We got Gizmo just a few months after we married. Shawn could not STAND not having a dog. He begged daily until I caved. We had to go with something small that could handle apartment living, so we went with a Shih Tzu. We were in a new place, as newlyweds, who didn't know many people. We trained Gizmo well. Very well. He was our baby for five years. He was a great dog.
Then we had kids.
Gizmo went through a period of mourning when Nathan was born. Literally. Then five months after Cora was born, Gizmo went on sabbatical to the grandparent's house. I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Cora was five months old, I kept forgetting to let Gizmo back inside when we went outside to do his business, Nathan just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that kicking and hitting Gizmo wasn't okay and received 15 spankings a day over it, and I just couldn't take it any more. He stayed there until this past August. Not quite two years.
I honestly didn't want him to come back, but Cora loves him so much and Nathan wanted him back, too, at the time. Shawn did, too. No one else seemed to be on my side, except Gizmo. He was much, much happier in grandparent land. I used to love Gizmo so much. But now he's just something else that whines and begs at me, causes trouble, refuses to obey, and gives next to nothing back. He's incredibly neurotic and weird and barks and howls at imaginary things on top of any time the kids make any noise at all and I'm just DONE with this dog.
Things went okay until just a few weeks ago when Cora really ramped up her fascination with Gizmo. Of course, being in a different house with different rules "untrained" a good deal of all that we'd worked hard in the beginning to create in our good indoor dog. But now on top of those issues, Cora's constantly hitting him, kicking him, pulling his tail, throwing toys at him, covering him with blankets or our rice bags... he's snapped at her on many occasions because she just won't take "no" for an answer. NOTHING seems to deter her! I am constantly punishing her for her refusal to leave him the heck alone!
I'm DONE with it. I'm done with the howling, barking, neuroticness. DONE I tell you, DONE. I sent this email to my husband about an hour ago, actually.
But when Day 06 came out... what THEY love... I knew it had to be Gizmo. Cora doesn't care much for any toy over another... but by golly does she LOVE Gizmo. And I'm oh so over her LOVE of him.
She begs to give him a treat first thing every single morning. She must find him first thing every single morning. She begs for him to come with us any time we sit down, which is only going to cause more neuroticness and wiggedoutedness and issues...
So today, THEY love Gizmo. Here they are, giving him treats - his favorite greenies.
Then we had kids.
Gizmo went through a period of mourning when Nathan was born. Literally. Then five months after Cora was born, Gizmo went on sabbatical to the grandparent's house. I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Cora was five months old, I kept forgetting to let Gizmo back inside when we went outside to do his business, Nathan just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that kicking and hitting Gizmo wasn't okay and received 15 spankings a day over it, and I just couldn't take it any more. He stayed there until this past August. Not quite two years.
I honestly didn't want him to come back, but Cora loves him so much and Nathan wanted him back, too, at the time. Shawn did, too. No one else seemed to be on my side, except Gizmo. He was much, much happier in grandparent land. I used to love Gizmo so much. But now he's just something else that whines and begs at me, causes trouble, refuses to obey, and gives next to nothing back. He's incredibly neurotic and weird and barks and howls at imaginary things on top of any time the kids make any noise at all and I'm just DONE with this dog.
Things went okay until just a few weeks ago when Cora really ramped up her fascination with Gizmo. Of course, being in a different house with different rules "untrained" a good deal of all that we'd worked hard in the beginning to create in our good indoor dog. But now on top of those issues, Cora's constantly hitting him, kicking him, pulling his tail, throwing toys at him, covering him with blankets or our rice bags... he's snapped at her on many occasions because she just won't take "no" for an answer. NOTHING seems to deter her! I am constantly punishing her for her refusal to leave him the heck alone!
I'm DONE with it. I'm done with the howling, barking, neuroticness. DONE I tell you, DONE. I sent this email to my husband about an hour ago, actually.
i am dead serious. i would like to investigate giving gizmo to someone. i do not want him to live here anymore.Today I instituted a new rule. No one may play with Gizmo ANY MORE. Done. I am so done. It's over.
But when Day 06 came out... what THEY love... I knew it had to be Gizmo. Cora doesn't care much for any toy over another... but by golly does she LOVE Gizmo. And I'm oh so over her LOVE of him.
She begs to give him a treat first thing every single morning. She must find him first thing every single morning. She begs for him to come with us any time we sit down, which is only going to cause more neuroticness and wiggedoutedness and issues...
So today, THEY love Gizmo. Here they are, giving him treats - his favorite greenies.