I feel like I'm going to get a lot of judgment about this but I want your honest opinion. Please hear me out first.
I'm a 28-year-old woman who have always loved dogs. I've had several pet dogs growing up. The last one I had passed away due to illness when I was 20, and then I moved away for college shortly after. I have not had any dogs since, but I volunteered at the animal shelter when I was in college, and my boyfriend's roommates had dogs whom I loved.
I'd been thinking about getting a dog of my own for a couple of years now. I had not been able to in the past due to my living situation. I moved around a lot and was living in dorms and sharing apartments.
Two years ago, I moved to a new city. I found a decent job and was able to get my own place. When I was apartment hunting, I specifically looked for a place that was dog friendly because I wanted to have the option of adopting a dog. Six months ago, I finally found a place that I liked that was dog-friendly and had a private patio. I felt like I was finally able to settle down and perhaps get a dog of my own eventually.
A month ago, I stopped by my neighborhood animal shelter to fill out a volunteer application, and I saw a dog I really liked. Her name is Toffee. My landlord has stated that I can get a dog but the dog has to be under 30 pounds. I've always like big dogs like shepherds and labs. Toffee was a small-ish dog at 21 pounds, but I still thought she was adorable and very sweet and calm in the kennel. I left the shelter that day, but continued to think about her in the following weeks. I'd look on Petfinder to see if she was still at the shelter.
A week ago, I finally decided to take the plunge and adopt Toffee. I prepared my home for a dog (bought a crate, dog house, etc.) and took her home 3 days ago. My boyfriend and all my friends were so excited for me. They know I loved dogs and have wanted one for a long time.
Unfortunately, things have not gone well so far. I'd wanted a dog that was quiet and low energy and Toffee has turned out to be the opposite. She is constantly bouncing off the walls and tries to chew everything up. She has already destroyed a couple of pairs of my shoes and some furniture. I live in a small one bedroom apartment and don't have enough space to store everything away. I've try taking her for long walk/runs, but when she gets home she'll want to play again. I have not been able to leave my house for the last couple of days because I don't know what to do with her. If i leave her alone in the house, she will surely destroy my stuff and potty everywhere. I tried put her in a crate, but she will literally bark, scream, and claw at it non stop, trying to get out. I don't know what to do with her if I have to leave the house, and I also don't know what to do with her when I sleep. She has been chewing things up while I sleep. I'm gonna have to go back to work soon, and I don't know how this is going to work out.
I feel like I've made a mistake. I hadn't done my research on her breed (Terrier). I should've realized that generally, smaller, younger dogs are more active and loud. Toffee is 6 months to a year old, so she is really still a puppy. I've realized that Toffee is not a good fit for me. I believe I will do much better with an adult dog (at least 4 years old) and perhaps a slightly bigger dog that is a lower energy breed.
So what do I do now? I've been thinking about returning Toffee to the shelter for the last couple of days. The shelter I adopted her from is a low kill shelter. I think as long as they put her back up for adoption if I return her, she should have a good chance of getting adopted. She's young, compact, and everyone who's met her raved about how cute she is. I'm sure she has a better chance of getting adopted than some of the bigger, older dogs I want. Is it wrong of me to return Toffee, and try to get an older dog instead? I would definitely wait and conduct my search slowly, to make sure I find a dog that's more likely to suit me and that I am really willing to commit to making it work with the older dog.
I feel like a horrible person and that the people at the shelter will hate me. Should I give Toffee more time? I know it's only been 3 days, but she simply does not seem to be a good match for me. I feel like it's better to return her to the shelter sooner than later, before she becomes more attached.
Sorry this post became a tl;dr but if you've made it down to here, I appreciate it. I really need some advice! Right now, I'm leaning towards returning her to the shelter tomorrow. I feel really awful about it and I know some of you will say things to make me feel worse about it, and that's find. I just want some constructive, objective advice/insight on the situation.
Thank you.
I'm a 28-year-old woman who have always loved dogs. I've had several pet dogs growing up. The last one I had passed away due to illness when I was 20, and then I moved away for college shortly after. I have not had any dogs since, but I volunteered at the animal shelter when I was in college, and my boyfriend's roommates had dogs whom I loved.
I'd been thinking about getting a dog of my own for a couple of years now. I had not been able to in the past due to my living situation. I moved around a lot and was living in dorms and sharing apartments.
Two years ago, I moved to a new city. I found a decent job and was able to get my own place. When I was apartment hunting, I specifically looked for a place that was dog friendly because I wanted to have the option of adopting a dog. Six months ago, I finally found a place that I liked that was dog-friendly and had a private patio. I felt like I was finally able to settle down and perhaps get a dog of my own eventually.
A month ago, I stopped by my neighborhood animal shelter to fill out a volunteer application, and I saw a dog I really liked. Her name is Toffee. My landlord has stated that I can get a dog but the dog has to be under 30 pounds. I've always like big dogs like shepherds and labs. Toffee was a small-ish dog at 21 pounds, but I still thought she was adorable and very sweet and calm in the kennel. I left the shelter that day, but continued to think about her in the following weeks. I'd look on Petfinder to see if she was still at the shelter.
A week ago, I finally decided to take the plunge and adopt Toffee. I prepared my home for a dog (bought a crate, dog house, etc.) and took her home 3 days ago. My boyfriend and all my friends were so excited for me. They know I loved dogs and have wanted one for a long time.
Unfortunately, things have not gone well so far. I'd wanted a dog that was quiet and low energy and Toffee has turned out to be the opposite. She is constantly bouncing off the walls and tries to chew everything up. She has already destroyed a couple of pairs of my shoes and some furniture. I live in a small one bedroom apartment and don't have enough space to store everything away. I've try taking her for long walk/runs, but when she gets home she'll want to play again. I have not been able to leave my house for the last couple of days because I don't know what to do with her. If i leave her alone in the house, she will surely destroy my stuff and potty everywhere. I tried put her in a crate, but she will literally bark, scream, and claw at it non stop, trying to get out. I don't know what to do with her if I have to leave the house, and I also don't know what to do with her when I sleep. She has been chewing things up while I sleep. I'm gonna have to go back to work soon, and I don't know how this is going to work out.
I feel like I've made a mistake. I hadn't done my research on her breed (Terrier). I should've realized that generally, smaller, younger dogs are more active and loud. Toffee is 6 months to a year old, so she is really still a puppy. I've realized that Toffee is not a good fit for me. I believe I will do much better with an adult dog (at least 4 years old) and perhaps a slightly bigger dog that is a lower energy breed.
So what do I do now? I've been thinking about returning Toffee to the shelter for the last couple of days. The shelter I adopted her from is a low kill shelter. I think as long as they put her back up for adoption if I return her, she should have a good chance of getting adopted. She's young, compact, and everyone who's met her raved about how cute she is. I'm sure she has a better chance of getting adopted than some of the bigger, older dogs I want. Is it wrong of me to return Toffee, and try to get an older dog instead? I would definitely wait and conduct my search slowly, to make sure I find a dog that's more likely to suit me and that I am really willing to commit to making it work with the older dog.
I feel like a horrible person and that the people at the shelter will hate me. Should I give Toffee more time? I know it's only been 3 days, but she simply does not seem to be a good match for me. I feel like it's better to return her to the shelter sooner than later, before she becomes more attached.
Sorry this post became a tl;dr but if you've made it down to here, I appreciate it. I really need some advice! Right now, I'm leaning towards returning her to the shelter tomorrow. I feel really awful about it and I know some of you will say things to make me feel worse about it, and that's find. I just want some constructive, objective advice/insight on the situation.
Thank you.
But I was determined to work with him and give him a chance to become part of our family. Six years later I can't imagine my life without him. Obviously there was something endearing about this little dog that attracted you to her in the first place. I think with a little bit of time, some dedicated effort on your part and help from the outside you might find she is the perfect companion for you after all. Best of luck.
If doggy-daycare isn't an option I would look for dog sitters. Ten hours alone would be too much for an older dog, too.
I would pitch a fit too if I was locked up and left alone for hours on end.