Orphan: or...."Some People Shouldn't Own Pets"

My neighbor K. has a friend who says she doesn't like animals. She doesn't like the way they feel, and doesn't like to touch them. She thinks they are dirty and smelly (okay, maybe sometimes they are lol), and she is scared of them. Then she proceeded to tell K. that she was going to buy a dog for her kids. K. was very nervous, and wondered how that would turn out. It didn't turn out good.

They bought a black lab puppy. They stuck it in the back yard, and never let it in the house. When the kids went outside, he got so excited that he would jump up on them. Having no training either, he didn't have any social skills. The kids would cry, and basically stayed away from him. I think they also learned this from their monther. K. said they Dad liked him some, but he wasn't home most of the time. Finally, when the puppy was a year old, they decided that they should get rid of him.

Being an animal lover, K. started asking around, and found that a friend of her mother's MIGHT be interested in taking him. But he felt it was such a serious committment, that he couldn't make up his mind. I guess he is still trying to make up his mind. Her mother said she would take the dog back to her town and give it to the friend. But the friend still isn't ready, and the mother is having people visit her house this week, so can't take the puppy. I say puppy, but he looks full grown. So, K. has taken the dog for the week. I also offered for him to stay in my back yard/house if needed.

The longer K. has this dog, the more she feels determined to make sure he goes to a good home. He is a beautiful black lab with a classic face like you would see on the front of a dog food bag. He LOVES chasing balls, and will retrieve it. K.s yellow lab doesn't care about chasing balls, and has the name "retriever" only by default because he doesn't retrieve. But this dog, Duke, lives up to his breed. He would make a GREAT hunting dog for someone. He is high energy, and anxious to please. He has a very beautiful shiny coat.

I feel sorry for this dog because he is definitely anxious. I think he is having separation anxiety. I don't think he cares so much about being separated from his last owners as much as being tossed from home to home. K. has had him at her house since Sunday, and he already whines if she leaves his sight. He also has what we think is a broken tail. It doesn't wag, and it doesn't raise, it just hangs limp. And if you touch the base of it he yelps. This is a really beautiful lab, a purebred. He deserves to go to a home where he is appreciated.