I found this little gem while I was checking out the Craigslist posts this morning. I'm having some troubles with my CS4 and uploading to Blogger so I've had to copy and paste below the text from the ad. I have italicised the ad and make my comments in RED.
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for adoption:Great Dog to a Great Home
Now accepting applications for a wonderful dog to a loving home. Our dog is a 4-year old Labrador/Australian Shepherd cross that we have raised from 8 weeks old. You've had him for 4 years and now don't want him anymore - like an old shirt or dirty laundry that won't come clean. Nice. Great. His family, his home ... taken away because he doesn't fit anymore.
He is a great dog. He is a happy, active dog who loves to catch Frisbees, eat sticks, roll around in the snow/grass, chase squirrels and cats. He also loves to eat ice cubes. At least, he's happy until he realizes that you're getting rid of him. Just wait. Have you seen what happens after the first two weeks are over and the dog realizes that his family isn't coming to get him? That, while the vacation with some other family has been fun, he pines away for his home? It is heartbreaking. His heart will break and you will have been the one with the sledge hammer.
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for adoption:Great Dog to a Great Home
Now accepting applications for a wonderful dog to a loving home. Our dog is a 4-year old Labrador/Australian Shepherd cross that we have raised from 8 weeks old. You've had him for 4 years and now don't want him anymore - like an old shirt or dirty laundry that won't come clean. Nice. Great. His family, his home ... taken away because he doesn't fit anymore.
He is a great dog. He is a happy, active dog who loves to catch Frisbees, eat sticks, roll around in the snow/grass, chase squirrels and cats. He also loves to eat ice cubes. At least, he's happy until he realizes that you're getting rid of him. Just wait. Have you seen what happens after the first two weeks are over and the dog realizes that his family isn't coming to get him? That, while the vacation with some other family has been fun, he pines away for his home? It is heartbreaking. His heart will break and you will have been the one with the sledge hammer.
He, like most dogs, is scared of fireworks/thunderstorms and will want to sit on your lap if you're willing. While some dogs do have this issue, it is something that can and should be resolved - it can be dangerous. The dogs hear the fireworks/thunder and blindly run. They can run across a county or two before they stop. How many dogs show up in shelters and pounds after the 4th of July? Or Canada Day? I could tell you, but the sheer numbers may make you want to cry. Should I tell you that in many places, Canine Control will only keep your dog for 3 days before they euthanize it? Some don't even keep them 24 hours (trust me on this one ... ours has been known to shoot the dog on the side of the road).
He will sit, lie down, speak and eat only on command. (not that he won't gladly clean a kitchen floor if you didn't ask him!) Sounds like he knows some obedience. So he's trainable. What's the problem? Why haven't you bothered to resolve whatever issues he has?
He is super-affectionate with people. He doesn't lick or jump up on them. Crotches, on the other hand, are his doggy hand-shake. I'm sorry but it is just plain rude when a dog shoves their nose in a person's crotch. I am quite aware that it is the way a dog introduces him/her self and I know that it is a big part of dog-dog interaction ... HOWEVER I am not a dog. I do not want a dog to shove their nose certain places. It is uncomfortable and if the dog is a drooler it can be embarassing. Not to mention the bull-in-china-shop dogs that will shove their nose in so quickly and hard that it actually hurts! Believe it or not, dogs can be taught not to do this. I have a newsflash for you ... dogs can greet people WITHOUT shoving their nose in remote places! I know ... that's crazy-talk. Loony-bin material, right there.
He is a large apartment dog, about 80 pounds, and is incredibly intelligent so he would benefit from an environment where he would have freedom but structure as well. In other words, she doesn't want him to go somewhere that he may be crated. Great. There's no way I would open my door to let an 80 lbs dog wander around my home until he's properly trained. By your next sentence, I know he's not trained well enough to be alone in my home uncrated for a full work day so why would you bother making such a statement?
He is not perfect. He barks at the door, doesn't like puppies, and will be aggressive with dogs he might find aggressive or a threat. Again, all fixable issues. If you were willing to put the time into him, that is. If he goes to the wrong home and doesn't get the training to resolve these issues, he may be euthanized.
He needs A LOT of exercise. He needs to go to a home that has the time to run him. We bring him to run after his Frisbee for exercise and he is usually tired out fairly quickly. Sounds like a normal dog - needs exercise every day. Surprise! What did you expect? The equivalent to a stuffed dog? Just go get a Gund. If he tires quickly from Frisbee, then he doesn't sound overly active. Simply a bit of pent up energy.
We recently had a baby and do not have the time to devote to him. He also is not comfortable with toddlers. Ah - so the truth comes out. We had a baby and did not do the training we should have before the baby came home. Now that we have the baby, we are too busy to do that training. Too bad. So sad. Don't worry about the dog ... after all, it's only a dog.
He prefers not to be climbed on. Then why are you letting your toddlers climb on him? Perhaps you need to spend some time training your children as well.
We are terribly heartbroken and upset about losing him but are obviously left with no other option than to find a new life for him. There are other options, but you don't want to hear them. You are lazy and don't want to train your dog or your children. You need to understand that you are giving up on a member of your family. He needs you. Depends on you. Relies on you.
Please email if you are interested. Thanks You may be willing to live with his little foibles and issues, but perhaps the next person is not. What happens when your dog is aggressive with Great Aunt Cindy's dog who comes over every year for Thanksgiving dinner? It looked funny at him and he misread that as "aggression" so he grabbed the dog and shook it, there was a dog fight and GA Cindy's dog had to go to the emerg clinic. Your dog is euthanized. What happens when he bites the new owner's Nephews when they come barging in the door at Halloween wearing their costumes? Your dog is euthanized. You know he has these issues, but you are willing to give him away to some stranger on CL.
Asshat. You get the asshat award today. Why? Because you are condemning your dog. Because you don't want to spend the time training your dog. (I will upload the award pic later - things aren't working on this end very well). He didn't choose you, you chose him. Why does he have to suffer for that?
13 comments:
Can I email this to the asshat???? I think that would be perfection. Better yet, post it on CL!
ASSHATS!
grrrrrrrrrrr.......
You know, I really wish people would just tell the truth. If he's such a GREAT dog, as they've said, why in the whole wide world would they get rid of it. Just tell the truth people! GRRRR...that just burns my ass.
asshat award??? oh that doesn't nearly cover it!
lol wow. It's sad that these kinds of things happen so very often.
Poor dog! Damn asshat!
I agree, people need to be called out on these things. I HATE craigslist. I can't even go on there any more I get so p*ssed off.
I have seen too many potentially great dogs tossed aside because someone has children.
And I agree, those children need some training too!
I think I see part of the problem with that sentence about him knowing sit, down, etc.
Those are things taught in basic classes, or that you can just pick up a book and read about. These are things that are easily learned with goodies (million dollar question: can he do all this without them?) and don't take long at all for the dog to learn. They, like tricks, are pretty much standard in every dog's resume, even if it's only sitting or laying down for a second and then getting up to do something else.
Aggression and barking are things that really can't be undone in a day. You can read all you want on the internet and in books, but until you get off your lazy ass and apply some of that learning (if it's even the right way of going about it), the dog will continue to be aggressive.
For most people, it's so much easier to teach a dog SOMETHING than to teach it to NOT DO something. Why? Because reinforcement gives more warm fuzzies than discipline or correction, and who hates warm fuzzies, other than menopausal women who blast the air-conditioning?
Totally agree. I have an owner surrender coming to my home tomorrow. :(
Oh, poor doggie. This stuff just breaks my heart. They wouldn't get rid of their child if he didn't like the dog, would they?!
I agree with the other posters about the training/responsibility issues.
However, most dogs are able to transfer their affections to a new owner, so I doubt that the dog would "pine away" if he went directly to a new home. There are always exceptions, but dogs by nature are promiscuous. A good match up (which of course may not happen on CL)can enrich a dog's life.
The dogs that pine are those who are dumped in the chaos of the Shelter. They are the ones who stop eating, or curl up in the corners. When these dogs are moved into a loving foster home and given a stable routine, most make dramatic improvements.
Someone told me to get rid of our dogs (we have 4) because we're having a baby (less than 4 weeks to go). I was pissed. Yes I'm concerned about the changes and how the dogs will take it and react but in no way shape or form will I give up my dogs. I expect things to not be super easy but we know we'll eventually get into a good routine.
People say, "but your child is more important" ... and I respond ... what kind of example am I if I take on a responsibility but dump that responsibility the moment it gets a little difficult?
Casto, well said.
This is basically what I'm hearing people parrot in society, and by no means is this all-inclusive: "Pets aren't disposable! BUT
a) that new rescue I got just won't get along with my other dog, and it's only been a few hours...my only option is to take him back to the shelter because he just FIGHTS all the time! :*( [Ever thought of introducing them PROPERLY and maybe thinking ahead to some TRAINING for the new guy?]
b) I'm moving and the place won't accept dogs :*( [But they'll accept kids, right?]
c) No one wants these litter leftovers, and I don't have room/time/money for them all! :*( [Oh really? And why might that be?]
d) She bites/runs away/barks too much/sheds/etc, and I just can't put up with it anymore! :*( [Can I interest you in a sea-monkey kit? They really don't do any of those behaviors...]
OH BUT DON'T FORGET, animals aren't disposable!!!one!11! Darn those people who just DUMP their pets anywhere for the most stupid reasons!
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