Crazy dog

So for those of you who don't know, we have 2 dogs. Oreo and Dakota. Oreo used to be 2nd in command (we've had her since Feb.2007) when we had Princess, who passed away after having a stroke in Dec.2008. So thinking that Oreo needed a companion, we searched and found a free playmate for her on CL in Feb.2009. She was a lab/shepard mix. Well it's been almost a year and a half that we've had her, and I'm at about my wits end. For those of you who know, I've always been a real animal lover. I worked at a vet clinic from age 14-18, and then worked at PetSmart for a few summers during college. I've loved my dogs I grew up with and babied them. I loved Dakota for the first 6 months or so we had her, she was quiet and shy and needed love. She was sweet and snuggily. Well, all that changed a long time ago. She's still sweet, and is great with the kids, not agressive at all. But she has been getting on my last nerve lately. She has the appetite of a horse, she has the bark of a large german shepard. But it's the barking thing that is driving me crazy. She barks at 6am right outside our bedroom window, and then almost on a daily basis, she gets a stupid squirrel stuck in the tree and barks at it all day. Being spanked with a shoe doesn't even phase her anymore, and she's even had some water dumped on her. But then the next day, it's like groundhog day all over again. I know, you're saying well why don't we take her to training classes. She's good on basic behaviors, it's the barking issue. And did I mention when we first had her she destroyed our backyard digging up everything that I had planted! I don't even feel like it's worth the $35 dollars for a bark collar.

So it's come to the point that I am seriously thinking of taking her with us this 4th of July weekend and giving her to my parents at the farm. They take in dogs from friends, and have even taken a dog from us before that didn't work out before we had Oreo. They go through so many dogs out in the country. Some will wander off, others have gotten taken by people driving by. One even was just re-united with it's owner. And some have "bought the farm" due to whatever circumstances, sickness, old age etc. My parents treat the dogs like royalty. Giving them large amounts of food to eat, and 160 acres to roam around on. Who wouldn't like that life? I'm thinking that Dakota sure wouldn't mind. She's made my great grandma afraid of her, because she's a relentless jumper, and she just doesn't mind. Oreo, who is a border collie, is a smart, bright, intelligent dog, and trained easily, even though she didn't have formal training per say. Dakota chases her around and nips at her backside and roams around the perimeter of the yard eating bugs. She's a shepard/chow/lab/terrier mix of craziness, and I have really had enough. I feel no affection, or attention whatsoever to her. I have never felt like this to a dog that I've owned in my life, and I honestly love dogs. And it's like at this point I don't even care what happens to her. I think it's just time for us to be a one-dog family for a while.