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Mainly for pet owners, but also for just words of encouragement š: In November of 2020, my grandmas dog accidentally hit pregnant from a street dog. That next month, she was going to give the pups away except one (who didnāt get a home) who would get sent to the pound. He was the second smallest and the least adventurous of the puppies so thatās probably why no one wanted him. After much consideration, we decided to take him in hopes of giving him a better future. At the time, I had just lost my lab of 13 years in July and my mental health was declining. I already had a 3 yr old cat too. This originally discouraged me from getting him, but I read that animals really help with mental health management. I also thought about making him a therapy dog. So My family adopted him. Now Iām really scared I made a mistake and ruined his life. In the first part of 2021, I became seriously depressed. I donāt even remember what happened, but my mental health plummeted. I ended up failing at training him in the vital part of their life. It wasnāt until he was 6 months that I started training him a lot. I noticed that due to quarantine, he wasnāt socialized and was very reactive. Heās now 1 year and 3 months and even after going through course after course of training, he hasnāt made any progress. It almost got worse. Yesterday, we had kind of a rough day in training so I decided to end it early. I took him home and went to feed him. As I was pouring his food in his bowl, my cat came over to greet me and Ezra LOST IT. He barked and then lunged at my cat with the intent to harm. I have NEVER seen him do that before and didnāt expect it since they are so close. They even sleep together sometimes. I cant afford behavior training, but I donāt want to be the reason this dog doesnāt have a shot at a normal life. And I feel like itās my fault. Had I been more present at the start of his life, my parents wouldnāt be so annoyed with him and he wouldnāt have to go through this. Iām not sure what I should do. I really wish I could afford training but thatās why Iām now questioning. Should I give him away to a more capable owner or keep trying?
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It is common for dogs to still be crazy and not "trained" at 1 year. Dogs are still developing and don't start to slow down emotionally and hyperactivity wise until 2 years or later depending on the breed. I would suggest to continue to work on training more and to work with trainers that are experienced with the breed/mix that you have as well as the specific behavioral issues that you are concerned with. If you can't afford training you could reach out to a local rescue and tell them you're interested in getting help with training for your dog and see if they have any trainers that might be willing to help for free so the dog doesn't become at risk of needing to be rehomed later down the road. A lot of times rescues would rather you reach out and ask for help before it gets to the point that you need to rehome a dog, so ask around and look into some organizations! Ps- I adopted a dog and was not able to provide them enough training and had a lot of regrets when they later became aggressive towards my other dog. I ended up having to give the dog back after having her for 1 year after becoming dangerous and unmanageable, so I get what it feels like to wonder if you had more time and had given them more training, etc. I think despite not being perfectly trained and having behavior issues, you could still claim that yojr dog has had a happy and safe life in a loving home, and that's what counts. A lot of dogs don't even get to experience that, and it's always better than being in a shelter or ending up in an abusive home. Those are somethings I think about when I feel upset and am hard on myself. Anyway I'm here to talk if you need to!
Be very careful if you give him away, do not give him away for free, many dog fighting rings get their dogs that way. I think if you keep at the training consistently along with enlightenment training he may start to show some progress, but it has to be consistent. Dogs getting protective over their food is super common and natural, just feed your dog alone, in a crate if he has one. Crates are great for creating a safe space for your pup. Pls message me if youād like to chat further, Iād love to help however I can
ā This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision
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