We have two DDachshunds. They were my DM’s who lived in a granny flat attached to our house until she died suddenly and unexpectedly three years ago - we did all the feeding, walking, vet visits etc because she physically couldn’t, and they basically spent sun up until sun down on her lap under a blanket being stroked and spoiled.
DH and I both work FT and have two DCs, 7 & 5, so are incredibly busy, rarely home and have very little desire to have these lovely but demanding and fairly expensive dogs. We have done our best and have never neglected them - they’ve never missed a vaccination, get check ups every six months, hundreds of pounds spent on tooth-scaling (and extraction 🙄) every year, and we have a lovely dog walker take them for an hour every weekday so they’re not completely by themselves while we’re at work/school. They have full access to the house and large garden all day long, so it’s not like they’re left bursting to wee/poo either as they can take themselves out through a dog flap whenever they like. They have free access to the sofa when we’re home and sleep in our bedroom under their own king sized duvet at night, so they are well-loved and looked after - when we’re around.
DDachsie1, however, looks like she’s probably on borrowed time. She’s almost 13 - not old for a mini dachs, I know, but she’s increasingly frail, not eating, declining walks and the vet’s not happy with her latest blood tests.
DDachsie2, however, is a very sprightly 8. I sense he’s got years left in him. But...by himself in a house all day, broken up briefly by a dog walker with hours alone either side?
I’m very torn as to whether we should keep him or re-home him when DDachsie1 goes. We are absolutely, under no circumstances, getting another dog when she goes. DH and I would really prefer not to have the dogs at all as they’re extra effort we don’t need or want on top of very busy lives, but our DCs love them and we really do not want to give the message that if things get ‘hard’ with a dog, you give them away. We also think they’ve learned a lot about responsibility and caring for an animal by having them. DDachsie2 was also a rescue - he was ditched by a shitty breeder when she was done using him for stud, and DM was delighted to give him a life in the lap (literally) of luxury. I don’t want the poor thing to have another change of home when he was already unwanted elsewhere, but his quality of life now is/will be very different to what we expected when we assumed he would be spending his entire life on DM’s lap.
What are your thoughts and please be kind. I want, first and foremost, what’s best for DDachsie2.
If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The doghouse
To rehome or not?
ElphabaTheGreen · 08/02/2020 16:37
Go with a reputable "rehomer" and do not give it a second thought. I have always adopted older dogs. (Toileting in a new environment can sometimes be a problem but by no means always.)
If healthy, they are in demand by people not wanting a youngster racing around the place, so better to "let go" sooner rather than later.
A "rehomer" that places dogs in "foster homes" rather than kennels would be my preference as it is less upsetting for the dog.
Don't worry about him - you will miss the dog more than he misses you. Once he gets a new slave, you will be history 
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