/Sigh

[Mokapi]

I'm at my mom's house so I have internet! WHOO. It's going to take AT&T another THREE WEEKS to send someone out to set up my internet...I "ordered" it or whatever two weeks ago. If they weren't the only providers that serviced my complex, I would be jumping to find someone else. But anyway- the point behind that was that I can update on the chihuahua puppy I was getting. I doubt anyone remembers, but I was going to pick him up and then take him home for a trial period.

I did pick him up for the trial period, and then we decided to go straight to PetSmart to get him acquainted and see how he did. It was awful. Anytime someone, canine or human, so much as looked at him, he started screaming. And I don't mean like a whine- he was screaming like his legs were being broken. The managers on duty and the majority of the associates I'm friends with literally rushed over. No one could touch him, no one could extend their hand so he could sniff their fingers, no one could pet him- he'd just scream. I tried putting a harness on him and he screamed and then it sounded like he was either choking on his tongue or saliva. He threw himself to the ground and then he'd do this weird half-run, half-drag motion across the floor. I brought him home and it was the same thing. He peed on my floor nine times in an hour...I tried giving him a chicken neck that night for dinner and a strand of meat got stuck on one of his lower canines and he went insane. Started screaming and running all over the house...I tried to pick him up and he bit me and then ran headlong into the toilet.

Needless to say, we had her come pick him up the next morning. Chip was a mess...every time the puppy screamed (it was nearly constant), he'd whimper and run to his crate. My poor Chippy lay in there shaking pretty much all night :(

Something had to have been wrong with him...mentally. The woman said she had purchased him from a breeder (or the friend of a breeder...it was confusing) and she'd had him since he was eight weeks old and he'd just "always been like this". I felt really bad for giving him back, but unfortunately I'm selfish and didn't want to run around picking up urine spots all over my literally brand new apartment or risk messing up Chip OR Mrowmrow. He was scared to even have the leash near him, and was scared of the grass...the woman had him trained to a litter box and told me when we first met him that this outing was the first time he'd been outside in a few months. I wish I knew what was wrong with him...I thought "ABUSE" but he's very physically healthy (a little extra puppy weight, but nothing extreme) and is a sweetheart in the car. Lots of kisses, a happy tail, playful chewing, etc.

So I'm pretty much taking it as a sign that I shouldn't bother with a second dog until I'm either in my own house or a complex that allows large dogs- and then I will adopt an ex-racing greyhound.

I did get a job at PetSmart this weekend...I spent 5.5 hours watching training videos and I was told that I can't advocate for raw. Bah.

[Scarlett_O']

OHHH....sounds horrible for everyone involved!!

Poor you and Poor Chip and Ill bet Mrowmrow was quite wondering what was going on!!

I think you did the right thing though with giving him back...it doesnt sound like he was the right match! Im sorry!

[chowder]

I'm sure it must have been horribly hard for you to give him back. Sometimes there literally is something wrong with a puppy mentally. I actually had to give a chow puppy back once in my life. It was a horrible experience but it was 8 weeks old and attacking everything in sight and I had two little kids at home to think of at the time. Not all puppies come out perfectly sweet and cuddly.

So, you have to think of your other pets first (they are your family and were there first). Maybe the puppy will thrive in the right home with a single older person who can spend all day with it and can figure it out. Think of it that way, it was better for the pup to get a fresh start somewhere else.

Congratulations on getting the job though!

[catahoulamom]

Well, in the end, if you're not going to do whats best for YOU, you have to at least do what's best for the kids... (you did both). While I do think that things like that can be solved I do know that it takes a lot of time and hard work, and it would definitely take an emotional toll on you and the furkids. Thanks for at least trying to take this baby into your home... there will be lots of other rescues along the way (and one will come at the right time). :)

BTW - good luck with PetSmart. Not to sound pessimistic or rude, but I had nothing but bad managers working there. If you already know the managers, then that's good... at least you know their personality and if you will "gel" well with them, but I had nothing but problems with my managers and corporate. However, I LOVED working in the grooming salon, bathing dogs. I work in an expensive retail store now, we sell ridiculous stuff like Fifi & Romeo ($250 sweaters for dogs) and high quality dog food and supplements, and even though I basically manage the store myself and don't do much all day, I would MUCH rather be back at PetSmart bathing dogs (if I could make the same about of $$$ doing it). It was such a fun job, I literally got to spend all day with the dogs, and it felt good knowing that there were some dogs that would only let ME bathe them, clean their ears, trim their nails, etc because I took the extra time and care to make it a pleasurable experience for them. :) There were some days that I would bathe 24 dogs during a 5 hour shift... boy was that fun! LOL it makes the day go by quick!

Anyways - good luck on your new job and I hope everybody treats you well!

[angelbears]

Sorry it didn't work out. Yes, there are dogs with problems and there are also dogs that just don't fit into your pack. You most definitely did the right thing by giving him back. Good luck with your new job!

[xellil]

Sometimes, people just don't tell you all about the dog, hoping you will get attached and take them anyway. Which is why alot of dogs get returned. When everything is disclosed, you can make a better decision.

I hope the puppy gets what he needs. I have to admit, I have never seen that before. It sounds like he needs alot more than most people are able to do.

Good luck at Petsmart - I like the people at my Petsmart, even though I disagree with their training, their food, and alot of their products. Last weekend i needed some bird suet and they had closed about 20 minutes prior, but they opened up for me to run in and get some. they are all very nice.

[MollyWoppy]

Poor little pup, sounds like he is totally unsocialised and never been out in the real world. But, your loyalty has to lie with your present animals, you can't bring in an unstable pup that's going to upset them and be detrimental to them in any way.
Congrats on your job. I've always liked Petsmart, really just for the variety and the fact you can take your dogs & cats with you when you go in. And, their food choices are definitely getting better. Hope it goes well and that you score a good staff discount!

[Mokapi]

Thanks everyone- I'm still feeling a little guilty over it, but his mom was very happy to have him back and it wasn't like it was a situation where she had to get rid of him.

I've worked a few shifts at PetSmart, and it's a decent job but the customers get on my nerves SO bad. A woman who bred rottweilers told me that BilJac and Pedigree were "hands-down" the best food out there, and that her dogs have to eat between 7 and 9 cups of food a day...but just a few minutes before that she had wanted me to help her in the harness/collar aisle because we don't carry a large enough size for the neck of her male, and she even said her female was "kinda fat". I'm also a weenie around the crickets :( But working back in pet care has proved to me that they do take good care of the animals, which was really important for me.

We'll see how it goes, LOL.

[destinoscelgo]

I'm at my mom's house so I have internet! WHOO. It's going to take AT&T another THREE WEEKS to send someone out to set up my internet...I "ordered" it or whatever two weeks ago. If they weren't the only providers that serviced my complex, I would be jumping to find someone else. But anyway- the point behind that was that I can update on the chihuahua puppy I was getting. I doubt anyone remembers, but I was going to pick him up and then take him home for a trial period.

I did pick him up for the trial period, and then we decided to go straight to PetSmart to get him acquainted and see how he did. It was awful. Anytime someone, canine or human, so much as looked at him, he started screaming. And I don't mean like a whine- he was screaming like his legs were being broken. The managers on duty and the majority of the associates I'm friends with literally rushed over. No one could touch him, no one could extend their hand so he could sniff their fingers, no one could pet him- he'd just scream. I tried putting a harness on him and he screamed and then it sounded like he was either choking on his tongue or saliva. He threw himself to the ground and then he'd do this weird half-run, half-drag motion across the floor. I brought him home and it was the same thing. He peed on my floor nine times in an hour...I tried giving him a chicken neck that night for dinner and a strand of meat got stuck on one of his lower canines and he went insane. Started screaming and running all over the house...I tried to pick him up and he bit me and then ran headlong into the toilet.

Needless to say, we had her come pick him up the next morning. Chip was a mess...every time the puppy screamed (it was nearly constant), he'd whimper and run to his crate. My poor Chippy lay in there shaking pretty much all night :(

Something had to have been wrong with him...mentally. The woman said she had purchased him from a breeder (or the friend of a breeder...it was confusing) and she'd had him since he was eight weeks old and he'd just "always been like this". I felt really bad for giving him back, but unfortunately I'm selfish and didn't want to run around picking up urine spots all over my literally brand new apartment or risk messing up Chip OR Mrowmrow. He was scared to even have the leash near him, and was scared of the grass...the woman had him trained to a litter box and told me when we first met him that this outing was the first time he'd been outside in a few months. I wish I knew what was wrong with him...I thought "ABUSE" but he's very physically healthy (a little extra puppy weight, but nothing extreme) and is a sweetheart in the car. Lots of kisses, a happy tail, playful chewing, etc.

So I'm pretty much taking it as a sign that I shouldn't bother with a second dog until I'm either in my own house or a complex that allows large dogs- and then I will adopt an ex-racing greyhound.

I did get a job at PetSmart this weekend...I spent 5.5 hours watching training videos and I was told that I can't advocate for raw. Bah.

sounds to me like that dog needed some serious therapy with a behaviorist. Sorry you had to go thru that...

[wags]

Awww poor pup! Hopefully someone can care for the poor thing! But I would do just what you did becasue you have to do things for yourself sometimes even though its ehartbreaking. You did the right thing! Good luck with the petsmart job! Ha, yes the customer is always right hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!! UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!