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you need to find that poor dog a better home (look into a no kill shelter). You're obviously not able to care for the dog. You're children will go over it. Please your dog is on the verge of being neglected (infested with fleas and no attention is neglect). You're not being fair to that dog.
If you're going to do something like this please please check with your vet first on how short is too short. your dog's nails should not be so short they cause pain.
Great point - it's very easy to cut too close and nip the quick (you'll see blood). If your dog has clear/white nails, you can see the quick, if the nails are black, you need to know what you're doing .
Trust me, I want it to go..........but the better half refuses!
So it's more than just digging under the fence, there are multiple issues going on.
Dogs need someone who is committed to them, if not, everyone is miserable.
Fleas are not okay, fleas carry parasites and spread them into the dog's bloodstream - your dog can end up with parasitic worms that can eventually kill the dog. So fleas are more than an inconvenience, they can be a killer.
As a dog owner, you need to do whatever it takes to safely contain your dog. A few different methods have been outlined - pavers, chicken wire, etc. - pick one and try it. If it doesn't work, try another. Keep trying until your yard is secure.
Walk the dog - make it an evening event for the family. Everyone will get some good exercise and together time and the dog's curiosity about the greater world will be somewhat satisfied and some boredom will be alleviated. It takes 10 minutes, once a day.
Play with the dog in the yard - teach him to fetch - you'll both love it. 15-30 minutes, once a day.
Allow the dog inside - your house is the "den" and your family is the "pack" - your dog is currently shunned from the den by his/her pack, this is not natural.
Along with food and veterinary care, these are a dog's basic needs. If you can't fulfill these, the dog needs to be with someone who can.
Trust me, I want it to go..........but the better half refuses!
This sounds like an issue that the two of you need to sort out. Do you even like the animal? And that's an honest question. If you don't then that does not make you a terrible human being. It happens.
If you do not like him (is it a him?) then its certainly may not seem fair to you if you have to look after it more than she does and its not fair to the dog because where is he getting his affection from? 3 and 5 yr olds are not who he will look to for affection.
Seriously, sit down with your wife and talk to her about it. If she can't bear to be parted with it then she needs to buckle down and look after it. If neither one of you is in a place where you have the time for the poor beast then give him away to someone who does. But you can't be mad at the animal for trying to run away.
What breed is he? If he's a mixed breed do you have any idea what breeds are in him? I'm only asking since many breed specific rescue organizations will be willing to take in a mutt if he's part whatever breed they work with.
I do not like her! She looks like a chow/terrier mix! We have our 3rd child on the way..........even less time for the dog and more of a reason not to let it inside!
If it is a chow mix, and you don't have time to properly train her, this is not the type of dog you want to have around your young children. Chows can be aggressively dominant and a small child is not going to appear as a superior pack member to a chow that has not been trained correctly.
Please find a rescue for this animal. You're not being fair to the poor creature or to your family.
Probably only a pitbull would have been a worse choice than a chow/terrier mix for a family with toddlers and parents who have neither the time nor inclination to handle it properly. Both breeds are notorious for being a handful. Both breeds are usually smart and stubborn with strong prey drives. The poster below is very correct that chows are an aggressive breed with a strong prey drive. They can be good family dogs only if the owners train them and are completely dominate. Your poor dog is lonely and bored. A good dog is a tired dog. It probably doesn't want to run away but digging and escaping is a reinforced behavior because that's the only way it gets the attention it is yearning for. And the dog knows you don't like it which just aggravates the problem.
A lot of well-meaning people get in over their heads with aggressive breeds. There's a lot of body language and behaviors that instinctively tell the dog he is beta and you are alpha and a lot people do the opposite. Whining, for instance is a beta tone of voice that the dog understands and tells the dog that you can't be trusted to lead the pack. Whenever the dog thinks he is the smartest, strongest pack member, it is programed to take the pack leader job. This is never a good situation in the human-dog pack.
There are breeds that are very easy in family situations like yours. Newfoundlands for instance would be the best baby sitter you could ever hope to meet. Big, slobbery (and short-lived) but so sweetly protective of children and very happy to be beta to even the little ones.
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