Nibbs XXXIV (Page 48)

The visit will be fine. The dog is driving me crazy. I have enough issues without adding a dog into the mix.

I will not stay in another relationship where an animal(s) is more important than me. And taking in strays says essentially that.

I do sympathize, Scott. But it isn't so black and white as that. She has a tender heart. It's one of the reasons you love her.

Yes, it was a mistake to take him in, and probably you guys have not invested the time or effort in properly training him because you assumed he'd be gone by now. And for sure, living with an untrained dog is a holy terror. It's a very difficult situation and I don't envy you.

I will say that very basic training and confinement measures will go a long way towards making the time being with him bearable, AND it will make him eminently more adoptable, which is really what you guys need.

There's no place at all, no no-kill shelter, that you can take him to?

One of her friends who has a pet sitting business has given us a crate. I keep telling her he NEEDS to be crated during the day... she only works a mile away so its easy to come home for lunch and let him out to relieve himself. And then at night, he needs to be crated ALL night.

Yeah, the first couple of nights it will be hell - he'll whimper and cry and not like it - but he'll learn to NOT go in the crate/house and he won't be able to tear anything up if he's crated.

Look, the issues are more than just the dog, though... I got dragged to the damn hippie food co-op tonight. I am NOT a hippie. And California is getting ready to raise taxes through the roof. Its just too g-d liberal here and I don't like that.

One of her friends who has a pet sitting business has given us a crate. I keep telling her he NEEDS to be crated during the day... she only works a mile away so its easy to come home for lunch and let him out to relieve himself. And then at night, he needs to be crated ALL night.

Yeah, the first couple of nights it will be hell - he'll whimper and cry and not like it - but he'll learn to NOT go in the crate/house and he won't be able to tear anything up if he's crated.

Look, the issues are more than just the dog, though... I got dragged to the damn hippie food co-op tonight. I am NOT a hippie. And California is getting ready to raise taxes through the roof. Its just too g-d liberal here and I don't like that.

I can understand why she wants to go... they don't load up stuff with artificial sweeteners... but... its the uberliberalism that costs way too much money and drags everyone down into the class of the poor that bothers me. Its socialism and leftism at its very worst at the co-op.