I am fed up with Eric's dog

To make this very clear.... I don't hate dogs in the slightest. I just don't like THIS dog. Does that make sense? I do not like her personality one bit. I do not think cats are better then dogs and do not love one more then the other. They are completely different animals and should not be compared.

That being said I'll tell my story. A long time ago I posted over her behavior issues. While I was pregnant I did all I could to train this six year old 90lb dog because Eric who "loves her so much" never took the time to train her when he got her as a puppy. We got basic commands down, she is still impossible on the leash and begs. (Still working on those two) I am the one who walks her (Eric wont) I am the one who does all the grooming (baths and bushings), I play with her. I don't do these things because i like her, but because if I don't know one else will and I fell bad for her. My annoyance level is extra high with her because she has food aggression and snaps at anyone with in 5 feet of her food dish (well now its just the cats she does this too).

Well today Jaiden was playing with his toys on the floor and I was folding clothes on the couch (he was about 2 feet away from me) Comet was in her usual spot looking outside. Flower came up next to Jaiden and meowed her usual "Hi I am here, you can pet me now" meow. Here is where things with so fast, but I felt like I was in slow motion and unable to do anything. Comet turned and got in a very aggressive stance and growled Flower made a stance backed and hissed. Comet went flying at her Jaiden got hurt (not too sure the details on all this it was a black and white blur (Comet is black and Flower is white)) He was not bit I think he just got stepped on. I stood up grabbed Comet and the damn mutt (excuse my language) bit me! It did not break the skin, but did a good number to the pants I had on. So I threw her in her kennel, yes I know its not a punishment place, but we live in an apt and don't have a yard, Shut the door. Picked Jaiden up made sure he was ok, made sure Flower was not bleeding. Called the vet to set up an appointment for Flower to be positive she is ok. Txt Eric and now here I am writing this. I am shaking and my heart is racing.

What in the world just happened and what do I do???? I am so shaken up right now.

Thats what I am afraid of. If we took her to the shelter I think she would just be put down she is 7 years old and no one wants an aggressive pet.

It was actually Comet (the pup) who growled at Flower. Our other cat was MIA when all this went down. Thank goodness not sure how I could have broken up a fight between 3 animals and get Jaiden out of harms way.

I am positive that I just got caught in the crossfire. Witch is why I got bit. I threw her in her Kennel so I am not sure if she calmed down or just accepted that she was not going anywhere. When I finally got Jaiden to stop crying I let her out and she just hung her head real low and went and laid down.

To be totally honest I wanted to get rid of the dog before Jaiden was born.

I know I sound like the classic idiot parent when I say this, but there just never had been an issue before. I never leave Jaiden in a room alone with any of the pets and he is never more then a few feet away from me. She was not out to hurt him, but did when she was trying to get to Flower.

I hate to be the "nothing like this has ever happened before" person, but is has not. It will not happen again thats for sure. I put up a baby gate at the end of the hall so what ever side Jaiden is on Comet will be on the other.

When Eric gets home we will just have to have a good talk about this. I will have to look into a behaviorist. See if I can find one we can afford and if we can't we just will be vegetarians for a few weeks.

I am just happy that no one was seriously hurt. The gate is up she could jump it if she wanted to, but has not yet. Just wines when I leave here out here alone. She knows I am not happy so naturally she is on her best behavior. It is like a teenager trying to get ungrounded. "Oh you want me to sit? Not only will I sit but I'll stay also... don't be mad any more."



Oh gosh no, besides the fact that I would never hurt an animal. Even if I wanted to I could not throw Comet. Last time she got weighed she was like 92lbs. I grabbed her collar and lead her to it and shut the door behind he so I could get the rest of the mess sorted out. She was in it for no more then 30min. It took me like 20min to calm Jaiden down. My nerves were stressing him out his crying was stressing me out. It is a viscous cycle.

I searched a few sites and can not find a behaviorist in are area. I am pretty much fed up at this point. She used up her second AND third chance tonight chance today.

I have been up sense 3am. Comet broke down the baby gate and pushed the door to Jaiden's room open. (It wont latch closed) Then stood in his room and barked. So that woke him up. So I get up get her out of his room, back on the other side of the baby gate, put the gate back up, get him put him in bed with us to nurse him back to sleep and maybe get some sleep myself.

Well guess what happens next? I know I should not have trust the baby gate again, but it was 3am and my brain was a little foggy. She knockes over the gate again (now it was like 4am) I was unable to go back to sleep so I get up open the door she is eating out of the cat box (the gate used to be there to keep her from doing that) she runs into are bed room growls at the cats (not sure witch one) Flower gets pissed Jaiden wakes up (somewhere in there I put him back in his bed not too sure when I was half asleep. So I grab her get her in here kennel, again I know its not a place for punishment, but she has just proved to me that we need to crate her at night, head back to bed (4:30 at this point) Jaiden had put himself back to sleep (thank goodness) as I walk by the bath room I notice that ALL the kitty litter that WAS in it is now on the floor. So I clean it up go lay down and go figure I was wide awake and could not get back to sleep.

So I get up go to the kitchen and just start cleaning. (Witch is what everyone does at 5am right?) Make myself a pot of coffee because there is no going back to sleep now. Once I am up I am up. Eric's alarm goes off at 5:30 he gets up (lord only knows how he slept through all this) and "was like why are you awake?" At this point I just loose it. I am running on 4hrs sleep, I am angry beyond belief and just start crying. Something needs to happen and it needs to happen FAST. I have zero tolerance right now!

Now I do understand that I should not have trusted the gate a 2nd time. No I would never hit, hurt, neglect, or harm an animal in anyway. Because in the end she is just a dog. She does not know better, she SHOULD, but she doesn't. This rationalization was the ONLY thing keeping me from taking her collar off and shoving her out the door this morning. I know it sounds awful, I fell guilty for even thinking it, but lack of sleep and frustration drives us to crazy thoughts. (I would NEVER do anything like that I mean I was the crazy person walking in the forest with a leash one hand and treats in the other, Jaiden in the front pack, looking for the lost dog that I saw. Please don't think bad of me I am just expressing my feelings and frustrations in words not actions. I have to let it out somehow or I would explode.)

It just seams like EVERY reason I begged Eric to re-home Comet before Jaiden was born has decided to show its self all at once.

We have -$200 in the bank account right now and I have $50 cash I am going to call around and see what kind of training classes I can get her in ASAP.

I wanted to yell at Eric "Either you dog finds a new home or I will" this morning.

I was not with him we he got the dog. Personally I would have never gotten a dog unless i owned a house with a good sized yard, but thats just me. We have only lived together for a little over a year. I noticed the behavior problems with in the first week that I was here. I have been trying to work on them as much as I can, but things have gone far beyond what I can do alone.

I think I am just going to assume she does not know anything ans start from the beginning with her training. Any tips on what I should do while I am looking for a solution that will fit are budget?

And why in the world did all this just come out at once?? Sure the problems were always there and we were slowly on the right path to fixing them and then BAM huge break down.

And How in the world did Eric sleep through all of that???? If a pin drops 2 buildings away I wake up and once I am up I am up!

Thank you for reading my rant I am going to try and lay down again and just maybe get to close my eyes. Of cores I am sure as soon as I do all hell will break loose again. (As if I need more stress in my life)

Nope we live in an apartment. Witch is why I think owning a 90lb dog is just stupid anyway. (It is not fair to the animal)

I agree, I do not trust other people to put as much effort into an animal as I am willing too, but I have reached my limit and she is no longer safe to be around my child.

I hate to pull the "It's me or the dog" card, but I am at a loss. I was telling Eric's sister about what happened yesterday and she was like "Well you need to get rid of your cats then!" Why his family defends this dog I don't know. I can only guess what they are going to say if we end up having to get rid of her. Witch is the path I am headed towards.

Badmouth away! You have no idea how angry I am (well maybe you do) that she was never trained in the fist place. It is not fair to anyone and least of all to Comet. I know how frustrated I am, I can only imagine how she feels. She is confused and because of that her actions keep getting worse.

I think he should ship her up to his sister. She lives at home still. They love her so much and have no idea why I am "so mean to her" His mother has told me more then once that I am mean to her. Back to the point, at their house she could have a yard to roam around and we know she would be taken care of. Oh gosh I remember one time his mother took Comet for a walk and Comet tried to attack another dog. She came back and was like "you should have warned me about that behavior! I could have been prepared." I just wanted to yell "HAVE YOU NOT BEEN LISTENING TO ME WHEN I EXPLAIN COMET'S BEHAVIOR????????"

I cut out the more colorful words to keep it as PG as possible. Trust me he knew I was not happy before he even stepped out of bed.

I have tried the NILIF, problem is it only works when BOTH of us stick to it. Everything I have tough her gets thrown out the window when he gets home. This is the main problem. I have said over and over and over and over that we have to be a united front. He will stick with it for about a week and then just stop because it is more effort then he is willing to put out. (I can only imagine what raising a child with him is going to be like) So I am pretty much done. If we can come to an agreement great, if not I have already arranged for a place to stay for a few days.

I try not to let them get to me but sometimes I just loose it. I just don't even see how her comment makes sense?!?! The dog is being aggressive so the solution is to get rid of the cats? Tell me how that works?? People just amaze me!

Comet has been pretty clam today just laying down. When I got ready to take her for a walk I noticed she is limping really bad. I bet she hurt her self last night. So we just went on a short walk. I feel bad that she is limping so I am kinda over being mad at her right now. It is just so frustrating!!

I have a list of things that I am going to tell Eric tonight and either he agrees or I am taking Jaiden and walking out the door. I have a friend who offered to let us stay with her if need be.

Here is what I plan to say:

Eric I understand that you care about you dog, but this situation is out of control. It has now become unsafe for our child, us, and our other pets. I am not willing to risk our child's safety. We need to find Comet a new home. It is not fair to her or us if things stay the way they are now.

Then depending on what he says depends on where I go next. It could end calmly and rationally, some fighting and we reach a compromise, or I might just have to leave. I am prepared for all options and hope that I do not have to leave. It sounds so silly to leave him over a dog, but if thats what it takes to make my point then that is what I will do.