I hate my dog

[DrFaroohk]

Yeah, I hate my dog. Most people say, when I complain, that "he's just a dog."

I.

Don't.

Care.

He's still annoying. to the point where I swear it'd deliberate. What's so annoying? Let's break it down.

First, he's unnecessarily loud at inappropriate times. If the baby is asleep, he will go fucking ballistic if someone even drives by the house. oh no, someone is walking down the street! BOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO! GAR BOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Or when someone stops by, even if the dog knows them and knows they are here and knows that we know that they are here, as soon as the door opens its BOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!

Followed by "Daddy? Who's here daddy!? DADDY! Want to come out daddy! See who's here!"

then, there's his outside requirements. basically, outside time is like this - i take him out, we walk around, he sniffs, he sniffs, he sniffs, he sniffs, he sniffs, he sniffs, he sniffs....then he pees. then he sniffs, and sniffs........and sniffs and sniffs and sniffs...and then he'll want to go in after deciding he doesn't have to pee anyway.

10 minutes later he's sitting at my feet again whining because he wants to go back outside and pee again.

And you'd think that obviously this dog just wants to be outside, so why not tie him on his leash and let him do his own thing? Nope. I have to be standing there with him or he will not do anything. He'll sit on the porch and whine. In fact, even if I just tie his leash around the porch and stand there with him, he'll still not do anything but sit there and whine. I have to actually be standing there holding his leash or nothing.

Those are the big ones. He also has really loud toenails, and LOVES to walk in cirlces right outside the baby's room on the hard floor. He enjoys this activity the most when the baby is due to wake up soon. So instead of naptime being over at 2:30, the dog (named Dudditz, for obvious reasons) makes sure it's over at 2:00. If she was due to get up from bed at 7 a.m., Dudditz makes sure she's up at 6.

Thunder - dog is afraid of thunder. Awesome. We were told when we got him to just put him in a little cage till it's over and he'll whine some but that's it. I'm glad the man who told us this is dead, because if not I would kill him. The dog can't be in the cage because he'll claw and scratch and claw and scratch till he rips his toenails out. Can't have him in bed with us because he'll dig the bed and dig us. Can't put him in any room unattended or he'll claw through the wall from freaking out.

TL;DR version: I hate this dog and want to get rid of him, but so far I'm the only one who hates him and I feel like it'd be unfair of me to insist when the other 3 people in the house don't mind him. On the other hand, part of me feels like I haven't been consulted on a number of things and am totally entitled to make a call for myself just this once.

[Ree]

A lot of the issues with this dog seem like training problems.
Was he already trained when you got him?

[DrFaroohk]

Yeah we've only had him for about a year. His previous owner was old and didn't want to leave a bunch of pets behind, so he asked if we'd take him rather than the shelter.

[kiwi]

I don't know if your just venting or if you really do dislike your dog. These sound like every day issues for a dog that is bored and poorly trained. Of course he wants to be where you are you are the leader of his pack, of course he wants to bark to alert you that a threat (the car) is driving by.
If you really feel this way, please rehome the dog. Your post made me extremely sad.

Seriously your accusing him of having loud toenails....

[DrFaroohk]

I just wish he wouldn't fuck up the baby's sleep time. That's my main rule around here - you DO NOT WAKE THE DAMN BABY. It's like those old t-shirts that say "Instant Asshole - Just add alcohol". Me - "Instant Asshole - Wake the baby"

And the dog is the number 1 offender, followed by the boy, followed by guests who don't know how to be quiet.

And yeah, I really do want to get him someplace someone can take care of him. He's not just a regular old independant dog, he's like a "special" dog, and he needs special treatment, and I just can't provide that. I got a 2 year old and a grieving 7 year old...I really don't give a crap what the dog's deal is. I just want him to be quiet.

[kiwi]

Then please rehome him. The dog doesn't understand what quiet time is, he doesn't understand that the baby needs to sleep and it doesn't sound like you have the time or patience to train him and spend time with him to calm him down.

For the dog's sake please rehome him, this dog doesn't deserve your resentment and anger.

[ExRetailDrone]

I have to agree with kiwi, please rehome the dog. If you don't have the time or patience to train him properly so he can understand what to do and not do and when, then it's not fair to him. He doesn't understand what he's doing wrong, and it's just leading to you resenting him when it's really not entirely his fault. He's being a dog doing things that dogs do.

Please, either train him or pay someone to train him, or try to find him a new home where he can be trained and loved properly.

[DrFaroohk]

I'd love to do either of those things...or I'd love it if the people who actually WANTED the dog would take the time to train him properly.

[Andara Bledin]

Then set down an ultimatum. Either they train him or he goes to a home where they will train him.

Anything else is not fair for the dog.

^-.-^

[Ree]

Wow...your little one is not a very sound sleeper, is she?

I am assuming, from the time she was very small, you insisted on perfect silence while she slept?
It's actually good for a baby to get used to a little bit of noise while sleeping.
That's how you develop a sound sleeper who doesn't startle and wake at every little sound.

I have to agree with kiwi and the others about training the dog properly or finding a new home. Poor doggy.

[DrFaroohk]

Actually she's a pretty good sleeper. I don't insist on absolute silence, and never have, but I do insist we use our inside voices when she's asleep. I insist we don't slam the door. I insist we walk quietly around, not jump and stomp about the house. I insist the dog doesn't go BOWOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO! BOWOWOW! BOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO! BOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! every time a mouse farts.

[kiwi]

Your dog sounds extremely bored. Can I ask how long you and your family interact with him each day directly? I don't mean allow him to be in the same room I mean how long are his walk/run/play sessions each day?
Do you take him to obediance class or set aside time to train him each day/week?

It sounds like you chain him up in the backyard alone. Ask yourself, how would you feel if you were locked outside alone and expected to "play with yourself " on a regular basis.

I am not trying to run you down, I am trying to explain that there has to be effort on both sides, you can't expect a good dog without being a good owner. What you are describing is normal behaviour for a dog who is lonely and desperately trying to get attention. It sounds like you don't even like it when he follows you around the house, this dog considers you his pack. Dogs are pack animals, they NEED to be involved in the life of the other members.

Dogs can not spend all day laying quietly in the corner, they are extremely active creatures, the larger the dog the more time they need dedicated to THEIR needs. They are not a toy to be played with when it's owners find it convient.

It is unrealistic and unfair to expect a dog to be quiet and alone for long periods of time unless they are very old and even then they shouldn't be left alone for long at all. It sounds like you expect good behaviour from your dog but no one in your family wants to put in the effort and energy to GET that good behaviour. It's like a child, you can't expect a toddler to not follow you around, they must be around you.

[Miss_Stress]

I must echo others, except perhaps favour rehoming over training.

Don't think me harsh, because I understand the frustrations of canine behaviour all too well. Our family dog is 15 years old and he's unfortunately experiencing canine dementia now, but all the time we've had him he's been poorly behaved. We tried behaviourists, training classes, everything, and nothing worked. Now he constantly patrols and is noisy. It gets to a stage where you just have had enough. You can try your absolute damnedest and still get nowhere. It causes ructions, it causes heartache, and it causes no end of stress. No pet is worth that, as much as it pains me to say that. Your priority must be your family, your money must go on your family. If this dog is causing more sad times than happy ones, then the time has surely come to give them to someone who can devote the time to him that you are unable to.

I can only wish you good luck with this.