Well...I don't know what to do

[Twisterdog]

Originally posted by MariaM
[B I know you are all voicing your opinion, but couldn't one of you (other than guster girl) try to put yourself in my situation? [/B]

I swear I edited my other post and replied to this, but now it's not showing up. Is it? Gremlins took my post! So, here it is again:

You stated four times in your original post that you didn't know what to do. We are telling you what you should do, in our opinions.

And, actually, I know EXACTLY how you feel. When I was a kid, I wanted nothing in the world more than to own dogs. I loved dogs. But, our dogs lived outside. Period. End of story. There was NO arguing with my parents. So, that's how it was. (That's how I know how to build a good doghouse, BTW.)

Looking back, if I could do it over again, I would NOT have owned a dog that had to live outside. I would have waited until I had my own home and could have a dog inside. The memory of our two dogs outside all the time, especially in the winter, STILL haunts me and breaks my heart ... and I am 35 years old.

Plus, we had two dogs. They at least had each other for company and warmth. There are few things more sad to me in the world than one dog, tied up in a yard. That is the equivalent of a human spending it's life in a 6' x 8' foot prison cell, in solitary confinement. Dogs are pack animals. Their instinct tells them that to be alone, separated from their packs, means their death. No wonder they get stressed out and bark!

You will have every intention of spending time with that dog. And you will ... now. When it's below zero and the wind is howling and the snow is flying, you are NOT going to go hang out in the yard with the dog. And you mom is NOT going to let it in. Been there done that, trust me.

Do the right thing for the dog, Maria. You will not regret it. Whereas, if you do the easy thing for you, you most likely WILL come to regret it ... maybe for a very long time.