# Giving up and farming him out



## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

I am in tears. I have had Fen for almost 2 months. He is almost 5 months old and I STILL have not been able to get him potty trained. He spends most of his time in his crate. I thought I could train him like I did Zeus and Loki but I cant move very much or often and every time I try I find myself gasping for breath and about to collapse.

I often think it was a huge mistake getting a puppy. A friend has offered to take him to their ranch and train him in the basics and I have agreed. I didn't think it would make me cry to think about parting with him but I am. He is such a sweet little thing, but I just don't know what to do. Our yard isn't compleatly fenced so he cant go out and play. I am such a bad dog mom.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Zeusismydog said:


> I am such a bad dog mom.


You're not a bad mom, it sounds like you're having some medical problems.


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## Snickelfritz (Feb 21, 2007)

Wow. I'm sorry you crate your dog so much, a puppy. And you're giving up on him. Please don't get another puppy in place of this one any time soon.


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## Snickelfritz (Feb 21, 2007)

So what happened to the post I quoted?

That I am responding to, right now.




No I don't. Sorry you feel that way toward me. 

This person KNEW she couldn't care for a pup, dog, no matter what breed. Can't wait to see what's going to happen with house training the dog, keeps it in a crate, and now is going to get rid of it.

Thanks, but no thanks. I don't feel sorry for her. She made her bed, let her lie in it. 

Poor dog is going to have to, too.


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## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

For those of you who actually had something nice to say. Thank you. Things have been tough and my moods have been swinging like a swing in a gale. When I decided to have him go with my friend so he could get some "real" training it was tough and the water turned on in my eyes. I hate the thought of parting with him even if it is only for a week. LOL I have a list of 100 things they need to know about him. As if they will be able to forget my hour long speech. 

Now that I am on the subject I will tell you all a bit about Fen. He is smart and loves to play. His fav toy is the tug. Him and Loki will tug and tug. He also enjoys his hamburger (even though he has gotten the squeaker and the fuzz out of it) and his Frisbee. 

I have to admit he surprised me today. He was out and playing with Loki. I had put his tennis ball (another one of his fav toys) in the pouch of a chair, when he wasn't looking yesterday. Truthfully I had forgotten it. He went over to the chair and started rooting around. I was about to tell him to leave it (which he will do most of the time when told), but thought I would see what he was after. When he pulled out the ball I was shocked. Hey I forgot about that how did you find it? 

We started him on his puppy kindergarten classes but he had to stop midway through due to him getting Gairdia and a UTI. Poor guy. He was mostly under raps (for other dogs) until he tested negative for gardia, but we made sure he got enough people exposure. He is a real suck up if you have a toy. 

A few of my friends have wanted to take him to the dog park but I am not sure about that. He is 45lbs and feisty as all get out but I don't want another, bigger dog, attacking him. 

Now I wrote this first but decided to put it at the end. I was really offended when I read Snickelfritz responses and immediately felt like I had to defend myself and wondered if I had said something like "I will never be able to raise a dog". Let me say here and now. The breeder I got Fen from would NEVER have let me have him if she felt he wouldn't be going to a good home. 

Snickelfritz wrote: "This person KNEW she couldn't care for a pup, dog, no matter what breed. Can't wait to see what's going to happen with house training the dog, keeps it in a crate, and now is going to get rid of it."

Snickelfritz I have only ever considered one breed of dog, and truthfully what you wrote here didn't make much sense to me, but I thought I would address your issue. I also wanted to clear up what I said.


WOW Snickelfritz so much sympathy. Makes me feel so warm and fuzzy.

First of all I am NOT getting RID of him. He is going away for training that he needs and I can't give him.

Yes he is crated much more than I would like. That doesn't mean he is always in there and he doesn't get out to play, exercise and potty. It just means his out of crate time is limited to where I can see. He doesn't have run of the house and yes I feel bad that he can't romp around the house. He never has to lay in a dirty crate and he is not lacking for mental (or physical) stimulation. He in fact get a mile walk at lest every other day. Yes it is not by me but does it really matter who walks or excersizes him? Every day he get to play with Loki and he gets to explore the outdoors (granted it is on a leash).

Last but not least I had NO IDEA my health would take a nose dive and I would be in this bad of shape. Yes I wondered what I would do, but do you plan your illness around when it is convent? I don't know what post you are referring to (as it was not posted).

Also: I need to bring up his house training. Yes I am frustrated. It feels like he will NEVER get potty trained, HOWEVER he has had health problems (and yes he has been to the vets. Thank God for pet insurance). It is very hard to house break a pup that has the squirts. I know this, but it is still sometimes very frustrating. When I first posted I was upset. Anyone that has had a puppy and not been upset at one time or another is ..... well in my opion... a saint.

:crazy: Ok so has this post addressed the concerns that Fen is kept locked in a small cage 23 hours a day and that he never gets to see anyone or anything? 

So I am going to go now before I think of something else.  Oh and one last thing. His crate is in the living room not 3 feet from where I sit so he is NEVER alone!
.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

OP, i am sorry to hear you're having problems. its tough being sick and then it gets worse. I have back problems that prevent me from leading normal days sometimes and some days are worse than others so i can understand the frustration. I know its very likely not anything like you're dealing with but no matter what its frustrating to have to ask for help or need help with something. I hope things get better. 

I'm also sorry that some people have great difficulty handling the fact that not everyone is insanely healthy and perfect in every way and DO need help. Luckily some people do admit when they need help.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you're not a bad mon. sounds like you took
on to much with getting a pup. you're doing
what's best for the pup and yourself. take care of your health.
you have a dog named Loki. my dogs name is Loki.
my Loki is well trained and highly socialized. i'm sure 
there's room in Loki's pack for another human. i'll share him
with you.


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## vc320 (Jul 19, 2011)

So he is just going a way for a little bit to be trained? That doesn't make you a bad mom. I hope that your friends are able to train him AND that it sticks when he comes back home and that he will listen to YOU. Good luck.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

vc320 said:


> So he is just going a way for a little bit to be trained? That doesn't make you a bad mom. I hope that your friends are able to train him AND that it sticks when he comes back home and that he will listen to YOU. Good luck.


 
I agree. If I had health or any other issues that prohibited me from doing what I needed to for either of my dogs I'd certainly reach out to friends and family for help. I truly hope it all works out for everyone and that you are feeling better soon.


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

I think you are doing the right thing by letting him live with friends and get trained. To those that feel the need to bash the OP I mean really!?!?!? You have no idea the situation, some people are just so cruel!


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

I really think some people cant read. No where did it say in her original post that she was getting rid of her dog. She is sending him to a friends until he is potty trained. Duh! No brainer. It is what both need right now. 

Your stressing over him not being potty trained yet, is causing you more ill. You will both be fine. If he is there over a week, dont worry about it. Can the friends also come stay with him for a few hours during the training period? I think potty training him in his own yard a little would help too.

Let us know how things go. Some of us actually care.


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## Dogaroo (Mar 4, 2003)

Can you have someone come in to clean all the "accident" spots with a good enzymatic cleaner? That could help to keep him from re-marking the same spots over again. 

Have you considered trying clicker training? It works great for most dogs (especially the "thinking" breeds) & isn't as physically demanding as traditional methods with leash & training collar. In fact, you can do a LOT of your dog's training without even having him on a leash! About the only time I have my dogs on leash for training is when I'm in class or when they're learning recalls. (Or, in Gunner's case, while he's learning to ignore the Evil C*T.)


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

If you are having problems housebreaking him, did you ever check him for a UTI? If he has one of those, the could be the issue and I would start there before I shipped him off somewhere.

While he is gone, you ABSOLUTELY have to clean everywhere he went with an enzyme cleaner. That is very important or he will just smell it when he gets home and start all over again.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Jax, as I understood, OP has trouble to move, can't walk outside the house, and can't take the puppy out often enough for housetraining, leave along bend and clean... I think the 'shipping' him for training and, actually, leaving him there with the friends for 6 months or a year is the answer in this situation. OP, you are doing everything right.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax08 said:


> *If you are having problems housebreaking him, did you ever check him for a UTI? If he has one of those, the could be the issue *and I would start there before I shipped him off somewhere.
> 
> *While he is gone, you ABSOLUTELY have to clean everywhere he went with an enzyme cleaner. *That is very important or he will just smell it when he gets home and start all over again.


Oksana - please read all of what I wrote before getting hung up on ONE word in my post. If the OP can't clean the house, then they should get someone in there that can.


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## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

Actually one of the biggest reasons I have had house breaking troubles is he is just getting over gairida AND a UTI. So when he has to go he has to go NOW. This has caused him be be confused as to the proper place to go. He knows the BEST place is outside, but I think he is confused that it is not acceptable to go at all in the house. When he lets fly oh boy does it come flying out. Not to mention the poor boy has had gas as well. So trying to decide when to take him out (a chore in itself) is compounded by him not really knowing what is gas and what is the "real" thing. I also just can't open the back door and let him out. He has to be on a leash so running outside every 20 minutes is not an option. 

I use Nature's Miracle every place he has an accident. I will probably mop all the floors (I have hard wood floors) with it while he is gone.

This will be an adventure for Fen. I am sure he will learn a lot in the week he is gone. I figured that now he is healthy again he can be "farmed out" and learn from a pack the proper behavior. While he is gone I can do a though cleaning and when he comes back we can start again.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

ahhhh...poor guy.  UTI's are tough. when I adopted Jax we couldn't get her housebroken until I figured out she might have a UTI. Her only symptoms were drinking a ton and peeing a lot so I would have never figured it out if I hadn't mentioned her not being housebroken to the vet. I truly feel your pain on that one!

If you are comfortable sending him to this person to train then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't. Why does he have gas? The giardia? Or might it be what you are feeding him not agreeing with him?


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## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

The vet thinks the food we had him on (Nutro Natural Ultra) was not agreeing with him, so she suggested Innova Large breed puppy. He is now on that. His stools are still soft, the vet thinks the antibiotic he was on wiped out his gut flora so she put him on something to help with that as well. So he has been on meds for almost 3/4 the time I have had him.

All in all he has had a hard time of it and has been sleeping a LOT, so mostly he hasn't minded being in his crate. Now that he is feeling better he is not sleeping as much and I thought it would be a perfect time for him to really get out and have room to really RUN. The training they will do is also important. LOL He is starting to feel his oats. 

What I wouldn't give to be able to run with him. His puppy obedience classes start next month and they said they would work with my limited mobility. I would LOVE to do agility with him. I think he would excel at it. LOL maybe I can put a radio on his collar and tell him where to go as he is racing around the field  Have you ever seen someone with limited mobilty do agility?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

So she put him on a probiotic? That must be it if the vet is talking about 'gut flora'.

I've never seen it but there are people who stand in one spot and direct their dog around the field in agility.


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## Snickelfritz (Feb 21, 2007)

Zeusismydog said:


> Now I wrote this first but decided to put it at the end. I was really offended when I read Snickelfritz responses and immediately felt like I had to defend myself and wondered if I had said something like "I will never be able to raise a dog". Let me say here and now. The breeder I got Fen from would NEVER have let me have him if she felt he wouldn't be going to a good home.
> 
> Snickelfritz wrote: "This person KNEW she couldn't care for a pup, dog, no matter what breed. Can't wait to see what's going to happen with house training the dog, keeps it in a crate, and now is going to get rid of it."
> 
> ...


You can call me "Snick" easier to write than the whole name.

Sorry for my gut reaction, but when I saw "farming him out" that term is used commonly from where I'm from to either A:get rid of an animal, or B:kill it. Late night for me, and maybe I didn't read into it far enough. I hope the training helps, I do.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i remember watching a video on youtube one time where a wheelchair bound person stayed at the finish area on the agility field and directed her dog through the course from there on voice commands only. Took her a couple years to reach that level with with the dog. He knew in, out, left, right, up, 'downtown'. He knew all of the equipement by names she'd taught him. It was really very cool so i think its very possible.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

I have no expert advice to give just hang in there it does happen(being housebroke) and the training idea sounds like agood one. good luck and he is a handsome pup.


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## Mom2Shaman (Jun 17, 2011)

I would have happily farmed out, loaned, sent away, boarded, etc. my pup when he was littler. He came with giardia too and no clue how to tell me he wanted out. He peed every 20 minutes, I swear, and had fecal urgency. My office and his crate is upstairs. We had some fun runs down the stairs and out the door. I always said I would have loved to send him away til he grew up. But he got the idea and all is good now. Hang in there. Your decision to get help from more phyiscally-able friends is a good one.


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## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

Well he is back  He is tired and man has he grown. It is good to have him back. Our friend spent at least 30 minutes telling us what had gone on. We have him for about a week to see how things are going with us then he is off for another little bit. 

So a few new "rules" for us humans. He is out of his crate all day and in it only for the night. We have permission to use their yard so we can turn both Fen and Loki out so they can bounce around a exercise. 

I am trying not to smother him with love now he is back home, but it is hard. He is so tired right now he is too pooped to pop and is sleeping.


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## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

Zeusismydog said:


> Well he is back  He is tired and man has he grown. It is good to have him back. Our friend spent at least 30 minutes telling us what had gone on. We have him for about a week to see how things are going with us then he is off for another little bit.
> 
> So a few new "rules" for us humans. He is out of his crate all day and in it only for the night. We have permission to use their yard so we can turn both Fen and Loki out so they can bounce around a exercise.
> 
> I am trying not to smother him with love now he is back home, but it is hard. He is so tired right now he is too pooped to pop and is sleeping.


Congrats! I read this from the start and felt bad a poster was rude to you  but didn't notice when it was first posted. I'm so happy he is back, kudos to you for working through the pain and making the best decision for both of you. He's so lucky to have you! Good luck with him


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