Best Friend Suddenly Doesn't Want Puppy

Question:
 Ugh... well I was worried this would happen... my best friend got a BYB sheltie pup (against my warnings and advice) a couple months after I got Shippo. I tried to help her train the puppy with simple advice (like don't use puppy pads, confine the puppy when it's not supervised, ignore the whining in crate, etc.) but she completely ignored me. After the puppy cried for a few nights in the crate, she started letting her out, and then stopped using the crate altogether. She tried confining her in the laundry room with a baby gate with puppy pads, but she cried back there and so they let her roam the house eventually, with a puppy pad in a corner, which she used 50% of the time. Her house began to smell like pee, and her carpet by the front door started disappearing because the puppy was chewing it. I stopped going over there a whole lot, because the pee smell gave me a headache, and after being busy a lot, I hadn't talked to her in over a month, till she called today.
She told me today that she was thinking about giving Tola (the puppy) away or just leaving her at her parents' house, and told me everything that was wrong with her now, including a lovely new resource guarding behavior involving her toys. I told her that a lot of the destruction could have been prevented by just crate training. I also said it's a horrible idea to leave her at her parents' house. They don't take very good care of their animals there, and she knows that because one of her dogs was killed there, and another was run over and I had to basically steal the dog from her dad and surrender it to a rescue just for it to get proper vet care (they were just going to let the dog bleed everywhere).
Um... so long story short, I offered to ask my landlord if it's okay for me to "foster" my best friend's dog, so that I can give her some proper training and find her another home if she still feels that she can't keep the dog anymore after I keep her for a little while. I love my best friend to death, but I sure wish she'd listen to me sometimes about training. >X.x;<
So now I've possibly committed myself to a 9-month-old sheltie with some problems. I sure hope I know what I'm getting myself into! >@_@<

Answer:
Good luck. I hope everything gets worked out. I have faith in you that you can get this puppy straightened out and in it's new forever home :)!

Answer:
I think that's great of you! If that dog went in a shelter with those problems they might not bother with it or he would not get adopted fast, especially if the resource guarding is bad. I hope you can straighten him out. Some people just should not own pets, I hope she does not decide to get another dog or anything stupid like that. Good Luck with the puppy. Oh and I'dlove to see some pics of her ;) :D

Answer:
How terrible! That is so irresponsible of her... I would be beyond annoyed if I were you. It's nice of you to take on the problem she created, for the sake of the dog. Shelties are intelligent and fairly easy to train. With a little consistency, you should be able to turn her around. Good luck, and keep us updated.
P.S.- I'd love to see pictures too!

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I remember you talking about your friend getting this puppy. I think it's great of you to help. I wish other people would stop relying on others to bail them out of their own mistakes though. Hopefully everything will work out with the poor baby. Shelties can be wonderful dogs and I'm sure all she needs is some time and proper care.

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Colorado Sheltie Rescue:
http://www.sheltierescue-co.org/
If you are uneasy about fostering, have you tried contacting the appropriate rescue?
Even if your best friend decides to keep the dog, she is obviously neglecting it in terms of training. She hasn't taught the dog basic manners and is getting herself into a dangerous situation. Maybe she just isn't ready yet.

Answer:
It doesn't really appear that she should have a dog at all. Really, she hasn't learned much about a Family Member called a pet from her parents. We learn these things from our environment. If I were in your shoes I would talk her into surrendering the dog to a person who is capable of giving this dog the treatment it needs for life.
I admire your continuing friendship with this person, though. I would have stopped talking to her by now. I do hope she doesn't have any kids. I mean, we can tell a lot about a person's responsibility quotient by how they raise their dogs.

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I do hope she doesn't have any kids. I mean, we can tell a lot about a person's responsibility quotient by how they raise their dogs.
My thoughts exactly.

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Oh! That is so maddening! I do hope you can get this pup away from her. Her parents sound awful in how they don't take care of their dogs. That would be a disaster for the pup to go there. If she does give you the pup, good luck. You'll have a real project going with a definite game plan all spelled out. I can just imagine. I hope you do get this pup. It is very kind of you to want to help. Yes indeed, there are people who should never have dogs. Best wishes.

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That's terrible! It really irks me when people do things like that.
I'm so glad you're taking on this challenge. It will be so worth it if you can help the pup.



Originally Posted by ToscasMom http://www.chazhound.com/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?p=624114#post624114) I do hope she doesn't have any kids. I mean, we can tell a lot about a person's responsibility quotient by how they raise their dogs.

I completely agree with this statement.


[I can't get the italics to turn off.]

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I admire you for wanting to take over ....it won't be easy with the start the poor pup has had . Good luck !!!

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Alright, the landlord says it's fine. She even says she fully trusts me. >O_O< So now I just have to bring it up with the boyfriend. That'll be fun.

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hehe, This is great what your doing for this puppy. :) Good luck! (even know I have posted already. lol)

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If I were in your shoes I would talk her into surrendering the dog to a person who is capable of giving this dog the treatment it needs for life.
I admire your continuing friendship with this person, though. I would have stopped talking to her by now. I do hope she doesn't have any kids. I mean, we can tell a lot about a person's responsibility quotient by how they raise their dogs.
Agreed. I would require that she sign over ownership of the dog to me and let me re home the dog. That way she has no choice in the matter. You rehabilitate the dog and find the dog a better home. This sounds like a disaster where you help the dog, she "misses" the dog and takes it back and then you start back at squire one.
I would also make sure she rethinks getting any dog for a long time until she learns to have some discipline for herself and move her butt off the couch. Letting the dog out of the crate to stop winning was easier.... using pee pads was easier, no need to take the dog outside!... letting the dog roam the house was easier, stop the wining... Sure easier for her, now she has a sheltie who is not house trained at 9 months. :rolleyes:
Seriously think about it, what kind of person is willing to live in a house that smells like urine? ewww, with the dog tearing apart her carpet on top of that?
I know she is your friend, but gross.

Answer:
That's terrible to hear about your irresponsible friend:(. What a classic example of how so many dogs end up in shelters...but good on you for trying to give this lovely little pup a new chance at life. It may take ahwile because you'll have to re crate train and so on but with a bit of patience you seem more then capable:).
I can relate to what it's like to confront a friend on such an issue. When I was 15 one of my closest friend's boyfriend was keeping his turtle in a ridiculous small tank in it's own filth with non of the proper heating or filtration devices they need to thrive as well as keeping his three begels locked up in a shed. It took alot of persausion to be able to get him to hand over the turtle to me and after repeated attempts at calling the SPCA and human socieites nothing unfortunatly was done for the dogs and I could not get him to budge on them as they were his parents...
Your best bet is to try and stay calm as fusterating as it may be, point out how unfair it is for the dog and depending on how his personality is ( and how you think he will react) you could mention the aggression and so on could get worse without proper managment and that you are willing to work on it as this dog needs a better home. ( again if you suspect even remotly he is the type that may dump the dog outside on the street after hearing this go a safer route).
Again best of luck and keep us updated.
Kayla