When and if you find that you want to try adopting a dog again, please feel free to use all of us here on this forum as a resource in researching the right TYPE of dog as well a the right BREED to match your lifestyle and family. There is no shortage of opinions here So you would end up with a lot of options to think about! Good luck!
Lindsay,
Glad you were able to do right by the dog and your family. Your daughter will learn that taking an animal is a big commitment, and that they are not disposable, as you agonized over this for some time and placed the dog where she is very likely to get the right home.
I imagine you learned more about yourself and your household, too, and there are enough critters and your family to take good care of. You'll have other and more animals when the time and choice is right.
If you hear, would you consider posting about Kira's placement progress?
As a rescuer for many years and seeing many dogs like Kira, I am afraid unless she falls into the right hands, she will just go from home to home like all the rest and never settle into any permanently. What Kira suffers from is usually mental scarring which comes from her first home (or others) of abuse and abandonment. Sad.
She should actually go to the home of a good, compassionate trainer who knows what they are doing and can definatively work with her as it will take alot of patience and time. I pray she ends up in the right hands and home as she sounds like a wonderful dog and companion.
I appreciate the understanding you guys have offered. If I hear anything, I will let you know how Kira is doing.
I think it would be best for us to wait to adopt a dog again but when we do I think I will get another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from my friend who is the breeder. I purchased one from her in 1989 and we have stayed friends all this time. In the time I have known her the breed went from being RARE to being in the AKC.
They are great little dogs you can take anywhere with you and they are easy to train. The two that I had were fine being on their own, took companionship from the cats when I wasn't around and adjusted fabulously to having a baby in the house, better then the cats in fact.
My friend the breeder has asked me if I want to adopt a retired breeding dog or a Senior but I don't want to go that route. It tears me up when one of my pets die. We have lost three in the last year. I want to adopt a puppy, she crate trains them and trains them to walk on a leash before she lets them go. I believe this is the breed for me.
I met one the other day at Petsmart and he was such a good boy, so pretty, a Blenheim just like my Chelsea was. I had two females but next time I think I will get a boy. I told my daughter she could pick out the color.
Thank you again for all your advice, I really appreciate it.
I thought the OP mentioned some real financial constraints, so I figured no more adoptions until some more resources loosen up.
NO, there will be no more adoptions for now. I spoke to my friend last night that I had gotten my Cavalier King Spaniels from and told her that while I would love to have a dog, I would rather it be a puppy and that Diane and I would wait until we could afford to purchase one from her. She had previously mentioned to me that she would send me a retired dog, she says her place is full of senior citizens (dogs). However we have had three pets die in the last year and I really don't want to do that. My last Cavalier King Charles made it to 15 years old which is a great age for the breed but we were really torn up too loose her. I had gotten her before my daughter was even born. She was awesome with the cats and small and easy to deal with. She loved a car ride to the Taco Bell drive thru. Not so fond of being in the car when I took it through the car wash however.
It will be a couple of years before I feel like I can make this kind of commitment. I would probably like to get two male Cavalier Puppies from my friend but not until I am out of nursing school.
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So you would end up with a lot of options to think about! Good luck!
