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I had adopted a greyhound last summer from a greyhound rescue. She's really shy, but very sweet, very well behaved and causes no trouble in the house. Unlike many greyhounds, she doesn't have a very strong prey drive and does very well with small dogs and cats. The only real problem that she has is that she's very timid and freaks out at just about anything outside. Any sort of sound will pretty much startle her, even the wind. A parked car, a garbage can or even some bushes can scare her. Anything that moves, including people is pretty much a given. She often won't even eat her food if there's noise, like a garbage truck, outside. This problem has been manageable where I'm currently living as I live in a quiet community in a fairly rural campustown.
I am currently in a situation where I have to move overseas for a job in about a month. I will be living in a high rise apartment right in the middle of a bustling urban city. There are no dog parks and very minimal to no grassy areas nearby. While I believe living in an apartment will be fine for her, the environment outside is far from ideal. With there being no dog parks, there won't be anywhere for her to even occasionally run around. All the noise of an urban city really makes me wonder how she will do on our daily walks. It's often bad enough over here where it's very quiet with nothing much going on. With all the people, cars and other noises of a city, I'm worried that going outside will become a stressful experience for her.
I really don't know what do to. My heart is telling me that I must take her. Including my other dog, who I'll be taking, we've all become so attached to each other. Aside from being in a foster home for a few weeks, we are her first real family after coming off the racetrack. I am probably the first human that she warmed up to and it kills me to even think of letting her go. However my mind is telling me that I must set aside my personal desires and the immediate pains and do what's ultimately best for her in the long run. Having lived with her for almost a year, I know that a rural community is where she belongs. She needs to be in a quieter community and needs to have access to a dog park where she can run around and socialize with other dogs and people. By giving her back to the rescue, I at least know that she will be going back to a foster home rather than a kennel so the transition to a new family may not be as traumatic.
In hindsight, I know that I probably shouldn't have adopted her with some uncertainties in my life. At the time, I wasn't even considering taking a job overseas as a possibility. I was envisioning a quieter life in a suburban area.
Please help. What do I need to do?
I am currently in a situation where I have to move overseas for a job in about a month. I will be living in a high rise apartment right in the middle of a bustling urban city. There are no dog parks and very minimal to no grassy areas nearby. While I believe living in an apartment will be fine for her, the environment outside is far from ideal. With there being no dog parks, there won't be anywhere for her to even occasionally run around. All the noise of an urban city really makes me wonder how she will do on our daily walks. It's often bad enough over here where it's very quiet with nothing much going on. With all the people, cars and other noises of a city, I'm worried that going outside will become a stressful experience for her.
I really don't know what do to. My heart is telling me that I must take her. Including my other dog, who I'll be taking, we've all become so attached to each other. Aside from being in a foster home for a few weeks, we are her first real family after coming off the racetrack. I am probably the first human that she warmed up to and it kills me to even think of letting her go. However my mind is telling me that I must set aside my personal desires and the immediate pains and do what's ultimately best for her in the long run. Having lived with her for almost a year, I know that a rural community is where she belongs. She needs to be in a quieter community and needs to have access to a dog park where she can run around and socialize with other dogs and people. By giving her back to the rescue, I at least know that she will be going back to a foster home rather than a kennel so the transition to a new family may not be as traumatic.
In hindsight, I know that I probably shouldn't have adopted her with some uncertainties in my life. At the time, I wasn't even considering taking a job overseas as a possibility. I was envisioning a quieter life in a suburban area.
Please help. What do I need to do?