I need to rehome my rescue dog - rescue won’t help. What now?

[MumDancing]

I got my first rescue last year and it went so well, we decided to get another. We found a ‘reputable’ rescue group that essentially helps smaller rescues abroad to find homes for the animals and got our second dog in March.

Things were difficult immediately as my resident dog would not accept the newcomer. I spent a lot of money on a force free trainer and equipment to resolve the problem. Eventually, my resident dog reluctantly accepted him.

However, this was when the real problems started. He absolutely torments my first dog who is only 4kg to his 10kg. He is far too rough, dragging her around by her tail and drawing blood daily during play. He also regularly bites her around the throat. Additionally, he resource guards, has separation anxiety, is destructive in the home, snatches food from my young children and has bitten (not broken skin though) every family member.

I made the decision that we are simply the wrong home for him (he needs to be an only dog in an adult home) so I contacted the charity to ask for their help as stated in the contract. However, they have been next to useless and are now ignoring my emails (I have been very polite and only sent an email once every two weeks to one month with new photos as they said this will help - they neither reply nor update his profile). Nobody has shown any interest in him and when they were responding, they just said it would ‘take time’. It’s been 4 months now.

I have approached another rescue but they won’t take him due to his issues. I’m having to keep the dogs separated and step in during their play fighting and as a result, his issues are getting worse and new problems arising. He is now showing aggression towards me. I can’t tell you how distressing this all is and I worry Daily he will seriously hurt one of us or kill my first dog.

I feel so stupid for not ensuring the rescue I was using had a back up plan for failed adoptions. They don’t even have a complaints policy. They are not interested in helping and I’m stuck with a dog I cannot cope with.

What on Earth do I do next?

[MrsJayy]

Contact dogs trust they might take it the dog sounds out of control which must be stressful. Btw you might get totally flamed for taking another dog on.

[DitaVonPeas]

If you can't rehome in a timely fashion I think you'd be justified in pts to be honest. You can't carry on like this indefinitely.

[MumDancing]

I’ve tried dogs trust already.

I realise I might get flamed but I actually asked here and on a Facebook dog rescue page both about adopting a second dog and specifically about potential issues with the size difference. I was told to go for it and the size difference wouldn’t matter.

This has already been a very hard lesson so a flaming won’t make that worse.

[fadehead]

I don’t say this lightly but I also think you might have to pts. It’s going to be nigh on impossible to rehome an aggressive dog.

[fadehead]

I see no reason that you would be flamed either - you’ve made sensible decisions all the way, tried your very best and it’s just not worked out.

[DogInATent]

Which rescues/organisations have you already approached? - you'll need to name them, and say where in the country you are to get quick and useful help that doesn't repeat what you've already done.

As above, Dog's Trust would be the first organisation I'd try and if they can't help ask them for suggestions as to other organisations that may be able to help.

You could ring the RSPCA for advice on organisations that may be able to help. I would not expect the RSPCA to take on your dog, it's sounds like it's almost certainly outside the scope of their normal rescue activities (every rescue organisation is slightly different, you need one that accepts "problem" dogs). Ring your local shelter for this advice and ask to speak to the shelter manager - you'll get better advice than ringing the national number.

Would you consider sponsoring your dog in foster care? i.e. if someone was to provide it with a home would you cover the ongoing food and vet/insurance costs? - if so, make that known to the organisations you contact. Have you got a friend or family member that may take in the dog under these conditions? - it may be that being the only dog in a household helps resolve at least some of the issues (or take the edge off them).

Secondly, please do make people aware of your story when posts come up about adding a second dog to a settled single dog household or whenever overseas/street dog adoptions are mentioned. There's a lesson for everyone here.

[Soubriquet]

If you can't rehome in a timely fashion I think you'd be justified in pts to be honest. You can't carry on like this indefinitely.

I agree with this

There are thousands of dogs in the uk who need a home and one who bites, guards resources and can’t be in a home with another dog will struggle to rehomed let alone accepted into a rescue centre

[BiteyShark]

I think you will struggle to rehome. So many dogs, not enough spaces and yours has shown aggression.

Have you an idea in your head on how long you can wait for a potential rescue place? I think you are between a rock and a hard place.

[Penguins1]

Sorry to hear your woes with this. We have a dog which is considerably big (28kgs) and I wouldn't say it's necessarily the size / weight difference causing the problems. You mentioned your 2nd rescue for is from abroad. I guess with any rescue, the threat of the unknown being aggression is higher than a standard puppy but being from abroad where the culture for dogs may be different or the dog may have been a street dog can affect it's development and behaviour.
All animals are capable of being aggressive and cannot communicate with us like us humans can. However it does sound pretty intense that your dog has bitten every family member and is showing aggression towards your 1st rescue dog. I'm appalled the adoption place isn't taking the dog back in this type of situation. Have you tried breed specific adoption place? What breed/s is your dog?

[MrsJayy]

I think I agree with a pp it might be kinder to Pts or at least keep them seperated . The reason I said op might get flamed as I have read many a dog thread where the op is struggiling and gets ripped to shreds for thinking of rehoming.

[powershowerforanhour]

I reckon the chance of a dog like that getting a suitable long term home where he and his new family will be happy and safe are slimmer than the chances of him languishing for months or forever in a row of kennels at a shelter, so I'd probably euthanase. You tried your best and it's not your fault.

[Soubriquet]

I worked in a rescue once where a dog resource guarded. He was rehomed and returned multiple times.

He would stand in doorways and not let people through. He would grab phones and refuse to let go. He was a bearded collie so wasn’t exactly a small dog either

It got to the point where no staff member could walk him because he would bite if you tried to get him back in his kennel.

If you entered the kennel he would stand at the door and refuse to let you out.

There were times he spent the entire night out tied to the post because we couldn’t get him back in

I kept telling the owner of the rescue he needed to be pts as it wasn’t a fair existent for him. He could never be rehomed

She kept refusing

About a year later she finally agreed, except her husband refused

She told him fine but he would be completely responsible for the dog as no staff member were to risk themselves for him anymore

He built a pen in the yard with a kennel inside and that was where he stayed. The bloke would go in to clean him out and occasionally give him cuddles but that was it

I left the place not long after that so not sure what happened to him

Being pts is not the worst thing that can happen to an animal. They don’t think in the future. They are all about the now

[MrsJayy]

I can't believe the rescue is not supporting you that is so irrisponsible (sp) of them.

[Kokeshi123]

Look, even if you can find a shelter that is mug enough to take this dog on, what is the actual practical result of this? There are only a limited number of slots for rescue dogs in any given society; when one of those slots gets taken up by a dog that no sensible person is going to want, then a decent dog that could make a good pet is going to end up being euthanized in order to make way for them. PTS, for goodness' sake. This is not a suitable pet.

[MumDancing]

Thanks everyone.

He is a beagle cross and was taken in as a puppy. The rescue actually said that they didn’t understand where his issues had come from since he was taken in as a puppy, implying I’d caused them. I think it’s a combination of his dominant personality and being in the wrong home. The rescue said they don’t want him to be moved around but I don’t think that would be as damaging as leaving him in what is clearly the wrong place for him while allowing our family to be put at risk.

The worst part about it is that he’s an amazing little dog when he’s on his own. Very affectionate, intelligent and loving and he’d make the perfect dog for the right home. This makes me reluctant to PTS. I don’t even know how I’d go about that? Would my vet just agree? He’s not aggressive all the time either but it’s getting to be a daily occurrence when I’m having to move him to another room as I can’t leave him unsupervised ever. He knows what’s coming and has started to react to my approaches.

I’m in Yorkshire. I’ve tried dogs trust and rspca - dogs trust said if I hadn’t heard anything after a week it means they can’t help. Rspca told me to google rescues and ask them.

[BiteyShark]

MrsJayy I think the difference here with other threads where the OP gets flamed is that it's a rescue with aggression and OP has done everything right (apart from choose a rubbish rescue but hindsight is a great tool). She has paid for trainers and tried to manage the situation and now when it's obvious the dog can't stay she is doing the right thing by contacting the original rescue.

Most people only get flamed for wanting to rehome a dog because they are bored, it exhibits normal dog behaviour or they have replaced it with a baby and simply don't want it anymore. OPs situation is a world away from that.

[Ihaventgottimeforthis]

Last Chance Hotel are a rescue in SW that 'specialise' in difficult dogs, if you can call it that.
If you contact them for a discussion they may well have advice?

I'd say if LCH, or somewhere like it, can't help, then PTS must be an option. Neither of your dogs are happy at the moment, your family is unhappy too. There has to be a point where you call it a day and say you have done all you can.

[MrsJayy]

We got our rescue at 7 months he came fearful and can be aggressive which we deal with it isn't always bad owners sometimes the damage is done it is in them.

[MrsJayy]

You are right Biteyshark

[averylongtimeago]

He has bitten, adults and children. You have tried training with a professional, he resource guards.
It is only a matter of time before a serious incident.

You have 3 choices:
Keep him and take the risk, plus more training and segregation. Then pts when he bites someone hard.

Find a rescue to take him on. He could wait for ever for a home, or be rehomed only to bite again and then pts.

Pts now. Sometimes it is the kindest thing.

[BiteyShark]

OP if you told your vet what you are telling us then I can't imagine they would try and talk you out of PTS. After all he is aggressive to your first dog drawing blood, showing aggression to you and the behaviour is getting worse. You have paid for training, the original rescue won't help and none of the other reputable ones can either. And the fact that he is an overseas rescue his background is unknown.

[MumDancing]

I’m actually inclined to agree that PTS is sometimes the best option, it’s just hard when I love him and see the positives in him to know that that is definitely the best course of action. I still feel like there is potential for him in the right home but I also know that home may never be found.

I’m blaming myself a lot too but I’m not in a position to work through that number of issues. If it was one or two things, I didn’t have another dog and children to think of, perhaps I could.

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

Please do not ask on here where you are just getting opinions from a lot of people that know nothing about dog behaviour or rescue if the threads above are anything to go by!

Do not blame yourself but do recognise that getting a dog from abroad is always a risk -many of the rescues are a small group of people with no training and little back up as you have now found out. ALWAYS ask what will happen if you have to return the dog to them - you need written confirmation that they have a residential place for the dog in all situations.

Personally I would feel very guilty that I brought a dog to this country and then pts as it had issues that I did not have the time to deal with - this is something that has to be considered when homing an animal - they do have issues!

If you are dealing with a qualified behaviourist then they will be in a position to help find a rescue place or new home. They should be willing to write a report and include training plan and an assessment - so that would be my first port of call at the moment.

Also for all those MN's that slate residential training this is exactly the situation where it can help if the training is carried out by a behaviourist and a dogs life can be saved -so ask your behaviourist - if you want to pm I can check the qualifications of the one you are using.

In the short term you will need to keep the dogs separate.

[MumDancing]

Yep, I realise now it was an oversight not to check what happens if the adoption doesn’t work out. The reason I didn’t is because this is a high profile charity, currently running a campaign with celebs and a fashion designer and had all the contracts etc you’d expect. They don’t actually run a shelter themselves, they provide a checking/advertising service for smaller charities. Lesson learned and I will certainly pass this knowledge on if I see any posts asking.

This was my second adoption from abroad. The first one went really well and we have overcome her many problems (except the frequent scent marking due to being tormented by the newer dog). She’s a brilliant little dog.

The behaviourist I used was one of founding members of ADTP so I know she’s qualified. Her prediction was that it wouldn’t work out long term and i’d likely need to rehome but was happy to work with me because i was committed to resolving the problem. She was angry that they’d placed this dog with us and also that they’d asked me to foster his brother temporarily after his adoption fell through so it was a bad start all round. But, hindsight and all that.

My main issue is that he shouldn’t really live with other dogs and I don’t know if you can train a dog out of that? Or he needs to be matched with the right dog.

I am doing my best to find somewhere to take him but what do I do if there isn’t anywhere? The longer he stays here, the worse his problems become making it less likely he can be rehabilitated. I feel stuck in an impossible situation