A short lived affair

I've been in tears all day struggling with this decision, but I feel I have to return Tucker. He is the sweetest boy and wants so badly to please, but our environment is not a good match for him. I believe he needs more stimulation than we can provide him. He barks/yips in the yard, house, car. Whether an obsession or a bad habit, it is a very large part of his personality—at least here. Perhaps he needs more space or a dog buddy—or more likely, a job.

Last night our neighbors were over. The mom is a vet tech and her daughter is around six and dog-savvy. They've both met Tucker before and the little girl has patted him. She's a very quiet little girl—and this is an understatement. Tucker was leashed to me. The little girl was very gently petting him, she wasn’t jumping or squeaking—or even speaking. When she stopped, Tucker starting nipping at her clothes. There is not a mean bone in his body, all he wanted to do was play. She didn't react and actually thought it was kind of fun. However, I immediately said “No!” and put Tucker on a down, then removed him from the situation.

Neither mom nor daughter were frightened or bothered by it, he didn’t make contact with skin, but I know that nipping is what he was bred to do. He nips at me if I race by him. I can’t help thinking in a different situation, if I should have my head turned and a small child comes running by…

My husband and I had a long talk about it last night and again this morning trying to determine the best next step. Tucker is a beautiful little boy dog who is very sweet and exhibits traits for which he was bred. I understand the learning curve with a new dog. I know training is a long process and needs to be viewed with the big picture/long term goals in mind. However, this made us assess our lifestyle and dog needs with his needs/breed.

Packworks felt Tuck was a medium-high drive dog. My take is he'd be happiest with a job whether it is actually working or working with someone who can consistently and regularly provide him with something to do (herding, agility). Not piecemeal, not every once and a while, not miles of long walks. (Even the seven miles yesterday didn't slow him down much.) If he isn't regularly engaged (and toys don't seem to hold his attention for very long), he isn't happy/is bored. I play with him in the yard, but if he loses interest in the game, there's the sky to deal with. I am not able to give him the amount of attention he seems to need.

We've been working on the leash and it still needs work. He sits for his dinner, waits to go out the door, walks my pace down stairs. He's very smart and very tender. While crying, he was curled at my feet. What is not to love about this dog? But for his sake and ours, I think he needs a different family.