It doesn't help me feeling that this is all my fault (well, OH's) and that I should be looking at rehoming my dog. Maybe on a farm, a working dog, as a ratter maybe. It would absolutely break my heart to do this as he is a huge part of our lives.
So, not really a question, just sharing a dilemma...
Hi Diddy G - If today hadn't happened the way it did, I guess it wouldn't be in your thoughts tonight about rehoming Brodie. So, please take your time to recover from a traumatic day, and your neighbours, hopefully.
I imagine you'll already have gone through things a thousand times about the chain of events that started the whole thing off and be thinking how to try to minimise that happening again.
Barley's comment below sums up BT's perfectly I think ....
in a split second
A border underground, facing prey much bigger than them, can't afford to take a second 'second' to think. That ability to think independently away from their handler is their greatest strength as a working dog. And probably their least acceptable trait when living as a pet dog, when they hive off on a mission or with smaller animals next door that they don't distinguish as pets.
You'll already know all that - much, much better than me right now, as I just have a border pup - but maybe others are less familiar with these wonderful dogs.
Don't beat yourself up about things that are done and you can't undo, and think about what needs to happen next.
Apart from my farming neighbour trying to adopt my dog - she thrives on activity that makes her focus and think, so when she's a little older I'm thinking about investigating agility - or something similar.
Hope you're ok x