(no subject)

So, after lots of thought and sleeping on it...

I've decided that I love Tilly too much to let her go and that I am going to keep her and train her until she's the dog I know she can be. Now that I've made this decision, I feel much, much better and I know I've made the right choice even if it means I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Wish me luck!

EDIT: I should probably note that this is more like an extra week of working with her than a definite permanent home. It just means that I have a chance to try to change her behavior before we make a real decision either way, but I'm really hoping that, with time and effort, she will be able to be trained so she and Ryan can get along.

(no subject)

So, after lots of thought and sleeping on it...

I've decided that I love Tilly too much to let her go and that I am going to keep her and train her until she's the dog I know she can be. Now that I've made this decision, I feel much, much better and I know I've made the right choice even if it means I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Wish me luck!

EDIT: I should probably note that this is more like an extra week of working with her than a definite permanent home. It just means that I have a chance to try to change her behavior before we make a real decision either way, but I'm really hoping that, with time and effort, she will be able to be trained so she and Ryan can get along.

(no subject)

Well, we had decided to keep Tilly another week, but upon talking to the head of ABC Rescue again we decided with her advice not to, simply for Tilly's sake. And yes, the head of ABC Rescue was MUCH more understanding and nicer now that she has had some sleep. She hadn't gotten any sleep for ages when I talked to her because she was dealing with a starving mother dog and her nine also starving puppies the entire night before, and she apologized for her behavior and agrees that we have a great home for a dog to come into. She will put in a good word for us if we need it when adopting another dog. That's a relief, after the emotional rollercoaster of last night... It's still too bad she had to react like that, but now that she has come to the conclusion as well as we have that this is in Tilly's best interest, I've come to peace with it.

I'm going to really miss Tilly because I absolutely love her, but I know this is for her sake and that she's going back to her foster parent's house where she will be happy and not have to deal with anyone she finds scary or traumatic. I was up for trying to train her, but I trust the advice we were given because she's had to euthanize three dogs already for extreme aggression and biting. I don't want Tilly to be in a place where she's at risk for biting and being deemed vicious or unadoptable. She's a beautiful and very sweet dog who formed a bond with me almost immediately, and she deserves a wonderful and happy life where she feels safe. I took her for a walk today and she was absolutely fantastic, and aside from run-ins with my brother, she's been the best dog.

I've been crying a little on-and-off because I'm going to miss her so much. The two of us have bonded. But I know this means there's another dog out there that we're supposed to save and help, and I don't regret having Tilly for the time we had her at all. I still think she was meant for us to take, in a way, because we've learned a lot from her, given her a fun couple of days, and at least she was able to be in a safe, understanding environment when she showed her aggressive side.

She'll be going back with her foster mom this weekend--probably on Sunday. I'm going to take pictures of her before that to remember her by.

I really thank everyone who has replied through this whole process. It would have been much harder to face all this sadness and disappointment and making this tough decision without all your thoughtful, helpful, meaningful comments and support. Thank you, every one of you. It made a big difference. ♥

Unfortunately for you all, this means I'll be talking even more about the dog search, adoption process, adjustment period, and so on as we continue looking for the right dog for our household. If anyone is bothered by this or just really sick of hearing about it, let me know and we can defriend (if you don't feel we really click any more or something) or I could set up a separate filter or whatever. I won't be offended at all if that's the case, promise. :)

In other animal-related news, I'm helping teach the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release songbird class tomorrow and I need to get prepared for that! @A@

(no subject)

Well, we had decided to keep Tilly another week, but upon talking to the head of ABC Rescue again we decided with her advice not to, simply for Tilly's sake. And yes, the head of ABC Rescue was MUCH more understanding and nicer now that she has had some sleep. She hadn't gotten any sleep for ages when I talked to her because she was dealing with a starving mother dog and her nine also starving puppies the entire night before, and she apologized for her behavior and agrees that we have a great home for a dog to come into. She will put in a good word for us if we need it when adopting another dog. That's a relief, after the emotional rollercoaster of last night... It's still too bad she had to react like that, but now that she has come to the conclusion as well as we have that this is in Tilly's best interest, I've come to peace with it.

I'm going to really miss Tilly because I absolutely love her, but I know this is for her sake and that she's going back to her foster parent's house where she will be happy and not have to deal with anyone she finds scary or traumatic. I was up for trying to train her, but I trust the advice we were given because she's had to euthanize three dogs already for extreme aggression and biting. I don't want Tilly to be in a place where she's at risk for biting and being deemed vicious or unadoptable. She's a beautiful and very sweet dog who formed a bond with me almost immediately, and she deserves a wonderful and happy life where she feels safe. I took her for a walk today and she was absolutely fantastic, and aside from run-ins with my brother, she's been the best dog.

I've been crying a little on-and-off because I'm going to miss her so much. The two of us have bonded. But I know this means there's another dog out there that we're supposed to save and help, and I don't regret having Tilly for the time we had her at all. I still think she was meant for us to take, in a way, because we've learned a lot from her, given her a fun couple of days, and at least she was able to be in a safe, understanding environment when she showed her aggressive side.

She'll be going back with her foster mom this weekend--probably on Sunday. I'm going to take pictures of her before that to remember her by.

I really thank everyone who has replied through this whole process. It would have been much harder to face all this sadness and disappointment and making this tough decision without all your thoughtful, helpful, meaningful comments and support. Thank you, every one of you. It made a big difference. ♥

Unfortunately for you all, this means I'll be talking even more about the dog search, adoption process, adjustment period, and so on as we continue looking for the right dog for our household. If anyone is bothered by this or just really sick of hearing about it, let me know and we can defriend (if you don't feel we really click any more or something) or I could set up a separate filter or whatever. I won't be offended at all if that's the case, promise. :)

In other animal-related news, I'm helping teach the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release songbird class tomorrow and I need to get prepared for that! @A@