ck - have you spoken to the owners? I suspect not. If you have, call Environmental Health. Dogs shouldn't be allowed to disturb others like that. But if you're just moaning without trying anything to solve it, you aren't doing yourself any favours.
CK - yes but the whole thread you just been moaning generally about dogs when they can be one of the most rewarding things in life. Proven to help people with Mental Illness and children with terminal illness.
Its your neighbours that are the problem - not the dog.
Back to the OP - please don't get a dog yet - it is something you'd need to put down as one of your 'activities' to give it the time it deserves. Every day, without fail. Why not just take the leap and have a kid rather than a child substitute?! 😀
TBH we found getting a puppy good "training" for having a child. He loves the dog too - many a near strop has been calmed by calling the dog and diverting his attention!
Back to the OP
[u]SPIDERS[/u]
Just take a look at this little beauty.
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You don't see many dogs with markings like that!!
And they also come in blue 😀
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(Though a bit more expensive)
I keep having guilty thoughts about handing my rescue dog back in. My circumstances have changed drastically recently, meaning she is not getting the life she once had, by no means is she being mis-treated but I feel she could be a lot happier with someone else.
It makes me feel like I have failed her.
Do not go in to these decisions lightly, you are doing the right thing in asking for advice and would concur with the majority that you don't really have the time in your life at the minute to give a dog a fullfilling life.
ck - have you spoken to the owners? I suspect not. If you have, call Environmental Health. Dogs shouldn't be allowed to disturb others like that. But if you're just moaning without trying anything to solve it, you aren't doing yourself any favours.
Yes, politely asked all 3 in question (different locations) - all took great offence that their pooch was a problem to others and told us to F off. Environmental health dealt with 2 of them by sending a letter asking them nicely to stop. This worked for a week or so.
CK - yes but the whole thread you just been moaning generally about dogs when they can be one of the most rewarding things in life. Proven to help people with Mental Illness and children with terminal illness.Its your neighbours that are the problem - not the dog.
Not really the whole thread my dear chum, just one post (and then followed up when people asked me). I don't mind your dog being rewarding if thats what you need in your life, if you can't look after it [and train it properly] you shouldn't have one. The OP suggests they can't look after it, it's likely to be a noisy left-at-home dog. My general personal experience with dog owners is that they leave them to make a ****ing massive noise and wake everyone up at all hours, and some leave doggy bags all over the show. All in all they may be positive for you and you can look past their negatives, but to all the other people who don't want one they're a pain in the arse if you don't train them to stay quiet and pick up their poo. I agree its the owners at fault, I'd not blame the dog itself, but it seems to me that a large majority of dog owners think they have their dog trained well but actually don't and won't listen when you complain. It's not fair to have a dog waking people up at 5am barking. Its not fair to have a dog barking off and on until midnight. Or rushing at the garden fence barking its head off scaring passers by. But it happens day in day out.
roper - i do find spiders facinating, however I am a big wuss and can hardly stand house spiders! The blue one looks awesome though!!
Thanks for everyones input, and I do feel that it would inappropriate at this stage.
Think we will stick to looking after our familys dogs when the Mrs is off for the school holidays
There was mention of re-homing a dog earlier in the thread.
No way will a RSPCA re-homing volunteer allow you to take one of their dogs.
I know, a lady with whom I walk every morning was very dismissive of you & your wives work schedule.
Don't be fooled into thinking your way around this as you simply aren't & won’t be there for the dog.
[u]At it stands, your circumstances are wholly incompatible with having a pack animal to share your lives, in fact the charities pounds are full of dogs whose owners though it’d be a good idea to subject a dog to hours of isolation and abandonment, such as you are suggesting, then having 2nd thoughts.
Remember [b]many charities destroy the dogs they receive[/b] if they are not re-homed within a certain time frame. The bottom line: Do not become dog owners as I don’t doubt for one moment that you will end up handing your dog over to such a charity since you & your wife’s lifestyles are completely unsuitable for dog ownership. Period.
Apologies for being so blunt!
We have 2 dogs,a border collie (8yr) and a working springer spaniel (2yr), neither breed are renowned for being lazy or stupid! Both my partner and I are out all day (6h ish), they do not chew/destroy the house, they do not bark all day (neighbours have said they are surprised how quiet they are) and they seem very happy. They have toys and the springer will occasionally open cupboard doors in search of tasty treats but mostly they sleep all day.
We rescued both of them when they were still very young and they were in rescue due to their previous families not being able to train them/give them the time they need/understand their needs. They had no issues other than a complete lack of training.
Whilst the springer was young we had someone coming in to walk them every day, however due to that person being preganant/having a new baby that hasn't happened very much over the past 8 months. They get an hours walk every morning, run with the bike or swim every evening and come away with us to do things every weekend.
If you are prepared to work hard with them, sacrifice all your spare time to train them and spend time with them you can still have a dog and work (working dogs, despite being the most intelligent and active breeds, are often kenneled all day with little contact and yet they can be very friendly and happy). Some dogs will not tolerate being left for that long at all and you should not leave a puppy for more than an hour when very young and couple of hours when young. It can take time to find the right dog to fit your home and smaller rescues tend to be better/more comitted to helping you achieve that.
If you can't find someone to let your dog out in the day (when it's young, when it's new and possibly forever) and you don't want to spend every morning and weekend with it then don't get one. A dog that is bored or suffering seperation anxiety can become very distressed, develop bad habits and be so unhappy you would have to rehome it. On the other hand a dog that is well looked after, whether by owners that are in or out all day, is a great addition to any home and well worth the time and effort.
roper - i do find spiders facinating, however I am a big wuss and can hardly stand house spiders! The blue one looks awesome though!!
Well if you keep a tarantula for a while you will never be scared of spiders again. 😀
Each to their own though and no more pushing spiders 🙂 Also well done about the dog choice. It's not easy but better living with no dogs than with an unhappy one. When you do finally get one it sounds like it will be going to a good home too.
Did I mention they also come multi-coloured?
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I know, a lady with whom I walk every morning was very dismissive of you & your wives work schedule.
Next time you see her....look at her and think what it would be like to sleep with her.. 8)
There was mention of re-homing a dog earlier in the thread.
No way will a RSPCA re-homing volunteer allow you to take one of their dogs.
I know, a lady with whom I walk every morning was very dismissive of you & your wives work schedule
Yep, came across this incredibly closed-minded attitude. Unless you fit theie hugely exacting standards (have to have someone at home pretty much all of the time, no children, must have previous experience of the breed) they turn you away.
Yet somehow we've managed to adopt not one but two dogs, both of whom would otherwise likely have been destroyed (that's what used to happen to all trailhounds at the end of their racing career).
By the way, Dogs Trust DOES NOT destroy healthy dogs. Other charities do.
springer spaniel (2yr), neither breed are renowned for being lazy or stupid!
errr, we're talking the balck/brown and white malting fur balls with flappy ears? Stupid is exactly how I'd define Brock! He's now 16+ though so is mearly a puppy with slightly less stable legs than he used to have.
ck - I can see why you're riled then. Very frustrating situation.
Makes me glad (once again) that we live in the sticks.
br - i assume thats a troll, but just to clarify..... your comment that any puppy will accept 'its life' is the most ridiculous thing on this thread, well done
Saintly - if your circumstances have changed, by all means go to the local rescue and talk to the guys there, they may be able to help, not in taking the dog from you but just offering advice on how you and your pooch can cope with the changes. I hope it works out alright for you both.
Christsakes people, they are dogs, treat them like dogs and they'll be happy. They dont need babysitters or day care, they need food, training, two walks a day, shelter and somewhere to have a crap, if you can do that they'll be fine. Its no wonder resue centres are so full of dogs because they wont let most people have a dog, it does my bloody head in.
