rehomed our puppy and feel devastated

[ItsMyTurn]

that's it

ItsMyTurn, glad you are feeling happier today. Sounds like you have some lovely kids there

RabbitFood, although you are technically correct, that no breeder or rescue would ever completely know if a home they were sending one of their dogs to is good enough, good breeders do it a hell of a lot better than the way you have described.

I spoke to my breeder for probably over an hour on the phone before I went to meet her bitch.

I had a very, VERY long list of requirements (health tests just the tip of the iceberg tbh) and when she had answered all my (polite!) questions I remember her very clearly saying "thank you for asking me that, if a potential buyer calls and DOESN'T ask me ALL of those questions then I will not sell them one of my puppies."

She then proceeded to grill me (and I mean grill) on my home ssituation, knowledge of the breed, knowledge of food, training, vaccination etc etc.

If she had not asked me those questions I would not bought a puppy from her.

I was then allowed to come and meet her bitch, where further nice grilling over cake took place.

THEN I went on her waiting list.

Hadn't even laid eyes on a puppy. No puppies born at that stage.

She did 'home check' me (nice event after trip out when she drove me to her local pet food and equipment supplier).

If all potential puppy buyers insisted on this process, and all breeders required the same back in terms of checking future buyers then I think that would put a stop to puppy farming and byb for a start.

There are often very good reasons why rescues have particular requirements. My Dad is fostering a Whippet who is 'not suitable to be homed with children under 10 as she is very bouncy'. The small rescue quizzed him greatly about his GC and then agreed to let him 'trial' the dog for three weeks with full back up from them. They ring regularly for updates and to help with any problems.

4 yo dd2 met the dog a few days ago. Bouncy is an understatement. Dd2 spent the vast majority of the visit on the ground being licked head to foot. She is a very odd child, who thought this was great fun. She didn't bat an eyelid when the dog accidentially scratched her arm, whilst knocking her to the ground. The vast majority of children and parents would, quite understandably, not be happy with a dog like this near their toddlers.

It's not that they don't want to home the dogs, or make it harder to home them, it's that they want to do their absolute best to ensure the dog and owners are both 110% happy and suited to each other, so that the home is not at risk of breaking down.

No dog should be left for more than 4 hours, unless provisons are made for walking the dog during the period it's left alone. Many rescue dogs will not like to be left alone this amount of time because they suffer separation anxiety.

I have just been speaking to someone about rescued greys. The first thing she asked is do I work. When I told her I do I was not turned down flatly. I was asked about my hours and what measures I would have in place for while the dog is alone and how would I feel if I returned to find the dog had eaten half the house and pissed on the rest because it felt anxious (I'd feel guilty I left it so long, but I am as odd as dd2 and place far more importance on my dogs well being and happiness than I do my furniture)

"No dog should be left for more than 4 hours"

well in that case there are several million more neglected dogs in this country than I first thought. Best come over and get my 5.

Well yes, imo, dogs who are left longer than four hours with no provisons in place for walking and toiletting them, are neglected. I don't work f/t because I have dogs. I might work f/t one day, but it will have to be in a job that pays enough to employ a dog walker to come on a lunchtime.

You have made a rod for your own back i think. Dogs are more than capable of being left for up to 8 hours a day. Millions of them are. Mine can go from last toilet at 6pm right through to 7 or 8 am no bother.

Do you get up in the night and walk/toilet them?

For god sake, do people walk their dogs when they go to bed for 8 hours. I dont leave my dogs as i dont have to but my mam does. Her life does not revolve around her dog and she has to work. If she gets stuck at work if someone dies or is injured she has to stay longer. She cant just say sorry got to go tthe dog might need a wee. A dog is not neglected if it is left for 4 hrs. Most dogs are. So all people who work, cant afford a dog walker should have dogs taken away as they are neglected. God knows what states the rescues would be in then?

I did when Whipy was a puppy, yes. I got up at first several times a night. After a couple of weeks she settled and we were only woke once a night. Devil Dog never woke us, he was adult when we got him and more than capable of holding his bladder while he slept. He used to get very anxious at being left alone and would piss everywhere. We worked on training him and building his confidence. He now has Whippy and is happy to be left alone with her.

It still would not be fair to expect them to go without walks, toilet or human interaction for more than four hours a day. They sleep on a night, so it is entirely different.

My dog is left for 5 hours 2 or 3 times a week. No problems at all. Very occassionally I get put to do an early shift on a Monday which means the dog is left for 8.5 hours. Happens maybe once a month, if that. Never have any mess or signs or boredom/stress. Though we did choose a greyhound with this in mind as they sleep 23 hours of the day. I'm sure a collie or other more active dog might not cope as well.

yes, millions of dogs are left for up to 8 hours a day, but whether that is a good or desirable thing is a different matter.

My dog can go through the night fine, but that is because she is not eating or drinking in the night. During the day I would say she goes out for a wee every two hours or so, because she is producing much more urine during that time. Could she hang on through the day for 8 hours? Probably. Would she feel comfortable and happy being made to wait that long? Unlikely.

Eight hours a day!? Blimey. I certainly wouldn't do that, not even as a one-off. Four hours would be ok as an occasional thing for dogs that are relaxed about it -- but not for a newly-rehomed rescue dog.

Big difference if you have more than one dog, I suppose, so long as they get on together and are in an adequate space.

4hrs is a lot different to 8 hours though tbh

Rabbit, from rescue's POV it is generally preferred to keep a dog for 6 months/2/5 years/whatever than to try to rehome one which was originally homed fast and then was returned to rescue.

IME there is enough misinformation and scepticism about the suitability of a rescue dog as a family pet without rescue taking chances on screwing it up and making the overall situation worse. A dog has far more chance of a home when the rescue can say to an applicant that he has been in rescue for so long as they are the first to be considered suitable for him than he would if he had been rehomed to a family by rescue and returned a little later because the rescue had, say, chosen to overlook the fact that the dog isn't great with cats, homed him with them all the same and then had him returned when he chased them IYSWIM.

A dog which has "bounced" (been homed and then returned because it doesn't work out), regardless if it's not his fault, is IME a far less desirable proposition to the prospective owner. There is a definite stigma about bounced dogs which is, amongst all the dog welfare and human safety considerations, a very good reason for rescue being so selective.

well mine have ben snoozing since 8 am this morning. They will probably snooze on til school run. I don't get mess or wees.

Rabbit, mine does pretty much nothing all day, too. But doing nothing much in company is different from doing it all alone I think.

I'd be worried about how happy my dogs were if they slept all day and night, tbh. But my dogs are both very young and Devil Dog, in particular is a very active, clever breed who needs a lot of stimulation to keep him ticking over.

I have no doubt that he would he destroy my house through sheer boredom if he was left longer than 2/3 hours.

Atm he is in the yard attempting to chase the Seagulls who are sitting on next doors roof. Funnily enough they don't want to come down to play

ffs now I have unhappy dogs!

I think it is awful that dogs are routinely kept effectively in solitary confinement in so many homes, left alone for hours at a time, and somehow that's acceptable.

Solitary confinement is a punishment for humans, yet we seem to think it is OK for a species that is intensely social, and has complex behavioural patterns, and a rich array of social communication skills. The more we understand about how dogs behave, learn, think and interact, the more we can see that they are animals that thrive in a social environment, with other dogs, and a range of stimulation in their daily life.

If all the adults in a home are away working regularly for more than 4 or so hours, then you shouldn't have a dog, as it really doesn't fit with your lifestyle, and is profoundly unfair to the dog.

I never said that, did I? I said I woudl be worried about my dogs sleeping all day, given their age and breed. I have no idea what breed of dogs you have. You could have 90 year old greyhounds for all I know. I would expect an elderly grey, or any grey, for that matter to sleep a lot. It's what they do. Devil Dog is a young terrier, so if he started sleeping all day I would be worried he was ill/unhappy/under stimulated. Saying that Devil Dog would never sleep all day, if he si not given enough to do, he finds his own fun, hence chasing the Seagulls.

my dogs are left alone (but together) quite often, we don't have a routine in our house so some days we'll be home all day and others i can be out from morning til after school (dp is usually in till 12;30 though)
they have an hour and a half walk every morning and will quite often sleep until afternoon, they get a lot more lively when dd comes home from school and will play in the garden until her bedtime but there are definitely some days when they are left alone for quite a few hours, it has never occured to me that it would be seen as neglect as my dogs are clearly NOT neglected.

Val Charlie is an amazing dog, He came to us with a hatred of men but now loves my DH (not as much as he loves me though ) Hes very much a ladies boy and not a day goes by where he doesn't make me laugh and appreciate him in my life.

To be honest at first I wanted a puppy and defintly not a JRT rescue as I thought the breed was too hard to handle a little nippy, My DH couldn't resist our little guy though and I've never regretted it. If we have anymore dogs they will be adult rescues seeing my boys little quirks (70mph running in circles straight at you. having to be under the covers with you wrapped around your legs) was lovely and I've never felt we missed out on puppyhood as he seems to be eternally young.

I have MH problems myself I've suffered with depression for 13 long years now and this dog does me more good than any amount of pills or counselling ever could hes always there to listen to me to cuddle me, to lick the tears of my face and of course if I need to escape for a while hes always ready to go with me.

I think perhaps his old owner was more desperate than anything as Charlie had been bounced around 3 homes in that family by then and hes frightened of most dogs likes a sniff but then runs like hell away from them.

I know we struck gold with Charlie, We' never had any issues with him, from day one he had amazing recall (in fact he refuses to be out of sight of you) no seperation anxiety and no accidents even when left alone for 6 hours one day. Just that lovely excited wagging tail greeting you home.

I think perhaps his old owner was more desperate than anything as Charlie had been bounced around 3 homes in that family by then and hes frightened of most dogs likes a sniff but then runs like hell away from them.

I can't reccomend rescue dogs enough after this experience but I don't think it should matter where a rescue dog comes from as long as they're coming into a truly loving home where they will be worshipped, adored and in Charlies case spoilt rotten.