Good-Bye Sparkle

We were so excited to get Sparkle. She is such a sweet girl and very patient with the kids, allowing them to hug and kiss her incessantly. Heather would snuggle up to her belly like a puppy and Sparkle would lick her head.

I blame myself for not really thinking through the whole "hunting hound" concept and what that would mean as far as her NOT staying home where she belongs. We were never able to play with her off her chain or leash because the moment she was free, she was gone, usually over night getting into Lord only knows what, but coming home smelling like manure.

That problem and the fact that she seems not to be nearly as house broken as we were lead to believe has caused us, as a family, including the kids, to decide that she is not the family dog we had hoped for. We're are taking her back today and will start looking for a dog that is more of a homebody and definitely house trained. Dealing with Heather's potty training is more than enough poop and pee for me to deal with at this point.

It's been one month that she's been with us, and under different circumstances (if I didn't have 3 kids) I might be more inclined to work on her longer, but I feel it's better to take her back and find a dog that's a better natural fit for us before the kids become more attatched than they are.

Sorry Sparkle. We sure do hope the you find your forever home soon.