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Last week I broke down under pressure from the kids and we got a 4 1/2 month old Silky Terrier puppy.  Very, very cute dog.  We played with her a few times at the pet store while shopping for other things for our fish.  I look back now, a mere 8 days later and realize I made a huge mistake.  Not because the dog is bad or anything like that.  She’s been very good, is learning how to go outside when she needs to (she actually pulled her leash down off the door knob and brought it to us the last time she needed out) and barely makes any noise.  She is really mellow and is great with the kids, and the kids already love her.

So what’s the problem, right?  Well, we had a German Shepard mix for over 13 years.  When he died we said we would not get another dog.  Fast forward 5 years and in a moment of weakness I allowed a dog to come back in to our home.  The problem is we have changed so much since we last had a dog that a dog just doesn’t really fit how we live anymore.  It’s admittedly selfish, but it’s true.  I screwed up here as a parent and should have stuck with my wife on this one.  She did not want another dog at all and eventually gave in once I was on board with the kids.  She never had a chance.

So what now?  She’s a really good dog, but I just don’t see how this is going to work.  I can’t (and wouldn’t) take her back to the pet store (I know, I know.  A pet store?  Puppy mills you say!  But I had talked with some folks that had got a puppy from there before and it worked out really well) and I don’t want to take her to a shelter, at least not unless it is a no kill shelter that will find a new home for her.  This was my mistake, not hers.

I’m not sure what to do here.  My sister in law recommended a really good book that I am already reading through on training your dog, but that is not the issue.  Even if this dog made us coffee and tucked us in at night I don’t think it would change how my wife and I feel.  This is my issue to fix and I’ve already started talking to the kids about the situation and they definitely do not want to see her go, but sometimes as a parent you have to make difficult choices, and I should have done that in the beginning.  The longer I wait to find her a new home the harder it will be for all involved.

It sounds like I may have just made a decision while writing this.  I think I need to find her a new home.  A home where she fits in and can be with a family (the entire family, not just the kids) that really love her and want her as part of that family.  I’m really disappointed that I allowed this to happen.

How do I fix this one?

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 7:17 pm and is filed under Family, Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.