I detest my mother's dog

[barbarianoftheuniverse]

It is living with me to give her a bit of a break from it.
It is incontinent. It smells. It is blind. I have to sleep with it or it barks all night. It gives everyone itchy eyes. The cat has left home. Kennels wont have it. Nor will anyone else in the family. I don't know what to do.

Oh I feel your pain. We have had FILs dog for a few months because he was "between houses". I like dogs, we have one of our own, but this one is on it's last legs, she's almost blind & deaf, pretty senile, has to be coaxed to eat every meal. All that I can cope with...but the smell and increasing incontinence is atarting to drive me mad... and then I feel guilty that I'm not being more affectionate to the stinky thing, she is quite sweet really.

However FIL has finally moved into new house, we are champing at the bit to "visit" (aka drop dog back). So I've only got to cope till Sunday, just hope she lasts till then (Thats been the other worry TBH!)

Sorry not much help I know....

I have it till Wednesday, but she will bring it back again next week.
DH says he can stand it no longer and is going to 'say something.'
The horrible thing adores me and cries and wets itself if I am out of the room. It's smell is rank, you can almost taste it.
I am just having a big moan here because I have just bathed it for the 4th time today.
BIG MOAN

I feel for you. I hate dogs, although I would never do anything to hurt any animal. Smelly, demanding and totally impractical unless you have a house of baronial proportions.

If it was me I would refuse to have it. Can't it stay at kennels?

Kennels won't have it, we have tried that. They say she is too distressed. I have found pet sitters but mum is not interested. Oh dear oh dear oh dear I had to wash 2 floors and shampoos 2 carpets today. How cruel is it to say 'No.'? If I do mum cannot come to kids carol concerts.

That's very difficult for you. If the dog is that distressed would it maybe be kinder to think about... you know... doggie euthanasia?

xx

compassion!

One question ...

Does the dog have 'Quiality of Life' ?

She sounds in quite a state and I'd question whether it'd be kinder to say goodbye ?

Sorry to be fairly blunt but I am a great believer in not keeping a much loved pet hanging on and letting them go with some dignity.

It would be sad to end up resenting the little dog.

I don't know if she has quality of life to be honest. But she walked 2 miles with me today, and sniffed the hedges and explored like she was happy. I don't think she has painful joints or anything.Her blindness is a terrible problem- she is always bumping her face. She likes food but she is on steroids so she is always hungry. She would love to be cuddled all day long. She is not clean in the house, I think because we have steps and things and she does not know her way around and cannot seem to learn. I work from home, but have more or less ground to a halt since she has been here. She hates to be left alone for even a few minutes. She barks and gets frantic and pees. At the moment she smells hellish because she ate the cat's food. She won't sleep anywhere but with me and gets up every hour or so to check I am still there. (She is a bit toddlerish).
She's not mine and I can't choose what happens to her. I couldn't keep her full time. I don't really resent her, I was just having a moan because I was fed up of the mess. At the moment she is giving off great clouds of methane. Very bad for global warming but I suppose anyone with a bit of initiative could run a smallish central heating system off her.

Oh dear, it is a dilemma isn't it. The fact that she appears to enjoy her food and exercise means she still enjoys life to some degree but due to her blindness she obviously feels vunerable and so needs to know where you are, especially if she doesn't know her way around the house yet.

How long have you got her for ?

if your mum doesn't want to care for it, have it put down. If she wants a break then she must accept pet sitters. I loathe my mums 4 dogs. They are all elderly, stinky, senile but they are her babies. I wont have them here.

I'm backing straight back out of this thread.

She could do with a doggy guide dog . But seriously, if your mum could cope maybe another dog (well chosen) would make her feel more secure ie having a dog to follow etc.

TBH though, when pets get old and infirm and when you've got a busy home life it can be hell. My old cat drives me insane, he's nearly 20, diabetic and going blind, not to mention the arthitis (sp?). But I've had him longer than my two marriages and children so I feel that it's only right that he has a good end while he still has a quality of life. When he doesn't, then I will make the decision that is best for him - my feelings will not come into it.