Thinking About Finding Our Dog a New Home :(

I kind of hate these questions here because of the rude posts people invariably write, telling you that you should have thought of this before getting the dog in the first place. I'm not trying to fuss at you for asking here, but I just think that all it does is make you feel worse listening to rude comments from people who aren't getting their stuff shredded or having their babies woken by barking.

Anyway, I am of the firm opinion that dogs and owners should mesh with each other, and if they don't, there is nothing wrong with a parting of the ways. Pets are not people and when it comes down to it, like in your situation, they shouldn't be treated like it.

I hope you find a good home for the dog.

Good luck,
Dawn

I think Dawn's right, and I hope you don't get any rude posts. :) My husband and I were some of "those" people that had a dog and it didn't work out, for many reasons. What we did was put pictures on craigslist, and we were very selective to who we responded to. We found a girl who already had a dog and wanted to adopt another one, so we took our dog to meet her dog in a park, and we talked and let the dogs play together to see how they would do. From the get-go, they played and wrestled (so cute). The girl was really sweet, and she let us come visit him once before we moved away. We just wanted him to have a good home, and we definitely found a good match. I ended up giving her all of our puppy toys, bowls, blankets, etc. too. It was a good decision, and a win-win for everyone. Good luck, I know it's hard.

Poor Dog - he's only doing what dogs do, to try to be part of the family he loves, who is now ignoring him.

With all of these issues he has, I wonder who you think is going to want to adopt him? Or are you just going to fail to mention his barking, jumping, shedding, etc? If you aren't upfront about all of his issues, you run the risk of his new family dumping him as well.

If you adopted him from a rescue (well, a reputable rescue), you probably signed an adoption contract that states if you ever have to give him up, you're required to contact the rescue first.

If you're determined to rehome your dog, that's where you should start - contact the rescue you adopted him from. They might take him back into their rescue.

If you adopt him out personally, you'll run a lot of adopters off if you're too aggressive with home checks and such. Many people turn to personal adoptions to avoid those kinds of things from the shelters/rescues.

Should you surrender him to any kind of shelter/rescue (including the one he was originally adopted from), be prepared to be blacklisted by ALL rescues in your area. Surrendering an animal typically gets you put on a "Do NOT adopt" list and most agencies in an area share that do not adopt list amongst themselves. They don't want to adopt a pet out to you, knowing you've been fickle towards non-human animals in the past.

I hope your dog finds a loving family, who will incorporate him into family life, and give him lots of love and attention.

When my kids were young, our dog was not allowed in the living room. We gated it off. Plus it gated the kids "in" :) As they got older, they could kind of push the gate open themselves, but by then the dog knew he was not allowed in there.
Maybe there is some way that you could "section" off your house?

This isn't about your child coming into your lives. This is about a dog that has no training or boundaries. I would suggest either finding another home for him or enlisting the help of a trainer. If you don't want to do the work to keep him (which is what you are saying), then let him live with an owner who will.

Your 18 month old will be fine. He loves the dog, but will not remember him after a month or so.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't leave my child in a home with the dog you describe. Our first sitter had an adorable, well-trained dog who really wasn't around the children. Occassionally Bailey would "visit" the children, but she was incredibly well-trained and it wasn't an issue.

My dog is half bichon and half lhasa apso. He's hyper as the day is long. We use a treadmill to keep him exercised. He is a barker when people come to the door, but only if he doesn't know them or hasn't seen them for awhile. But if we talk for too long, he barks to interrupt us, just like kids do. He jets out of the house if he gets the chance, runs like crazy sometimes, but not as much as he used to. We've had him since a puppy and he's never 100% trained. He has both kinds of accidents if we don't take him to the bathroom 8-10 times daily. Sometimes we even need to do more.

We do use a kennel and I do daycare. He's learned to be really good for up to an hour or two at a time. But if we have him out we take him to the bathroom every 30 minutes. Yes, it's exhausting.

You haven't mentioned kenneling him at all. Seems like he should be kenneled when you can't be right there to constantly correct him with the kids.

Barking wise, I'm probably going to get guff for saying it, but I've considered a bark collar so that I don't have to work so hard to keep him from barking when I meet new families. Right now, we get a family member to sit elsewhere with him when they first come to meet. We then have them bring him through, on the leash to sniff them and say hello.

I UNDERSTAND your dilemma. Food wise, NEVER, but NEVER let a dog be around kids that are eating. It's a bite waiting to happen.

No one is going to tell you what to do. But I just want to say that if you are not kenneling, he should be trained to use one part of the day.

If you are familiar with Craigslist, I would post the dog there. You can ask a modest 'rehoming fee' or simply give him to someone. You will also be able to have the person come over and see the dog first. Be honest about the dog, his flaws and his perks. One of our dogs is from Craigslist.
And don't feel so bad about doing this. Things change. Good Luck!

My beagle barks and I'm thankful. I had a habit of putting my beagle in a room when a vendor or individual came over. Well one time my mom by mistake let the dog out and the guy was scared until he saw her, He was like wow his bark is worse than him. He does his jobs let others who would be walking up and down the streets looking to rob a house. The bark is bigger than him so he is a sweet loving dog who loves my daughter and the whole family and keeps us safe. So I do my job I bathe him , feed him and give him love. Also it helps if you just give in and let him say hello to the guests . He is checking them out because he loves you. Be very careful who you give him away too. So many bad people out there.

Have you considered a "sleep away obedience training" school for Stuart? He can be taught. You will have to commit to not undoing his newly obedient ways.

My dog used to walk on "heel" never tugging at the leash, never chasing squirrels, sitting when we got to the corner, or I stopped to chat with someone. My father started walking her off leash in the nearby bridle paths ("because a dog needs to run wild") and her obedience training was all but undone. Fine for him, not good for me, the dog, or our son.

Luckily with some patience, and correction, she was restored to her obedient ways.

Anyhow, you can find way of living with a more obedient Stuart, if you choose to pursue that path. Where there's a will, there's a way.

I just asked the same question here a few days ago and frankly, my dog sounds just like yours ( the barking, the jumping, the bad behavior with guests, the hounding you for attention when you are trying to do things with the kids).

I don't want to say this, but it only gets harder when you have two kids. We were managing pretty well with one child and the dog, but when baby #2 came, there was less attention to go around, it became harder and harder to get that daily walk in and the dog's behaviour deteriorated even more.

Despite it all, I love the little guy and he can be so much fun, but he is such a bad fit for our family right now. We haven't made any decision yet, but are still considering looking into a terrier rescue and keeping him until they find him a permanant home.

It's such a hard decision. A lot of us are where you are right now. So sorry you're going through this. Funny how much pain and trouble a dog can cause us when they are just an animal!

We had to get rid of our wonderful dog when my son was born. It was one of the hardest decisions ever. She was a sweet basset hound, that had a heart of gold. The problem was it was too big and she was too curious and put our baby in danger one too many times.
We ended up giving her to basset hound rescue. Because we had to get rid of her quickly, she went to a foster home first. She ended up with a family without children. They assured us she was in a great home. Check in to beagle rescue. I hear you on the hair thing too. We just lost our Lab to cancer. We were thinking of getting another Lab, but I am really enjoying not having hair all over and lint brushes within reach at all times.
Good luck to you!!!

I SO know how you feel. I have two fur-babies myself, one of which my husband is always wanting to get rid of. They bark when someone comes to the door and Foxy will bark at you the whole time your in the house cause she is a scardy butt! Fate is younger and has to be all in your face licking you and jumping up for hugs (cuz daughter taught her to!) OMG THE FUR!! Yes its all chaotic and annoying! I put them both in the kennel when we have company or they are getting under foot too much.

I could not imagine getting rid of them though. Not that you should not do that if it is what is right for ya'll. Maybe try getting a kennel or leaving him outside sometimes? I would try everything before letting him go.

We have two little dogs -- lots of hair -- and one dog is very co-dependent and nervous. Our daughter has learnt how to interact with her and not threaten her. I could not leave her and the dog unsupervised when my daughter was younger. So it's hard being vigilant, and it's a lot of work. The other doggie pees everywhere (was a rescue). Yup, drives me crazy but the two dogs are company for each other and I don't have to feel guilty about spending less time with them since my daughter came along. I couldn't give them up though. I'd try training first. But if you are as careful about finding a home as you say, there's no reason not to try.

It would not be horrible to do, and given what you have described, it probably is best for both your family and the dog. My family had beagle when my brother was four and I was a newborn. He, too, was a handful. Eventually, my parents found him a new home. My mom says once he was gone, she realized that she was spending more time and energy taking care of the dog than she was of her children. An exaggeration, I'm sure, but shows how a pet that doesn't fit within the family's needs really can suck up time and energy. If you find the dog a good and loving home and make your whole family function better, then do it. Once it is done, you likely will realize that both you and the dog are happier. PS - we had a cat who died when my son was just over one. He asked about the cat every once in a while for a few weeks, but then forgot. Good luck.