I talked to her about that. In the past my family had to give up a pet that we couldn't deal with, and that pet was rehomed and he was much happier with his new family. It's a sad and difficult decision but sometimes it's best for the animal.

The idea of giving him back really upsets her. When her roommates first said that to her she refused to talk to them for days. She gets angry and says it's a ridiculous thing to ask, of course she would never give him back, it's stupid to even consider it. She was fairly upset with me when I suggested it, went so far as to say we are all putting a lot of pressure on her to fix it or else.

I tried to get her to elaborate on her feelings but I can't really tell the cause. Maybe she feels like it would be a personal failure if she can't solve this problem. She seems really emotionally committed to a particular outcome, where she keeps the dog at all costs - she said the roommates could just move out if they don't like him, and I feel she suggested that she would rather break up with me than give the dog back.