[sad] Thinking of taking our dog back to rescue centre today [sad]

[chocolatemummy]

been posting on another thread all week that someone else started but gradually as the week has gone on he has got more and more difficult.
I have been sitting her crying on and off all morning
I just dont think i can manage him and dh and dd are away so best time to take him back and avoid the goodbye thing as much as posss

Sorry, i keep adding to this, but i wanted to say - the dog that we took on from battersea was a lovely dog, but not 100% with children, about a year after we took him on i got pregnant, total surprise, we played it by ear. It became obvioius it wasnt going to work out and after much soul seartching we concluded that we would rehome him once DD could walk as i couln't guarantee to keep them separate at all times. I refused to let him go back to battersea (not that they weren't wonderful with him) but he was there for 5 months before we took him and totally freaked out in a kennel environment. I set about trying to find that special home for him, my dog had some "weirdness" about him that needed experienced ownwers to handle. Sadly that decision was taken out of my hands as he developed bone cancer and had to be put to sleep. There is NO WAY battersea would have let us have him had we had DD2 already. (DD1 was 14 and experienced with dogs also).

I understand that battersea will only home dogs to people with under fives in exceptional circumstances, i would have thought dogs trust would have had the same policy.

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Hi CM, I've just read through this thread and wanted to say this must be really hard for you. Don't beat yourself up about it, you tried your best and had planned ways for it to work out. You were trying to give a rescue animal a good home, the animal welfare people must have been happy with your plans too, I agree with lucyellensmum and others, they should have given you better advice and assessed the match between your life and the dog better, and if anyone is responsible it's them not you. It sounds like you have made absolutely the right decision for you, your family and the dog. (And the cat!) I hope you can feel happy about it in the end, that you are giving the dog a chance to have his ideal life, and looking after your family. But I really feel for you, it's so hard when you're attached to an animal and things haven't worked out.

I am back, took him back and cried my eyes out, they took him away from me so quickly but I guess its for the best, they sat down and did a long questionnaire and chat with me about him and said that I had done him a favor because now they know what he is like in a home environment and they can re home in a more suitable place. Thankyou so much those of you who have ben supportive, I have had a dog before but years ago and didn't have a cat or child then, I really wanted a family dog as company for my dd as she is an only child and to enjoy the lifestyle eg-long countryside walks etc ehich we DID enjoy this past week, its just when he was at home he was far to boysterous and demanding and becayuse he is so big as I said, I felt uncomfortable with his overexcited play with my dd being so small.

Chocolate mummy, poor you - i think you were really let down by the dogs trust here. I am that they said to you that you have done the dog a favour because now they can settle him in a more suitable home. This makes my blood boil - there are plenty of rescue dogs imo that can integrate into family life, it is obviously not possible to make a complete assesment of how a dog is going to be in a kennel environment, so without a complete and honest history from the owner it is difficult. Under no circumstances should a dog with an unclear history be placed with a family, it is not fair to anyone concerned and a potential time bomb waiting to explode. We were told by battersea that yazz would take a couple of weeks to settle and then expect some difficult behaviour once he had found his feet. They were right, and then some But that is a different story, we were told what to expect and helped to deal with it.

I think they have put your family thorugh a really horrible experience, i hope it hasnt put you off getting a dog at some point, not now, maybe when you have less on your plate, and maybe consider a puppy. We have a pup now, i would have loved to have taken another rescue dog as it was a really rewarding experience, albeit hard at first. I wasnt prepared to take a dog with a small baby, DD is only 2.

well I think they wanted to give Jake a chance because he is so lovley and very placid on one hand, but more settle he was getting here, more naughty and confident. I did think that it was all very easy to get him and quick and abit uneasy about him being a stray but trusted them as experts. anway, I really hope, he gets a loving patient and possibly child free home very very soon. I am dreading my dd when she gets home later, think maybe we should just get another cat (kitten) as they are more predictable.

i probably shouldnt say this, as i am sure that the dogs trust do a great job, i just have never found their policies workable and dont have much time for them tbh. Yes, things don't always work out, it nearly didnt for us, and without continued support from Battersea we woould have given up.

I do hope you do get another dog one day, breed rescue is often a good way to go as they often come through foster homes so their temprement can be assessed. When we got our dog from battersea we were grilled for ages, they didnt do a house check as we lived quite a way away but they based their decision on my experience as an owner and vet nurse. Even then they were very specific about what sort of dog they would let us have, or basically, they wouldn't let us leave until we agreed to take yazz, who we had to go back up to see as he was at a different centre. He was a lovely dog, not for everyone, rotweillers are weird and have their own set of rules. I found them easier to train than my little terrier pup, he is a total loon, chews everything, totally mad, but its ok because he is small, but more importantly, knows just how far he can go with DD to avoid her getting upset etc, he is my little star.

Try not to feel bad, yes DD will be upset, you dont say how old she is, but she will realise that it was the best decision. You know you have done the right thing, i think it was very brave for you to admit defeat and give the dog the chance to find a more suitable home rather than hoping he would get better.

choclate, i really symapthise with you do know exactly what your going through as ive had to take a rescue dog back after 2.5 years.
i wont go into it all with you but quite similar circumstances as she just couldnt be left for even 5 mins.
taking her back was the hardest decision ive ever made and i still cry over it 3 years later. i loved her so much and still do but she was not right for this family and that made all of us unhappy.
she was in teh rehoming place for a very short time (about 2 weeks) and has been homed witha n elderly couple who rarely go out without her.
you are doing the right thing for your family and your dog.
i might just add that my ds's were also away when i made the decision as i know i would have been talked out of it had they have been here.
(((((((((hugs)))))))))

thankyou all so much, it has really helped me today, my dd is 4 and absolutely loved him but was terrified of him at the same time, I think his biting etc was just because he wanted our 100% attention and maybe he been played with roughly in is last home I felt so bad because he probably thought he hadnt done anything wrong. He hadnt really!