Good grief! I’m SO sorry for both the poor puppy & your frustration at how this has turned out. Kudos to you for trying to help, even if it’s going to be fruitless. And a Weimaraner after all, of all things!! Depending on how they’ve been bred & raised in the first place, they can be psychotic handfuls even with experienced dog folk. (Not knocking the breed - just know from folks who have/had owned them that they can be highly-sensitive dogs that more than not require experienced handling.)
grrrrr 7.5 weeks really that poor pup, can you give them a puppy training book as a “present”
Ugh, I’m sorry :(. Mostly for the poor puppy. Hopefully, they’ll figure out that it can’t possibly work out sooner rather than later.
I have a coworker who REALLY wants to get a dog for her daughter, who has been agitating for one forever. Their work situation is much better than what you describe, but these really aren’t people who should have a dog of any kind, for various reasons. Fortunately, coworker listens to me and has abandoned the idea of getting a puppy from a breeder after I explained house training to her ;).
Now, she’s looking only at already trained, quiet, adult dogs from shelters/rescues…phew! I’ve convinced her to put that off too, by “loaning” my lovely, gentle, young BC mix for her daughter to “babysit” for me for a few hours here and there. Not only is the daughter getting her dog fix, but they are learning just how much work and attention a dog requires, even when it’s already trained and it’s just for 1/2 a day. My dog is very sweet, but she IS a high energy, smart, dog…she won’t just sit around doing nothing while you attend to your own priorities ;).
I am sorry caradino… It happens more often than I like to think, but some people only learn the hard way while others never learn at all. Have you read http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/06/the-dunning-kruger-effect-why-the-incompetent-dont-know-theyre-incompetent.php ?
For your own sanity, you may need to step away until they need to re-home the dog. They are not going to listen to you. They did the classic 'PUPPPPPYYYYYY its sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!!" I would be amazed if they kept the dog past 1 year.
Many dogs in shelters are ~1-2 years old, right at the age where they are adults, aren’t cute anymore, and the lack of training has come home to roost. We have adopted two of these.
http://www.oregonweimrescue.org/OWR/Welcome.html
Don’t know anything about that rescue, but it could be a resource for you to supply in the near future. I say at about 7 months of age. Are we starting a betting pool? My official guess is 7 months, and destruction of personal property will be the final straw.
We have a weim puppy in our rescue right now who was surrendered to our group because his owner was having health issues. 5.5 months old and balls to the wall crazy. We have lots of dog experience, someone is home all day almost everyday, and even we were nearly speechless at the dog’s behavior the first week. It was like introducing a natural disaster into the living room. The other dogs were highly insulted as well. 
thankfully, he’s not nearly as dumb as he looks (and acts), and he’s very keen on earning affection- and my gawd he loves to be near (ie leaning on, standing between the legs, sitting on the feet of) his people. All. The. Time. Thankfully his goofiness has grown on us,… now we only wish he could live here forever!
But yes, weims… it takes a certain kind of person to enjoy THAT type of personality! We’re not looking forward to the screening of his adopters because I know it’ll be a lot of people who love the look of the weims but who have no business owning that much dog. (Like my coworker who has a 4 year old child, NO dog experience, no patience for that sort of training, and who is in school and working 30 hrs a week… But who heard of the weim and was convinced she needed that dog. Nope!)
Ugh, i feel for the dog. I only hope she has a nice temperament and just becomes unruly without training, and doesn’t have behavioral problems from lack of training and socialization.
[QUOTE=Burbank;6511856]
grrrrr 7.5 weeks really that poor pup, can you give them a puppy training book as a “present”[/QUOTE]
I get more and more worried for this poor dog as new information comes out! Any breeder that will ship a pup several states away at 7.5 WEEKS to people they have NEVER MET who are UNSUITABLE DOG OWNERS raises huge red flags for me!
The worst part is SIL doesn’t even like dogs… she was tentative about even petting my small, very well-behaved, friendly dog when she was here visiting the other evening… UGH.
So sorry to see this thread again, with the bad update. Poor puppy.
Some people should not own dogs. I am one of them. Love dogs but I would make a horrible dog owner. I stick with cats (and my horse).
Caradino - do keep this situation alive for us.
There are so many really experienced dog folks here that in addition to perhaps calming your frustration, may be able to help when the shit hits the fan.
[QUOTE=Bacardi1;6512051]
Caradino - do keep this situation alive for us.
There are so many really experienced dog folks here that in addition to perhaps calming your frustration, may be able to help when the shit hits the fan.[/QUOTE]
Thank you Bacardi1
My bet is that the puppy will be on her way out in 6 months or less. In SIL’s own words “If it doesn’t work out we can just sell it, right?” :mad:
I may need some PNW COTH’ers to help out! Puppy is currently in Seattle and I am all the way on the east coast in PA.
caradino, are you available for when your SIL decides she wants the puppy GONE, NOW? Because I imagine that will happen. Rescues might have wait lists. Dropping a hint or two that you’d be willing to take the dog if need be might be a good idea, if that’s a possibility. (Edited–see that you’re on the other coast. Maybe research shipping, if it comes to that?)
I have always gotten my puppies at around 8-9 weeks in the past, and my latest was one day shy of 10. I don’t know if she is just exceptionally smart, but the puppy training is just LIGHT YEARS different with her. She was pretty much housebroken right away (as long as we’re doing our jobs and paying attention) and she is well started on her crate training with no accidents there. I am honestly FLOORED at the difference. I can’t even imagine a puppy that’s not even 8 weeks with people who are rarely home. Good god.
[QUOTE=Simkie;6512065]
caradino, are you available for when your SIL decides she wants the puppy GONE, NOW? Because I imagine that will happen. Rescues might have wait lists. Dropping a hint or two that you’d be willing to take the dog if need be might be a good idea, if that’s a possibility.
I have always gotten my puppies at around 8-9 weeks in the past, and my latest was one day shy of 10. I don’t know if she is just exceptionally smart, but the puppy training is just LIGHT YEARS different with her. She was pretty much housebroken right away (as long as we’re doing our jobs and paying attention) and she is well started on her crate training with no accidents there. I am honestly FLOORED at the difference. I can’t even imagine a puppy that’s not even 8 weeks with people who are rarely home. Good god.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately we have absolutely no room for a Weim puppy at our house. We live in a small 2 BR apartment, and while we do have a small yard, it’s not fully fenced and our place is just big enough for us and our 35lb schnauzer mix. Plus there would be the complication of getting the puppy across the entire country… Hoping we can find a soft place for her to land when they want her gone… :no:
Ugh, what a mess. Poor puppy. If possible, try to meet your SIL’s apartment NEIGHBORS. Suggest that every time the puppy barks (and obviously she is going to be barking all the time since no one is going to home), that they complain to the landlord or apartment management. Hopefully they can accumulate enough complaints for the landlord to force them to remove the dog.
I’m SO sorry for the poor animal. Good luck. :no:
Here is a Washington rescue group: http://www.westwaweimclub.org/rescue-weimaraners.html
They look legit and seem to operate with the breed club. Perhaps contacting them pre-emptively would be a good idea? Maybe you could even get your crazy relatives involved with them and they’ll have a resource for their puppy.
[QUOTE=Bacardi1;6352340]
Did you read the original post with the prospective dog-owner’s profile? These are definitely people who should NOT be owning a dog - ANY dog - at all.[/QUOTE]
I did and absolutely agreed that no dog would be best. But, if there insisting on a dog, then it would seem that an adult would be better than a puppy.
Some time ago one of my co-workers wanted a puppy. They lived in an apartment in the city on the 2nd floor. Her plan was to have the dog use the fire escape as the potty.
They tried to go throught the SPCA, but could not adopt because they lived in an apartment and they had a child under the age of 3. So, they went to a pet store and got a likely puppy mill puppy. He wasn’t housebroken, they made no effort to housebreak him, and he wouldn’t pee on the fire escape. Also, no one wanted to clean up the poop, so next thing you konw it was disgusting, and the neighbors were complaining. They ended up finding the dog a good home with someone who got him fixed, then actually spent some time training him.
Even though the little dog ended up being way more work than she or her family wanted to do, she is now talking about getting a GSD. She has a tiny yard that her son (who is now 9) plays in. I very nicely tried to tell her that maybe a dog isn’t the best ‘pet’ for her to have LOL … but she’ not getting the hint at all.
I’ve been seeing a lot of this on facebook especially in new couples or newly-shacked-ups.
Confining pup to a small area with a washable floor is a step above many others! At the very least, as a house dog it will live a better life than a backyard cast-off at the end of a chain. I gather the pup will not be starved, refused medical treatment, or tortured.
OP,
I hear ya and understand 100%. As a teen, I did not speak nor see my mother for 1yr over what originated with the treatment of a dog.
The owners will sense your attitude and may stop being honest with the family’s dog expert -you- if they feel judgment or disapproval. You want to glean accurate info out of them especially since they are so far away. Keep your mind and dialogue open.
Try not to condemn this pup and situation just yet. While it is not the way you (or any COTHer :D) would do it, it is a way 100s of dogs have been raised and kept. Fortunately, pup doesn’t know how green the grass is in your yard.
See what happens -and report here!- with eyes, ears, and mind open.
[QUOTE=Bicoastal;6514042]
I’ve been seeing a lot of this on facebook especially in new couples or newly-shacked-ups.
Confining pup to a small area with a washable floor is a step above many others! At the very least, as a house dog it will live a better life than a backyard cast-off at the end of a chain. I gather the pup will not be starved, refused medical treatment, or tortured.
OP,
I hear ya and understand 100%. As a teen, I did not speak nor see my mother for 1yr over what originated with the treatment of a dog.
The owners will sense your attitude and may stop being honest with the family’s dog expert -you- if they feel judgment or disapproval. You want to glean accurate info out of them especially since they are so far away. Keep your mind and dialogue open.
Try not to condemn this pup and situation just yet. While it is not the way you (or any COTHer :D) would do it, it is a way 100s of dogs have been raised and kept. Fortunately, pup doesn’t know how green the grass is in your yard.
See what happens -and report here!- with eyes, ears, and mind open.[/QUOTE]
THANK YOU for the strong dose of rational common sense and caring!! That did a world of good to bring me down from the emotional high I was on. I will keep everyone updated as the pup grows bigger and wants to eat my SIL’s designer shoes 
[QUOTE=caradino;6352140]
Unfortunately it’s my husband’s sister, who I have already “had words” with on other occasions about her bad attitude and condescending language towards her family members. Needless to say we do not get along all that well, making my advice something that goes in one ear and out the other, but for the potential dog’s sake I REALLY want to get this point across![/QUOTE]
This means that you are likely going to be ignored no matter what you say or how you say it. And the more you try to impart sensible information the more she is likely to resist it. Your best bet is to find/refer her to a trainer, think puppy school, who will be very honest with her. Then, just listen and say “h’mm”. If she asks, answer but don’t preach or lecture. If you do she probably won’t even accept the answer you supplied to her question. No matter what the situation or stakes involved people will not take advice they don’t think they need, especially from someone they have had issues with. A sad fact of human nature.
[QUOTE=caradino;6514213]
I will keep everyone updated as the pup grows bigger and wants to eat my SIL’s designer shoes :P[/QUOTE]
:lol:
The Lab eating designer shoes is exactly what sparked my family’s meltdown. Maybe stilettos will alter the course of this pup’s life, too.
I’m not hip on Weim breeders, but there are a lot of breeders who would jump at the chance to sell a puppy to ANYONE. :eek:
I have two Boerboels (South African Mastiffs). I recently met a woman who works nights at a hotel and lives in a hotel suite that is determined to get a Boerboel pup. Her second choice is a Cane Corso. Sadly, I am sure there will be some breeders who will be more than willing to sell her a puppy.
