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Citizen Erased
January 11th, 2010, 02:59 PM
Okay, relatively long, but I just need to vent mainly. I'm...upset, angry, feeling stupid and sick. If it doesn't belong here just move it >_<

I'm just gonna copy and paste this from a blog I wrote yesterday evening, to give you some background info.

A few weeks ago we got a call from a woman who takes in dogs. She has like a dog rescue shelter.

Anyway, for a while now I've been wanting a new dog (my old dog was put to sleep in May 2009) and my dad wanted one too. My mum however would only take a dog in if someone came to us, we couldn't actively go out and find one. So anyway, this woman rang up telling us she knew someone who had a dog in need of a home. The person she knew lived in Manchester, and had a border collie that was 6 months old. He couldn't keep it because he'd bought it for his wife, but his wife didn't want it.

He was in Wales at the time and when he got back, he rang us and said he'd managed to convince his wife to keep it. :(

I was a bit let down...

But this afternoon, we got a call from the man who owned the dog telling us they both can't look after it, him and his wife, and they definitely need to find a new home for it. So we drove over to Manchester (about 45 minutes to an hour's drive away) met the owners, found out about the dog.

He's got an obsession with cars, whenever one goes past he'll try and chase it, he pulls on the lead, he doesn't like sneezes, and he barks on car journeys...We're going to put some effort in and give him appropriate discipline, training, praise etc.


Anyway. All that's thrown out of the window.

Overall he’s too boisterous. He barks at passing cars, twists round in his collar trying to run after them, barks at birds, doesn’t like the hairdryer, electric toothbrush or sneezes, (he’ll bark/yelp at them) He pulls and pulls and pulls on the lead, and has done my mum’s hand some damage I reckon (she already has bad arthritis in her hands). He’s made me pull a muscle in my shoulder too.

He has no manners, he’ll pull food off the work top if you don’t stop him, he’ll jump up if you have food. He doesn’t like passing pushchairs. (Apparently the previous owners took him out twice a day, but you can almost always halve that.)

Silly little things like this, that, with time, could be sorted out. It’s just I don’t know where to start, I don’t know what I’m doing and it’s shitty weather to be taking him out twice a day. He’s way too strong for me and, being a young 7 month old border collie, has so much energy. He needs so much exercise, both mental and physical.

Walking a dog is supposed to be leisurely and peaceful (or maybe we were just lucky with our old collie-cross, Jerry, she was a pleasure to take for a walk, never had to worry about her chasing anything or running off) but with Cody we have to constantly correct him, stop him pulling on the lead, make sure he doesn’t jump up on some unsuspecting little kid.

For these reasons I’ve told my parents I don’t think I can handle him. I reckon it’s best I decide that now before I get really attached to him. My parents are now on the way to Manchester taking him home and I feel like shit, I feel like I’ve failed and I feel like I’ve let my parents, the previous owners (who I don’t even know) and Cody down.

He’s a lovely dog…he’s just…very high maintenance. My mum kept telling me that if I didn’t correct him whenever he showed the first signs of wanting to be dominant that he would become the dominant one, and all that playful energy could become aggressive energy. I guess I was no good with all the responsibility.

What was I doing thinking I could look after a dog?

Sorry Cody. Even though we only had him…what, 24 hours? I’m still going to miss him.

In need of a hug right now but nobody seems to realise. I reckon I just need a good old cry though.

Mr. Smithers
January 11th, 2010, 04:07 PM
No a dog is a big responsibility. Especially an untrained dog, which requires lots of attention and responsibility. Don't get upset, don't say you didn't fail, you said you have tried everything but the dog was too much for you to take care of.

Don't feel upset.

Quick_Sylver
January 11th, 2010, 04:17 PM
1) It's a border collie. Border Collies are working dogs. They need a job. Plus he's a puppy. Puppies have so much energy.

2)Puppies/dogs don't come ready trained. They need time and effort. I believe that's why his first family needed to give him up.

3)You shouldn't feel upset. Working dogs are a lot of work. And sometimes a dog just won't behave for someone. You didn't fail, and neither did he. You just weren't right for each other. He's a lot of dog. You can only do so much. :hug:

Bougainvillea
January 11th, 2010, 07:21 PM
Exactly. Border collies are sheep herding dogs. It's natural.

CaptainObvious
January 11th, 2010, 07:33 PM
Border collies are possibly the most high-maintenance dog breed you can choose, between their high energy, intelligence, and need to vent both of those things somehow. So in many ways this is to be expected. I would suggest a lower-maintenace breed next time.

Sugaree
January 11th, 2010, 10:15 PM
Border Collies, as previously stated, are very high matienence dogs. You need to watch what they are doing all the time. They have a lot of energy, they need to perform some type of job to keep their minds stimulated, and need to be kept busy. It's hard, I know. I have an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. She's lovely, but we really need to keep her active and motivated. Next time, think about all the pros and cons of having a dog, what breed of dog you want, etc. etc.

Better luck next time. Just remember to never give up.

Citizen Erased
January 12th, 2010, 11:40 AM
That's what I mean about not knowing what we had when we DID have our old dog. She was mainly collie but she was brilliant, wasn't demanding at all. Not high maintenance in the slightest, but she'd grown into the sort of lifestyle we had from 6 months old, while my mum was always at home (before she had a job). But now she does have a job there's 4 hours when the house is left unoccupied. But my old dog had gotten used to us and how she should behave before she ever had to be left on her own for any amount of time...

I think I'm too young for a dog at the moment. Before my mum was younger and could look after any type of dog, but she's got bad arthritis in her hands and it's 13 years since she's had to train a dog from scratch, and I'm only 14. So between us, I'm too young and she's not young enough.

I think I'm just going to stick with rats for the moment :)

KaelKaos
January 12th, 2010, 11:16 PM
You knew right away that the dog was going to be too much to handle, so you did the right thing. Cody won't know, he has probably forgotten you and your parents already. You did no harm to him, it just didn't work out. Things like that happen. Cody will find a new home better fit for his hyperactivness, maybe on a farm, or someplace where he'll be happier.