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Has anybody rehomed a dog?

9 replies

Laura032004 · 15/02/2006 15:41

We got a greyhound from an animal rescue centre nearly three years ago. I wanted some company as DH was away at sea (Navy), and something to take my mind off of the fact that I wasn't getting pg. Needless to say, got pg almost immediately afterwards. Luckily the dog took to ds really well, and we've had no problems.

Three years down the line, no. 2 is on the way, and DH is going away again once the baby is born (baby due end of June, he goes away start of Sept).

I don't think I'm going to be able to cope with the dog as well. Currently one of us usually walks him in the evenings while the other stays with ds, but with dh away this won't be possible. He also gets up for a wee at least twice a night, which is hard now, but will be a killer when I'm also doing night feeds, and struggling with ds who frequently wakes at night. I suspect sometimes the dog wakes ds.

Anyway, has anybody rehomed a dog under these or any other circumstances? The home we got him from has said they will take him back. I just don't want to regret it terribly once we've done it as he is a lovely dog, and fantastic with children.

OP posts:
sparklymieow · 15/02/2006 15:43

i have just taken my dog to the rehoming centre today, yes, its broken my heart but i know it was the best thing to do. I miss him already, and if he was not so needy, i would drive back and get him...

Laura032004 · 15/02/2006 15:52

Thanks for that sparkly. I'm sitting here with tears running down my face at the thought of it, and DH has put me on a massive guilt trip, but at the end of the day, it's me who's going to be dealing with everything while he is away.

I hope you get through it OK. I'm sure he will find a lovely home soon

OP posts:
scotlou · 15/02/2006 16:08

Can you re-train the dog? Ours was used to a walk in the evening - but I moved his evening walk to mid afternoon / early evening and took both kids with me. He then just got let out at bedtime. Also think he should be trained out of needing let out at night time (I don't know how by the way, but someone else might!)- maybe that's a job for your DH if he doesn't understand how hard it will be for you!
I really sympathise - at the end of the day you've got to do what is best for you!

parkj83 · 15/02/2006 16:45

Is the 'midnight wee' due to his age? How old is he?

Laura032004 · 15/02/2006 17:09

We could probably move his walk, but I don't know how likely it is that I'm going to be able to do it at all with a baby and a toddler. I suppose I could wait and see how it goes. But I had quite bad PND last time, and I don't really want to rehome the dog when I'm feeling down already. Hmmm.

If we could stop the night time wees, that would make soooo much difference. Any good ideas welcome! Not down to his age I don't think - he's only 5 or so. He's a rescue ex-racer, so I don't think he's ever been properly trained in that respect, although he would never wee in the house. He is capable of holding it in if he wants to, as he won't go out at all if it's raining for 24 hrs! But we just let him out, because otherwise his whining (he sleeps upstairs, usually in our room) will wake ds.

The other issue which I've put to the back of my mind, is that when ds was tiny, the dog would always bark when I was feeding him. Quite scarily. This is a dog that otherwise never barks. Nothing would stop him. It stopped after a while (was on the verge of rehoming him then as was worried about him and ds), and has never happened since. I hope it doesn't happen this time, as although it didn't bother ds as a baby, I'm sure it would now, as he isn't used to him barking.

OP posts:
muma3 · 15/02/2006 17:21

my dp and i are looking to rehime a 11year old lab/collie. his mother had a stroke in may last year and we have had her ever since. i have 3 dd's and she has started to snap at the children. my dd3 is on the verge of crawling and we are very worried about her getting hurt. my dp is very upset due to him having the dog since she was a tiny puppie but understands that she is getting old and grumpy now. we have phoned a few places up but they all seem to be full . we are just waiting for a phone call back . very for dp . i will miss her greatly too but the children always come first .

parkj83 · 15/02/2006 17:30

Training a dog to 'not wee at night' can be a little tough - how prepared are you for the odd accident?

I have a JRx who's 12. He can go for ages when he wants to, but when he has to go, he has to go.

He used to want to go out at 6 every morning, even when he'd been let out the night before, at say, 11 or 12. Yet, if I'm at work, (out for 9-10 hours), he's fine!

I've had him now for nearly a month, and I can now confidently leave him in the morning till 7-7.30. Later if needed (he seems to pick up on when I need a lie-in)

Also you say your dog whinges if he needs out. Do you make a fuss of him whinging? Dennis does a dance if he needs out, and only whinges if he's absolutely desperate. My mum's dog used to whinge, but she learned to ignore it (mum used to yell at him if he made an unexpected noise out of turn, barking at postie, window cleaner, etc) Now he chases his tail if he needs out, and again whinges if he's desperate. By learning to ignore his random barks, you should be able to reduce any barking which might occur when feeding no.2. Also, mum's dog never used to be tolerant of kids full stop. He came to my house once when ds was 6-8 months, and growled if ever ds came near. Tried to snap once, and I told him off so much, and shut him in a room (gave him time out, effectively). Made him think twice about complaining about kids. We hsd to move in with mum for a year, and within that year, mum's dog had a radical rethink as far as kids are concerned. He now is very tolerant, to the point of ear pulling, tripping over etc. He's 11 by the way, and a lurcher too, so if he can do it, I'm sure yours will learn too.

How far long are you with no.2? If you've still got a good couple of months to go, now is the time to re-establish a routine.

Don't think that giving him up is the only option. He will learn. You have to etablish who's who, and that this is the way things are.

We were concerned when we got my dog, about how well house-trained he was, and I was always running him outside at the merest noise or jump. Now he's settled into a routine, (PS he's my 1st dog!), and he knows that he has certain times when he can go out. All he has to do is ask.

It's difficult I know, but you have to be firm. Dogs are essentially pack animals, and they need to know that your word (or routine) is law.

Be strong, you can do it. Heck, if I can, you can. I've lived with dogs, but have never had one to call my own. There was always 'someone else' to take him out when needed. Now I have Dennis, and boy is it tough! But so rewarding.

If you want to chat further, feel free to email me jessieparker @ hotmail.co.uk (take the spaces out)

muma3 · 16/02/2006 15:49

just got a phone call back from a rehoming center aand they are thinking of taking her sat morning . feel really really now . i will miss her so much but it is for the best

parkj83 · 14/03/2006 08:48

Hi Laura,

How are you getting on?

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