My one rescue was not treated very kindly before he came to me. Even now, almost 10 years after I got him, he still has a lot of baggage. It can be very stressful.
He fear bites - never seriously, and only if someone he doesn't know tries to restrain him (ie, at the vet) or he feels threatened (ie, a stranger trying to touch him). I live alone and all of the time he has been with me I have been hyper-vigilant to make sure he does not have the opportunity to hurt anyone. He is fine if someone comes to the house and ignores him. He will come to them and make friends when he is ready. But I worry that my guard will slip and he may bite someone.
Are things as serious as with your Izzy ? No. But for the longest time I felt that I could do more to help my Buddy dog get over his fears. I felt guilty that this dog does not seem as happy and relaxed as my other shelties. I've come to the realization that I have done everything possible, that this dog does have a good QOL, and I will just continue to be careful. His issues are not a reflection of my care or of my failure to 'fix' his problems.
I guess what I'm saying is that this is not a personal failure on your part. You have been working with this pup for a long time to try and get through the issues. She sounds like she has a short circuit somewhere in her wiring. This is not your fault and it may indeed not be fixable. Don't beat yourself up over it !
But do remember that you have given her 2 years of love that she would not have had otherwise. If she had not ended up with you she may not have been so lucky. She may have been dumped at the shelter yet again and had a sad end.
If you do decide to let her go it will be with kindness, love and dignity, and that is more than so many dogs have.
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Jan 29, 2013, 03:34 PM
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