To consider rehoming rescue dog due to negativity from neighbours?

[LimeslemonsPomegranates]

Am I being unreasonable to think about rehoming my rescue dog? Other solutions? He was 4 years old when he came to us. He is a mixed breed lurcher and has had 4 different homes before us, he has been with us longer than anyone else. He was adopted from a rescue centre by a relative who then found the dog too much to manage, the children became attached so we took him on. We have had him about 5 years now but we've moved to a new area recently, but now he is causing us problems with our new neighbours and I think is being percieved as a pretty poor reflection on our family. It is a very tidy, affluent sort of area, and people here seem to be assuming the dog is neglected. We have another dog who is beautifully behaved that we bought and trained from a puppy who looks beautiful and never draws negative comments.

1. He escapes the garden occasionally, once every 6 months maybe, he would escape CONSTANTLY if not for the fact that I stand by the door and watch him or put him on a long lead. It is a rental, there is a very thin hedge and an unusual design feature of the landlords, with no fencing and no way to seal any of it up. I took my eye off the ball due to the toddler yesterday for 2 minutes, and he disappeared. Heavily pregnant, with a toddler, walking up and down scrubland and peering in gardens calling for the missing dog in the pouring rain ensued. A neighbour later knocked on the door, apparantly he had somehow got through into the street and been recognised. Neighbour gives me a polite telling off about being irresponsible for letting the dog escape as poor dog ownership and acted as if I had sat in the house oblivious. Obviously him escaping even occassionally is terrible, but expecting him to 100% never escape is completley unrealistic bar rehoming given his urge to wander is so strong, hence wondering if I am being unreasonable to consider it to avoid being labeled a bad dog owner. My other dog never leaves the garden, she is a velcro dog.
2. He smells really doggy, he has wiry terrier fur, washing causes him eczema, and when he is outside he has very strong wet dog smell. Everyone around here has a cockpoo or similar pretty/pedigree sort of dog that always look very well groomed, the lurhcer looks extremely out of place and 'mangy' just by virtue of appearance I suspect, I feel he is being discirminated against on some level for his looks. Our other dog is a very elegant pedigree and never gets any negative comments or assumptions of neglect. Should I wash him anyway? He is regularly trimmed and brushed, but still smells.
3. He has fleas apparantly. He has been flea treated, I am forever treating him for fleas. My other dog is treated on the same schedule and doesn't scratch or have signs of fleas, but he just seems to constantly be itching. I'm not sure this is truly fleas or just eczema/sensitive skin but the neighbours want to assume it is fleas it appears.
4. He barks all the time. Actually my other dog is the one that barks all the time while he is silent, I will give him that he is not a barker. My other dog has severe seperation anxiety and the neighbours are probably fed up of the barking every time we go out without her. I appreciate this must be very annoying for them, and I'm really not sure what to do about that. So rehoming him will not solve the problem of the barking for the neighbours.
5. He has to sleep in a crate, or be in the crate when not under supervision or he will without fail poo/wee on the wooden floors the moment eyes are off of him. I have tried everything and he still does it (and of course letting him out 8 times a day increases the risk of him running off!). Fortunately he will not soil his crate. This is just about manageable but is still a potential reason to rehome.

The children adore him, we are all attached to his quirky character, he is a lovely, friendly, playful dog, but very difficult to own. As a parent, the dog is causing me unnecessary stress I don't need and must be reflecting poorly on our family. Maybe we aren't the right family for him? Maybe he needs more than we can give him? Our other dog (apart from being the real barker) doesn't attract negativity on sight, and I feel we are being blamed for the rescue dog's bad behaviour and feral appearance as nobody knows he went through 4 homes before us. I assume this was due to these very reasons, but we thought we were doing a good thing by taking him on.

Securing the garden is down to you to keep your dog safe. Every dog owner needs to do this whatever the breed. His escaping could cause car accidents for example even if he’s no danger to humans just by wandering about, and no driver would want to kill or injure a dog, it could seriously upset and stay with them if they are dog owners themselves.
You need to get a thicker skin over any perceived neighbour comments over how your dog looks. He may not be the most handsome, but that’s fine.
Speak to a vet over the constant scratching. This can’t be very comfortable for him. Ditto the toileting in the house.
Giving him up at his age isn’t necessarily a kindness. How do you think he would cope in kennels? Do you genuinely think he would be easily rehomed?

If however you can no longer cope with the dog and would be prepared to let him go to a rescue because it’s too much to have him at home, then that’s another matter. Rehoming him over what you imagine the neighbours think is a bit, well, I find that v confusing if you say you are all attached to him.

If he gets plenty of exercise, then a trip to the vets to check out if he actually has fleas - not sure why he would, and your other dog wouldn't?... have you noticed any bites on yourself or family members? The vet can also check his skin. He must be fed up being itchy all the time, and as someone else mentioned, have you tried changing his food?

I’m normally against re homing but you don’t sound like the family that should have dogs. Or in fact any animals at all. Poor dogs.

It says it in your OP though - they are judging you as an irresponsible pet owner and smelling the itchy escapee dog. Their problem won’t go away if the dog goes, they’ve already judged you and your ‘perfectly behaved’ dog would generate the comments next due to the barking. Grow thicker skin and tell your neighbour to mind their own business.

Sorry I’ve not read the thread yet, I only saw the title and thought straight away fuck the neighbours! Apologies I know that’s not much help

It’s the other pretty pedigree dog that barks

I feel sorry for your neighbours! 1 barking dog and another than escaped

The barking. It's the barking.

Is it just one neighbour, or multiple neighbours? Have you told them that he's a rescue and a work in progress?

The neighbours would probably prefer you to rehome the one that barks tbh. That’s most likely why they give you dirty looks. What do they care if the dog is scruffy or smells a bit. Re escaping I’d make a run by putting a fenced area inside the hedge.

It's not the rescue who barks it's superdog ca

Sounds like you have horrible neighbours problem than a dog problem, nothing wrong with your dog apart from eczema and... being a dog!

Just tell them "thanks ill take your opinion om board" and file it away in horrible neighbours opinions mean f%^& all and get on with life.

I do that when naggy lady tells me my dog with amazing recall shouldnt play fetch in the local park in greenspace with no one around but her and her judgementalness.

A Cockapoo is not a 'pedigree type' dog as it's a crossbreed of the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle (usually Miniature.) So it's ironic - are rather pathetic - if owners of Cockapoos are looking down their noses at your crossbred Lurcher. Your dog doesn't look "feral", he looks like a lurcher, they all look unkempt, which is a part of their charm.

With regard to his occasional escapes, all you have to say is that you gave him a home as an adult rescue dog and that this habit was established when you adopted him. It's something you've worked on and now it only happens occasionally.

Your dog is loving and much loved and there is no way I would even consider rehoming him. Who cares what the neighbours think assuming they do infact think this way?

In addition, he's 9, the chances of him getting a new home are very slim. He has a stable home with you. It would be cruel to rehome him.

Give your head a wobble.

Can you section off a bit of garden for him with temporary fencing- look up the sort of thing people put up around touring caravans, for instance.
A dog indoor playpen might be nicer for him than a crate. He sounds a good boy to tolerate a crate so well.
What does the vet say about his itching? It might be an allergy, diet etc.
Don't be bullied by neighbours into getting rid of him. Can't you tell them it's Posh Dog who barks, he definitely does not have fleas etc.

It's not fair to you, or your dcs and most of all the poor dog to try and rehome him now, at his age, when he has finally found a family to love him.

Hyacinth Bucket.

Tell them he's a rescue and he's been through lots etc lots of people love a rescue story..

They sound like they'd judge and moan over anything though, who tells someone their dog stinks!
Back to the vet for some type of skin care or ask chat gpt for recommendations as not cleaning his fur fully will make his skin worse and irritated from bacteria and mud etc surely.
Perhaps you could use Coconut oil and brush it through then rinse it off
Or a goats milk natural soap from Holland and Barratt etc something more natural and less stripping. There must be options.
Ask landlord for help securing the garden or if they'd be opposed to some type of temporary fencing or chicken wire situation

Practice being more assertive and having answers to petty complaints

Our garden has a thin hedge so we put chicken wire around it and cable tied it to the hedge branches. Our dog also had really smelly itchy skin but it wasn't eczema, it was a chicken allergy and went away completely once we fully removed chicken from their diet. Maybe worth trying. Our vet also prescribed a shampoo that doesn't irritate the skin, so we use that when ours really needs a bath

I'm a big fan of scent games for dogs, and most breeds love it. I'd try incorporating some scenting into every visit to the garden - it'll help make the garden a positive fun place and put his focus onto you rather than escaping, and can be done on a longline if need be

Tell the neighbours to fuck off and step up for your dog. First of all, the dog needs to see a vet. Constant fleas is not ok or even particularly likely. Have you given up on this dog since your life changed?

Honestly it sounds a bit like your life has moved on since you got him (kids and a pedigree you prefer) and you can’t cope anymore. If that’s the case be honest and rehome through a proper charity like Lurcher link.

Move! I’d move rather than give up a pet, but your other doggie needs training re the barking, have you sought help?

He barks all the time. Actually my other dog is the one that barks all the time while he is silent, I will give him that he is not a barker.

What?! That makes no sense.

Maybe you need to get rid of the other dog. It would be the barking that drove me mad. Could you not put chicken wire around to stop him escaping from the garden? And go to the vets about the skin/fleas/smell.

If the dog is still itchy, I would take him back to the vet. There are treatments for dog skin problems just like for humans. There are even veterinary dermatologists.

for the garden, could you not install some sort of barrier inside the hedge? I’m just brainstorming, but bamboo fencing, chicken wire, construction fencing, etc, could all be put up temporarily and taken back down. They would not be perfect fences, but two imperfect barriers would be better than one.

Come on, you need to do better.
Take your dog to the vet to discuss why he is itching all the time, that’s not normal, and it’s not good enough to not resolve this issue for the poor dog.
You think your neighbours judge him for being a scruffy lurcher, start sticking up for your dog for goodness sake.
Be the person your dog needs you to be.

This.

who cares what other people think about how your dog looks or smells? It should be down to what you and your family think.

Your poor dog deserves better

You need to train your barking dog. That would drive neighbours crazy.