In short -- I need some good thots and prayers because right now I almost can't see how this can end well.
I work with a gal who has a sweet 2 year old toddler and her mother provides her daycare. "Gram" has recently had shoulder surgery and has seriously had a really horrific time because it's not healing well, the shoulder is fragile and horribly painful, so keeping up with a 2 year old who is bright but a serious "handfull" has been beyond difficult.
The 2 year old is animal-crazy. She LOVES any kind of animal. And the fastest way to 'peace' with this child is for her to see dog, or any critter on tv or in person.
These folks are NOT dog people. Not at all. I mean COMPLETELY ****NOT**** dog people. Yes, they'll stop to pet them, but no desire ever to own one or take the time/trouble with them, zero understanding of them and NO time nor patience for them.
Oh, can you see where this is going?
I got an email Tuesday nite from "Gram" because she knows I'm "a dog person". Gee, want to get the baby a puppy for Christmas!! Do I know anything about .... PUGS????
House-training isn't really hard and doesn't take long, right? Do pugs shed? Are they active or a nice little quiet dog? They don't bark do they?
O ....... M ....... G
I spent hours Tuesday night on a well-thought out email trying to help these folks see a) a puppy of ANY kind is a bad, bad BAD idea, b) that a PUG is likely ***not*** even close on the list of good animals for them, c) please PLEASE talk to me before you do this, and
MEGA ***d)*** PLEASE do not get a puppy for Christmas.
She never even opened the email. Wednesday morning they got up, drove to GEORGIA (from south of Orlando) to get a "deal" on a pug puppy for $300 and **save** the $210 shipping.
O ....... M ....... G
By NOON on Thursday my co-worker already got an SOS text message from her mother. She HATES the dog, it was a HORRIBLE idea and why didn't someone stop her. this dog is ***work***!!!!!!!!!!! It's not going to make taking care of the baby easier! It's .... GASP ***more work than ever****
The "breeder"??
"You bought it -- it's your problem"
I spent hours last night on the phone with "Gram" trying to help her see reality. SHE wants to get rid of the dog *now*. Her husband, however, has fallen in love with it.
O ..... M ...... G **again**
They don't understand how many months it takes to housetrain a dog and how much WORK it is. They live in a CONDO (no yard) and he'll have to be walked. (woman with sore shoulder? a PUG???)
this woman already hates this dog. The breeder won't take it back. The husband is adamanat they're keeping it. The child SCREAMS when taken from the dog (and she wants to cling to and squish the life out of the dog 100% of the day and doesn't want to go home at night).
Folks -- this was SO freaking predictable. This is going to end SO badly. They aren't going to supervise this -- they see no need to "because it's JUST a puppy and she LOVES him".
This child is gonna get bitten. This will end SO horribly.
I have been nice. I have become brutally honest. I have spelled out this scenario to both mother and grandmother. I can't force the situation. I've already been in contact with breed rescue here.
Please please help me with good thots and prayers. Prayers that the husband will see sense. No, he's NOT going to walk this dog every time, nor will he supervise. Frankly, I'd pay for the dog to go to breed rescue MYSELF just to get this poor 11 week old puppy out of this ticking-time-bomb-situation BEFORE something horrible happens.
I've even tried scaring them to death with all the potential problems because of how bad this breeder was.
You know -- an OLDER dog, with a little sanity might have worked. But frankly, now knowing how they see NO REASON to supervise this situation?? I don't want to see ANY dog in that home **NOT EVAH**.
There's more to this situation -- they just plain never say "no" to this child. It's just not ever done. So teaching the child to respect the dog's space and not maul the dog? It's not going to happen -- they don't know HOW to say no, and they won't consider it.
Heaven help me if anyone from work reads this. But I'm just going to pray that the Alpha of ALL Alpha's hand will move here and pluck this pup out of this nightmare before anyone gets hurt (and it will be the dog ... for sure ... and if it's not the child who gets hurt it will be a miracle.)