I hadn’t seen Junebug in almost two months, since I’ve been staying in a sublet for the summer that doesn’t allow dogs. I’d been looking forward to seeing her again, but I’d avoided visiting her at my friends’ place, where she’s been staying, in order to not get her worked up about me coming and going again. After all, when I’d left her with them for weekends or weeklong vacations, she’d always cried when I left and eagerly greeted me when I came back. With the full-body wiggle and happy dance.
Well, I saw her this past weekend, figuring that it’s only a week until I move into my new place and collect her.
And I got dissed.
She didn’t recognize me as I came down the street, and she was friendly when she finally did, but no wiggling. No happy dance. When I went into their place, she played with the bone I brought for her, but she didn’t do her usual snuggling. And then it started thunderstorming, so all bets were off; she shook in terror and tried to hide.
Definitely not the reception I’d been hoping for, and I can’t say it didn’t sting. Has she moved on? She’s got it good at my friends’ place: they have a lot more people in their place, and two dogs of their own as well as three cats. There’s no lack of attention and stimulation. She gets to go to the park every morning, and they and their kids adore her (and she adores them). They’d be more than happy to keep her.
So the question is, would she be better off there? With me, she’d be home for long stretches of the day, with only the cats for company and a walk at some point before I got home. She did fine with that for almost five years, but now that she’s settled into the routine at my friends’ place, is it fair to do that again?
She was probably punishing you. She is your dog you should go back for her. She will miss you if you don’t.
Do you know Deb by any chance, Chris?
For a blog that doesn’t get a whole lot of commenters, the dog-mommy drive-bys came awful quick, with the accusations of dumping and the guilt-tripping.
Actually, I just checked your IP against hers, and they’re the same. You’re both banned.
Honestly, I don’t know what to say. I know that I personally probably won’t end up with a dog for the same reasons you cited, namely that I’m planning a career with long hours and I just don’t think it’s fair. Cats can deal but dogs can’t so much. (That and I’m not a huge dog-lover to start with.)
However, Junebug’s your dog, and ultimately you have to make the right decision for YOU and for HER. It’s about what’s best for both of you, and I can’t make that call sitting here in Florida and never having met either of you. Either way, it’s a tough call, and I wish you both the best no matter what happens.
Hi Zuzu
I had dogs as a child, all my adult life, etc., and you know what? It’s really up to you. Yes, Junebug would thrive on the extra attention and activity, but she will also wait patiently (mostly sleeping) while you are at work. As long as the dog walker can get her out on a timely basis, she’s not going to complain or even care, really.
Shame on the knuckleheads you banned. It’s not like 99% of our pets are with us for any other reason than companionship and entertainment. Your considering giving her up even though you cherish her was already more consideration than most pets get.
I LOVE dogs, but geez, you feed and walk them, they’re good to go. She’d be back to her old self in a few days.
I hated leaving mine alone during my working days too, and am happily spoiling the heck out of the family pets we have now in my retirement.
Hey, Zuzu. I don’t know if I’ve ever commented here before. Since you’re clearly an awesome mom to your pets and love them, it seems to me that what’s best for them, is ultimately what’s best for you. You want them to be as happy and healthy as possible. The $.02 of a random blog-commenter and fellow animal lover. And I agree with meredith- it is a tough call and I too wish you all the best.
Thanks, all.
I have been informed that she gets very excited whenever they walk near the street where we used to live, so maybe she was just a little annoyed with me for leaving her. Or maybe it was the weather.
Well, we’ll see on Monday. I’m moving into my new place Sunday, and I want to give the cats a day or so to settle in before I bring in Hurricane Junebug.
Zuzu,
Your behaviour on your blog, which is appalling I might add, is the reason why I’m posting here.
Junebug is your dog and you will do what you see fit.
Leaving her there for brief visits is not a horrible thing, actually it is good. Kennels are not my thing.Leaving her there for 2 months, never seeing her and being “dissed” because she doesn’t recognize you, is totally ignorant on your part. I didn’t say stupid…stupidity can’t be changed, ignorance CAN with education.
Dogs have no concept of time, you are gone…in their mind…you are gone. If they have had a full life without you…I can understand that the dog wouldn’t welcome you with open paws. My dogs would do the same thing, however I would never leave them for 2 months. I would live in a tent or my car before that happened.
Anyways, it appears she will be back with you. Keeping her is your right. If you asked her, she would want to stay.
I have no idea how long she has been yours.
If you can afford this blog and what ever else you are paying for, you can afford to put her in daycare at least 3 times a week or get a dog walker to come by while you are working. Being alone for ong periods after a full 2 months may cause a depressed dog, not sure. I would be.
If you are offended by my comments, so be it.
I know OF Chris and Deb…never met them but they have been “in dogs” for eons and own MANY difficult and prior abused/aggressive dogs. They aren’t kids….they have experience….but…I don’t think you care.
Carol J
www.csrbc.org
Well, Carol, maybe Chris and Deb should learn to pretend that human beings are dogs, instead of being rude, aggressive, and overstepping their bounds. Think how awful your dog would feel if you spoke to her like this and used words like “appalling” in regards to her nehavior. That might really send her into a crashing spiral of depression. Pretend that the unimportant humans are NOT humans to be dismissed, belittled, and spoken to harshly, pretend instead that they are dogs, living creatures whose feelings matter, and you’ll never go wrong! (Think of the therapy bills your dog would garner if you told him ‘if you can afford to spent half the day licking yourself, you can afford to pull a sled,” well, you pretty much engaged in almost that degree of doggie classism with the human).