Just another day ...

[glencorgi]

Just got off the phone with a young mother who has two corgis she needs to place because of fighting, usually over food. I couldn't have rolled all the stereotypic cliched excuses to get rid of one's dog into one conversation IF I tried.

Both are neutered and up to date, male 4 years old, female 3 years old, bought as puppies and she admits to failing in the training area. Now the cliches begin:

Have a two year old daughter and a new born.

(Toddler and baby issues - just don't have time for the dogs anymore.)

Dogs scrap whenever daughter gives one of them food or drops something on the floor. Yes this is a danger to the child's safety. Male is standoffish around toddler, but has never offered to harm her. Female adores and plays with toddler.

Homeowner's Association won't allow for fences, and with the toddler and new baby, not enough time to for them to get any exercise with their afore regular walks.

(Time issues - only want what is best for the dogs.)

Moving in the near future into M-I-L suite of grandmother's house. Dogs won't be allowed but the two cats will be going. No issues about the cats, although they were used to show how "full" this couples life was.

(Moving, can't take the dogs with them.)

The husband is the primary motivator behind getting rid of the dogs. This was not a day I could couch my language with placating euphemisms. I point blank asked, "so getting rid of the corgis is a matter of convenience and he sees them as disposable?" She answered yes.

(Dogs/pets are disposable.)

They have crates which she uses when she has to leave the house. After several but, but, but and my reiterating numerous times - use your crates! She finally got the point. Rotate the dogs throughout the day and that will give each of them some out and family time in the interm.

(Mind's made up, don't want to change the way they've done things or to explore options to make a situation work.)

As is my usual custom, my initial questions and advice was about contacting the breeder (with whom they were evidently very good friends and she even boarded the dogs for them). Whether the breeder will take responsibility or not is another question, but I have bought a week's time to perhaps find a new home for one of the corgis at least, maybe both.

I requested they not get another dog in the future as this a prime example of why shelters are full - owner retention issue and responsibility issue. She admitted they (the husband especially) didn't want to be bothered with future responsibility of owning dogs.

So IF at times I might come across as less than enthusiastic about all those who join thinking they might want a corgi, this is a good example of why I can't share the glee. After about 8 years of this 24/7, 365, it wears on one and I can come pretty close to predicting which homes are going to work and which ones aren't. It isn't fun being right either.

And just for the records, I have known young couples wearing these same shoes and have made the situation work, some having much worse issues than this couple is facing. They didn't give up their dogs and that only adds to the frustration.

Debbie

[corgimom]

Deb,

What a sad story and they can't even keep one of them, preferably the female? - as it sounds like she is easier going around the toddler; oh that's right, no dogs in the M-I-L suite Our Humane society here in town says "moving and can't take the dog, and Allergies" are the top excuses for relinquishing pets. Too bad she didn't think twice about aquiring the second dog when she was planning a family in the near future.

Very sad for the dogs and hopefully they will be found an appropriate home.

[Chip's Mom]

Deb:

I feel your pain and I am so sorry. The dogs are probably better off in new homes with people that have more time for them and will take the responsibility of the care and training that these two obviously need. Corgis need so much love and attention from their people and that is what so many people do not realize. A corgi is not just another dog and it is not for everyone. It is a very special breed who will give you all their love and devotion - but you have to raise them up to be responsible members of your family just like you would your children and they have to be a full fledge member of your family. There ranking has to be right up there with eveyone else in the household with importance and discipline and if a person isn't willing to give this type of committment then they don't need a corgi in their life. This is just my opinion and now I will get off my bandwagon. I do love my corgi!!!! One more comment - I will not even start on the husband

Debbie - Hugs and corgi kisses from Chip a roo

[Dillydoodle]

oh Debbie,
I dont know how you do it. I get so upset about that. It breaks my heart. I am so sure that if she tried to make it work it would but i see that most people once they have the idea of getting rid of their pets, nothing is going to change their minds, even simple fixes. I see the dogs in the shelter in my area and they are usually there becuase of moving and cant take dogs, or have baby/toddler and cant keep dog, oh and the allergies thing is the other big one around here. I am most outraged when i see dogs that are elderly thrown away becuase they have become inconvenient or have been replaced by a younger dog. I cry when i see that. I don't believe that everyone should have a dog, or a cat for that matter. When we take on the committment of a pet, dog, cat ,whatever ,it should be for the life time of the animal and one should do everything in their power to make things work out and not cop out on the poor animal. As for this lady's husband- all i have to say is that my hubby is not a cat person, at all. He doesnt appreciate them or understand them, however, when he met me , i had two cats, and he loved me enough he would never ever ask me to get rid of my cats ( infact at one point we had 4 cats until my clinton passed away.) He was not a huge fan of the cats but if he EVER asked me to get rid of a cat then i would know he was not a man i could ever love...and he would go long before my cats ever would...and that stands to this day almost 10 yrs of marriage later. This woman would be better off dumping that husband and keeping her dogs. The other thing is if you plan to have children, then you should make sure you have properly socialized and trained your dog so you dont have issues later. That is my 10 cents ( i would say two but i was a bit long winded )
Emilie

[milles2]

Debbie:

Take a deep breath, then let it go. It is very sad and I do hope these little ones find a great home and no dog is ever at the mercy of this family's self serving need for puppy love.

I hosted my doggie day care Christmas Party/dog birthday party Saturday. My two hang out with a bunch of different dogs throughout the year.Eleven dogs came w/ their families. Of the eleven, five were pure bred dogs and six were mixed breed/shelter dogs.

My day care "ain't" cheap. Most of these folks w/ rescues could afford pure bred dogs but chose to go the rescue route. Most have been worked with, trained, in Obedience programs, etc.

I was very impressed with the lengths some of these folks are going to give these dogs good homes. One dalmation has seizures, a pit/shepard mix has had fear issues, a JRT mix was passed fom sibling to sibling and just doesn't know how to play, etc.

It was amazing watching the patience, concern, teaching going on by the owners. In a three hour period, only one squabble: Lulu got too clolse to the JRT's ball he held in his mouth for over an hour! (P.S. Lulu was absolutely smitten w/ the JRT mix!, followed him everywhere he went).

As someome raising my first two dogs (with lots of help!) I see the issues I need to address with my pups. I didn't want a rescue because I wanted the opportunity ro raise mine right (whatever that means....).

But these folks w/ their rescues are dealing w/ a lot of the same issues plus on top of it fears, mistrust, ect they have learned from previous homes.

I hope these two Corgis you found are as lucky as the dogs I saw yeysterday finding loving homes where they will get everything they need.

[CorgiMum]

Debbie, a big hug for you.

Those two dogs, as are the countless others so very lucky to have you helping them.

That story, and a few more should be mandatory reading, maybe having some pinned might be an idea.

[tandemgal]

Debbie,

(((hugs))) it has to be so tough on you each time you go through this situation. I hope today is better.

[milosmom]

I vote to get rid of the husband! I wouldn't want to be married to someone that thinks another living creature is disposable because of an "inconvenience" that he helped create!!!

[Fluffypants]

Poor babies! I hope that you are able to find good homes for them. It is amazing how lightly people take getting a dog (or any pet for that matter). They are lucky that they crossed your path, Debbie.

I think everyone needs to read "Black Beauty". After reading that as a kid, I could never throw an animal away!

[Jhemphill]

That story infuriates me. When my husband and I got our first dog, which lived to be 16 years old, he was a Shih Tu my daughter was 5 years old. My husband was in the Navy so we moved every 3 years. We always found places to live that excepted dogs, we just scraping by, because we had decided that I would stay home with our daughter, so we had one income and a low ranking military income at that. When we moved to Illinois for my husband to work as a company commander at the recruit training center Great Lakes, we were having a hard time finding some where that would except dogs and were running out of relocation money. We were at the last place and my husband said to me if this one does not except dogs what are we going to do? I look at him and told him that my daughter, Wickett (the dog), Sparkles (the goldfish, yes we transported a gold fish from Jacksonville FL to Great Lakes IL) and I would be driving back to Florida until we could get Navy Housing. He said to me you would pick Wickett over me and with out a moments hesitation I said yes. From that moment on he has know where he ranks in my life and we have been married 27 years. Luckily the apartments excepted dogs and we all lived happily ever after. We even have an urn on the fire place with Wickett's ashes in it. Kevin (husband) know how I feel about animals that you take into your home, they are you responsibility for as long as they live and that you have in place a plan for them in case you die or become incapacitated and can no longer take care of them. Animals in our house are members of the family not disposable possession. We had an ice storm a couple of years ago and were with our power for several days, at that time we did not have Maximus, but my daughter and son-in-law had a dog. My brother-in law at power and told us that we could come and stay with him, when I asked about the animals he said they could stay in the garage, I promptly told him no thanks that we would find somewhere else, that I was not going to have my grand dog stay in a freezing garage. So we took my sick (bronchitis) son-in-law, daughter, dog and Guinea pig almost two hours down the road in the middle of the night, to a hotel that my husband (he was in New York at the time) had found us that excepted dogs. So you can see why your story makes my blood boil. I feel for you Debbie, it takes a great person to do what you do, and I am glad that there are people like you that are able to help the helpless. Bless you.

[mochamix79]

Debbie - I am very proud of you for pushing the envelope and taking the initiative to call this person on their mistake. You may not be able to change their minds, but they now know that they have theoretically been blackballed from the dog list. Never again will they know the true and unconditional love of a dog. I agree with milosmom--ditch the hubby, they eat more anyway.

Justin and I are a young couple (I'm 27 and he's 31) and this is our first puppy as adults. I can't believe how much Huw has changed our lives and how I could not imagine living without him. We would live in our car before we gave him up. It is never an option. This is a committment, not some convenience.

What you do is admirable and probably life saving. If not for your rescue efforts, these perfect yet uneducated pups will find homes that will be patient, loving and dedicated.

[gemjunkie]

Makes my heart hurt to think that anyone would think their pets disposable. I went for almost 20yrs without a dog because I was afraid I'd have to get rid of it, not be able to feed it, not take good care of it. Why don't people think ahead more?
~Pam~

[Chip's Mom]

Debbie:

Do you have an update on these two? I have been wondering how you made out.