I started writing this in October...

[Dontworrybeappy]

Please read my latest blog, here:

http://malcor-chapman.blogspot.com/

 

[txminipinto]

Karen,

You are a good, wonderful woman. You took a large dog with problems and you worked with him. You gave him a better life than he ever had. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we work with our problem children sometimes they just can't be fixed. They become a danger to ourselves, our community, and themselves. You did a brave selfless act by putting Stuart down. What if he had bitten a child?

Do not beat yourself up anymore than you already are! You did the right thing. <<HUGS>> I KNOW how hard it is to make that descision.

 

[Charley]

I am so sorry.

Something very similar to your story happened at our farm. Sadly, you had no choice. I am truly sorry that you are hurting so bad physically and emotionally. "Hugs" to you.

 

[lvponies]

It sounds like you are a wonderful person who did absolutely everything you could for Stuart. Sometimes, there is only so much we can do.

{{{HUGS}}}

I hope your hand heals and you get movement back!!

 

[Reijel's Mom]

What a sad ending, but you gave that boy a wonderful life. May you heal completely and quickly!

Hugs to you!

 

[hhpminis]

I am so sorry.

You are far from a failure and you did not let Stuart down at all. You gave him a chance. You gave him a life for the time he was with you and the pictures prove he was a happy dog most of the time.

Sometimes those deeply engrained reactions are more than anyone can overcome.

I am sorry you have so much pain both physically and emotionally. Time will make both better.

You did the right thing, it just hurts now.

 

[Marty]

Carin said it all perfectly.

Take care.

((((((( ))))))))

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I also agree with Carin. You gave him the best chance he would ever have had to reform his bad traits. Sometimes the damage to too deep. You really did the right thing, as painful as it was to make the decision and follow through with it. Please don't feel like a failure, you did a wonderful selfless job, put he just wasn't able to overcome his early trauma. Bless you for trying. It might have turned out worse for him if had been placed in a different home. Hugs to you....

Kelly

 

[nootka]

This is so sad...yet it is also such a valiant experience, in every respect.

Stuart had the odds against him from the beginning, and the odds were that he would end up far worse than what they were with you. He got the best, and you should feel proud of that, not sad, not betrayed or angry, not at yourself or Stuart.

The photo with his eyes in it says a lot, really. I don't know that he was ever allowed to grow, to mature, and to know the confidence of love, until he came to you. Some of the damage was obviously too deeply ingrained to fully heal.

I'm sorry you had to get hurt so badly, but that is just proof of how far you were willing to go for him, out of love. No shame in that.

Thank you for sharing so eloquently. would that all dog owners would put even 1/8th that effort into their puppies!

Liz

 

[crponies]

I'm sorry that you had such a sad ending in your relationship with Stuart. I agree with everyone else though, you gave him a wonderful life and it is totally not your failure that led to this. I hope your hands heal up soon.

 

[tnovak]

You did all you could for Stuart-there was no other choice. Lighten up on yourself. You gave him a wonderful home, concentrate now on healing, inside and outside.

 

[Robin1]

I have raised Anatolians for years and I am with Liz on this. He really didn't have much of a chance to become the dog he should have. You gave him a great time while he was with you so you shouldn't be disappointed or angry at yourself or Stuart. I hope you heal quickly and completely.

Robin

P.S. I looked at adopting Stuart some time back and decided I just didn't need another Anatolian.

 

[Elsa]

I admire you for wanting to give him every chance you could. It's hard to break habits that have been instilled early on when animals aren't raised properly, but you did everything you could for him. I hope you get full use of your hands again.

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

Karen, we had a similar problem with a dog we rescued from an abusive family... it was horrible, watching this man with his children, horses and dogs, i wanted to take them ALL home with me... but we do what we can. i will never forget that terrified dog, only the day after we brought him home, in the bed in the playhouse with a blanket and pillow while my daughter played house with him

but as i explained to my daughter who was only 9 when we had to make the decision to put her dog down... if an animal is sick or injured and hurting, it is a kindness to relieve their suffering. with Chance her dog, his hurting was not physical, it was his SPIRIT, his FEELINGS, that was hurting... it wasn't his fault and it certainly wasn't her fault, she tried to fix him with love and kindess for several years but in the end she had to understand that it was still a kindness to relieve his emotional suffering...

i still cry when i think of him, so unfair that people do those things to animals who have no choice

God's blessings be upon you and best wishes for a speedy healing.

 

[mininik]

What a sad story. Cases like those really need a superior behavioralist working on them, but unfortunately getting that kind of help is not an option for everyone and even when it is available not all of these poor dogs make it back to good. I don't think you failed Stuart at all. I do think you are lucky you weren't hurt worse by him and have to say it's unfortunate that caring people such as yourself often have to suffer for trying to help animals others have failed to care for properly.

 

[iluvwalkers]

[SIZE=12pt]sounds as though you did everything you possibly could for this poor fellow, so sad people do these things to animals and they really have no clue they've done a thing wrong

, you really need to not be so hard on yourself, many would have not went as far as you did with him, one bite would have been the end for me. so glad you or someone else was not hurt any worse then you were. hoping you heal and have some relief from your pain soon, Nikki[/SIZE]

 

[HGFarm]

Oh dear, what a tragic story!!!

You know, folks dont realize when they get a dog, they need to research about the breed, talk to people and see if the dog is suitable for them or not. To put a dog that large in a tiny back yard, never to leave, never being taught ANY discipline and then being owned by a 'Nervous Nellie' to begin with, did not start his life off very well. Especially this type of breed. He must have felt like he was raised in a box.

You tried hard and came a long way with him and I feel you did all you could. I think there were things that just could not be fixed. And with such a large dog, I'm glad it was not worse!!

I'm so sorry, just know that you tried and at least he was somewhat happy for a while- having other dogs to play with, a caring owner and room to run and play.

Hugs to you and yours- what a sad story!!

 

[Shortpig]

I am so sorry you went thru so much because of his previous owner cruel and uncaringhandling How awful poor Stuart's dreams must have been. When an animal has been abused you never know what body language from another human means to them. The most subtle movement can bring back the most awful memories.

I have seen dogs that are just fine when you are walking and moving around but if you stop and just look

at them you see a nervousness about them. You know that at some time a prior owner has just stood there letting their own anger build prior to beating them.

I know that Stuart appreciates the time and love you gave him. He probably doesn't even understand why

he would just grab you and bite. From what you said though afterwards he felt awful about it. Now he waits for you at the Rainbow Bridge watching over all of those we have loved and lost in our lives. Being the dog he was meant to be.

I hope your hand heals without lifelong pain. It may take longer for your heart to heal but just remember

we cannot always fix what others have broken. Although! we must try.

 

[Dontworrybeappy]

Thank you all for youe support and kind wishes. I have a special keyboard now for arthritis sufferers and the big keys with light "touch" is helping (that's how I could write the blog)... hopefully I'll keep healing; the right finger is still bad, and the left hand is stiff, sore, and still swollen, but the incisions are healing slowly. (I wish they'd been stitched!)

Michael says no more rescue dogs, and at the moment I don't blame him... but we're still left without a working Anatolian - Akin is nearly 16 years old and comfortably retired on the front porch. He's been the most wonderful working dog for most of his life.

So, we've put a deposit down on an Anatolian puppy! We've got first pick of the girls (after the breeder decides which ones she's keeping). We got to see them at 48 hours old and have our eye on a couple of the girls! I hope to get back there at 5 or 6 weeks old (it's a 4 hour drive each way) but I do want to stay involved with the litter's development. Then when she comes home at 10 weeks, she'll get socialized, socialized, socialized!!!

 

[txminipinto]

Karen,

Good luck with your new puppy and congratulations for getting back on the "horse"!