I am having the worst time trying to decide what is best for Shaka and the rest of us. She is an absolutely amazing dog, but does that mean we should keep her? As first it seemed like a no-brainer. Her temperament is outstanding, she is gorgeous, sweet and my dogs really love her. She was super quick to learn the house rules and all the commands a dog should know. But what I have realized is how much she needs to overcome her fear of people, the unknown and being left behind. I am worried that I am spreading myself too thin and it's not fair to any of the dogs. But at the same time I have totally fallen for her and though I know it sounds stupid, I fear that she has grown attached to us and I don't want to dump her into a new situation when she has only just gotten comfortable with us.
So...I decided to make a pro/con list to help me with my decision:
PROs:
- AMAZING temperament (nothing and no one phases this dog)
- excellent off leash
- gets along perfect with my dogs AND cats
- safe with all people & dogs
- beautiful!
- the perfect pittie for shrugging off negative stereotypes
- smart and willing to learn
- sweet & gentle
- 0 recourse guarding
- fun/easy to have around
- calm
- easy to walk on leash
- goofy & funny when she finally lets loose
CONs:
- extreme shyness when away from my dogs
- she only seeks attention when I am giving it to another dog, then she is overbearing
- a lot more work to manage 3 dogs even though they're pretty easy
- severe separation anxiety (barks & whines the entire time I am out, follows me everywhere I go even if I leave the room for only 2 seconds, she will get up from a deep sleep)
- more costs
- am I spreading myself too thin?
So of course the pros outweigh the cons because she is amazing, but it is still a big decision. I feel like it would be easier to accept finding her a new home if she was an out-going happy dog because I could see her being happy with many people, but since she has these reservations it's so hard because she has already really bonded and learned to trust me and loooooooooves my dogs.
That's a huge decision!!! I didn't realize you had a studio, you really make it work with your crew. She is so gorgeous and sounds amazing! My own dogs don't even have all of her amazing qualities (I think I've said that before,) so I think if I had a pup wander into my life like Shaka I'd be crazy tempted!!
ReplyDeleteYa, it's hard because she is so amazing! If she had a couple real hang-ups I would have an easier decision.
DeleteAnd ya, I've realized that living in a studio is not a big deal because even in a big house I think they would always be in the same room as me!