A few years ago, I had a great idea for a blog post. It was going to be a post on commitment. My idea was to write about the one thing that matters above all in getting a dog -- commitment. Whether you get a male or female, where you get the dog from, and what breed you choose is all irrelevant when compared to one's commitment level. Shibas are a terrible breed for first time dog owners. And Loki was not an easy first dog. But, we were committed to making it work. We were willing to do whatever it took to integrate Loki into our household. We were willing to do whatever it took to also integrate Jujube into our household. We weren't going to give up, just because the two of them didn't initially get along. And you know what? Our commitment paid off. The two of them are now fine.
But I never did write that blog post. I didn't because I was unsure about the future. What if I wrote such a post, sounding all high and mighty, but then had to sheepishly go back on my word some years later.
And now I'm glad that I never did write such a post. After many tears and great sadness, I admit that for the first time in Loki's life, I've actually considered not keeping him. I bottled up that thought for a few hours last night, as I felt helpless and powerless. I didn't want to say it out loud. If I voiced it, then it would be true. Unfortunately, it is true.
We're not there yet. We're still going to try and make this work. I'm going to call our pet behaviorist and also our vet. We may try some drugs. We may try some more training. We're going to try everything we can.
11 comments:
Don't let the picture scare you. It barely broke the skin and his bleeding stopped with just a couple min of pressure. It certainly does prompt us to look into further work on Loki's behavior though.
oh my gosh :(
poor baby. honestly, I've always said that we'd keep Kitsu no matter what, but seeing him around kids scares the crap out of me. If we were ever put in a situation where kid and kitsu had to coexist, I'm not sure Kitsu would be able to stay. That's just how it is.
My vet did tell me, after I asked about prozac for kitsu, that it inhibits reactions in their brain. So the warning to bite time decreases dramatically when dogs are on prozac.
I am so sorry for this situation. I live near you in Northern Virginia and would definitely consider re-homing Loki for you. We would need to figure out a way to exchange emails privately to get in touch. (I am not sure if this comment will automatically be published or I would put my email in it now).
Aaaah, poor Baby! I hope things improve with Loki, and that Baby isn't traumatized.
my heart leapt into my throat when I saw the image.
You and your family has loads of experience and you DO have commitment, no matter what happens. Commitment doesn't have to mean being tenacious and stubborn for the sake of being stubborn. Maybe commitment means vowing to do the best for your dog, no matter the circumstances. And that's what I see in your final paragraph.
Rooting for you and hoping for the best.
Just and FYI, if we were to give up Loki for any reason (highly doubtful atm), he'd be going back to his breeder in CA. Sorry for those looking for a cute but vicious animal =P.
oh my, this is a really sad post, why and how did loki bit the baby?.. I've been following your blog since the beginning, and just the thought of giving up on loki is really sad and painful.. :(
i hope something works for you guys.
I really hope that everything is going to get better with Loki.
Oh no, he bit the baby! But please try to work with him and keep him! I'm sure it won't happen again. And I suspect the baby won't remember it.
I am so sorry this happened. We are expecting our first child and I just pray that Romeo never does this! I can't imagine your disappointment in Loki! Hopefully you can get this worked out and not have to give him up! I know that would be very hard on you and Loki! Keep us updated!
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