It is with a heavy heart that I must admit our defeat. After a few months here and there of various canine-related catastrophes, Brad and I have come to realize that Beckham may have outgrown our little family.
We've suffered countless beds peed on, the destruction of window blinds -- both the cheap and the expensive, a late night ER visit, chain-link fence jumping, Hunter-room-trashing, toilet seat scratching, near drywall removal and finally, pill sedation at the mere sight of a thunderstorm. It's been extremely tasking for us to say the least.
And with our primary focus on a growing Little Man (and who knows, maybe another little one someday?), it's quickly becoming obvious we all -- Pooch included -- are in need of a change.
So here we find ourselves at a crossroad: Keep Becks and try to work through all these behavioral problems? Rebuild the back fence in hopes it will contain him? Start paying a dog-walker to entertain him because clearly the 1, sometimes 2 walks a day and incessant petting isn't cutting it?
We love Beckham. But we also love our house. And continued repair isn't in the cards for us. If you have thoughts/comments/support/advice -- we'd love it. Please share it in the comments section below and believe me, we're all ears... some of them furry.
3 comments:
Oh my...I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this difficult decision! :(
Well, I'm curious...is his destructive behavior happening when there are storms/when a storm is coming? Maybe he's acting out because he is frightened? Or maybe he is trying to get attention? Does he get a chance to play with other dogs? I know that you love Beckham and have tried to help him as much as you can...I did find some "dog behavior tip sheets" online (maybe something on there will help?)-- it's The Humane Society's website:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/
Also, when there are thunderstorms in the area, I wonder if putting the TV on loud enough to muffle the thunder would help him? When the Fourth of July "season" comes, SOOO many people in the neighborhood do fireworks. Belle gets "anxious" when she hears the fireworks (she hides under our bed-it's her "safe place"...we call it her fort) ;)...so we turn up the bedroom TV loud for Belle so she has something else to drown out the loud pops.
Whatever you decide will have to be what is best for your family...and I know that either way it may not always be easy...but just remember one of Grandma's favorite "sayings" and it will help you along the way.
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference." (The Serenity Prayer)
Thinking of you, love you,
Larraine XOXO
What a difficult decision! You have my full support and listening ear. Glad you are thinking about what is best for your family and what is best for Beckham.
Life is full of tough decisions.
Love you,
{}{}
Mom
Sounds just like Marley from the book and movie. You likely need an in-house dog trainer and would be surprised at how quickly they can help. Also, the book The Other End of the Leash would be enlightening.
Post a Comment