HomeOnTheRanch Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I'm crazy. I admit it. Please don't bother telling me I shoulda/coulda/woulda. I know. I'm kicking myself, but I am having a hard time regretting. I think we did the right thing and the way things fell together, I think it was meant to be, but the logistics are driving me bonkers. I was surfing the net last Friday afternoon and came upon petfinder.com. On a whim I entered our zip code. The first picture that popped up made me swoon. He looked like such a good doggie. He was advertised as a McNab/Hound that needed a new home fast. I talked it over with DH and even linked it to fb so all my local friends could see it. We already have one dog (McNab/Blue Heeler) and I was in no way, shape or form looking for another. Really. Ha. Monday morning I called and left a message for the animal control officer to get more info on him. She called back in the afternoon and I made an appointment to go look at him on Wednesday with my kids and dog. She waived the fee (he was a stray that had been there 2 months) because every other family that came to look at him had said he was too big and she wanted this sweetheart to go to a forever home asap. We're free to return him within 30 days for any reason. I have no idea what would happen to him if he had to be there any longer. We brought him home and DH says he looks more like a Rottweiler mix than hound. I tend to agree. He is a totally gentle baby. He obeys well and is very respectful to us and other dog. He sits momentarily, but he had obviously had a lot of love and some training put into him. BUT. He is WAY too big to stay within our current fence. We live on 50+ acres and our other dog has always stayed near our house (started as an inside dog, now totally outside). He has slipped his collar 4 times and broken a harness within the first two days. We bought a choke chain yesterday and the kids have been working with him in our fenced orchard. That fence won't keep him in, but it will slow him down enough if he tries to escape. When someone is not right with him, he has to stay in his crate. He doesn't really "run" away, but he slips out to chase a squirrel...oh, there's a deer...look, another squirrel. I am hoping that he settles down and learns his manners quick, because... crazy part...we have to leave town in one week. Ack. We've been planning this trip for a long time, but the dates were up in the air. Now it has come down to this and it is just so awkward. We're going to be gone 3 weeks...that's longer than Dog #2 will have known us. I'm absolutely sick thinking about it. We have a super-duper dog sitter that adores our dog. We leave the dog at her house and she spoils him rotten. She's had some health issues lately and I'm not sure she can handle Dog #2 (75-90? lbs). Her daughter lives with her and maybe she could get dog out of crate in the morning, tie him out, then put him back in the crate in the evening. I don't know. I think it would be best for dogs to be together so #2 can have that familiarity. Choices: 1) Return #2 to city pound. Ugh. 2) Board dog at a kennel. No better off than back at the pound. 3) Dog #2 tied up/on line at house where Dog #1 will be. 4) Dog #2 tied up at house other than regular sitter, but could be controlled better. 5) Make some new friends so both dogs could be together in a properly fenced yard :/ Other than #5, there doesn't seem to be an ideal solution. I'm leaning towards #3, but I would definitely need to check with sitter/daughter first. Ugh. Just needed to put it all out there to clarify our choices. Oh, how I wish we had another few weeks/month to be with the dog before leaving! I walked him with the choke chain last night and by the last half of our walk he was heeling just fine. I took him for a 1 mile+ walk/jog this morning he was wonderful. I don't think it will take much to get him where he needs to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 (edited) Well, I certainly wouldn't return him to the pound. You like him and want him, right? So, I think any of the other options are better. Even if the dogs can't be together, when you get back in town they will get reacquainted. ETA:If you can make #3 work, that seems like the best; but, if you have to go with 2 or 4, he will still be fine. :) Edited July 1, 2011 by jewellsmommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 2) Board dog at a kennel. No better off than back at the pound. It's MUCH better then the pound. He'll be at a secure facility where the staff has a lot of experience with different dogs and you'll be picking him up in a week. I definitely wouldn't return him and I definitely wouldn't leave a dog that bolts with anyone I wouldn't want to worry sick for a week. :) #3 would be ideal but I don't think you can really expect ideal at the moment with a new and unfamiliar animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 It's MUCH better then the pound. He'll be at a secure facility where the staff has a lot of experience with different dogs and you'll be picking him up in a week. I definitely wouldn't return him and I definitely wouldn't leave a dog that bolts with anyone I wouldn't want to worry sick for a week. :) #3 would be ideal but I don't think you can really expect ideal at the moment with a new and unfamiliar animal. I would choose the kennel, honestly. A person not used to handling a big dog will not be better for him than trained kennel staff, who will at least get him out and exercise him and such. Ask your vet for referrals to a really good place. Tying him out will make him board and grumpy (we had to do this with one of our dogs when we had no fence; we wound up building a fence b/c it was not the best for her, at all). We've successfully kenneled our dog for long periods (up to 3 weeks) even when very young and new(ish) to us. If you guys really work hard to bond with this dog between now and your trip, even though the kennel time will be longer than the lived with you so far time, I think it could work and he'll be happy to be home when he gets back to you. Alternately, can you ask your dog sitter to house sit for you as well? So that the 2 dogs stay in your house, where your dog is (hopefully by then) familiar with the boundaries, etc? Can you fortify the fence in the meantime? If not, truly, kenneling won't be so bad and is definitely miles away from being "as bad as the pound." I promise. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Personally, I would choose the kennel. A new dog in a new environment is a lot of work for someone who already has health problems....especially a big dog LOL. A kennel is much better than the pound. Lots of times, they take them out for walks and for petting. Some places will even give them playtime. And at a kennel, their lives are not on the line. When you return, you can work on getting acquainted with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeOnTheRanch Posted July 1, 2011 Author Share Posted July 1, 2011 DH came home last night and said he'd made plans for him to stay with a friend who is a retired animal control officer. He used to run hounds for hunting/hobby and at one point had 27 dogs. He is down to 3 dogs now, and still is set up to handle more. So, Doggie #2 will be well taken care of there and get to go on walks, etc. Doggie #1 will still go to regular sitter. The dogs got into a tiff this morning over Doggie #1's food and I was glad we had Doggie 2 on a leash at the time. There is no way I would want regular sitter to try to separate those two in her condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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