I’ve always intended to write more about our adventures with dog adoption {and raising a puppy, specifically}, but those posts don’t ever seem to make it out of my head because I worry that they’ll seem negative. Our experience has certainly not been all bad, it’s just sometimes easier to write about the hard stuff.
That said, I’m not totally sure where this post will fall on the good/bad continuum. You can tell me after you’ve read it.
A couple weeks ago, we came home to an anonymous note on the door outlining all the ways in which we neglect our dog. The writer closed with “no dog should be subject to this cruel way of life”.
Ouch.
I honestly think this feels worse than being judged for the choices we make in raising our children. Or maybe that’s just because no one has ever threatened to have my children taken away before. Regardless, I have thought about pretty much nothing else since then.
We KNOW we aren’t great dog parents. We struggle a lot with balancing Lucky’s needs and the kids’ needs and our lack of dog training abilities and my need to sometimes just sit down and relax. Who knew it’s not as easy to wing raising a puppy as it is with raising a kid?
Our journey with raising this puppy has been a bit rough. Lucky nearly died the week before we were supposed to bring him home, we gave him Demodex meds for what seems like a million years, and we nursed him through a bout with panosteitis. None of this was in the plan, but we muddled through it.
Lucky is the most active dog I’ve ever known. He’s also nearly twice the size we were told he’d likely grow up to be. He’s attention-seeking and pushy and smart – OMG is he smart. So yeah, these traits make for one challenging dog.
We’ve questioned once or twice whether bringing him into our family was a good idea. We sometimes wonder if maybe there is a family out there that would be a better fit for him. We always come to the same conclusion, though. He’s ours and we’re keeping him because we don’t see dog adoption as a temporary thing.
But there’s still the problem of the anonymous note. Whether or not there was any validity to what was contained in that note, I feel it hanging over us. Every time I put my dog outside to run around, I wonder if I’m being judged. Every time I have to tell him not to nip at the kids, I wonder who is listening. I am literally waiting for animal control to knock on my door at any moment.
Dumb, right? But it’s true.
So last week, we hired a trainer to finally address Lucky’s behavior issues because it’s clear that we can’t do it on our own. We did a little cosmetic work on the yard over the weekend – you know, the yard HE destroyed in the first place and is likely to ruin all over again in a day or two. We’re keeping him inside almost exclusively which means constantly playing referee between him and the kids.
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks. I really hope we’re doing enough to keep the mystery note writer from reporting us as she threatened to do in her note. If not, I may suggest that she take him home for a week and try her hand at raising him. That, by the way, is the exact same offer I make people who want to judge me for my kid parenting skills.
In the mean time, we’re doing the best we can and as long as everyone is happy and healthy we can’t be failing THAT badly, right?
Jessica Ferrara
On Facebook
Powered by Facebook Comments
Betty is a total destructive force and sometimes bad shit happens but mostly she’s a lover and a part of the family. She’s always the worst when she has no activity. Maybe take your pup and the kids to the park or on short walks together? That’s what we do. It’s not easy but we try.
And fuck people. That, too. Your dog is clean and healthy and fed and loved and that’s really all anyone should care about.
Thanks. I always appreciate your support.
Who do you think wrote the letter? I’d be really bothered by those accusations too because you know in your heart that you are not neglecting the dog.
I hope the training helps. When our dog was a puppy and full of massive amounts of energy, we ran her EVERY DAY at the dog park. I know there aren’t many in our city but you’ve got to exhaust that dog. The obedience training will help too. Good luck!
I suspect it was a neighbor but I can’t put my finger on which one. A lot of people in our neighborhood are not crazy about my in laws so it could be any one of many.
As soon as we can get him properly leash trained, I’m going to start running him with my bike. That was a suggestion from the girl we got him from and I think that makes the most sense for us.
Brad also runs Betty on the bike but Betty refuses to tire. Be careful if you’re the one holding the leash. I have seen Betty dart off and nearly knock Brad down and he’s a huge dude.