I realize this may sound harsh for some of the animal lovers on the board but please hear be out before judging me.
I am not a dog person. I have been trying for 1 1/2 years, but it just isn't getting any better for me. I have a dog that I personally wouldn't be heartbroken if he was just gone tomorrow. I've been trying to integrate him into the family and really make him a loved family pet, but it isn't working. He is simply one more thing I have to deal with. I am now at the point that we have to make it possible for him to be in the house regularly for two reasons, one he chews up the sprinker system out back and as soon as I get it fixed i'm not leaving him out there to mess it up again, and two, it will be too hot in about a month to leave him outside for very long. The only problem is, when he is in the house, he won't leave my kids toys alone, I am constantly trying to get something away from him and I won't have a dog destroying all my kids toys. I do give him plenty of bones to chew on and balls and toys that are just his, but apparently they aren't good enough.
We have contemplated getting rid of him and I am really trying not to go that route cause I realize I took on a certain amount of responsibility when i got the dog in the first place, but he is becoming a constant source of grief for me cause I don't want him to be isolated from the family and be stuck alone all day, but I can't deal with the stress of feeling like I have to follow him around all day to make sure he doesn't destroy something he shouldn't. Is there any way to teach him to stay out of the kids rooms (right now all the bedrooms are upstairs, so I want him to just stay downstairs). Gates on the stairs don't work, cause then my children can't get up and down by themselves, and that isn't an option for me. Does anyone have any advice, I don't like not loving our family pet, but I just don't and would love to know how to change that. I want to do what's best for the dog but works for the family too.
I am not a dog person. I have been trying for 1 1/2 years, but it just isn't getting any better for me. I have a dog that I personally wouldn't be heartbroken if he was just gone tomorrow. I've been trying to integrate him into the family and really make him a loved family pet, but it isn't working. He is simply one more thing I have to deal with. I am now at the point that we have to make it possible for him to be in the house regularly for two reasons, one he chews up the sprinker system out back and as soon as I get it fixed i'm not leaving him out there to mess it up again, and two, it will be too hot in about a month to leave him outside for very long. The only problem is, when he is in the house, he won't leave my kids toys alone, I am constantly trying to get something away from him and I won't have a dog destroying all my kids toys. I do give him plenty of bones to chew on and balls and toys that are just his, but apparently they aren't good enough.
We have contemplated getting rid of him and I am really trying not to go that route cause I realize I took on a certain amount of responsibility when i got the dog in the first place, but he is becoming a constant source of grief for me cause I don't want him to be isolated from the family and be stuck alone all day, but I can't deal with the stress of feeling like I have to follow him around all day to make sure he doesn't destroy something he shouldn't. Is there any way to teach him to stay out of the kids rooms (right now all the bedrooms are upstairs, so I want him to just stay downstairs). Gates on the stairs don't work, cause then my children can't get up and down by themselves, and that isn't an option for me. Does anyone have any advice, I don't like not loving our family pet, but I just don't and would love to know how to change that. I want to do what's best for the dog but works for the family too.