I made a horrible mistake. I was not cut out to be a dog owner. What was I thinking? Hell, this 60lb black lab at six months old gets into more trouble than my toddler and more difficult to care for. I think we have about decided to find her a new home. I believed we could be a family with a dog, but we can't give her the amount of time and attention she needs or wants. I have failed at dog ownership.

I believed I was so prepared! I read all the right books, bought all the right equipment, and searched for the right dog. When we brought Indigo home it was easy. She was easy to housebreak, was not chewing on the furniture or jumping on the furniture. A few months passed and everything seemed to be going well. Then when she was about four months old, destruction became this dogs name and the biting began. She started acting very aggressive. I became intimidated. I didn't want to play with her because it became a battle of wills. We both wanted to be the Alpha female, and I was letting her win. Jeff was not having much luck with her either. We talked to our vet, who said that Labs were high maintenance when they were puppies and to give it time. Obedience training was brought up. There is so much to chose from. I went to register for a class and it was full. I bought a book about training using a choke collar so I went out and bought one. Did it help? A little, but when she isn't on it she is very aggressive and still bites.

The bites are painful but they aren't done maliciously. I know the dog is only playing around, but my arm is not a chew toy. Wild Child is afraid of her. Something I never wanted and the whole purpose to introducing a puppy to our family was that Wild Child would enjoy her and get over her fear of dogs.

The dog is obedient and submissive to only one member to our family. The cat. Barney, our older gray tabby, takes nothing off the dog. He has never scratched the dog, but he has hissed and popped her in the nose a few times with his paw. When Barney is around the dog acts like a lamb.