Pam Palmer

Just a sidenote from an animal rights point of view on pet foods...Iams participates in animal testing of their products. They subject animals to cruel force-feeding and other abhorrent treatment to "better the quality of their products". I know PETA is way out there sometimes, but they have some interesting reading regarding the problems with Iams. I for one won't support a company that harms animals to make a buck.

Thanks for the kind words, Doc. There is nothing quite like the love of a dog; it brings out the best in me! It's as if Chip can tell that he was "spared" and is very appreciative. He's still his same old self, but with a more gentle edge, if you know what I mean. He even cuddled into my husband's lap last night for some love and that NEVER happens! I think forming that bond with him will make a difference too. I would love to post a photo of Chip if someone can help me out with that. You really HAVE to see this handsome fellow!

WOW! I haven't been able to check the boards over the last couple of days and I'm amazed at all of the responses! Thanks so much to everyone for the input. After reading a couple of the posts that said I would only be passing off my problems to someone else that would eventually tire of them and also one about how I could keep Chip and probably look back in a couple of months (or years) and wonder how I could have dreamed of giving him up, I've decided to keep Chip. I really can't imagine living with him or without him! We had a heart to heart talk on Saturday (Chip and I) and we decided that we are going to work together and do whatever it takes to get through this. He has agreed to take medication, provided it is wrapped in a nice piece of meat or peanut butter. I had decided that I was NOT going to medicate my dog and see him walk around in a blithering stupor. What kind of life would that be?? Then I spoke to a vet and a couple of people that live with SA dogs and decided that Clomicalm is worth a try. In the right doses, it's no more than a calming agent which I feel would benefit Chip as much as it would benefit me and my belongings! Chip is a total velcro dog, due to the SA I suppose, and goes wherever I go, including the bathroom. He's even given the shower some consideration, but decided against it. Fortunately, we have a see-through glass shower door, so he can still see me when I'm in there and he does just fine! (If only my humans were that enamoured with me!) Chip is in his 5th week of obedience training and is coming along famously. He is incredibly intelligent and eager to please. He has already mastered sit, stay, down, and give. It won't be long before he is moving onto agility courses. I'm sure we will all have a great time with that. I'm sure that this will all work out in the end. It will take enormous doses of patience and love, but I'm willing to dish those out for as long as it takes. My husband is coming around to the understanding that dumping Chip is not a solution to Chip's problems and will, in fact, only increase his anxiety. He loves Chip too (even though he doesn't readily admit it) and is willing to give him a shot. Thanks again to everyone that gave their input. It has proven to be invaluable and made me stop and look into the eyes of my beloved friend and make the right decision. What's another 10-15 years of SA anyway? We can handle it, right?! I'll keep everyone posted on his progress if you'd like. It may prove to be interesting reading!

I actually got the dog from the animal shelter where I work. Yep, I see people just like me everyday turning in perfectly good animals like Chip. I have the resources to log him back in at our shelter and foster him until the right person comes along. I thought I would start with the boards because I don't want Chip to go to a home like ours where they will realize, either sooner or later, that he doesn't fit in with their plan. I really want to find a home where he will have plenty of time with his owners and plenty of room to run (read: farmland?). If I don't get any response here on the boards, I will put him on our shelter's website and try to find the right home for him that way. I know it will not be a quick fix because I will not let Chip go to a home that will not be able to care for him and may drop him off at the shelter where I found him in the first place! He's a wonderful dog and it breaks my heart that we can't make it work. I'm going to miss him terribly, but it will be easier if I know that I have found the absolute best place for him. Thanks again to everyone for your insight and your suggestions. All are very welcome and needed!

Thanks for your kind words, LeeH. I knew I was taking a big chance at being hammered by posting this information, but I really want to find Chip a great home and I know that BC lovers are the best place to start! Hopefully we can get Chip into a new home soon so that he can be happy and safe.

It appears that Border Collies, at least the one we chose, are not the right type of dog for us. When we took Chip home, we knew that he had possible separation anxiety, but that was an understatement. He managed to tear out of a steel crate (cutting his foot in the process) and destroy everything he could find in my house. After dumping over 20 gallon planters full of soil and dragging it all over the house, he was banished outside for the day. When I returned home, he was on the side of the house, along with our other little dog. He had dug a huge hole under the fence. The ground is very hard here in Texas, so I'm sure it took him most of the day and a lot of work. His pads are worn and red. Chip is very loving and loyal to me and can be incredibly sweet, but I can't afford to replace everything in my home and I have to be gone all day for work, as does my husband. I can't help but think that Chip would do much better in a home with some land, maybe cattle, sheep or the like. Or at least a home where someone is there for more time. He doesn't show any destructiveness if someone is home. Even if he is in another part of the house and can't see you, he's fine. I live in Fort Worth, TX. If anyone wants or knows someone that wants a Border Collie, please ask them to email me at pampalmer7@yahoo.com. He is 14 months old, neutered, current on all vaccs and had a Proheart injection in January. He gets along well with other dogs, cats, and children. He jumps up and nips, but only does it to me when I return home from somewhere. He has never done that to anyone else. At this point, it's either Chip goes or my husband goes. This dog has pushed him too far. We don't need training advice (I think we've tried everything we could think of already), we just really need to find a place where Chip can be happy. I have some other avenues to try, but I wanted to start with Border Collie lovers first since the breed does take a special owner. Thanks for reading this.