In our suburban setting, my small (to me at least) yard has frequent visits by the local raccoons and other critters. This year I think we may have 6 or 7 regulars not counting the babies. Our neighbors would have fits if they knew what lived right in among them. Recently I saw a coyote a few blocks away from our house. I have no doubt it's hunting area will soon include our neighborhood since the shopping center and new building at the University will have to push it this way. Buy or sell, who do you call to complain to? In most cases, unless there is a possibility of animal attacks, you are pretty much on your own. There are a couple of guys here making a living trapping and moving critters and they don't come cheap. As for the cats and their terrorizing of the neighborhood, I wish one of them lived near me. I lose major money, sweat and aches and pains each year due to the excess of rabbits, chippers and squirrels and mice and voles and moles who wreak havoc in my yard and garden. With leash laws for cats and a few residents who don't see the connection between cute cuddly bunnies and the ravening hoards of critters competing for territory that will feed them I would love to have a control predator in the area. Since we have impacted the areas where they would live with lawns and patios etc. there are too many critters competing for the same assets. Often, they become a problem unless Mother Nature steps in with starvation and disease shared by the entire animal population and that is not pretty. Sometimes we change the rules. We leave food out for our pets or don't cover the garbage and we then become aware of our animal neighbors who don't go by the same rules as our pets. Since we are supplying a glut of food, we soon have a glut of critters. The critters who go along with the rule changes and become pets often lose their protective caution and become the first on the list of the predator's menu. I have a great deal of respect for the Vets and animal rehabbers who spend their lives and resources dealing with the critters who have been damaged or orphaned through accident or attack. They have to resist their instincts to make a pet out of their patient and remember that it is a wild animal that will, if possible, be released back into the wild. I don't think I could make that kind of effort and emotional commitment and not be devastated when the time came to give it back to Mother Nature. (I have had to do it on occasion and it was terrible to have to let it go.) Then, if the animal cannot be rehabbed they have to find that animal a safe home or make a commitment to care for it the rest of it's natural life or in some sad cases, put it down. I didn't start this to preach. Sorry. I intended to simply commiserate with you for your loss. We do become so attached. Now I have to go wait outside for the raccoons who have trashed my pond 3 times in the past week. I hope my yelling and cane waving and the water hose does it's job. They have me worn to a frazzle. Sandy

HEY HEY!!! now ya'll be have!!! LOL had to check on ya'll!! LOL **big grinn** BUTTTT i do have a boat that DOES run!!! LOL but alas hubs wouldn't let me run anyone over with it!! LOL so your lucky there!! only cuz it might get him in trouble, SHHHH pprobably only cuz he don't wanna get stuck with these rugrats!!! LOL **onry laugh** LOL Looking good on the food!! see ya did awesome!! now if ya just don't keel over from the poison ya put on the poor food!! LOL ya know i'm jsut kidding!! LOL :') although there is a wash i had read about its hmmmm......1 gal warm water, 1 bar of ivory soap, i think like 1//4 c oil, spray on after a rain, and reapply every time it rains. make sure to get under the leaves as well, but ya have to let the bar "melt" in the warm water over night. i tried it last year and works well. i just havent this year. the oil has the soap/water stick to the plant to keep the bugs away from your plant/food. my spreader thingi didn't work, and ya know how it is, everytime ya go to the store ya have moreimportant things on your mind than some little feeder/spreader thingi!! for your hose!! LOL ohhhh the best part, its safe!!! ~Medo

Melanie, follow your instincts. If this dog is too much for you, then talk to a rescue organization by all means. You have not failed this dog, this dog may have some big, BIG problems that you are not prepared to deal with. JRTs are a great breed, but there is a huge span of personality and temperement in the breed. I know first-hand, because I have had them for many years, but I had to give one up to Russell Rescue due to escalating, terrifyingly violent aggression against my other dogs (including her own mother.) It really came down to the commitment I had made to the oldest dog 12 years ago when I adopted her - I just could not allow the attacks to continue, because one of them was inevitably going to be fatal. We went the whole route when the problems began, from weekly visits from a dog trainer recommended by our vet for aggression problems (with much homework in between visits), to medication (which did not help), to dividing the house with baby gates - with the constant risk that one moment of inattention would launch another savage attack. At one point, the troublemaker was in her crate, and got herself so worked up into a rage that she got the OTHER TWO to start fighting on their own, just by watching her. It really was h*ll on earth for many months. It all came to a head one day when my boss took me into his office, shut the door, and said, "I'm really disappointed in your performance lately." I started crying, and it all came out - living in a war zone - the tension, the stress, the disturbed sleep, the fatigue, the arguments, the guilt, the fear, the disappointment, the injuries to the old dog (a trip to the emergency vet with a torn jugular once, a ripped eyelid another time.) My boss was really understanding, but it all suddenly became crystal-clear to me what this situation was doing to all of us, and I understood that it was time to move on. After much soul-searching, tears, and long talks with my wonderful vet, we were THIS close to putting her down (we had literally dug her grave anticipating taking her in to the vet the next morning), when Rescue called back on a Sunday night with a temporary placement, fully understanding all of the dog's problems. The Rescue people were absolutely terrific. The last I saw of my beloved pup (the dog whose birth I'd witnessed, the dog I thought I'd grow old with) was seeing her sitting on the Rescue person's lap exchanging kisses after a parking lot hand-off. Within a few weeks, they placed her with a family out of state who had experience with the breed, had lost their own aged JRT, had a fully JRT-proof backyard, and fully understood the behavioral problems. Last I heard it was working out great. Like Migo, mine was a fabulous buddy and just adored people, but could not tolerate another dog. Serious aggression between dogs is terrifying and unmistakable - it is NOT playing - not even aggressive playing. Your comment about your other dog screaming gave me chills - I remember that sound so well. Do what you have to do to protect all of the other animals to whom you have made a commitment, and do the best you can by Migo. You're not a failure - everything you've written shows that you are a sensitive and responsible dog-lover, and you need to be strong and do the right thing for everyone concerned. Best of luck, Susan

Hello everybody, Unfortunately, I am having a relapse triggered by a family fight I had today. As I mentioned in my first post, my relationship with my mom is not good and she is very disrispectful with my stuff and has thrown away very special things to me. Things that I really treasured. Today, I picked up a carped that my mom had removed almost a year ago. She wanted to throw it away, but the carpet was in good condition and I liked it, so I took it to a place to have it washed and storaged. Today I finally got it back home and put it behind a wall in my living room. It was well hidden and it wasn't taking too much room. My mom saw it and started acting like crazy and told me she was going to throw it away tomorrow. I got angry and she started telling me that I had my stuff all over the house, which is not true, and then mentioned that the fact I put my little dog's stuff, like his plate and little bones in the laundry room was a problem for her to. This made me get very angry and I went down the stairs because I wanted to make sure my dog's stuff were safe. suddenly, my uncle, who was at home for a visit, stood up and got between me and my mother because according to him he thought I was going to hit my mom, which is a terrible lie. He dared me to fight and I told him I was not going to accept his attitude in my house. Then he asked me to go outside and I said: OK. Let's go. Next, my brother showed up and my mom to avoid the fight. Then my brother told me he didn't want to fight because he was much heavier than me and that it was going to be easy for him. I said: Come on, let0's do it. And he refused it and said he loved me. Ever since my parents divorced he has interfered in many of my family's issues that are not concer of his and sometimes he has tried to act like the man of the house. Today was the last straw and made me lose my mind. He has brainwashed my mom several times, my mom almost always does what he tells her to do and of course, he usually takes my moms side. All this conflict made me have a psychiological crisis and miss my little dog a lot since I feel very alone again and I have no friend and partner at home to rely on. I really didn't need this since I was starting to feel better about the loss of my beautiful Guyton, to heal, to rearrange my life without suffering too much and feel more peace. On top of that, my Psychiatrist took the liberty to show my mom and my brother my diagnosis file after a visit my mom and my brother made to his office, which was a terrible violation to my privacy and to the confidentiality respect Mental professionals have to have. It's the most basic and important rule. Now, my mom is using this as a weapon and threatening me to send me to a mental hospital because my Psychiatrist also told her and my brother she could do that. It is just unbelievable. He betrayed me and put me in a very difficult position. Specially now that I am trying to overcome the death of my little dog and my mind is unstable. It just looks he also took my brother's and mom's side and they are their patiens not me. Now I am missing Guyton a lot again and their loss became bigger again too. I am lost and sad again. I really hope you can reply to me. Thank you very much in advance for your help and kindness