[krisakira]

long story short, my boyfriend has not liked one of my dogs from day 1 and it has just gotten so bad because he hates that he barks so much so i made a really tough decision and decided to give the dog away, and put an ad on craigslist. well today someone came to meet him and they took him away said in texts that he is doing well but i miss him so much i cant stand it idk what to do to get through this, he is almost 9 years old and i have had him since he was only a few weeks old i cant take this

[mazing]

It is always sad when you need to part from a family member. Take it slow. At least he has another good home where he will be cared for. You did everything you could for him

[IowaFarmGal]

That would be a very hard thing to do. Was the boyfriend mean to him? You did try to give him a good home and it's a good sign that they would text you to let you know how he was doing. I hope the boyfriend is being supportive about this. Sorry to hear you had to do this!

[shezbut]

(((((krisakira))))))

Gentle hugs to you. I hope that they new owners continue to give you updates on your dog's health and general well-being. I would think that would be a bit of a relief for you.

Hope that things become easier for you ~

[Sabrina]

I'm sorry it ended like this. I can only imagine how hurt you must feel.

[Trippin2.0]

I'm so sorry you felt you had to part with buddy it may not ease your pain, but maybe staying in contact with the new owner will ease your mind about his wellbeing

[krisakira]

I got a call this morning from the vet saying someone found Buddy walking on the side of the street with his leash on and took him to the vet! I told them that we just gave him away yesterday but that we would go pick him up. Got him back and NO WORD from "new owners", so I am going to assume they just don't care/don't want him. Glad to have him back, but need to find him a new home still. Why can't it just be over and done with!

[shezbut]

(((Kris)))

Is it really necessary for you to give the dog away? You LOVE that sweet dog ~ personally, I'd be awfully tempted tell my bf that if he can't accept my dog maybe he ought to hit the road. Doesn't he feel bad that this change has been so difficult for you to make?

Is the dog just a vocal breed, who always woofs about everything, or is it a learned behavior that might be treated with positive training and encouragement? I's be awfully hesitant to try to give Buddy away again.

Just my opinion ~ I wish you the very best!

[misscath007]

Agree with above poster. I would tell BF to take a hike, that the dog was here before him so deal with it! If the dog is acting out can you consult a trainer perhaps? I would just be careful about placing him again in another home, see if you can check out the people first. Those last owners do not sound very caring. Best of luck with this.

[seeker1950]

I had to find a home for a lovely dog one time not too far in the past. "Kelly" was hell-bent on escaping, and I posted an ad, and someone responded and gave her a home on a farm, where she was very happy, and loved. I do know how hard this is for you.

[Trippin2.0]

Idk how welcomed this info might be, and I hope I don't get shunned... My sister's 'son' Zeus, cost her hundreds and hundreds in noise pollution fines. She couldn't bear to part with him, so the vet suggested muting him... His bark is hoarse now, not unlike a person with laryngitus, and the procedure isn't permanent. The vet said that if my sister's neighbour ever decided to move, that eating rough foods will undo the procedure naturally... Just thought I'd put it out there. Don't shoot.

Best of luck KK. Tough situation and I'm sorry.

[lizardlady]

Kris, I'm with the others who said they'd tell the boyfriend to hit the bricks. Anyone who wanted to be in a relationship with me better be prepared to accept my fur "kids". We come as a package deal.

Is it that Buddy and your boyfriend dfon't get along or is it a training issue?

[krisakira]

He barks a lot when he sees strangers outside when I go to take him out. Plus because of my depression I have not been taking the dogs out enough and sometimes they go inside. My boyfriend said if we gave Buddy away, he would help me take care of our other dog.

But we have been trying to get someone to take him and have been unsuccessful. I have been contacting no-kill shelters, and so far no one will take him because of his age and aggression with other dogs. I don't know what else to do and it is really stressing us out. One of the people I talked to at the no-kill shelter told me that if I really couldn't have Buddy that it would be better to put him down than try to find someone on craigslist who might treat him badly. I see her point because the last person we tried to give Buddy to let him wander off, and we don't even know if they did it on purpose if they were even the ones who took him to the vet saying he was found. But I cannot imagine just letting Buddy be killed. I can't imagine him being dead. It's not worth it and my boyfriend agrees, that we will have to find another solution, thank goodness. My mom seems to agree with the lady at the no-kill shelter though. I have had so much anxiety tonight I can barely stand it. And all this is just making my boyfriend more stressed out, and all I wanted to do was ease his stress. I am so frustrated and sad.

[lizardlady]

Kris, the barking sounds like a training issue. Maybe working with Buddy to teach him not to bark would give you something to focus on and help your depression?

What about potty pads for the dogs until you feel well enough to walk them more?

[krisakira]

I have tried so hard to train him not to bark, but he is a dachshund beagle mix and wasn't socialized well as a pup because we never needed to

[Confusedinomicon]

What about a farm or rural area?

[KathyM]

(((Krisakira)))

I can imagine a dachshund/beagle mix would be a big-time "yapper," willing and able to get under any and all fences, lol. We had dachshunds when we were kids, and were on a first-name basis with the dogcatcher when it came to my sister's dog. Everyone said his theme song was "Don't Fence Me In." A friend of mine is a die-hard beagle fan - told me one day they are "probably one of the most stupid of all dogs, but their gosh-darn good looks keeps the breed alive." Both breeds can be highly vocal and energetic, so I can imagine you have a lot on your hands.

But you've had him for 9 years, and you love him dearly. I'd be skeptical of a bf who asked me to get rid of him. The dog may not be a child, but he's not a ragdoll either - he's the next best thing to a child.

Around here we have a problem with overcrowding in our animal shelters, and donations (food, supplies, money) has been greatly reduced. The no-kill option is nice, but they are running out of room to house these animals.

I'd be very leery of giving your dog away to just anyone, because of the underground dog-fighting business. "Throw-away" dogs are often used as training tools for pitbulls. Would your bf be able to sleep at night if something like that happened to your precious dog? If so, dump the bf!

Seems to me your options are limited. As much as you love the dog, it's not right to live your life serving the needs of your dog. "Debarking" him surgically might be a good option - from what I'm told, it's not painful to the dog. When you're out with him, keep a firm grip on the leash.

At his age, it would be difficult to adjust in any new home. If you must get rid of him, I think euthanasia - professionally done - would be the most humane.

I'm sorry you're faced with such a tough decision.

[krisakira]

Well we bought a static bark collar yesterday and so far it has decreased his barking some. But it only shocks him half the time he barks! Sometimes he gets away with barking and other times it shocks him after the first bark. I can tell cause of his reactions. What the heck am I doing wrong. Going to be taking a trip back to the pet store very soon!

[lizardlady]

The collar sounds like a good idea Krisakira!

[krisakira]

I got a new bark collar for Buddy and it is working so well. He doesn't go ballistic anymore when he sees people outside. My boyfriend is really happy with the progress, and we are going to keep Buddy and see how he does when we move (we are probably moving into an actual house in september) and go from there. He still occasionally gets zapped by the collar but for the most part doesn't even attempt to bark at people anymore. I think this has been the best solution. Thanks for the advice and support.

[lizardlady]

That's great news!!!

[SU-JJ]

Your dog came back bc he loves u and couldn't stand to be apart from u. My guess is he ran away to find u. Take this as a sign u were never meant to be parted. Tell BF to deal with it or leave, and though u love them both, your dog needs u more than your BF (I hope). That gog is yours and only yours, cherish him--he loves you unconditionally.