Wedding Woes

I'm a terrible dog parent. (long!)

Yesterday I stayed home sick, and I had the dogs inside with me most of the day (I always do when I'm home. If I'm not home-Su is inside and Bill is in his Dog run outside, or kennel inside if it's raining.) I decided to put Bill outside and give him free run of the yard while I took a shower.
Half way through my shower I heard these horrible cracks and crashes and the power went out. It was seriously the worst/scariest thunder I've ever heard. So my first thought was oh shat, Bill's outside and he hates loud noises. But I still had soap all over, so I finished my shower (in the dark. It was awkward) and went to let him in, probably 10 minutes had passed since the thunderstorm started.
I'm sure you can guess that he was gone. He had slammed into the back gate hard enough to break the wood and took off. I drove around and looked for him, and finally spotted him but he wouldn't come to me. I could tell he was really scared, he always comes to me, but his tail was between his legs and his eyes were wild. It didn't help that there were sirens all over because of the power outtage. I accidentally stopped and left my truck in front of a power line that'd been hit, and I got chewed out by some firemen...I hadn't even noticed.

Anyways, he headed home and I followed him (I think that's why he headed home, I was scaring him). When I got out of my car there was blood all over my walkway. I opened the door and he came running into the house, bleeding like crazy. He was slipping in his blood, it was so bad. I was freaking out and crying because it was a lot of blood, but he was manic and wouldn't calm down so I could look at him. I finally got him calmed down and checked him out, and he'd run holes in the pads of his two front paws. I called the vet (they were closed, but she was still there, luckily, because she calmed me down) and she said there wouldn't be much that she could do for him anyways, and she told me how to take care of it and keep it clean until they heal.

This morning when I let him out to go to the bathroom was so so sad. He's in so much pain and doesn't even want to walk. It also seems like he's ashamed of himself, which is sort of funny. I just feel awful. It was my fault he was out in the yard in the first place. It seems like I'm always putting him in situations where he can get hurt and I really don't know what I can do with him. There is literally no safe place for him in my entire home. I'm at a loss. He turned two earlier this week, so I was hoping that would be the magic number to calm him down, and he's still on his anxiety meds...I just don't know what to do with him. I feel guilty because it's my job to give him the best life possible, and I'm not doing that.

 And now I'm tearing up at my desk and I'm going to stop so hmo doesn't judge me.
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Re: I'm a terrible dog parent. (long!)

  • Butter CookieButter Cookie member
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Aww CW I'm sorry :(

    And ftr I've never seen a dog actually calm down until at least 4.
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  • **O-Face****O-Face** member
    10000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 25 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    Gah.  ::hugs::

    I really don't have much to say that might make it better. Poo.  It's hard when you have one pet, get another and that second one turns out SO much different than the first that you start wondering about the ability to care for them.  I know that others here have had that feeling, so hopefully someone else can help you. 

    PS.  How are you supposed to know the exact way weather is supposed to turn?  You can't.  It happens.
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  • edited December 2011
    that's exactly how I feel. Su has been awesome dog, we've never had a single problem with her behavior, and then there was Bill.
    I could have (and should have) put him in his dog run. But he's so happy when he has the whole yard to himself. gah!
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  • **O-Face****O-Face** member
    10000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 25 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    Oh oh oh.

    When Hank was a puppy I thought "I'll take him on a walk!" and proceeded to walk him in a loop by our house...then he wanted to sit and I was all "come on you stupid lazy puppy!".  Then I realized his feets were bloody and had to carry his "lazy" ass home.

    Oops.

    And for what it is worth...we felt lost with our 2nd dog for about 4 months....and it took H about 1 year to warm up to him.  1 year.  Sad, but now we love his weird ways.  Weird/Neurotic ways.
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  • nicoleg1982nicoleg1982 member
    5000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Bailey went through a window.  I feel your pain.  These things happen and try not to beat yourself up too much.  Bill will heal.
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  • GBCKGBCK member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    They covered it.
    I"m sorry.  You are doing right by him, it's just out of your control.

    But it still sux.
  • notamrsnotamrs member
    Knottie Warrior 1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Ditto everyone else.  The fact that you are so upset shows how much you care about Bill and even though he's freaked out now, he knows that you love him.  As Nico said, he'll recover.  Hang in there...
  • TheDuckisTheDuckis member
    Seventh Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    Aw, poor Bill. You did everything you could, given the situation, and he's safe at home now.

    Do you have an emergency call for him? We learned in training to come up with a high pitched repetitive sound (ours is eeekeekeeekeeek), and every time we call her with it we give her tuna fish, which she never gets any other time. Basically she associates the sound with delicious, delicious tuna fish, and every time I make it she comes barreling toward me. It's only for times when she does things like bolt out of the front door and into the street or at another dog, but it really really works.
  • MrsMyrtleMrsMyrtle member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Aw, don't beat yourself up. Dogs do stupid stuff to themselves all the time. It all turned out alright, so consider it a lesson in shower/dog/thunderstorm management. ;)
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  • TheDuckisTheDuckis member
    Seventh Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    It is awesome, wz. I've only had to use it once in real life, but it worked like a charm, and it had been months since we actually "practiced." Once you use it, you have to make sure to do some extra reinforcing with the special treat, otherwise they stop making the association. Unless you just start carrying tuna everywhere you go...
  • nicoleg1982nicoleg1982 member
    5000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_im-terrible-dog-parent-long?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:8e06d2af-37fc-4013-8acc-bd1f02cd5ac5Post:432fc627-7271-4086-b54d-8ce6f33216e9">Re: I'm a terrible dog parent. (long!)</a>:
    [QUOTE]It is awesome, wz. I've only had to use it once in real life, but it worked like a charm, and it had been months since we actually "practiced." Once you use it, you have to make sure to do some extra reinforcing with the special treat, otherwise they stop making the association. Unless you just start carrying tuna everywhere you go...
    Posted by TheDuckis[/QUOTE]

    <div>I imagine this trick is also ineffective or highly annoying when in the presence of others who smell like tuna.</div>
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  • edited December 2011
    Td-thank you! That is a great idea, and I'm definitely going to use that.

    Thanks all for the encouragement. This just reinforces how not ready I am for kids. Yesterday I was at the point where I thought I should find him a home where people actually knew how to handle him. I'm more calm now so I realize that was ridiculous.

    Also, now we have to get a new gate, and I'm adding this to the money Bill owes me...it's currently around $8,000. He better pay up soon!
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  • zsazsa-stlzsazsa-stl member
    Eighth Anniversary 5000 Comments 100 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011

    ((hugs for Bill & his mama))

    Try not to beat yourself up about this.  One set of bloody paws is enough for one house.

    image

    I just a friendly gal looking for options.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • genzypoogenzypoo member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    One morning Missy had to go out and she lets me know w/ her annoying whine.  So i put her outside and went back to bed.  After a few hours I heard her whining again.  Im already irritated because Im trying to sleep, so I go outside in a huff.  I'm like "come on girl let's go"  Except she is no where to be found, but she is now yowling. I start freaking out and imagining the worst.  
     I finally found her at the back fence with her head stuck in the fence.  I felt like such a bad momma for ignoring her pleas!
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