my wife and i take great pride in being good dog owners. they really are part of our family. i want to believe that the shelter is doing this because it is in the best interest of the dog and us, but it feels like a power trip.
you are probably right. though. the whole time i was trying to convince myself, what does it hurt having the dogs get more acquainted. but at the same time, i know we are more than capable of acclimating the dogs. but, like you implied, we should not punish the dog if we think we can give it a good home and really want it.
just to be clear, i do understand that getting a dog is a big decision and i would never return a dog (unless it was violent and aggressive with my child or something that severe), i just know we are capable of acclimating the dogs together and resent having to jump through hoops. but we really do like the dog so perhaps we should put our egos aside and keep working at it.
Yeah, I've been thinking about getting a second dog too. We have a nice fenced backyard. Plenty of room to run. I was going to get one while my wife is back in D.C. visiting her sister. But a couple of years back when she was away and I got a dog, well let's just say she didn't take it well. She was more pissed about me getting that dog--our current dog--than the year before when I got a motorcycle. Or the year before that when I got a Remington 700. Now she's best friends with the dog. So maybe...
You sound like my dad, always buying a new car or TV when no one is home for a few days.