calliope - when we last had our wills rewritten I went in with plans for a Trust to pay for our dog's care - but the lawyer had never prepared such a document. I did contact another lawyer I knew (with a major firm) and he told me the cost of such a Trust would be exhorbitant and when it came down to it, under Canadian law, pets are chattels and that is what it would come down to - and the Trust might well be challenged. Even if we had a Trust paying out funds to the person who took our dog, it would not guarantee the quality of life that we would want for our dog - think of the horror stories we read/hear of all the time. This is why we went with Plans A and B people - with Plan A person definitely in a position not to be challenged by any family member for control of the funds - or our dog. There is a group in Canada trying to have our laws changed re pets. I think that in some states - maybe California is one - you can leave your estate to a pet "retirement home' - a fancy one - and your dog will receive lifetime care. And also that maybe if you leave funds to a person to care for your dog that said person must take the dog and treat him/her well. We have an American Eskimo and Eskies do not do well in a kennel type of environment. And they sure aren't dogs that are suited to living outdoors despite their name. Changing the breed's name to American Eskimo from Spitz during WWI was not the best choice - it implies a sled dog - in fact they have a double coat of hair - much like Persian cats - and love to be warm in the house. Now there is a Canadian Eskimo dog - a totally different type of dog - lives in the very far north.

I have to weigh in behind Cynthia again. It's easy to read things into posts that were unintended when you're upset about an issue like this one. Have you ever owned a dog before? or is this a new experience for you? If this dog is your first you're certainly getting your "trial by fire". Hang in there. Over the course of my life I've had several dogs and each one has taught me something more about the complexity of canine behavior and each one has had a distinct personality. The present one is big, bold, and intelligent. He is a lot of work. Martha is unsure of her status in the household and your daughter is the essentially the first rung on Martha's climb to "more status". She has her "territory" (her bed) and doesn't know the basic commands that are the cornerstones of obedience training. You have a potentially lethal combination of forces at work in your home right now. I've never had a 4 yr. old before, but I'd guess she can be "forgetful" about things like "don't touch the dog" only because she really wants to pat her and can't really grasp the potential danger involved. I'm glad you've found a behaviorist and I certainly hope you will beat feet to an obedience class ASAP. I don't believe the situation is without hope, but you ARE at a crossroads; you must commit yourselves 100% to Martha's rehabilitation or consider whether or not she is the dog for your household. Anecdote: We began obedience training immediately with our adoptee and he made great progress. No sign of agression or defensiveness with his food bowl, the cats, being handled. We spent 20 minutes a day on basic stuff, and made sure there was a lot of leash walking, too. One day, we were outdoors, working in the yard and he was parked on the lawn with a bone, contentedly gnawing away on it. We were ready to go in and I called him to me. He hesitated and just stared at me. I approached him, he lowered his head and curled his lip at me. "Leave it!" I commanded him. He dropped the bone and I commanded him to "Sit!". He did, but tried for the bone again... "Leave it!", and then "Come!". He obeyed me and then I praised him. But had we not been completely on board with training him early on the situation could have had a more unpleasant outcome. Now, he gets smaller bones and only when I know he will have time to savor them without interruption. And we have continued on leash obedience work to this day. "Leave it!" is one I pay particular attention to. It's the safeR way to take something away, and everything in our dog's world belongs to US, not him!

He's from a shelter a few hours away. I'm not sure if he was then placed by a rescue or they just got full and he was re-placed at the petstore for adoption. I wouldn't be buying a dog from the petstore, he is a rescue. All my animals are either resuces from the SPCA or the like or pure-breds from reputable breeders who I've researched. Secondly, my boyfriend grew up with pitbulls and has nothing but good to say about the breed, and we have a pitbull cross. Not a mean bone in his body, except to little fluffy mutts that annoy him, usually. I know they aren't all agressive, but I do know a lot of them are dog agressive. And being that mine is getting older, and a little less tolerant, I'm weary of it possibly being a bad combination because of some of the breed traits. I was mostly asking for experience. If anyone has had an older pitbull or pitmix and tried to introduce a younger pitbull and if it went well, badly, etc etc. Anything specific that was a struggle because of certain temperments or traits these dogs tend to have. That's all. I know I'll most likely be able to have a trial period, but I want to hear peoples experiences (if there are any) incase it's likely to go bad. I would rather not put my dogs, or the rescue, or ourselves through that if there is a 90% chance it won't work. I'm sure he will find a great home if we don't adopt him, and I'd rather not traumatize any of the animals if its a huge risk because of breed traits. As for the kongs, thanks quirky. I stuff mine with more than just cookies here and there, though. I've been trying out pureed veggies mixed with her food and then frozen, or a bit of melted peanut butter mixed with food, and frozen. The kongs are the one toy she hasn't been able to destroy, so they're the one thing I feel comfortable giving to her when we go out, and they keep her busy while she gets the stuff out, and then she naps. Generally I don't put a full meal of kibble in them, maybe about half, and then still feed her, her other full meal later. I'm just curious to know if she's still getting enough nutrition, or maybe she's getting too many calories. It really depends on what's in the kong. I'm trying to avoid peanut butter, as she gains weight easily. But things like pureed carrots, with small bites of carrots and broccoli with some kibble, and stuff. I've found cleaning them isn't so bad. I generally have three stuffed and frozen at a time, for whenever I'm going to be out for an extended period of time. I have a large one for if we'll be gone for a full day, and two mediums for when we'll only be a few hours. So far it's been alright, but we haven't been doing it for too long. Thanks for the help guys.

I have two largish dogs (a mixed breed and a golden) and, yes, I do think my house sometimes smells like I have dogs. I clean, I wash linens and dog beds, use scents and odor neutralizers, have air purifiers (for allergies, really) etc., but at some point I think it's kind of inevitable. Like the tumbleweeds of golden retriever hair all over my house in the spring. ;) I also wanted to chime in and say that, when it comes to your home, there's more than just the potential for smell that you have to consider. For example, one of mine just broke a window jumping up and barking at a dog walking by on the sidewalk. The other recently put a big dent in the wall (with her hip) while wrestling with her "brother." These are kind of extreme examples (and I have young, high energy dogs), but, at least in my experience, it's inevitable that a pet will barf on your expensive rug or a dog will randomly decide to "dig" your new sofa, etc. (And yes, of course training is important, but they're still dogs and will sometimes act like it.) If you and your husband aren't prepared to let these things kind of roll off your back -- and it would be understandable if you weren't! -- I'm not sure a pet, dog or cat, is a good idea. Most of us make adjustments in our lives, one way or another, for our pets, and you'd have to figure out whether that's something you're interested in doing. A friend of mine has a really lovely standard poodle (from a great breeder), who doesn't shed. I don't want to get into the "designer dog" drama but I would strongly suggest that you do a lot of research before buying a purposely bred mixed breed dog (or buying any dog from anyone!). I have a rescue and a purebred from a fantastic breeder, and don't think either choice is right or wrong. Just be honest with yourself about your family's wants, needs and limitations are.