Dog keeps escaping

foreign_correspondent

leiela, do bear in mind that people have some very difficult dogs that they have owned since they were pups!! Getting a pup is no guarantee of getting a nice biddable dog with a good temprement.

Actually, I think the safest bet, behaviourally, is a mature rescue dog that has been in a foster home for a little time, so its temprement and behaviour have been observed and assessed in a home environment - the fosterer will know exactly what the dog is like, how well toilet trained it is, what it is like with chldren, how much exercise it needs, often how it is with cats, whether it is happy being left, whether it chews everything in its path or not etc etc...you are getting a known quantity with a proven temprement and personality, with a pup you get potential, and any pup may have the potential to be hard work and not an easy pet!

However, after the stresses you have had with this dog, and with your cats and the difficulties over the cost of treatment, and as I believe you work, and have kids, I would have to advise you that it would probably be very unwise to look at getting another dog. (I am sure you know this anyway though!)

leiela

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

leiela, do bear in mind that people have some very difficult dogs that they have owned since they were pups!! Getting a pup is no guarantee of getting a nice biddable dog with a good temprement.

Actually, I think the safest bet, behaviourally, is a mature rescue dog that has been in a foster home for a little time, so its temprement and behaviour have been observed and assessed in a home environment - the fosterer will know exactly what the dog is like, how well toilet trained it is, what it is like with chldren, how much exercise it needs, often how it is with cats, whether it is happy being left, whether it chews everything in its path or not etc etc...you are getting a known quantity with a proven temprement and personality, with a pup you get potential, and any pup may have the potential to be hard work and not an easy pet!

However, after the stresses you have had with this dog, and with your cats and the difficulties over the cost of treatment, and as I believe you work, and have kids, I would have to advise you that it would probably be very unwise to look at getting another dog. (I am sure you know this anyway though!)

Don't stress i have NO intention of getting another animal of any sort... when we got our animal's i was a full time stay at home mum, both me and my husband are now out much of the day now and when we get home between housework and kids we pretty much have our hands full.

We certainly don't have time or energy to train a puppy and even walking a older dog would take alot of our free time, right now our intention is to just see then animal's we have to the end of their lives with as much love as possible but not replace any of them.

tbh i think we'd only concider it, if one of us stopped working full time as pets do take alot of time and energy even cats who franky take ton's less time than dogs, but thats not likely unless one of us get's fired/redundant and even then i think finding another job would be top priority not "ooh lets get a new pet".

Oh and hubby did finally appologise about being an "$%^$$£!!!" over the cat :T and even though we are now paying for 3 different medications for her he's accepted it's what we need to do.

foreign_correspondent

yeah, I thought that was your thoughts Leiela - glad hubby apologised - you have had a really trying time of it, and it is difficult balancing the needs, timewise and emotional, of kids, partner and pets!

Frugalista

Leiela, I don't know if this is of any comfort to you, but it certainly helped me when I was in your position.

Years ago one of my "girls" developed tumours on her sides & stomach. The vet couldn't operate as she had cancer throughout her body and told us she had a few months to live. The sad thing was she didn't act sick in any way and in all other respects was perfectly happy and "normal". I struggled with making the decision of when was the "right time". My vet told me to remember that dogs live for today - they have no conception of tomorrow or next week. They don't think "Aah! It will soon be summer" or "This time last week I had a nice bone". They live in the moment - and so you will not be "stealing" any of their remaining life from them, because they don't "plan" that far ahead, like us humans. (Sorry if this is a bit garbled - it made sense when my vet explained it).

As someone else has said - it is far better to do it a day too soon than a day too late.

I'll be thinking of you....