Looks like we have to sell our puppy :(

[bounty5]

We got her at the beginning of the summer at a time when my husband worked mainly from home. Our circumstances are now changed, so looks like we have to sell her. I think we've considered all possibilities of holding onto her. But in case there is an angle that I have overlooked, I am appealing to mum's net... We've asked family and friends to look after her during the week and holidays (I work in a college, term-time only so am free in holidays), but no-one is able to take on the long term commitment. We tried 'borrow-my-doggy' - but that would be a bit patchy, unreliable, not fair on her and stressful for us. So we've found a buyer and met up with them... Assuming they are interested, she will spend a final weekend with us, then on Sunday it will be goodbye! Any last minute ideas before we take the plunge?? Or since a sale is looking likely, I would like to know if anyone has been through this before. My 12 year old will be especially upset - does anyone have any inspirational words that will help us through this difficult time?

Crazydoglady. I am listening! I hear what everyone is saying about gum tree. Have i in any post (except the first when i was genuinely naive about the horrors) argued back about that? Psicat- that was a particularly enlightening post, unlike many of the others who pretty much put me in the same category as puppy traffickers or worse. I am not going to sell on gum tree. Nor will I leave her home alone (hence why i was trying to gind another owner) - some people say that is fine but I don't think it is, except a couple of hours occasionally. Please will people stop assuming we just got fed up with her! P.s she is a JR

I notice OP does not give an inch; they clearly are just interested in recouping money for dog.

The thing is, I guess some people are a bit hard-hearted about pets. In this country we are noted for being rather soppy about animals. In Italy, for example, pets (not just guard dogs) are often chained up, hardly ever given a walk off lead, and routinely turned out/traded in when they go on holiday in the summer or circumstances change . When I lived in the US some people - particularly wealthy people, actually - would literally change their dog with the season. One year it was Huskies, the next Bichon Frises. The rescues were full of last year's trendy dog.

Ah, I see you've said you are not going to sell on Gumtree now.

A Jack Russell. Is she bitey? Puppies can be awful but they do grow out of their bad habits with a bit of assistance.

Unless a trusted family member or friend can take her you would still be handing her over to a stranger. Please use a reputable rescue. They will home check and find the best match for the dog. And don't get another pet. You need to plan for the longer term. Not just get something because you want it and then ditch it a few weeks later.

www.jackrussellterrierrescueuk.org/about-us

If you really can't keep her, then these people may be able to help, the dogs are kept in foster homes rather than kennels and they will endeavour to find the best possible home. A puppy with no significant issues should be a doddle to place.

Your landlady does not have the right to know who has a copy of your key (unless you live with her)

A dog walker/sitter would be more reasonable in cost, you could find one with recommendations online and the puppy could get enough company and walks during the day to keep her happy. But you won't consider this. Why?

Have you cancelled the gumtree sale?

Years ago a woman at my sons school was selling her GS puppy on, for £50. I already had a GS and she asked if I knew anyone.

I gave her the £50, I had no intention of keeping the puppy. Just couldn’t bear to see it going to just anyone for £50, so I fostered him.

I contacted a GS rescue centre. They allow you to keep the puppy until a good home can be found. They vet the new owner and allow you to do the same. His potential new owner came to visit him, introduced her other dog, took him for walks etc for a few weeks.

She sent me pictures and updated regularly. He had a wonderful life.

OP, I give you credit for listening and taking on board what people are saying.

I posted here once when I was about to buy a puppy. I provided a link and was told in no uncertain terms it was a massive puppy farm and not to do it.
I listened. I didn't go it. I spent a year finding a breed club and a breeder through there instead.

The Doghouse on MN can be brutal, but we're all so passionate about our dogs!

Anyway, I digress.

I do understand sometimes the very sad need to rehome. My cousin who had owned dogs all his life had to rehome a young dog of his once as he developed a sudden and severe allergy to the dog. He went to several doctors to ask for help/alternatives but there were none. He didn't want to take heavy and sleepy anti-histamines every day for decades.
As a family they rehomed the dog and it broke their heart. However I believe they went through a dog club they'd belonged to and they spent weeks and weeks vetting anyone who was interested. They ended up with a friend adopting and the friend still sends them photos of the dog now. It's worked out well in the end.

My BIL also (stupidly) bought a working Border collie pup off the Internet when he lived in a tiny flat and worked full time. It was awful and worse for the poor pup. In the end I persuaded him to rehome. Luckily he lives rurally and through contacts he found a farmer who wanted the pup (no money passed). They're still in touch years later and the dog is so much happier.

Anyway, I don't mean to derail just wanted to say that I don't think you're evil - just perhaps gone about things the wrong way.

So yes, look more into dog walkers and day care. If not, rehome yo a rescue. It's your best bet.

Bounty5 you've said about friends and family not being able to commit to long term help(I presumed you mean keeping your Dog sorry if I'm wrong)have you asked if your friends/family would be happy to walk the dog,being as your off at the weekends and in the holidays any ways it would only be in the week whilst your at work,so if you have at least 5 people that would be happy to help that would mean each one would walk the dog once a week.

I don't know if you work a long way from home but if not is there anyway that you could pop home in your lunch break?If your DH doesn't work far from home you could share that job between you as well.

I hope you find a solution that doesn't involve selling your puppy.

OP if you were really coming into these boards for genuine advice to keep your dog, surely you wouldn't have already been talking to 'buyers' of your poor puppy!

Glad to hear that you won't be selling on Gumtree OP, and I do hope that you've cancelled the sale. If dog owning isn't right for you now then the sooner you can arrange a rescue space the better, your children will get over it and it is worth explaining why you have to rehome to try to make them responsible in the future if you are unable to keep her.

You haven't really considered all options have you?

Dog walker
Doggie day care
Return to breeder
Leave it at home

I don't see what your husband going back to work has to do with anything? I just moved from a house with a garden and dog flap to a ground floor flat. I work from 9 - 5:30 and my dog stays in.

Every morning I leave him with challenges and puzzles for him to do while I am gone. At work on my breaks I will watch him on the pet camera still trying to figure out a puzzle 5 hours later.

Wee breaks aren't an issue because he is in his crate for 11-12 hours a night and doesn't go to the bathroom until 20 minutes into the morning walk.

OP, can you just answer the question as to why you’re selling rather than rehoming through the breed rescue or another rescue?

Great no gumtree. Now to fund owners.

You seem to have made your mind up about letting her go. I wonder why you asked for suggestions when you weren’t prepared to keep her under any circumstances.

But anyway, the goal now is to find her s suitable home. Maybe the people who wanted her will go through home checks. If not it is a lucky escapes.

I do feel sorry for your daughter, but at least you can now assure her the new home will be safe.

You asked pet lovers about selling your little puppy - it was brutal but we all thought about our pets and how we could never do this. You got great advice. Most you aren’t taking but three rehiring advice is th most important - so please don’t you are taking it.

As others have said - no more pets please

Sorry for the typos!

Where abouts in London are you? I am also in London, I work from home and care for a friend's dog Monday to Friday, she's a Labrador and gentle as can be, I could add yours in too for a very small fee, £15 per day...

Have you got a full name of the potential new owners?
I was fostering a ddog last year and tried to rehome him myself. (Didn't in the end as thanks to mn advice he got a place in a reputable rescue).
The man sounded lovely, spoke a lot, asked all relevant questions and gave suitable answers to mine blah blah.
Googled him and turned out he had convictions for starving his horses to death and had been to prison!
His dogs were near death and he was banned for keeping horses for life.
Op I suggest you aren't experienced enough to rehome yourself.

I'm wondering if op is trying to wind you all up... just a thought. But anyway, what's the difference between selling, say, a horse, and selling a dog? People do it all the time...

I also don't get why it's not ok to rehome a dog? Would someone explain? Sometimes it's going to be better for the animal in the long run so why try to make people feel bad and struggle to keep an animal, for whatever reason, they can't? Assuming all you nay sayers have never made a mistake? All your bloody harassing people who are trying to rectify mistakes and do the best going forward for these animals could actually be making things a lot worse for these animals who are perhaps being kept in unsuitable conditions! Think about it before you open your trap

Glad to hear you’re not selling on gumtree. Don’t feel bad about not knowing about how awful it is to buy/sell pets on there but maybe use this as an opportunity to teach your DC how important it is to do lots of research before getting any pet.

If you want to keep the dog, it sounds like your options are;
Dog walker (have you asked your landlord whether you can give a key to dog walker?)

Doggy day care. Have you looked into options and do you know if this is affordable?

Would you be happy to keep the dog if either of these options are feasible?

• Yes the gum tree ad has been taken off and I am no longer going down that route. I hear your horror stories (though don’t believe everyone is that bad and it wouldn’t be a simple handover to the highest bidder as some of you would believe). Anyway, that is off.
• I am investigating more about doggy day care as the only one I looked at was way out of my budget so I assumed that was the going rate.
• In the meantime, puppy is with friends until I sort something more permanent out.
• ‘Ohtheholidays’ – friends and family who could help are not in the local area re: 5 walkers 5 days of the week, and I work an hour from home. DH doesn’t live at home any more – that is the change to my circumstances, but I’m not even going into that one. Thank you for your suggestions. She is staying with a friend in Kent at the moment, we visit her at weekends.
• ‘Trampire’ – I like your story about a friend adopting and they still stay in contact. If we aren’t able to keep her ourselves, I am hopeful for this… our friends who she is staying with at the moment?? They live out of London but she will stay with us during holidays until I sort out something more permanent. Believe it or not (I refer to other people on this thread), I want to minimise the distress to her. I honestly believed that selling her was in her best interests rather than a patchy arrangement, or leaving her at home all day (far meaner in my opinion). I understand now that ‘selling’ and ‘gumtree’ are not the way to go.
• ‘NotaNotMan’ – thank you for your suggestions. Keys really are an issue (maybe a bad experience?). I’m working on that…
• ‘Whatsthedifference’ – I agree with you
• ‘IrmaFayLear’ – No she is not ‘bitey’ or any other ulterior motive you want to assume.
• ‘Dollymixture22’ re. ‘weren’t prepared to keep her under any circumstances’?? That’s not true
• ‘Lovethetimeyouhave’ – thank you for your suggestion, but I do have a question…

…Many people have suggested dog walkers or dog sitters - How can I check their credentials?
• ‘Aprilshower’– thank you for sharing that story. Scary! I do know the full details of the people I was considering, I am confident they are good. But you never know. I’m not considering that any more.
• Sorry if this bullet point appears cold and methodical (just trying to anticipate any further insults) but I am at work so can’t spend the time to reply often and in full. But I am reading. Thank you to those posting helpful suggestions…I am feeling more hopeful. The important thing is - she is no longer on gumtree, and I have ALWAYS had her best interests at heart. If she does have to go, it will be through a dog rescue centre

bounty5 I really hope it works out for your family and the dog. A break up is very hard on everyone. X

Yes the gum tree ad has been taken off and I am no longer going down that route. I hear your horror stories (though don’t believe everyone is that bad and it wouldn’t be a simple handover to the highest bidder as some of you would believe)
Infortunately op some people are that bad.
I’m glad you’re not going down that route.
This sounds much better for her

Great news. I wish your family and pup all the best.

Good decision OP , any kind of terrier is at real risk of being used as a bait dog so selling her really isn’t a sensible option .