Why We Returned Our Adorable Puppy to the Breeder [horrible article - great reader comment]

Yahoo! Parenting ^ | December 8, 2015

[grundle]

The trouble began the first hour Eevee was in our house. We tried to put her in the crate, which something Lambic never minded, so we could eat lunch, but Eevee wouldn't stop crying and barking. During her first two weeks with us, we slept with pillows over our heads to drown out her barking at bedtime.

I work from home most days and thought that would make housetraining easier, but I soon realized it made it harder because there was no set schedule or routine for Eevee. Some days she wouldn’t go in the crate at all. Other days she would be in the crate for three to four hours. At a six-week training course, we were told to put Eevee in the crate several hours a day even when I was home. I would lure her into the crate with treats and pretend to go out, but Eevee was smart enough to sense I was still home. She would bark and whine until I let her out again.

I soon realized that Eevee wasn’t Lambic, and much like children, no two dogs are alike. Plus, my husband and I were used to an older dog that knew our family’s patterns and rhythms and didn’t need the constant attention and discipline of a 2-year-old child.

We had honest discussions with our daughter about how frustrating it was to be woken up at 2 a.m. and again at 5 a.m. because Eevee needed to go outside and do her business.

[grundle]

When I first saw the title of this article, I thought there was some sort of real problem with the dog. Maybe it was biting a child. Maybe they had another dog that was attacking the new dog.

Nope. Nothing of the sort.

Instead, the dog was acting like - a dog. It was the owners that were the problem.

I feel so sad for this dog, and for the child.

This article was published by Yahoo! parenting. But what this parent did is a very bad thing to teach your child.

Here is a reader comment that says it better than I ever could, along with a picture of the dog and the family's child:

Reader comment:

Essentially this puppy acted like a puppy and these people forgot what having a puppy was like. An 8-20 week old puppy can't make it through the night without having to go out. Their bladders aren't big enough. So of course she was going to bark and whine. She was uncomfortable.

They tried to "put" her in a crate and hour after they got her home. From that dog's eyes, you just ripped her from everything she's ever known and stuff her in a cage. It's freaking traumatic! Of course she was going to bark and whine. Crate training has to involve making the crate feel like a safe space for the dog. They made it a punishment. And you never put a puppy in a crate for more than 15 minutes at a time or so until they get used to it.

This poor dog was exactly like their other one was at that age. They just didn't feel like doing what you were supposed to do and trashed the puppy. I hope they never get another dog until they learn how to actually train one. Ridiculous. And they're acting proud about how they returned the dog to the breeder instead of taking it to a shelter. Congrats on following the contract you signed, give yourselves a giant pat on the back. I pay my electric bill every month, following the contract I signed with the electric company. Can I get a pat on the back too?

What they did was not something to be proud of. What they did was shameful. They got a dog as a toy and when it was "broken" (or actually acting like it was supposed to) they returned it to the store. A puppy or any dog is a lifetime investment. If you can't make the investment, don't get a dog. Period. Freaking jerks.

[humblegunner]

Some people shouldn’t have dogs, others shouldn’t have blogs.

Thank you for not pasting this story onto your foul blog and trying to take credit for it.

[DesertRhino]

Eevee? Lambic?

[HiTech RedNeck]

Where would the world be if it wasn’t for its loyal grumble gunners loading in the grumble ammo.

[HiTech RedNeck]

2 dogs

[Rhinoman]

Amen.

My daughters started the local Animal Rescue and they frequently get puppies returned. It chews, it jumps on us, it can’t go all day without pooping on the floor when we’re at work. Etc.

One of the puppies was returned at 14 weeks old because it wasn’t house trained.

[HiTech RedNeck]

People should realize that they are endeavoring to adopt the animals that are, not the animals they wish could be.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Lambic is some sort of euro beer and Eevee is some pokemon character. At least that’s what da’ google says.

[Rinnwald]

“Eevee” and “Lambic”? That might be an indicator that you’re too self absorbed to have a pet. And what’s with everyone posting their personal problems, then being surprised getting called out as a horrible person?

Our first Wheaten Terrier puppy, a male, cried for his mama the first few days, despite consoling and a blanket wrapped with her scent. Now he’s the most steadfast family dog ever. His mama won’t give him the time of day when we visit her, which seems to be a typical dog trait.

Our two female Wheatens arrived ready to conquer their new world, and had no separation anxieties.

[QBFimi]

Totally agreed. The incredible ignorance of many dog owners is astounding. We board our horses for the winter; I went to visit yesterday (with horse cookies, of course). The neighbor lady came over with her full size poodle to watch. When the ill-mannered animal jumped all over me, trying to get to the cookie bag, her response was “give him a cookie; he’ll go away”. My response was to take the tip of my shoe and touch his hind paw; he immediately returned to all fours. She went nuts.

So the alternative to training a dog to have manners is to feed him something that may or may not be good for him? Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not have iron stomachs. Poor thing.

[Kit cat]

These people don’t need a dog they need a cat and a litter box!!!! Problem solved !!!!

[shibumi]

Lambic is a type of beer and Eevee is a Pokemon character.

I guess it’s a small blessing that they didn’t name the dog with an obscene epithet for a body part like some bloggers name themselves ... “Grundle”, “Gooch” or “Taint.”

[gwjack]

Hi grundle,

You said it best. This was a puppy being a puppy. My little one turned 5 months today. I’ve had her a month. It had been years since I had trained a dog. My little girl now rings a cluster of three bells hanging on the door knob when she needs to go do her business. It took all of two days to teach her. I am still amazed.

She has re-taught me that dogs need a leader, and they will respect the Alpha. So far she can let me know about time to go outside, sit on command, heel usually, lay down sporadically, and come when called sometimes. We still have much work, but it is an effort of love.

I find myself reaching to stay ahead of her, and bring something new to her.

At 60 I am finding a new enthusiasm in my day.

Gwjack

[rarestia]

This is a direct result of rewarding a generation of youth with participation trophies. Everyone wants praise for doing the right thing.

[goodnesswins]

Deciding to adopt a “puppy” is like a commitment to 10 to 15 years with a 2-year old baby....they do NOT grow up and they require constant attention...and when they hit 15, potty training, etc becomes an issue again (I KNOW - our current “puppy” is 15+). Sad, that some people are so self centered.

[humblegunner]

We are all placed here with a purpose.

[JusPasenThru]

She looks like she could have gotten a little puppy abortion.

[Rhinoman]

I get in trouble for that. I sometimes give my dogs attention when they jump on me. My daughter gives me “the look” or a lecture on proper dog training. “Don’t reward bad behavior.”

[Dawn53Fl]

We raised one Weim puppy and our last two dogs have been breed specific rescues, Weims, of course. First adoption was a 2 year old. After he passed away at 7 from lymphoma, our next adoption was a 5 year old, he’s almost 8 now. We’ve decided the next Weim will probably be 7 when we adopt him/her...a definite pattern, as we age, we’ll be adopting older dogs.

[nobamanomore]

Yes, they haven’t a clue about training an animal, and God only knows how their kid will turn out.