Living in Dog-Hell...what do you do?

Question

As an American I have always made the choice of "NOT" having a Dog live with me. I hate the urine the crap & I have made the "Choice" of not having my home smell like a kennel, to say nothing for the noise and destruction they cause to home furnishings. This rule has served me well until my 8 year old son & wife begged me to buy a puppy.The only other experiences I have had is watching over family and friends dogs while they were on vacation etc, and I have only done that with the dogs within "THEIR" residence..NOT mine. So my son and wife found a puppy for only $250 and they promised to take care of him, they said it would be cheap..they said. To date: $3200 carpets, $950 pianio leg repair, $1500 couch replacement, untold back yard damage, $kitchen chair replacement, $390 training, 30 plus sleepless nights, $400 assorted items, crate, dishes, food. $400 Vet bills..and on and on.

NEVER get a Dog, it's too late for me but heed my warning!!

Now someone will say it's ME not the dog

Answer 1

I have trained dogs my entire life. My son is multi handicap and has a dog to assist him. It doesn't sound like your family kept up their end of the bargain. The DOG IS NOT TO BLAME

Answer 2

Sounds like those Mastercard commercials but without the happy ending. Wow you do sound like you're in hell, and I bet that your puppy is just as miserable. My best advice is to crate train him. Next is providing the dog with a lot of interesting toys to keep him occupied. Third is limit the area of the house that he's allowed in and puppy proof that area. Slowly introduce him to other parts of the house with supervision to always let him know what is and isn't acceptable. A bored puppy is a setup for disaster! Owning a puppy is a lot of work at first. You have to invest the time, the tools and the training. Some research and reading up on pack behaviour could have saved you and your family a lot money, headache and disappointment and you may have been able to choose a breed better suited for your lifestyle. It's sad that your and your family did not get to enjoy a treasurable addition to your home. You may not agree but the biggest loss is suffered by the puppy. If owning a dog was such a nuissance, you wouldn't find so many dog lovers. So be the alpha. Be strong and firm not abusive and angry. Be consistant. Set your puppy up for success by controlling its environment. Knowledge is power so go out there and learn about the canine world instead of taking the easy way out! A puppy doesn't come pre-programmed. It looks to you for everything.

Answer 3

There seems to be something very wrong with your household management. Who is the real boss in this household? People/parents should run a household and not children or their pets.

1. First of all parents learn very fast that children do not (in most cases) take care of cleaning up after a puppy or grown dog for very long. That happens only in fairy tales.
2. Why isn't the dog confined to linoleum covered areas where he cannot urinate onto carpet, attack the piano or other furniture?
A large Kennel for housing the still untrained pet, would help while you are away in the day time or at night when the family sleeps.
3. In the back yard there should be a small area fenced in with cheap fencing. This area should be used as the dog's bathroom area-only for peeing and pooping. My dog learned this very fast and raced to that area so she would not mess up the rest of the yard. She was also taught not to run thru flowerbeds, no matter how full her bladder was.
No, this training was not achieved via screaming and beating, but by talking gently to her and repeating this until she knew it by heart.
4. Every dog should go thru several weeks of obedience school training. There it will be taught to sit, heel, lie down, stay and so on, and not to attack people or things such as furniture. While the dog owner is present during this training, she/he can pick up helpful suggestions for their own behavior.

Answer 4

Try crate training (there are a lot of posts on here how to do it correctly) and obedience class. It really sounds like he just needs some good, solid training. He can't destroy your carpets, furniture, etc, if he is either crated or being closely supervised. Puppies should never be left unattended for this reason...you can't correct them if you can't see what they are doing. If he chews on something and no one stops him, he will assume it's ok.

While puppies are cute, I agree with you that they aren't for everyone. They do chew and have potty accidents and you must be willing to deal with some smell and some chewed up objects until they are fully trained. I think you might feel a little differently about dogs had you gotten an adult who is through the chewing phase and housebroken, but I am biased as puppies tend to drive me nuts as well sometimes. If you've never had a dog before either, I can certainly understand your frustration with a puppy. That said, I think if you are willing to work with the dog, you'll get the most loyal, loving friend you've ever had in return.

Try some Bitter Apple spray if you haven't already. It works well on stopping dogs from chewing things. Also try a product called OUT. It is sold at walmart and grocery stores. Gets out any stain and smells nice and powdery fresh.

And dogs start teething at about 4 months. You didn't mention how old he was, but a lot of his chewing could be due to teething.

Answer 5

I will not say it's "you". Dogs - all dogs - chew and can and will be destructive. It's not that they are "bad", it's just their nature to chew and dig. As such, it's our job to try to stop that. As such, I will say that you were clearly unprepared to be a dog owner.

Getting an animal - any animal - is an expense. I would say for you or any future owner of an animal to do lots of homework before adopting. Puppies are adorable. But do you know the costs associated with shots, neutering, food, insurance, kennels, collars, toys, dishes, etc.? Do you know how to train or care for a dog? Do you know the time commitment?

For example, you could have saved yourself tons of money on carpets and furniture by properly crate training your dog. Yes, the crate costs money - anywhere form $80-200. But that's a small price to pay considering how much you claimed to have spent on all the other items. Also, I would have spent a lot more on training. An obedient dog is worth any sum of money and the amount you listed suggests that you received some training, but not nearly enough. Please consider additional classes.

To me, a pet is a bit equivalent to having a child. There are tons of sleepless nights, doctor visits, accidents, destruction, food bills, clothing bills, toy bills, etc. Eventually, though, you have a good child, teen or adult who brings you joy and happiness.

The good news is that the damage is now done - you've paid the price. By now your dog should be an adult. All the chewing he did as a pup will stop. And soon you may have a wonderful dog in the house.

Answer 6

You needed to stand up for yourself more, sorry.

I did this to my mom when I was a kid. Our dog never did THAT much damage, it was more that I went to school and my mom was stuck at home with an animal she didn't want. She had it gassed. We never should have adopted it and someone else could have given it a loving home.

I now have 4 of my own dogs, and I don't HAVE carpet, I have hardwood floors. And expensive furniture resides in a room behind either closed doors, or a 4' tall baby gate so the dogs can't trash my good furniture.

Normal dog costs aren't cheap - annual vet, food, toys, etc. Everything ELSE is due to LACK OF TRAINING. Not saying it is your fault, but people beg and plead for pets and then don't follow through. Dogs take time, they aren't perfect, and they take THE COMMITMENT OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY. Dogs are a pack animal and look to the whole pack for assurance and direction. If the whole family isn't into it, then they shouldn't get a dog!

Answer 7

Dogs don't have to cost that much, but are an expense that you have to be prepared for! The carpets and furniture, etc. that was destroyed is indeed YOUR families fault...don't leave your puppy unattended to destroy things...duh. The training is a need not a want and the 390 you paid should have been justified if you actually continued training at home not just expecting your pup to come home perfect after a few classes. You have the wrong attitude to own a puppy and raise him to behave, find a good home for this poor little guy...someone that will take care of him properly!

Answer 8

Unfortunately, it is you. And it is your wife and your son as well. Puppies are just like babies. They require a lot of time and patience. The number one reason that dogs end up in shelters is "behavioral problems". Would you have regretted having your son if he did not potty train within a certain time frame? Of course not. Puppies can and do learn. The owners have to be consistent. Know where your puppy is at in the home at all times. If you can not look after him or need to leave, crate training works great. You can also purchase protectors to go around the legs of your piano or other furniture until puppy learns not to chew. If vet bills are too much for you, try investing in a pet health plan. We pay $20.00 per month and all of our puppies vaccines, check-ups, and even the cost to have her spayed is covered. I admit, I did not know the first thing about training a puppy when I got mine, but I did know enough to enroll her (and me) in a training class. They have showed me how to train, treat, discipline and react to my puppy. Dogs want nothing more than to please you. But first they have be shown how to do it, and you have to be a responsible pet owner and get the ball rolling. The dog can not learn on it's own.

Answer 9

Well, I had not thought of it the way you put it before; however, I am pleased to learn that some households do repair the damage. I usually just tolerate the 'scars'.

Tell them that the expenditures are coming out of the vacation fund and see if they can find 'fido' a nice home with less expensive appointments. Or, the concept of 'doghouse' come to mind. Personification of pets is common in metropolitan areas...if you have the space in the backyard, save your angst for stepping 'in it' anguish.

They are wonderful confidants and companions; however, during the puppy stage, they try our tolerance and patience (similar to children). Also, I suggest that you find and use an obedience training school for your puppy. That way, the discipline and correcting measures will be more effective than yelling at the poor, little ol', bewildered, schweetums.

Answer 10

I have two Jack Russells and my house does not smell like a kennel. Actually when people come over they say they can't even smell dogs in my house. Puppies chew on everything. You should have known that before you got a dog. Also dogs do cost money just like kids. If you can't handle a dog then why the heck do you have kids? Not a very smart idea on your behalf. I think you should find a good home for the dog.

Answer 11

It is you! You don't think your dog can sense the dis-pleasure you have with this dog! I would tell you to take control of the situation, but that would be useless. After all your not really in charge of the house your wife and son are.

Your solution is one of two things A) You have to be trained to be a GOOD pack leader. B) Allow someone who is qualified to care for the dog take the dog. Shame on you for showing you child you have no control.

P.S. Carefull what you do to the dog, if you are mean to that dog, it may just turn around and bite someone in your family.

P.S.S. As and American I have the right to say what I said to you.