At my wit's end

I feel as though I am at my wit's end. I am clueless as to what to do anymore with the situation. My dog Lily came into my life about 10 months ago when I brought her home at 2 months old. She will be 1 on April 25th. To say it has been an interesting journey of training a puppy is putting it lightly. I didn't know what I was getting myself into.

Growing up, all my dogs were a bit older when I got them. I knew I was going to have to take some sort of dog training classes with Lily to train her how to sit, stay, down, heel, walk properly on a leash. I did 6 weeks of puppy kindergarten with Lily and she seemed to do well. Shortly after she finished, I started having a private trainer come to my house every two weeks to work with her because she was getting a bit aggressive. I had asked my vet when I took her to get spayed and he recommended this trainer.

I followed the trainer's instructions and worked to get Lily to listen to me and know I was boss. From the first session to the second session, he said he saw a huge improvement in her (she bit him the first session but he provoked it because he wanted to piss her off....it was part of his training). Sure, there were some slip ups but a lot of it has to do with my mom because she became/still is (in my opinion) afraid of Lily. Lily did bite her once. The trainer told us she was to be kept in her crate when I was not home so she wouldn't get herself into chaos. That was working until other people in the house decided to let her out because they felt bad she was crated all day. And of course, I got frustrated because why did they have to go change something that WAS working?

After about four sessions with the trainer, Lily seemed to get better. Sure, she has her "bitchy" moments and growls at you (even me if I don't pay attention to her). My mom says she has to be possessed because she is sweet and docile/good as gold one day (like Saturday) and then a switch flips and she is nasty (like last night when I came home from work to find out Lily bolted at my mom). She seems to do it over FOOD. Last night (because its now Tuesday morning), I came home from work to find out that Lily bolted at my mom. My mom had brought in dog food someone was getting rid of because they got rid of their dog (this is kind of ironic because my mom is probably praying I get rid of mine) and had it at the top of the basement stairs to put in containers. She got up from the couch (while she was on the phone with my brother) and Lily bolted at her. Lily didn't bite her but seriously, it is all over food.

I feel like I am at my wit's end because I don't know what to do anymore. I am suppose to be going away on Thursday to visit my best friend in Florida and I have been looking forward to this for months. I desperately need a few days off to regain my sanity and just be able to relax. My mom doesn't want me to leave the dog here and wants me to board her. So I have to call a vet tomorrow/today that my friend's boyfriend works at to see if they can board her or a kennel my mom's friend's friend works at/owns. This is something I wasn't expecting to do but what else can I do? I absolutely can't stand the thought of getting rid of her. My heart is just broken right now and you might as well rip it right out of my chest if you want me to get rid of her. Yet, I can't afford to live on my own up here in NY on Long Island so I am really just in a CRAPTASTIC situation.

I really don't want to risk my mom getting rid of the dog if I don't board her so I am doing that. But also looking into another trainer. The one I was working with charges $1200 for a one week private intensive training session in his home and I can't really afford that. Plus, it kind of seems outrageous. My mom says I shouldn't have gotten a dog because I am not really home that much (I am really home at night a few nights a week according to her). But how else am I suppose to be able to afford my bills?

Have any of you ever dealt with/had a dog like this? It seems to be over food and I just don't know how to fix it. ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED!

And now that I spent about a good two hours crying over this tonight, I am off to bed to get some sleep before I entertain/play with  Lily tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Puppy Training

My puppy Lily is now 6 months old. To say she has given me a run for my money is an UNDERSTATEMENT. That puppy is quite a handful!! Sometimes I wish I could go back to the first few weeks when she was sweet and innocent. Now, she is somewhat of a crazy maniac.

The place where I am taking her for puppy kindergarten (as they call it) is a place my friend Steph recommended. She used to groom my other dog before she moved to VA with her now husband. They do behavior classes and agility there. Oddly enough, it is called "Doggie U". There are only four puppies in it (there should be 5 but Harry the Corgi didn't come to the last class). The instructor, Kathy, is teaching us how to have the dog sit, down, stay (sit-stay, down-stay combos), leave it, come, walking on a leash, etc.

Lily seems to be grasping the concept of it. She'll be good in class and for awhile at home. Then, usually when I am at work she acts like a brat (according to my mother). She will bite at your feet when you're just wearing socks or shoes. The bitter apple spray to deter her away is not working. I try to distract her with a toy but I swear Lily has ADHD in dog form.

Last weekend my mom bought bone marrow bones when we were grocery shopping because everyone has been saying to give Lily a bone to help with the chewing (she also likes to bite my hands. Or she will bite the bottom of your pants). She had it in the backyard and my brother Brian thought she was eating acorns again (she has done it in the past). Lily turned around, jumped up on him and bit him. She didn't break his skin but ever since then, my mom has been on edge with the dog. I asked the trainer about this and she said since that would be considered a high value treat, you should only give it to her in the crate and when she is done, throw it out. To be able to get it to throw it out, you gotta distract them with something else. I told my mom this after class and she goes okay. Tonight (or Sunday night), she gave Lily a bone to chew on while I was at work (I have no idea what kind it was). I took her out before I was going to bed, and put her in the crate. Apparently after I went upstairs, she was barking so they let her out and my mom says that she attacked her & my brother Brian. I am just frustrated because I tell her WHAT the instructor TOLD me to do and she DID NOT DO IT.

What am I suppose to do with this behavior? I almost wish I had of started puppy classes EARLIER (like August) but who knows if this would have made a difference. All the dogs in Lily's class are around the same age as her. I am frustrated because Lily usually listens to me but when I am at school, she is in her crate (because no one is home during the day) and when I am at work, she is in either her crate or she is out (but confined to the family room, kitchen and the backyard. I take her for a long walk each day when I come home and I play ball or frisbee with her in the backyard to tire her out. This dog has toys up the wazoo.

Truth be told, I am afraid my mom is going to make me get rid of her. Honestly, I will cry if she does. I don't think it will happen because I am busting my butt to get her to stop all her bad behaviors. I think the issue with the bone is she is being food possessive/food aggressive. I am trying to hand feed her the kibble (to teach her not to bite the hand that feeds her). But I am slowly losing patience.

I am open to any suggestions you guys have. It is an issue that needs to be resolved now. I just may have to have a one-on-one consult at my house with the trainer for my mom to be calmer and understand how the dog needs to be trained.

And because what post isn't a post without a picture of Lily: