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I made plans a few days ago to spend some time with extended family for Thanksgiving. I love these people, but can only take them in small doses. I can't really relate to them and get extremely uncomfortable and shy when around them for too long or without a friend with me. However, it's the only family I have in Arizona, and I appreciate their willingness to take me in for this holiday...
A coworker just came to me and asked me to take her dog, Squirt, for the holiday. I know I can't take both Beesley and Squirt (she's not potty trained, and they won't allow her) to my cousin's house, so my choices are to turn down the offer from my coworker and go with family or stay home with both dogs and go to a local friend's house for Thanksgiving.
Here's the thing about Squirt. She's a puppy, and her family (my coworker) are HORRIBLE with her. I'd really like a chance to take care of her for a few days to see what progress we can make. My coworker has expressed her disatisfaction with the dog and her inability to be trained fast (she's only about 12 weeks old), and recently told her boyfriend she wanted to get rid of the dog. When she makes a mess in the house or her kennel, she gets scolded and thrown outside. I feel so bad for the dog, and want to give her a few days of love and attention, and perhaps a bit better effort at house training.
First of all, you don't have to spend Thanksgiving with other people. Believe it or not, thousands spend thanksgiving alone, and are still happy and well-adjusted people. So you don't have to go if you don't want to.
Second, a few days of kindness isn't what this dog needs. It needs a new home. You can't housebreak a dog in a few days either; you are more likely to cause it more confusion due to your different methods and habits and environment. Their scolding and remedial punishment are not the best way to train a dog, but they aren't abuse either. You sound rather emotionally involved already and that could be a big recipe for disaster.
Whether or not I take Squirt for the week, she's going to have to go somewhere. I'd rather she say with me than go somewhere even worse than her home life.
As for spending the holidays alone, I can't do that. I did that last year and will NEVER do it again. I have an extremely close intermediate family and we take our holidays seriously
Geez, she never said she didn't want to go just that she can take these people in small doses. Isn't that like most families? I certainly can say that's true for mine!
On to the topic at hand. What kind of dog is it? I know you're looking for a sibling for Beesley, so maybe that's your chance to try it out and offer to take the dog off their hands if they truly don't want it. They don't sound like the type that care for the dog and last thing you want is them to advertise the poor thing on Craigslist.
If you went with your friend, would she allow you to bring both dogs? If yes, then I would go that route.
Geez, she never said she didn't want to go just that she can take these people in small doses. Isn't that like most families? I certainly can say that's true for mine!
On to the topic at hand. What kind of dog is it? I know you're looking for a sibling for Beesley, so maybe that's your chance to try it out and offer to take the dog off their hands if they truly don't want it. They don't sound like the type that care for the dog and last thing you want is them to advertise the poor thing on Craigslist.
If you went with your friend, would she allow you to bring both dogs? If yes, then I would go that route.
Totally agree with all of it. Find out if she has a carrier for the puppy or see if you can buy or borrow one and then you can use it as a carrier and a crate since the pup is not housebroken. This way you could take the pup with you and not worry about it being an imposition to others.
You need to explain to your dense friend that she's expecting WAY too much for a 12 week old puppy to be trained. Would she expect a six month old child to be toilet trained? I doubt it. It's the same thing with this very young puppy. Print out my housetraining post for her and tell her to follow it TO THE LETTER and she'll have a trained dog.
I don't think it'd be a good idea to take this dog to your family. It's bound to have an accident and that will only make things more difficult. Because the dog can't stay in the crate ALL the time.
And why didn't your co-worker think ahead when she got a dog? They are NOT disposable!
Geez, she never said she didn't want to go just that she can take these people in small doses. Isn't that like most families? I certainly can say that's true for mine!
On to the topic at hand. What kind of dog is it? I know you're looking for a sibling for Beesley, so maybe that's your chance to try it out and offer to take the dog off their hands if they truly don't want it. They don't sound like the type that care for the dog and last thing you want is them to advertise the poor thing on Craigslist.
If you went with your friend, would she allow you to bring both dogs? If yes, then I would go that route.
that was one of my first thoughts too.......
Quote:
Originally Posted by Viralmd
You need to explain to your dense friend that she's expecting WAY too much for a 12 week old puppy to be trained. Would she expect a six month old child to be toilet trained? I doubt it. It's the same thing with this very young puppy. Print out my housetraining post for her and tell her to follow it TO THE LETTER and she'll have a trained dog.
I don't think it'd be a good idea to take this dog to your family. It's bound to have an accident and that will only make things more difficult. Because the dog can't stay in the crate ALL the time.
And why didn't your co-worker think ahead when she got a dog? They are NOT disposable!
THAT requires common sense..... something that we all know is in VERY short supply........
and as far as the cousins go..... could you just go for the day?? leave home early, pig out and then come on home?? think how much fun it would be to have 3 glorious days of playing with and loving on the puppers........
if it was me personally, i would just go to a friends house.... more fun, more relaxed and easier to deal with.......
I gotta agree with LLTP! Make your sincere apologies to the cousins...may not want to tell them they have been replaced with "puppy time" tho.(not everyone thinks on our level) and dine with friends and have puppy playtime. It will be great for the "BeezeMan" too!
I made plans a few days ago to spend some time with extended family for Thanksgiving. I love these people, but can only take them in small doses. I can't really relate to them and get extremely uncomfortable and shy when around them for too long or without a friend with me. However, it's the only family I have in Arizona, and I appreciate their willingness to take me in for this holiday...
A coworker just came to me and asked me to take her dog, Squirt, for the holiday. I know I can't take both Beesley and Squirt (she's not potty trained, and they won't allow her) to my cousin's house, so my choices are to turn down the offer from my coworker and go with family or stay home with both dogs and go to a local friend's house for Thanksgiving.
Here's the thing about Squirt. She's a puppy, and her family (my coworker) are HORRIBLE with her. I'd really like a chance to take care of her for a few days to see what progress we can make. My coworker has expressed her disatisfaction with the dog and her inability to be trained fast (she's only about 12 weeks old), and recently told her boyfriend she wanted to get rid of the dog. When she makes a mess in the house or her kennel, she gets scolded and thrown outside. I feel so bad for the dog, and want to give her a few days of love and attention, and perhaps a bit better effort at house training.
Once again, I'm torn.
I agree with those who said look into finding a crate and bring her along if possible that will also give you something other than your extended family to focus on while you are there. If Squirt has never been crated it might be wise to take her for a night or two before hand if you will actually be staying over night with the relatives...the less of a fuss she will make the better off all parties concerned will be.
I'm thinking I have to go with the family for Thanksgiving. It can't be a quick trip, it's a 2 1/2 hour drive just to get there, not to mention traffic since it's a very popular destination for holiday travel. I was planning on going Wednesday night and coming back Thursday night, or possibly Friday since I took the day off of work. I had to practically beg to bring Beesley--they would only let me on the condition he doesn't make a mess in the house. He won't, but there's going to be about 30 people present...about 30 people Beesley will hate for a few hours. He gets scared when people come on too strong to him and he pees himself. This family is a bit intense, and I'm afraid he might have an accident. A mass email was sent out yesterday informing all attending that I will be present, so I feel obligated now. I hate flakes anyway, and I don't want to turn into one.
I have one of three options:
1. Say no to the coworker and just take Beesley to the family function, meaning Squirt will go to my coworker's friends house who she said is the last person she'd ever want her dog with.
2. Take Squirt for the week, but leave her at my house and ask my friend to check on her while I'm gone (which defeats the purpose of spending time with her)
3. Beg the family (again) to let me bring a kenneled dog...which also defeats the purpose of spending time with her, as I KNOW she'll have an accident if I take her out of the kennel.
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) and dine with friends and have puppy playtime. It will be great for the "BeezeMan" too!
