Tough Decision..

Solomn woos,

Hi all, mom just wanted me to give everyone a heads up about Iggy- we are looking for a new home for him. :( We are ALL soooooooooo sad about it, but mom says it is going to be best for him and all of us.

Why the sudden change? Well, when we went to Sacramento a few weeks ago to find a house, mom & dad took Iggy & I with them. In the hotel on the 1st night he & I were sniffing around. It was a very small room and mom was standing in the 2-3 ft space btw the bed & the wall fixing out dinner. Iggy was sitting next to her waiting, and I wandered over to check out a bone on the ground. Iggy yelled at me to back away from the food, I yelled back at him to shut up and that made him scared so he went to snap at me......... but bit mom's foot. He tore her skin in 3 places and made a very deep puncture on the side. Her foot was very bloody and painful for several days. Despite all this mom wasnt too concerned since it was just an accident, but then 2 nights ago she found a healing puncture Iggy gave me on my rump at the dog park last week, and that is what made her realize, he is not safe living with other doggies. Well, Ill let mom take over here to explain better:

Long story short, Iggy was likely not socialized with other dogs much as a puppy. This has left him with rough social skills, and now apparent poor bite inhibition. While he is not quick to bite during a scuffle, the level of his bite is just too hard to make him a safe candidate in our home. He is also quick to get defensive (out of fear due to lack of dog-dog skill and knowledge) during normal dog-dog communication, and thus he gets into arguements often. It has not been a big deal, as Brock is very skilled at avoiding/deflecting conflict, and Royal doesnt mind it (for the most part), but he & Alki both have this same issue, and the risk of them getting into fights is always high (with management they've only had 2 scuffles- this was in the beginning when I was seeing where their limits were- no damage was done as I intervened right away). With the new knowledge of his poor bite level, I just do not think it wise to risk anything. I also feel that with our new and unexpected (at the time of his adoption) life change, he would truly be happier as an only dog, where he can get the attention he so THRIVES on. I also know he would excell as a performance dog, and as someones only dog, he'd get that chance to really shine. It has been a long and very hard road, I have put so much into him, and have come to adore him so much, we all do, I have made a lot of sacrifices for him, and have been willing to make things work, but it just does not make sense anymore for him to stay here. I hate this, I feel like Ive failed him, like Im giving up on him. This is his 2nd home, not including the foster home he lived in for 6 months before I got him. It really doesnt make sense, as he is one of the most fabulous dogs Ive ever met. He is fearless, outgoing, one of the friendliest and affectionate dogs Ive ever known, playful, SMART AS A WHIP, just a joy to be around. His zest for life is infectious. Its going to be the hardest thing Ive ever had to do, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is for the best.

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know. I hope you enjoyed getting to know this one of a kind little guy through the blog. We will miss him so much................................

*****WE LOVE YOU IGGY!!!!!*****

(hey guys, Im not gone *yet*!!)