Dog keeps escaping

oystercatcher

leiela I think you are doing a brilliant job under the circumstances. It's all very well for us lot to preach and give 'ideal' answers to you but there's a whole huge story there that's not making it easy.
I hope you manage to stop her escaping you are obviously aware of the problems it could cause and trying to stop them.
I'm sure you will know when the right time is for this dog to be pts, in the meantime you have given her the best life that anyone could given the circumstances. From what you've said she's had 10 years of life and love and affection that she wouldn't have had otherwise. So WELL DONE YOU !!

Hugs
Oystercatcher

moomin5

I hope your able to secure her pen as it must be very worrying for you knowing she might not be safe.

I think you must have a very big heart Leiela to of struggled for so long to provide your dog with a life when she wasn't the nice pet dog you had in mind when you adopted her. Many people just get rid if they aren't perfect and your dog sounds very difficult in comparsion.

Shame on the rescue for not doing its job properly and then emotionally blackmailing you into keeping her. It doesn't sound like she was properly assessed in the first place. I hope that one day you'll be able to get past the experience as there are lots of dogs in rescues without issues and groups that will work very hard to make sure they match you to the right dog for your situation.

pink_piggy17

Well really, even the most placid dog might last out in the circumstances you mentioned! It's not something to base the whole dogs temperament around a couple of incidents where she was terrified and tried to defend herself.

I think taking her for walks would make her quality of life much better. If she is afraid of people, is it possible to put her in the car and take her to a countryside area? you could practice walking her on a lead in the garden. maybe get a trainer to come to your home and help you with this if going to a class with other dogs and people would be too much for her.

You didn't say, what is the prognosis for her illness?

leiela

Well we now have a roof on her pen ... yay for dads and so far it seems secure.

The prognosis is that sadly she's in her last few months of life the vet said that he thought she had maybe 6weeks 2 months ago and although she hasn't deteriorated further (thank goodness) realistically i know she is most likely not going to make it though the summer.

We did try for a very long time to walk her, get her used to being on a lead unfortunatly the moment you put the lead on her she go's compleatly mental and freak's out, growling and struggling she's paniced so much that she's almost strangled herself on several occasion's, just to go to the vets she needs sedating (its so bad the vet actually comes to us more often than not).

We can't even get her into the car, can't leave her unharnised for safety reason's but the minute you get it out of the cuboard she go's mental trying to put it on her is a 3 man effort.

Perhaps we should have persisted with things like that more when she was younger but she was our first dog and we where WAAAY out of our league, we really did try everything we could think of at the time to do normal pet things with her... we spent over 12 months trying to get her lead trained, with the thought that if we kept at it, eventually she'd realise it wans't something to be scared of.

Now though she's too old and too sick the stress and fear isn't worth it for her, it's too late to fix the problem and trying would just cause her to much distress.

foreign_correspondent

leiela wrote: »

Perhaps we should have persisted with things like that more when she was younger but she was our first dog and we where WAAAY out of our league, we really did try everything we could think of at the time to do normal pet things with her... we spent over 12 months trying to get her lead trained, with the thought that if we kept at it, eventually she'd realise it wans't something to be scared of.

Now though she's too old and too sick the stress and fear isn't worth it for her, it's too late to fix the problem and trying would just cause her to much distress.

Agree 100% with you here Leila - hindsight is a wonderful thing, and this dog wasn't the right dog for first-time inexperienced dog owners who were likely to soon have kids too. It's a shame the rescue were so keen to fob you off with her - no reputable rescue would have behaved this way. It snds like she has suffered some rotten abuse as a youngster, and perhaps now, just to be fed, warm and comfy is at least far, far better than that.

I think, in rotten circumstances, you have done the best you can, and yes, it is less than ideal, but all you can do now is deal with the present situation, and make your dogs last weeks or months as happy and contented as possible. You have solved the escaping thing, maybe treat her to a few things she enjoys (chews, bones, a treat dispensing ball, whatever), and spend as much time as you can with her, either in the garden or inside, as she clearly loves your company. Stop beating yourself up, because it just doesnt help, and get on with having a nice time with her, and be ready for the end, so that when the time is right she can slip away peacefully.

Paparika

Leiela

I've read the other posts just to refresh my memory,
You've done so much, and coped so well, allowing the dog a life a home (ok not ideal but hey what could you do).

I wonder if the dog is looking for her special resting place...

Did you read or see the film Marley and me, such a lovely dog but so naughty (I preferred the book). There are just some dogs that are not deemed family pets, sounds like this is one of the rogues.

I just wonder the escaping is her wanting to find her special place.

Hugs to you, you have done a fantastic job where others did want to help.

mrcol1000

leiela wrote: »

She is concidered dangerous which is why she can not live in the house, because i can't risk my children's safety, she is also very distructive and hyperactive.. she's a dog with 2 settings.. "go" and "go faster" she destroy's something almost every time she comes into the house even with constent supervision.

.

This dog is obviously miserable and should be put down rather than dragging out its toture. Also I would be very worried if I lived near you. You have a dog which you say is considered dangerous and won't allow in the house near your kids and this dog keeps escaping??
How are you going to feel when the dog attacks someone even if it is out of fear?? I think your being very irresponsible by making this dog live a miserable existience and leaving your children and people in the area at risk of being attacked by this dog.

I have read your other posts and feel this dog obviously is not right in the head and should be put down for its own well being and the safety of people in the area. However I do wonder if I am reading different posts judging by everyone elses responses. If you feel that bad about having this dog put down why don't you offer a home to another rescue dog and save one of the thousands of healthy friendly dogs who are put down every year because there is no home for them.

leiela

Maybe your right, i have to admit the times in the past she's escaped it's been due to a dodgy fence, she's never been this insistant before she's certainly never scaled the fence before.

She was just totally the wrong dog for beginners, tbh i really think an experienced dog owner would have struggled with her. She ruled our lives for so long when we had our first son i really think for the first 12 months of his life he almost came second to the dog because we where so busy trying to train her as all our energy went there... our days where pretty mucgh filled with cleaning up her mess, fixing things she'd destroyed and futilty trying to walk her.. which mostly involved someone holding a lead while she acted like a rabid animal at the end of it growling and hurling herself about. i guess it another reason why the centres won't look at her, she gets really nuts on the lead.. she's never bitten us on the lead but she does growl/snap and look very threatening so when ever we took her to see them she wasn't exactly at her best... her best of course being when she's wagging her tail/ barking and running around like a loon breaking things.

Right now we are just doing all we can to make those last months happy, i know a time will come when she's in enough pain that i know pts is the kindest/best option and im prepared to do that.

tbh i've noticed the last week or so she's starting whining at night, even the neighbour noticed it... she's never been a whiny dog so i am wondering if the tumours hurting when she's lying down trying to sleep and maybe it will be time soon.

I love her and i'll miss her despite her naughtiness because she does have a very lovable nature and she's always SOoooo happy for anything or any time you spend with her.

leiela

mrcol1000 wrote: »

This dog is obviously miserable and should be put down rather than dragging out its toture. Also I would be very worried if I lived near you. You have a dog which you say is considered dangerous and won't allow in the house near your kids and this dog keeps escaping??
How are you going to feel when the dog attacks someone even if it is out of fear?? I think your being very irresponsible by making this dog live a miserable existience and leaving your children and people in the area at risk of being attacked by this dog.

I have read your other posts and feel this dog obviously is not right in the head and should be put down for its own well being and the safety of people in the area. However I do wonder if I am reading different posts judging by everyone elses responses. If you feel that bad about having this dog put down why don't you offer a home to another rescue dog and save one of the thousands of healthy friendly dogs who are put down every year because there is no home for them.

I understand your concern but on the many many occasions the vet and rspca have seen the dog neither of them thought she seemed misrable she's a very bouncy (too bouncy) happy dog despite her living condition's being less than ideal.

As for the idea of taking on a another rescue, after this i'll never take another rescue .. i know that seems cruel as i realise there are alot of GOOD dogs in need of homes, but i can't risk being palmed off with another animal like Millie, she's take over so much of our lives and as much as i love her, she wasn't the nice indoor family member i envisioned getting.

border_collie

Set a date to pts. Make her last week or whatever as fabulous as possible.

Don't wait until the day you think "oh she is in pain now", do it BEFORE she is in pain.

It is one of the hardest things we have to do for our pets but it will happen.

You will have less angst and guilt afterwards if you do it one day too early rather than one day too late.

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