Janusdog
06-01-2006, 06:31 PM
I love my rescue Corgi. I really, really do. We live downtown in a big city where there are lots of dogs, most of which are untrained.
He's gotten in three fights in the past year -- two in daycare (and I didn't send him back) and one while boarding (staff screw up). All three resulted in bleeding injuries with puncture wounds and stitches this last time, because Mr. Corgi doesn't GET the fact that picking on Pitbulls/Boxers/German Shepards isn't a GOOD PLAN. He always comes out on the bad end, so as far as I know no injury to anyone else.
So, just don't send him to daycare...ok, except then he rattles around the house bored out of his gourd, and a herder in an unstimulating environment is bad news. So I pay for him to be sat and to be trained at a place that is locked down and has routines like a prison once or twice a week. We have gone to lessons and intensive training (in the thousands of dollars now). He loves going there. Except it costs me $70 every DAY he goes.
We've discovered that he is extremely gifted in agility, obedience, and herding, and he's more of a working dog than a pet. I can't walk him down the street to go pee without him flipping out if he sees another dog. So I have to get up at like 5:30 to take him out so we don't see anyone on the street!
I can't go anywhere without him, or, alternatively, I'll have to get him sat in my house or someone else's with no dog if we go on vacation.
I tried to get in touch with trainers and see if anyone wants a dog with a lot of potential for a WORKING home. No one wants to work with me if I want to have some say over where he goes. I don't want to give him up to a pet home, because I think we're a good pet home -- I want him to work on a farm or something.
This last time he had 6 stitches, and tried to bite the vet. The incident was only because one person screwed up a little. It's hard to have a life if your dog is like a loaded handgun. We need to be able to go on vacation. I don't want him killed, mauling someone else (and getting us sued), or unhappy. Does anyone have any ideas? To me rescue is out, because I know he'll end up right back in rescue or euthanized. He needs to WORK.
I just feel as though maybe a city environment is so bad for him that I should try my best to find a working home. What do you all think?
He's gotten in three fights in the past year -- two in daycare (and I didn't send him back) and one while boarding (staff screw up). All three resulted in bleeding injuries with puncture wounds and stitches this last time, because Mr. Corgi doesn't GET the fact that picking on Pitbulls/Boxers/German Shepards isn't a GOOD PLAN. He always comes out on the bad end, so as far as I know no injury to anyone else.
So, just don't send him to daycare...ok, except then he rattles around the house bored out of his gourd, and a herder in an unstimulating environment is bad news. So I pay for him to be sat and to be trained at a place that is locked down and has routines like a prison once or twice a week. We have gone to lessons and intensive training (in the thousands of dollars now). He loves going there. Except it costs me $70 every DAY he goes.
We've discovered that he is extremely gifted in agility, obedience, and herding, and he's more of a working dog than a pet. I can't walk him down the street to go pee without him flipping out if he sees another dog. So I have to get up at like 5:30 to take him out so we don't see anyone on the street!
I can't go anywhere without him, or, alternatively, I'll have to get him sat in my house or someone else's with no dog if we go on vacation.
I tried to get in touch with trainers and see if anyone wants a dog with a lot of potential for a WORKING home. No one wants to work with me if I want to have some say over where he goes. I don't want to give him up to a pet home, because I think we're a good pet home -- I want him to work on a farm or something.
This last time he had 6 stitches, and tried to bite the vet. The incident was only because one person screwed up a little. It's hard to have a life if your dog is like a loaded handgun. We need to be able to go on vacation. I don't want him killed, mauling someone else (and getting us sued), or unhappy. Does anyone have any ideas? To me rescue is out, because I know he'll end up right back in rescue or euthanized. He needs to WORK.
I just feel as though maybe a city environment is so bad for him that I should try my best to find a working home. What do you all think?