Need Advice About Lucy Options

[Kim R.]

Hi everybody. Well, I haven't been posting lately because I have been so busy with everything, but I have been reading and praying for you all.
For those of you who read my post 'It's been nearly two years~am I ready for this' I am having a new delimma with Lucy, and knew this was the best place to ask for advice. She has begun to act aggressive toward my daughter about anything that is close to her. She has bitten my daughter twice, which is a zero tolerance behavior when it comes to my child, so I know she can't stay here with us permanently, even if I wanted her to, as she can't be trusted with her. She just loved my daughter in the beginning so I don't know what triggered it, but it has happened none the less. The first incident, Lucy was eating a treat, and Regan ,my daughter, was wanting to help feed her the chunks that were falling (as she always does with our other dog) and Lucy became food aggressive with her (which she hadn't been with us). We decided that we would crate her while she was eating and that would be the end of that. Well, soon after, one of my daughters toy's was lying next to Lucy, and when she went to get it, Lucy bit her again. She hasn't broken the skin, but she left some pretty nice purple indentures! We tried to seperate her into a spare room, but she freaked out and started clawing at the door and barking and howling. Now she is having to stay out in the garage, where she has free access to the backyard, because we can't risk any further aggressive action toward our daughter..no matter what the cause. I really think this household is just too much for an older dog that is used to being an only child with only one elderly person in the household. I think she would be much happier in a more calm environment and that her behavior is only a result of the stress of all the activity around her that she isn't used to. She is still just as loving as she can be with me and my husband and we can do anything we want with her and her food and she never (so far) has given us any trouble, so I think it is just environment and the noise and activity that comes with a 2 year old. I guess my real issue is what do you think of me for deciding that this must be a foster situation (as it was originally intended) only with no hope of a permanent situation. I wrote to an animal loving friend of mine looking for guidance and she basically made me feel terrible about it. She said when you live with animals, you have to expect these things to happen. She said I should better teach my 2 year old. She said I should try 'flower essence' and so forth to try to calm Lucy. The problem is that I'm not willing to use my child as a guinea pig and try a hit or miss method of trying to 'fix' something that is obviously a cause of general unhappiness with her surroundings, nor do I think it is ever acceptable for anyone to allow their child to live in a less than safe environment no matter how much they love animals. I was so hurt when she said 'if you are gonna get rid of Lucy, then you might as well get rid of all of your animals because any animal is capable of biting'. It made me feel as though I was throwing Lucy away like garbage when it isn't like that at all. If I didn't care about her, I would have never rescued her in the first place. I just have such mixed feelings now. I can't keep her, that isn't fair to my daughter, but if I let her go into the rescue that wants to take her next week, I have now been made to feel as though I have thrown her away. I did everything I could to give her a second chance, and just because it can't be here with me doesn't mean she can't still have a happy life...right? I can't say I regret getting her out of that shelter, she was facing a terrible death in there, but part of me does feel now like I should have just left things alone....I just feel terrible. Please give me your opinions on this...even if they may not be what I want to hear...I really need some guidance right now from as many minds as are willing to share..
Thanks yall~Love,
Kim

[Daisy's Mommy]

Having taken Lucy, you became responsible for her. She became your pet, part of your family. If she cannot stay in your home because of the child, it is en%%bent on you to make sure that she finds a suitable home. Help from a rescue group is fine, as long as you take ultimate responsibility for ensuring that she is placed with the right family. A return to a shelter would be horrific for Lucy

A think that a two year old is probably too young to learn to respect a dog, although a family who lives near me had two Russian wolfhounds with small children. The hounds had a section of the house where the children were not permitted. That way if the children were bothering the hounds, the hounds could retreat. Another family I know had a mixed breed pitbull/dalmation mix that did not relate well with their new child. They found an older couple with a large yard and no children who wanted a middle-aged trained dog. It was a perfect match - the couple and the dog quickly bonded and are living happily together.

You know Lucy best and if you feel that she cannot be trained to co-exist with the child, then she needs a new home - for her sake as well as for your child's. Just remember - she is not responsible for the present situation and it will be very traumatic for her to leave you, more so because she was a rescue. So I think you will feel much better if you do everything possible to ease her transition to another loving home.


Good luck.

Daisy's mommy