Last spring my neighbors, the ones I overheard the other week, got a puppy for the child that lives there. Skippy is a real mutt, with one of his recent ancestors having more then a passing acquaintance with a Jack Russel Terrier. When he was little and cute, he was inside most of the time. I heard rumbles of problems with training, and offered a couple of times to help; but no one was particularly interested in taking the time or making the effort. Apparently he was supposed to pick things up from an older, smaller dog they have.
A few of weeks ago, Skippy was booted from the house. He spends most of his time crying and barking to be let back inside. Sometimes he gets out of the yard runs around the neighborhood barking at people and turning over trash cans until I catch him and put him back. When I'm outside, I speak to him, and pet him over the fence. I feel sorry for him, and, well, I do wish he'd shut up. He gets more excited when I get home from work than when his people do. And yesterday, in the first rain we've had in weeks and weeks, he broke out of their yard, and into mine. Took him about 5 minutes to figure out the dog door.
So, I went out, in the rain, fixed their fence, fixed my fence, and took him home. I explained the problem. Thirty minutes later, he was back in my house. Took him home again, explained the situation a little more emphatically, explained explicitly that I was *not* going out in the rain again to fix their fence, and that he needed to be kept in house or supervised when he was outside.
He was in my house at 5:30 this morning.
So, I got home this afternoon and went out to work on the fences again, but the little girl's mother stopped me. And, well, it's over for poor Skip. He broke out of his crate in the house and tore up some pillows and a pair of, apparently, very expensive shoes. They tried to guilt me into taking him by going on about how he's going to die at the pound. I suggested three different rescue organizations that would work with them, but it seems those shoes were particularly important shoes so Skippy has to go, now.
And, I do feel bad for Skip, but I just can't take on a destructive dog who has already learned to break out of a fenced yard and a crate. He's already chased my cats; and although I don't think he's cat aggressive, just cat ignorant, I'm not willing to put my cats at risk.
And I'm really mad at myself for letting them make me feel guilty.
A few of weeks ago, Skippy was booted from the house. He spends most of his time crying and barking to be let back inside. Sometimes he gets out of the yard runs around the neighborhood barking at people and turning over trash cans until I catch him and put him back. When I'm outside, I speak to him, and pet him over the fence. I feel sorry for him, and, well, I do wish he'd shut up. He gets more excited when I get home from work than when his people do. And yesterday, in the first rain we've had in weeks and weeks, he broke out of their yard, and into mine. Took him about 5 minutes to figure out the dog door.
So, I went out, in the rain, fixed their fence, fixed my fence, and took him home. I explained the problem. Thirty minutes later, he was back in my house. Took him home again, explained the situation a little more emphatically, explained explicitly that I was *not* going out in the rain again to fix their fence, and that he needed to be kept in house or supervised when he was outside.
He was in my house at 5:30 this morning.
So, I got home this afternoon and went out to work on the fences again, but the little girl's mother stopped me. And, well, it's over for poor Skip. He broke out of his crate in the house and tore up some pillows and a pair of, apparently, very expensive shoes. They tried to guilt me into taking him by going on about how he's going to die at the pound. I suggested three different rescue organizations that would work with them, but it seems those shoes were particularly important shoes so Skippy has to go, now.
And, I do feel bad for Skip, but I just can't take on a destructive dog who has already learned to break out of a fenced yard and a crate. He's already chased my cats; and although I don't think he's cat aggressive, just cat ignorant, I'm not willing to put my cats at risk.
And I'm really mad at myself for letting them make me feel guilty.
