Good post, Wallance. My dogs don't dig because I don't want them to. I have three beagles (two of them quite old) and a fenced-in yard. My dogs respect the boundaries we give them, which includes not destroying our property. To help the youngest keep his "promise" we make sure he gets plenty of exercise - just running around in the backyard with the other two is NOT enough - and has toys that he likes. In addition, my dogs are never left unattended outside for more than a few minutes at a time; it is a lot easier to prevent undesirable behavior if you are there to see it coming and express your wishes at the moment they start leaning in a bad direction. I know this is a really old thread, but I've had plenty of experience with "stubborn" dogs (LOL) and exercise and supervision really are the key. There's just no substitute for that.

My advice is to find another home for the dog. You have enough caregiving going on without adding a dog to the mix, which is time-consuming and expensive. You raise children to grow up into adult individuals who will go off on their own; dogs are like toddlers that never grow up and sort of regress at the end. I am giving you my perspective as one who also is not a dog person but was talked into getting one by my family. My dh firmly believes that kids need a dog (I don't believe this at all). I have always liked dogs but have never wanted to own one and was happy with a cat. I'm not going to tell you all the nice things about having a dog, as I'm sure you know those, but I want to give you an honest assessment from someone with a similar mindset as to the negatives of dog ownership. We got our puppy a year ago and she is darling. She is sweet and good-natured. She is also, IMO, a pain in the neck in a lot of ways. There is so much training, feeding, and attention required in having a dog. They can be messy and dirty and you have to add that to your cleaning regimen or accept dog hair and dirt, water slops, drool, etc as a given, not to mention some less pleasant deposits like barf and pee (or poo, though I've not had that since the dog hit about 3 months) from time to time. They need so much attention, which some people find a bonus but to me is an aggravation. I am a person who REALLY needs a lot of personal space and dogs don't really appreciate that. I hate being followed around all day. I hate dog licks and wanting in and wanting out and wanting in and wanting out...you can't go anywhere for a weekend without taking the dog to a kennel or having someone babysit full-time. It seems I get a card from the vet on a regular basis reminding me it's time to get this shot or worm pill or what-have-you. I've already spent almost $2000 on her in the year I've had her just in vet bills (two escapes from the yard led to being hit by a car and being mauled by pit bulls). I have to clip nails and check teeth and provide chewies and pick up the shreds of whatever chewed thing is left. I have to pick up poop out of the backyard and sometimes clean off my kids' shoes when I miss some (YUK!!!!!!). In short, the dog has added as much work as having another small child without the benefit of having that child grow out of it. If I had it to do again and had any say in the matter, I'd not get a dog, even though I do really like her. I realize that I'm the kind of person who best appreciates dogs when they're owned by others. Oh, and now that we've had the dog a year, the kids don't even like her around most of the time because she sits on their cards or licks their dolls or tries in some way to participate in their games, something they don't appreciate. When the kids have playdates, I have to put the dog wherever the kids aren't because she tries too enthusiastically to play with them and little kids don't like that. BTW, my dh wants to get another dog. He claims that she won't need as much attention if she has a friend. Huh. The thought of getting another one leaves me cold, to say the least. If you were a dog lover, I'd give different advice, but you will probably resent the extra work a dog entails and you will not see the benefits of it the way someone else might. I like my dog (Bassett/Beagle mix) but honestly? I would not be broken up if she found a new home. I've had 5 kids, the oldest now almost 27 and the youngest 3, and loved it all. I don't love dog care.

I know that. It was just a county dog pound, actually. They don't do any testing. I've been asking around and getting advice. I actually volunteer at our no kill facility and will get advice. Lots of resources available, they just will cost me $$. Her former owner lost her home, had to move in w/ friends who were not allowed to have animals.....hid the dog at a friend's house who put the dog outside. It ran away & was picked up twice. Owner finally just surrendered the dog. Such a sad story and she's 9 so I knew she was going to be put down. She is sweet, and yes, I can get her healthy, and then look for a new home. thanks for all the advice.

daggett, I have 14 cats and 3 dogs, two of whom are herders. Pippin is an Aussie with moderate herding drive, and Tasha is presumably an Aussie mix with VERY intense herding drive. All of my cats have lived with dogs for as long as the cats have been members of my family. Even so, they are wisely nervous and cautious around dogs they don't know. When we adopted Pippin as a newly neutered young adult, he came from an Aussie rescue where he had been fostered with a cat or two. I was told he was curious about the cat but not at all pushy, so I thought he'd make a great fit for our family. When he arrived, he was, indeed, curious about the household cats and spent some time trying to follow them around until they hissed and backed him off. He took their reprimands well and left them alone. The next day, Pip and the other dogs came out to the barn with me for morning chores. The eldest cat, Billy, had gone out earlier to start his daily farm sentry duties. As soon as Pippin caught sight of Billy, he took off after him with bloodlust in his eyes. This was no playful romp. This was a hungry wolf after a rabbit. I screamed at Pip and ran after him, but he could not be called off. He was after a kill, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. He didn't know me yet and hadn't accepted me as his pack leader. He also didn't know Bill and hadn't identified him as part of his new family pack. Gratefully, Billy escaped into the hayshed before Pip caught up with him, and I eventually caught up with Pip and dragged him back to the house, screaming at him along the way. If I hadn't had Pip flown up to me in MN from TX, I would have returned him to the rescue that day. Because that wasn't an immediately available option, I decided on a different tactic. I purchased a muzzle and put it (and a leash) on Pip when he came outside with me. He continued to be fine with the cats indoors, but it took about a month before I trusted him outdoors without the muzzle. With Pip, the key was to give him time to identify and integrate into his new family pack and to understand and accept the pack order. Over the course of a month, he realized that all of the cats were part of his new pack, and he never chased one of them again, inside or out. In fact, Pip is submissive to all the cats (he's a submissive personality, anyway). It wasn't until I got Pip into basic obedience classes, however, that he fully accepted me as his alpha pack leader. Tasha was and is a different matter altogether. We adopted her as a tiny puppy, so she was raised in a household full of cats. Even so, she has always been much more problematic for the cats than has Pippin. Tasha is MUCH more intensely driven than is Pip, and she's also a very pushy alpha personality. Everything in her universe BELONGS to Tasha, is DOMINATED by Tasha, and REVOLVES around Tasha ... everything except me, that is. She knows and accepts that I am her alpha leader, but everything and everyone else breathes her air at her pleasure and mercy. With Tasha, it is obvious that herding drive is an extension of prey drive. The intensity of her herding behavior is really quite remarkable. I have no doubt, though, that she would have turned into a killer if I hadn't set very strict behavioral boundaries on her and if I didn't continue to enforce them on a daily basis. I am still constantly having to tell her to leave the cats alone. She simply wants to dictate every move every animal (or toy) makes in her world. Unfortunately because of her cruciate problems, I can not allow her to exercise as much or as vigorously as her mind requires, so keeping her behavior within controllable limits is a constant challenge. As I noted in my earlier response, herders are amazing dogs, but they are NOT easy! Now back to your dog. You made a MAJOR mistake by ever allowing your dog to chase your cats. Not only has the dog been rewarded for his bad behavior by achieving the desired effect of "herding" the cats, but the cats have now learned that you can not or will not protect them from the dog. They have lost trust in you and in the safety of their own home. They are trapped with the enemy - an enemy that they are very much aware can and may want to kill them. Of course they're hiding. Every instinct they have tells them they must hide for their self-preservation. They have no experience living with passive dogs, so all they have to respond to are their own instincts. As I mentioned earlier, you must keep your dog either leashed or locked securely away from the cats at all times until and unless your cats adjust to his presence and give you the opportunity to train him properly. Do NOT in ANY way try to force your cats out of hiding or into the presence of the dog. They must be allowed to make peace with his presence in their own time and way ... if it's going to happen at all. Most likely, they will start coming out under cover of darkness, late at night after everyone has gone to bed, the dog is securely crated, and all is quiet. Once they start reaffirming their safety under those conditions, they will probably slowly start to appear during daylight hours. If you do NOT allow the dog to approach them or intimidate them in any way, your cats will eventually get braver. It may take months or years, but if you assure their safety and work to regain their trust away from the dog, they will probably eventually come out of hiding again. You can help your cats by spending lots of time alone with them in whichever room they are hiding, trying to coax them out of hiding just to enjoy some petting, playing, and treats. Like I said, they have lost trust in you, and you're going to have to work to regain it. Let them know that they still matter and that they can safely spend time with you without risking interaction with the dog. Unfortunately, you won't be able to teach your dog to accept the cats as part of his new family pack until and unless the cats come out of hiding and start reintegrating themselves into the household. It's a waiting game now. Make it impossible for the dog to get anywhere near the cats on his own, and give the cats the supportive loving they need to feel safe again. Hopefully in time the cats will give you a second chance to be their protector in the presence of the dog. Good luck, Laurie