To wonder why so many people rehome their dogs

I bet a sizeable chunk are due to relationship breakdown coupled with housing issues. Some will be due to illness or death. Very often it is the best thing for the dog. My dog is a rescue and it took him about 30:seconds to realise we were his new family and he was in his new home - dogs are very adaptable. I rehomed an unhappy cat once. She was crying to go out where she would promptly get beaten up by the neighbourhood cats. She wouldn’t use the catflap, couldn’t settle in the house and couldn’t go outside. My other cat was absolutely fine but this one was anxious and distressed. We tried her out at a friend’s more rural place as an only pet and she settled fine.

I think rehoming a dog for unforseeable life situations is, of course, reasonable - and a devastating decision to have to make. I don’t judge in those situations.

If people have a baby and then decide to rehome the dog for convenience then I do judge. A pet isn’t a practice baby, and it’s something you think about when you get the dog. I also judge people who rehome dogs because they didn’t research suitable breed traits etc.

I’ve seen a lot of Fb posts with people asking about rehoming and being attacked- personally I think a dog is better off out of a home where people are unsure whether they can manage/ mind them.

We have an escape artist dog- he’s dug under a fence, broken a fence and a gate and gotten out a front door. I love him to tatters so would never dream of rehoming him but if someone else had him- their life and his would be hell because it’s difficult to not get insanely stressed/ bitter etc (he’s an idiot of a tail waggy legend though, he’s worth the head off wall banging moments!)

I absolutely judge people who rehome dogs. Sorry, but I fled serious domestic violence with a toddler, became extremely ill and ended up disabled in a wheelchair with very high needs disabilities, and have had to move house a number of times. Never once would I have dreamed of palming my dogs off.

Most people rehome dogs because they're either thick, entitled, or both. They don't research, they go on the first website they find with puppies for sale, pick something close to home and from a puppy farmer, then are done with it in a few weeks when it gets too much. Then, because they didn't get it from a reputable breeder, there's no return to breeder contract, so they just get shot of it. It is absolutely foul, and really, really makes me angry.

Then there are the entitled ones who want a dog NOW and they feel as though they should be given a dog from anyone, including reputable breeders who ask them questions and deem them unsuitable. Then they go and get aforementioned puppy farmed dog because that's all someone will sell them

If people only bought puppies from reputable breeders, there would be NO dogs in rescue. None. Zero. Imagine that. All reputable breeders take dogs back at any stage in their life.

But, people won't use reputable breeders. They're not willing to wait, they're not willing to travel, they don't meet the breeders requirements (haven't done any research, wrong breed for lifestyle etc), they want to breed in the future. Entitlement, uneducated, impatience and unintelligence, always.

Lots of people just get pets, especially dogs, without thinking of the long-term commitment.

I do think though that often having a baby is often a valid reason to re-home a dog. Better a re-homed dog, than a stressed/anxious/reactive dog and a bitten child. Or a stressed mother with PND who feels overwhelmed by the dog. I do wish people would think ahead in detail about what breed might be suitable if they know they're planning children in the future, though obviously you can't predict how a dog will react. It just seems like common sense though that something like a lab will be better suited than terrier breeders with high prey drive!

I love animals. I have two cats, and used to have 10 rats. I'm now down to 4. I also have a 1 year old baby. Tbh I couldn't stand any of the animals when she was first born until she was about 4 months old. I was adjusting to motherhood, and felt overwhelmed. It's passed now, but I've made my decision to re-home my remaining rats. I genuinely love them to pieces and have owned rats for a long time, but imo sometimes as an owner the best decision you can make is to re-home. I want them to go somewhere they can get more free roam time than I can currently provide. The cats are staying. Believe it or not, the rats are far higher maintenance than the cats!

We took on a rescue dog who had been bought as a puppy by a family that had a toddler and a baby and just couldnt cope with him - a german shepherd. We had 3 teenagers, DH wfh most of the time etc etc so thought we would be right for him… he was completely reactive to other dogs and even people so only DH was able to walk him. We spent lots of money on trainers etc. but when he started biting us and nipped 12year old DS2 on the face and drew blood we knew we couldnt take the risk of him really going for one of the kids.

I think some rescue centres tell fibs. My dog went through two homes before me and I 100% understand why they both gave him back!

Also just to say the breeder who took him on has no idea of the complexity of the situation- as far as they know it was just that our circumstances changed because obviously there was an open investigation happening and I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. So just because you're seeing a dog being rehomed doesn't mean you're getting the full reason why. Obviously some people are naive or irresponsible but you don't always get the full picture.

I had to rehome my dog. When we took him on we had done our research and knew we could handle the commitment, time and energy wise and financially. He was the best dog ever and he had a really good life with us. Then I found out my stbxh was up to his eyeballs in trouble and had been leading a second life and my marriage broke down. He couldn't keep the dog because he knew he was going to prison and I couldn't afford to keep him and put food on our child's table plus I was temporarily homeless as a result of stbxh actions so I couldn't find anywhere to live that would have accepted him. He went back to the breeder who I still keep in touch with and I'm so grateful to them for taking him because I know they'll look after him well but it was absolutely devastating and I miss him every day. So many things I will never forgive my stbxh for but putting me in a position where I had to say goodbye to our dog is top of the list.

I don't think it's fair to make blanket statements and label people lazy, people's circumstances can change without it being foreseen. I had genuinely zero idea what stbxh was at, i wouldn't have been with him if I'd so much as suspected.

When I worked in a rescue most of the dogs coming in from owners were complex situations, the rest were sadly from puppy farms and their medical needs were unsustainable.

Of course we can judge! It’s an open forum. It happens all day long on here. I can honestly say with certainty that I won’t be rehoming any animal unless I get dementia or die. Everything else will be worked round.

I agree. I follow a lot of rescue pages and the reasons are ridiculous. Moving abroad, deciding to foster so the dog has to go, relationship breakdown, new baby, new allergy. It’s awful & the rescues are bursting. Not to mention these poor dogs, some elderly, being turfed out of their home. They do get sad, they do get stressed and they do wonder why they’re not with their family.

My belief is it’s death do us part and that’s it. Nothing elae would make me rehome my dog. Think about how you’re going to manage to care for this dog for potentially 15 years bwfore you commit to it.

I agonized for years over getting a cat. Wanted to make sure I could give enough time and care to a pet. I ran though a lot of scenarios. I even have a home lined up for her in case I die!

I appreciate life changes - but a lot of reasons given are predicable. It doesnt take a genius to work out it’s hard to find time to walk a high energy dog if you have a baby. Or it’s expensive to kennel a dog when you go on holiday. Or dogs can get sick and vet bills are expensive. Or some breeds need training. Or if you rent and move around a lot it can be hard to find a landlord that accepts dogs.

people seem shocked by the most obvious facts.

So we’re looking for a puppy just now, I’ve rejected 2 breeders so far who had red flags that made me think byb.

whilst looking I came across the usual sad rehoming posts but one stuck out, two sisters, one has just had a litter one pregnant. Apparently relationship has broken down, pups for sale too, those poor dogs. If the owner really cared for them they’d be going to a breed rescue not being advertised at £800 and £1600 cash machines.

Im looking for a puppy due to having cats I cannot risk a rescue even if they say they are good with cats.

Yep my mum volunteers at an animal shelter at weekends and she says they are full to the brim with all sorts of pets looking for a new home. It doesn't bode well for people raising children if they throw the towel in with their pets.

I emailed the breeder with an enormous epic about her dogs, her lines, dogs 5 or 6 generations back that I’d known and how my previous dog fit into her pedigrees. Also the breeders I’d got childhood dogs from, who she knew as the show world is fairly small.

then I went into the breed issues and how I’d had them before and dealt with them.

i probably terrified her tbh 😂. I was that child though, when we got a puppy I went straight to the library and read everything ever published on the breed. Plus a couple of racehorse biographies 😂

anyway she got back to me saying I’d pretty much answered every question and if I was interested she had a 6m old puppy she was retiring from show because he didn’t enjoy it. And here he is next to me 😂

Life isn't straightforward. We can't always predict the future. Don't judge, one day you might have to do something you never imagined you'd do, or that you judged others for ...

Too many people get dogs based on their looks over their temperament - it really pisses me off

Lots of reasons and they sometimes lie about why when handing them over. I foster for a rescue and have had about 15 dogs here in the last 3 years. The one right now her owner died suddenly, 2 of them the owners had to relocate overseas, several had more than one dogs and they were fighting, a couple were just dumped in a park, one had been used for breeding and they wre done with her - they just chucked us the lead and slammed the door in our faces. But some of those reasons may not have been true as people are often embarrassed/ashamed about getting rid of their pets

I have seen the dog regret frequently in my friend group over the years.

what usually happens is kids really really want a puppy. Dad researches a little and decides he wants a trendy, expensive dog. Usually mid sized breed and high energy (lots of huskies and working cockers). A lot of ‘jokey’ comments from them that they don’t want a hand bag dog.

about six months or a year in dad and kids lose interest. Mum is left doing all the work. Dog then only responds to mum beciase that’s where he gets food, walked and cuddles. Kids get annoyed.

Our lovely dog was rehomed to us after a relationship breakdown and his owner ended up in a city centre flat with an enormous miserable young dog. I am forever grateful for her giving him to us and every year he sends her a Christmas card with an update on his adventures. He is 9 now and she loves hearing from him!

Id agree with this. When I bought my current dog from a breeder I was asked more questions and held to a higher standard then I was when I had my own baby!!

I think part of the problem is the rise of back street breeders who sell way cheaper than ethical breeders. Ethical breeders will consider behavioural traits as well as other important considerations which means dogs from them are more likely to fit what the owner was after. Ethical breeders will also take the dog back in case of any issues including life changes so they’re protected from having to enter a shelter. Also social media portrays dogs as the final piece of a ‘happy family’. But again I’m not sure the correct breeds are chosen meaning more than should get returned usually for being hyper or neurotic/destructive behaviour.

Also unfortunately many of the working breeds are very aesthetically pleasing which causes the wrong owners to get them especially like the Aussie shepherd, GSD, border collies, spaniels.

Given almost everyone has internet on their phones, people are in more of a position to be educate about how to make a sensible choice - including if they should even have one but here we are, people just bloody mindedly wanting what they want to the detriment of the poor animal ultimately.

I do think it is better to admit defeat in a way and rehome your dog. Give them a chance to find an awesome home. Better to do that then let them suffer or be neglected.
In some cases, rehoming is a the best thing to do.