Advice Needed
Hi everyone. I have a 5 year old dog. She’s a staff mix I found in the street when on a road trip. I made the impulse decision to keep her and at first, I did lots of research. I socialized her I trained her I was a high school student so I recognize I made lots of mistakes. Fast forward to now, she’s very dog reactive and sometimes towards people. She’s a great dog at home very intelligent works fast through puzzles etc, very sweet and loving but very anxious. Anyway, I am working with a trainer about her reactivity and a vet about her anxiety.
So now, this is the real issue. I’ve been in an abusive marriage for going on 3 years now. I am completely financially dependent on them and we care for our dogs together. I don’t have anything saved and I can’t have a full time job due to nursing classes and clinical rotations. (I am now a nursing student) and I have very little time for the dogs but he fills in for those holes and when he’s out of town for work like every weekend I fill in those as well so they’re properly exercised and happy. I am starting to have thoughts about leaving the relationship over worsening abuse but I think about my dog first. I have ALWAYS and I still am against rehoming dogs. I made a choice, she didn’t, and it really hurts my heart. Especially with being reactive, it’s SO much harder and riskier. I can’t live with friends because they have cats and she has a very high prey drive so immediately no. Even if I do move in with someone and manage to find a way to work and study and stuff to pay rent, again, what about my dog? I can’t leave her for so many hours alone. I am so scared because having her means a lot of trouble in this specific situation I enerve thought I would be in.
Maybe there is a solution I haven’t thought of yet, if anyone can think of anything please let me know.