She's sweet in the house, though she doesn't ever cuddle. If we so much as reach out to her in a manner that might suggest petting, she jumps up, wags the ole tail, and thinks it must be time for a 5 mile run. If we do not oblige, she sulks and takes to the ground once again, acting as though she might pass away from boredom. Similarly, anytime we're changing clothes, she thinks we must be getting ready to take her for that 5 mile run so she pants loudly, nips at our heels, whines, etc. and if she doesn't see us putting on running shoes, well, again with the sulking. The worst part is that as soon as we do leave the house to go for a walk, she is uncontrollable. She squeals and whines and pulls (even on a choke collar!) and refuses to actually do any walking. She doesn't listen to any commands when outside, and has made it impossible for me to take her for a walk and handle Noah in the stroller. Oh, and if she so much as sees another dog, she turns into this maniacal thing that starts humping the air at random. If our friends' dogs come over, she can't relax or sleep at night, but continues the humping and licking and sniffing and body gyrations. She also must be man-handled every time the front door is opened just to make sure she doesn't sneak out and chase neighborhood rabbits for hours on end. She doesn't know how to fetch anything, so all she does in the back yard is run in circles without regard to landscaping; she actually uprooted an entire crepe myrtle bush because she ran into it at full speed.
Aren't most dogs just happy to cuddle and be rubbed down and have their tummy scratched?
Yesterday she went to work with me because she had to go to the vet next door for a bath and a shot. She pooped on the floor in our clinic entryway! She hasn't done anything like this since she was a tiny puppy! I had 3 patients there, my boss, and 2 coworkers. I'm totally the girl with the dog who poops on the floor. Sweet.
Our plan is as follows: Get her spayed this month, then get her into a round of obedience classes. If she doesn't calm down and start listening, we might have to find her a home on a couple of acres where she can herd other dogs and children all day. She is part border collie, after all. Am I cruel to consider this?
5 comments:
nope! If she's not happy with you guys then it's best for everyone that she finds a place to be happy at.
Ever tried a pinch collar? It's far better then a choke chain. She will be much easier to handle. We have a yellow lab and I wouldn't even think of walking him without a pinch collar. Love it!
Since she is part border collie, its in their nature to want to herd and be associated with running around all day and such. May sound cruel, but I say dont even do the classes, get started on finding a ranch or farm for her to be a part of. Better for all involved in my opinion. HTH.
Not cruel at all...but I was also going to ask if she had been spayed. I think that'll help. You always here of dogs mellowing out once they're spayed. Lucy gets super giddy anytime we change clothes too for the same reason. Every time turns into "walk time". Good luck with that! Keep us posted!
It will so help when she is spayed. Our dog is kennel trained and is well behaved, but she still loves when we put on running shoes.
Seriously, you are not cruel to consider it at all. Maybe it would work out best for her. Some dogs really just need space to run and are not normally house dogs.
My dog, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. If she didn't have to pee, she'd live in my lap or on my bed. Ugh...the dog fur of it all!
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