Cujo
Jasper is making my decision to take him back to the Humane Society an easy one. Tonight was the worst attack on Schwartz yet.
But before I get to that, if I do decide to take him back, I figured taking him back before the kids get super attached to him is wiser than waiting 'til six months down the road when they're absolutely in love with him. And while he has a tendency to stare with a rather unnerving gaze, he does have his moments of utter cuteness. However, I will not let that distract me from what's really going on here.
When the attacks happen, they happen quicker than my eye can register so I'm not sure exactly what Jasper is doing to Schwartz because I can't see any visible wounds. However, when I saw Schwartz limping the other day after an attack, you can imagine how awful I felt for him and how enraged I was towards Jasper. Usually I'm around to put an immediate stop to it but tonight it happened in another part of the house and Jasper's intense growling and snarling drowned out my commands to stop.
He's also taken up to torturing the cats. There were a few times that he's actually tried to lay on top of one or two of them but now he prefers cornering Buster, who is the one who reacts the most negatively to his advances, and barking at him while Buster, in turn, is growling back.
I don't want this and I certainly don't need it. The cats were just getting used to Schwartz and I think I may have royally fucked that up.
Should I do decide to take him back, I'm most definitely going to wipe up the floor with those Humane Society fuckers who told me that this dog gets along with other dogs and who supposedly did a cat test in which they presented Jasper with a cat and the cat didn't react negatively to Jasper nor Jasper to it. If you recall, this is the same shelter that told me that Schwartz was six months old when he was really a year and a half and who never revealed to me that he had a metal plate in his hind region from an accident. I could understand them failing to disclose all pertinent information to prospective clients if there wasn't a veterinarian on the premises but there is. If she weren't getting compensated for her services, which I'm certain she is, I could understand her blatant disregard in examining the animals and, for instance, being able to tell between a six month old puppy to a one and a half year old dog. The only conclusion I can come to is that she either earned her degree in Veterinarian Medicine from one of those bogus, non-accredited online "universities" or she studied at Imastupidtwathole University, neither one adding very much to her chosen career.
I am no Dr. Doolittle by a long shot but I think I'm a fairly experienced pet-owner to be able to read Jasper's actions and reactions. Here is a dog who, from a young puppy, was spoiled by a young couple who stupidly chose not to train him. Up until they had a baby, he was their baby whom they probably allowed to rule the roost and they never encouraged him not to. Along with my guilty conscience, it is for that reason I have kept myself from returning him to the shelter. I know with time his negative behavior can be broken but it's just how much time I'm willing to give him that comes into question.
He has his good qualities although I'm having a hard time giving him credit for them at this time because of my anger towards his hostility towards Schwartz. Since my last post, his bathroom habits have surprisingly become more accommodating. Twice now, he has willingly been lead towards the pinestraw area to pee mainly because I've made him wait a little longer than usual to relieve himself. He's actually still resistant to be lead completely to the pinestraw bed but he's getting closer. As for #2, I have had to continue with the walks but he has been "completing his business" closer to home and as soon as he's done, the walk is over and we turn back for home. For now, the longer walks will be used as treats probably just a few times/week. I can't continue to spoil him as I did when we first brought him home because frankly, his behavior has not been deserving of them in my opinion and because Schwartz needs to spend even more time out in the sunlight than Jasper because of his skin condition. Since I cannot walk the two together because of the separate paces they keep, Schwartz's needs take precedence over Jasper's.
I'm done! All this brain damage is proving to be exhausting!
But before I get to that, if I do decide to take him back, I figured taking him back before the kids get super attached to him is wiser than waiting 'til six months down the road when they're absolutely in love with him. And while he has a tendency to stare with a rather unnerving gaze, he does have his moments of utter cuteness. However, I will not let that distract me from what's really going on here.
When the attacks happen, they happen quicker than my eye can register so I'm not sure exactly what Jasper is doing to Schwartz because I can't see any visible wounds. However, when I saw Schwartz limping the other day after an attack, you can imagine how awful I felt for him and how enraged I was towards Jasper. Usually I'm around to put an immediate stop to it but tonight it happened in another part of the house and Jasper's intense growling and snarling drowned out my commands to stop.
He's also taken up to torturing the cats. There were a few times that he's actually tried to lay on top of one or two of them but now he prefers cornering Buster, who is the one who reacts the most negatively to his advances, and barking at him while Buster, in turn, is growling back.
I don't want this and I certainly don't need it. The cats were just getting used to Schwartz and I think I may have royally fucked that up.
Should I do decide to take him back, I'm most definitely going to wipe up the floor with those Humane Society fuckers who told me that this dog gets along with other dogs and who supposedly did a cat test in which they presented Jasper with a cat and the cat didn't react negatively to Jasper nor Jasper to it. If you recall, this is the same shelter that told me that Schwartz was six months old when he was really a year and a half and who never revealed to me that he had a metal plate in his hind region from an accident. I could understand them failing to disclose all pertinent information to prospective clients if there wasn't a veterinarian on the premises but there is. If she weren't getting compensated for her services, which I'm certain she is, I could understand her blatant disregard in examining the animals and, for instance, being able to tell between a six month old puppy to a one and a half year old dog. The only conclusion I can come to is that she either earned her degree in Veterinarian Medicine from one of those bogus, non-accredited online "universities" or she studied at Imastupidtwathole University, neither one adding very much to her chosen career.
I am no Dr. Doolittle by a long shot but I think I'm a fairly experienced pet-owner to be able to read Jasper's actions and reactions. Here is a dog who, from a young puppy, was spoiled by a young couple who stupidly chose not to train him. Up until they had a baby, he was their baby whom they probably allowed to rule the roost and they never encouraged him not to. Along with my guilty conscience, it is for that reason I have kept myself from returning him to the shelter. I know with time his negative behavior can be broken but it's just how much time I'm willing to give him that comes into question.
He has his good qualities although I'm having a hard time giving him credit for them at this time because of my anger towards his hostility towards Schwartz. Since my last post, his bathroom habits have surprisingly become more accommodating. Twice now, he has willingly been lead towards the pinestraw area to pee mainly because I've made him wait a little longer than usual to relieve himself. He's actually still resistant to be lead completely to the pinestraw bed but he's getting closer. As for #2, I have had to continue with the walks but he has been "completing his business" closer to home and as soon as he's done, the walk is over and we turn back for home. For now, the longer walks will be used as treats probably just a few times/week. I can't continue to spoil him as I did when we first brought him home because frankly, his behavior has not been deserving of them in my opinion and because Schwartz needs to spend even more time out in the sunlight than Jasper because of his skin condition. Since I cannot walk the two together because of the separate paces they keep, Schwartz's needs take precedence over Jasper's.
I'm done! All this brain damage is proving to be exhausting!
Labels: never a dull moment, the pups
posted by Michelle Flaherty at
10:02 PM
2 Comments:
Oh dear, I'm so sorry this is happening. Poor Schwartz and the kitties! I know this is a tough decision you have to make, but you're right - if you do decide to take him back, better sooner than later.
Good luck and ((hugs))!
I'm sorry, it sounds like a tough situation. Rocky turned aggressive towards Smokey when he was almost two and we had moved to the new place. I took him to a behaviorist who put him on Prozac, but it still didn't help. Rocky's aggression is pretty much gone now that Smokey is gone. Some dogs prefer to be only dogs and it sounds like Jasper is one of those. You're amazingly patient. I walked the dogs together since the very beginning. You have to tell these dogs that you're in charge and I always take them out after an accident so that they understand that this is where they go potty. And they get super praise for going outside. You're facing a tough decision and like you said it's better to take him back now then 6 months from now if that's what you decide. Good luck!
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