Hound dog
Nana's are Beautiful
I know I posted about Betsy's aggression a while back. Nichole had made the appointment with our vet to have her put to sleep after searching high and low for a rescue or shelter or anyone willing to cope with a dog with aggression issues.
I'm going to start off by saying that this is extremely difficult for me tonight. I helped bring Betsy into this world. In the morning I will be helping her leave it.
Yet for some reason it makes me feel selfish to say that tonight I feel shredded inside........ Or maybe emotionally beat up would be better. I dunno.
Originally I believed Betsy's aggressive outbursts were either vying for dominance with Molly or jealousy over me (as it tended to happen most often if I was nearby). I kept them separated for 2 yrs using baby gates. Or I did my best to do so. The only place they could be together was in the yard. Why that was so I have no clue. But there were those times when Fred or Travis would forget to shut a baby gate.......or a visitor would forget........and it was just a royal PITA to have to do that. Not to mention that it was just not fair to Betsy especially after Fred passed for her to get the attention she should have. (she was Fred's buddy dog, he hung out with her more in the livingroom) I had no 2nd thoughts about sending her to Nichole's because she was originally to go with Nichole when she moved out on her own anyway. She was close to both Nichole and Aubrey and she grew up around Nichole's husband from him always being here. I figured she'd get plenty of attention ect and no longer have to be gated.
Evidently Betsy's aggression really doesn't have it's basis in either dominance or jealousy. Whatever is causing it.......it is getting progressively worse. Which is why Nichole had set the date to have her put down. Her husband had talked her out of it and had convinced Nichole she was overreacting. There have been many more incidences since.....each worse than the last. Nichole contacted me yesterday and sent me photos of Baily her beagle pup asking if I thought she needed stitches. I don't think the wounds were deep enough but I could see that Betsy bit her no nonsense right in the face. It's the 3rd time she's drawn blood.
Unfortunately it's not just the pup, it's the cats.......she's done it with Oliver once.
I have a hard time with this because this is not Betsy's "normal" personality. I believe it, as I've seen it. It's just so random most of the time it just doesn't make sense, nor is it predictable. Which is why I always kept her gated. It can take just someone walking near her to set her off. Otherwise she is the sweetest dog you could ever meet. It's like she has split personalities.
I talked with Nichole a long time over this. I know it's not an easy decision to make. I even had her call the vet that has cared for Betsy since she was born and talk it over with her. Vet said the same thing. It's too dangerous to let it continue.
Nichole is already having a hard time dealing with this. It's not just I who have lost 2 beloved pets already, but she has too. I'm going to be worried about her drive down here due to her state of mind. I wish that I could just tell her to bring Betsy home, but that isn't the answer either. Not just because of Maggie but because there are grandchildren that come and go here all the time. I can trust me never to forget to shut a baby gate......it's everyone else who forgets. All it takes is one time forgetting. But I really deep in my soul wish that I could do that instead.
I'm going to start off by saying that this is extremely difficult for me tonight. I helped bring Betsy into this world. In the morning I will be helping her leave it.
Yet for some reason it makes me feel selfish to say that tonight I feel shredded inside........ Or maybe emotionally beat up would be better. I dunno.
Originally I believed Betsy's aggressive outbursts were either vying for dominance with Molly or jealousy over me (as it tended to happen most often if I was nearby). I kept them separated for 2 yrs using baby gates. Or I did my best to do so. The only place they could be together was in the yard. Why that was so I have no clue. But there were those times when Fred or Travis would forget to shut a baby gate.......or a visitor would forget........and it was just a royal PITA to have to do that. Not to mention that it was just not fair to Betsy especially after Fred passed for her to get the attention she should have. (she was Fred's buddy dog, he hung out with her more in the livingroom) I had no 2nd thoughts about sending her to Nichole's because she was originally to go with Nichole when she moved out on her own anyway. She was close to both Nichole and Aubrey and she grew up around Nichole's husband from him always being here. I figured she'd get plenty of attention ect and no longer have to be gated.
Evidently Betsy's aggression really doesn't have it's basis in either dominance or jealousy. Whatever is causing it.......it is getting progressively worse. Which is why Nichole had set the date to have her put down. Her husband had talked her out of it and had convinced Nichole she was overreacting. There have been many more incidences since.....each worse than the last. Nichole contacted me yesterday and sent me photos of Baily her beagle pup asking if I thought she needed stitches. I don't think the wounds were deep enough but I could see that Betsy bit her no nonsense right in the face. It's the 3rd time she's drawn blood.
Unfortunately it's not just the pup, it's the cats.......she's done it with Oliver once.
I have a hard time with this because this is not Betsy's "normal" personality. I believe it, as I've seen it. It's just so random most of the time it just doesn't make sense, nor is it predictable. Which is why I always kept her gated. It can take just someone walking near her to set her off. Otherwise she is the sweetest dog you could ever meet. It's like she has split personalities.
I talked with Nichole a long time over this. I know it's not an easy decision to make. I even had her call the vet that has cared for Betsy since she was born and talk it over with her. Vet said the same thing. It's too dangerous to let it continue.
Nichole is already having a hard time dealing with this. It's not just I who have lost 2 beloved pets already, but she has too. I'm going to be worried about her drive down here due to her state of mind. I wish that I could just tell her to bring Betsy home, but that isn't the answer either. Not just because of Maggie but because there are grandchildren that come and go here all the time. I can trust me never to forget to shut a baby gate......it's everyone else who forgets. All it takes is one time forgetting. But I really deep in my soul wish that I could do that instead.
