A local trainer here sells CBD. He said we would likely need 7-14 mg 2x per day to see a change, if any, which means a roughly $40 bottle will last me 10 days at the high dose, 20 days on the low end. I don't think I can do that. It's already a tough sell for my DH and the cost will just be an absolute no.
Connie, I honestly don't think I could choose to PTS. He is super happy and pleasant without his triggers. The question just becomes finding someone that will take him. My boss is going to come out to do a consult for me as if I were a client and give me a second set of eyes to watch his reactions and body language. I just find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place. I am coming ever closer to the conclusion that he can't stay here. And if he can't stay here, and I can't find an appropriate place to send him, what do I do? If I rehome him, I lose control of what happens to him. So I will have to be exceedingly careful that he goes to savvy home. I need someone with the ability to read body language and the ability to manage him carefully. Or simply never take him anywhere or have guests. If he hurts someone because whoever he goes to isn't experienced enough or doesn't take him seriously, I will have to carry that as much as I would carry guilt for making any other choice. Alternatively, I suppose he could go to a less skilled home in the boonies. He would make a decent watch dog for a country property. So long as anyone they didn't want bitten was given proper warning, they'd be ok, I guess.
From my search before, no rescues would take him due to his bite risk. I guess in my effort to explain that I wasn't just dumping him for convenience I made him sound too scary. I don't know. I didn't get any messages back from the rescues I emailed. I had one lady that posted him on her website for several weeks and I got zero bites. I did put in that post that his new home has to be within driving distance. Maybe lifting that restriction would open up some new options. I do feel that living with us doesn't ever let him decompress completely. My kids are a stressor to him on some level, so I feel like he is constantly operating just under threshold. Even coming to work with me is another place where he gets elevated. He blew up today at a new employee at work who was standing in the hallway with his back to him. New person! New person! Must scare them away even though they are not looking at me! It's kind of like the thing I tell so many students... dog's don't generalize well. Zeke is definitely the poster child. He KNOWS his people and everyone else is DANGER! Especially those unpredictable, loud, miniature humans.
My most recent lightbulb moment was to maybe start shooting some video of him. Lots of his tricks, skills, and affectionate nature. Perhaps a couple of his bad reactions to send privately to serious inquiries. Then I could put together a webpage or something to showcase his good side and see if I get any bites from people. I am also thinking of heading out to the local hunt training day next month to see if he will show off a bit and get some video of that also. Basically market him and show off his pros while mentioning his cons and giving more detail to those that are genuinely interested. I would like to believe a better place is out there for him. They just seem really well hidden and tough to find. His dog-dog dynamic is tough also, but not impossible. He will be fine with proper introductions and management.
And then I look at him sleeping at my feet and my heart breaks and I just still can't believe this is happening.