It's a sad day for our family

[4theloveofzoe]

We had a family meeting, and our family has decided that Zoe isn't right for our family, and we aren't the right family for her. I have tried hard to work things out for her best interests and ours. But after so many weeks of trying and trying... We, as a family, have come to the conclusion that Zoe is much better off with another family. One that doesn't have young children.

First off, let me tell you the reaons why we feel this isn't going to work anymore.

Zoe continues to have behavioral problems. Soiling in the house. (Although she has gotten better.) She bites and playfully attacks my 10 year old daughters, when Zoe was meant as a companion animal for my 10 year old, Marissa who has disabilities.

When the younger girls try to take her for a walk, she pulls hard. So they refuse to walk her. ANd has PULLED me hard enough to cause damage to my already injured arm (carpal tunnel syndrome).

She dug HUGE holes in our yard, that made us got a warning from our landlord, that our lease was going to be cancelled. Which would cause us to become homeless and have no where to go.

I just think that we made a mistake about adopting a medium sized dog. I hope that you all will understand our decision and will support me, because I'm feeling pretty sad and depressed right now.

I emailed the animal shelter that we got her from, and am waiting to hear about returning her. I tried calling before and no one returned my phone calls. Anyways... We just don't think it's fair to her to be cooped up all the time, because everyone's afraid to walk her because she pulls so hard.

I've tried training her since we got her, and nothing has worked with her. She needs a professional, and where we live there are no professionals.

We are looking at adopting a 10 month old small breed dog. He's already trained, and won't be a problem as far as walking him, etc.

If we decide to adopt him, I will return here.

[lute]

i'm so sorry that Zoe isn't working out for you. hopefully the shelter can find her the perfect home for her. good luck with this new dog.

[Kfamr]

It seems you are pretty set in your ways - but have you seeked a professional behaviorist/trainer yet? All of the problems you are having CAN be solved with training. You may have tried but, not all people have a knack for training, and not all dogs can be trained the same. A behaviorist/trainer is able to "read" the dog and figure out what they need to be a sound dog. Zoe being younger, she should be able to do perfectly fine.

Maybe if not your family, someone else will be able to take her to a behaviorist.


*edit* I skipped the line where you said you can't find a professional. No PetsMarts, Petcos even? Where is your exact location? I can look around on my different training/dog forums for you.

[Alysser]

I'm sorry Zoe isn't working for you.

[CagneyDog]

I'm sorry that it's not working out. I know that you want the best for both your family, and Zoe, however I'd really reccomend doing more training with her. These are all issues that can be solved!
Whatever your decision is, I wish you luck

[poofy]

Good luck to all of you..and hope the best for all to

[*iluvskipper*]

thats sad. but i'm sure that u'll both be happier!

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

Good luck, I wish your family the best, no matter what happens.

[luvofallhorses]

[mustlovedogs]

I agree.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

It seems you are pretty set in your ways - but have you seeked a professional behaviorist/trainer yet? All of the problems you are having CAN be solved with training. You may have tried but, not all people have a knack for training, and not all dogs can be trained the same. A behaviorist/trainer is able to "read" the dog and figure out what they need to be a sound dog. Zoe being younger, she should be able to do perfectly fine.

Maybe if not your family, someone else will be able to take her to a behaviorist.

I agree that Zoe's problems could be fixed with training- many dogs have the same problems you described without good training. There must be someone to help with your situation? From what I've read, it sounds like Zoe has a lot of energy that isn't being dealt with, so she becomes a problem by being destructive. If you do decide to get a different dog, maybe an older dog would be a better choice- puppies have endless energy, and if you are unequipped to handle it then more problems could arise with your new dog.

I wish you luck in whatever you decide.

[Jessika]

Giving up a pet for its best interest is never easy.

However, the problems you listed are all solvable with training, time, and patience.

If you are not willing to put the time forth to fix the problems then perhaps it IS best to find a new home.

In either case, I wish both of you the best of luck in whatever decision you think is best for your family

[cyber-sibes]

That is sad, even though you've only had her a short time, I'm sure your kids especially have gotten attached to her. Hopefully you will find a dog that is compatible, and Zoe will find a good home, too. Sounds like a good decision, all things considered.

[finn's mom]

I wondered how you all were fairing. I'm sorry to hear that your choice was the wrong one...I hope that you'll still consider taking your new pet to a training class once a week...even an hour drive isn't hard once a week. No matter how small a dog is, behaviors can still be problematic if not addressed as the dog matures. Even if the puppy's already received training, it's still a good idea to continue with it. Consistency is key. I think it's smarter to get a smaller dog, and, I wish you and Zoe the best of luck in finding the right family members.

[Vela]

Well, even a small dog will have behavioral problems if time isn't spent training and reinforcing the trained behaviors and working on them every day. Not to mention small dogs are just as apt to be nippers, if not more so, than larger dogs. I hope Zoe finds a good home but you will still need to persist with training any dog you get.