[yorkietalkjilly]

Perhaps you should consider rehoming her to someone who will love her unconditionally and not complain about her illnesses, costs and take the time to train her properly when and how much to bark, how to behave at the door and around people. It sounds like maybe you have already broken faith with her and she has become a burden. I have very carefully read and re-read your post since you placed it, noting your tone and use of words particularly and they just don't sound like a person who is 110% committed to this dog. And that's what dog stewardship is - it is total and permanent commitment to them whatever comes. It is paying whatever it may take to keep them healthy. It is either taking the time to learn positive and loving behavioral modification techniques and implement them on a daily basis or learning to live with the behavior. If things have happened in your family and situation and you no longer feel you can keep that sort of relationship with her, despite how you and your oldest will miss her, she may be happier in another home through the rescue group here. I am sure there is a single woman or couple out there who would love to take this little girl. It is just the general mood of your post and that title of the post that seems to me at least to probably represent an already likely broken relationship. And this happens sometimes.

But if that is not the case and you are willing to do whatever it takes to keep her and can afford to treat her medical problems, start with studying and learning and applying daily scheduled training times for "behavioral modification" - just you and the dog. You will have to keep your family out of the picture during the early sessions. Keep the sessions loving, patient, positive, regular morning and night and short. Lots of praise and love when she does the right things. In no time at all, she will begin to learn that behaving is fun - and further, she will begin to learn through just doing it over and over during the training and reward, that doing what you say is automatic. That is the wonderful thing of behavioral modification training - they learn, kind of like Pavlov's dogs - to just automatically always respond to your direction. It is wonderfully rewarding and fun fun fun for your dog. And you will be so proud of her when she doesn't jump up on visitors or dart out the door or bark all night. You will begin to view her in a totally different light and see that it was not knowing her role in the house - that of follower to you the leader - that made her unruly. And you will be happy with her again! Dogs that think they have to sort of run things are often not very happy or settled but you taking the lead by modifying her behavior through regular and fun training, showing her true leadership along with infinite patience all the while, will help her beyond measure. But, oh, it takes learning properly how to do it right so buy some books on the subject, Google it and read, read, read. You will feel empowered and positive and realize that if you commit, you can fix this. The choice is really yours to make.