Please talk me out of wanting my dog re-homed

[BoojaBooja]

We re-homed our dog about 15 months ago. She's about 6 years old and is a foxhound cross.

I have always had dogs and really want to love her. But I just don't.

Despite regular grooming, she sheds fur all the time. Both DD (aged 3) and I are allergic to her. She makes DD 'snuffly' and gives her dry patches around her mouth. :(

She has long walks, but still managed to fill our garden with poop! Of course I try to pick it up as soon as I see her doing it, but I don't always catch her in the act and it's a large garden. This morning DD walked in one patch of poop and wheeled her little toy pram into another.

She has destroyed external doors trying to get to the cats' food.

She runs away on about 20% of her walks. We've got this down from 100%, but it's exhausting and stressful as she opens doors into people's houses in search of food. She needs to be able to run off the lead and has pulled me right over when she's in pursuit of a scent when she's on the lead. Really hurt my shoulder!

I REALLY don't want to give up on her, but it's making me depressed, I think. I'm ok first thing in the morning, but then I remember that I live with the dog and it makes me want to cry. I can't explain it properly.

Please talk me out of bundling her into the car and taking her to the animal shelter. I think she's happy in our home and, despite being a healthy good-looking dog, I don't think she's be 'snapped up' by new owners for some reason. :(

oops, and here's me thinking i was oh so clever WRT the barf definition!

I think it means bones and raw food too. That's easier to type anyway. I'm going to start using that, it sounds less poncey.

Thanks Doin, I'll look into that food. That might do the trick.

We had a handsfree lead, but she dragged DP along to the point where it was not practical. It wouldn't work for me - I'd be pulled across the ground! It would be too dangerous on a bike. It's ridiculous - she's pure muscle. I can't remember her weight, but the vet said she thought it was too much, but then examined her and said that she's just very muscular. I suppose she's built for long distance, cross-country running.

You're right Booyhoo, we can't risk her being off the lead. It's no life for her or us though!

Sorry, I'll stop moaning soon.

Moan away. We don't mind. She certainly does sound like a handfull. Do you go to formal training classes with her?

We've been taking her to see a Behaviourist on a regular basis, who is absolutely brilliant. He's very patient with her. We did see a couple of trainers, but the message was something along the lines of "You can't break the breed", especially at her middle-age.

Thanks for your support. I appreciate it VERY, VERY much!

it can be so so frustrating when your pet is making life very hard. we love them liek children but we cant help feeling sometimes it would be easier for all concerned if they were placed elsewhere. i guess only you (your family) know how much you are prepared to work with her and how 'good' she is ever likely to be. i know it may seem now liek she will never get any better but i think with teh right training and 100% commitment she can improve. she has already shown that byu reducing teh 100% running off down to 20%. it may be more than your family is able to give her though but only you as a family can decide.

If I thought there was a home out there where someone could be 100% committed to sorting out her recall; could give her the exercise that she needs; is not allergic to her and where she'd be happy and contented etc, etc I'd re-home her like a shot. I admit it.

Unfortunately I think it's highly unlikely that this situation will arise. I feel so sick. I'm so sorry. I think I need to get some perspective on this. I want her life to be great. I loved all my other dogs so much and I miss them every day. I wish with all my heart that things were better with this dog. :(

it is a horrible situation to be in and i really dont envy you it at all. good luck with it. have you tried PMing val or minimu?

You can do this, you have already made so much difference to her. Have you tried formal obedience classes? They might give her mind something to do. Or what about some kind of specialist training, like gundog training or flyball? My Dad is training his sighthounds to chase and kill rabbits, I personally don't like this, but is it something you can do with your dog? There are usually groups whcih help train these things.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, perhaps I should PM Valhalla.

I've just brought her in to sit on her bed as she was howling outside - her way of barking, not through stress - for no reason and it's extremely loud. The neighbours must hate us.

The Behaviourist gives us tips for keeping her mind occupied, such as sausage treasure hunts etc. I couldn't have her chasing and killing animals for our benefit. We have rescued rabbits in the garden and she's not interested in them! Perhaps I should try a more specialised trainer. I did try one (at great expense!) but he said that we can't hope for better than we have already. He thinks that she should live on a farm with enclosed paddocks or something, rather than in a domestic environment. I wonder how easy it is to find a home like that though. How many farms have fully enclosed areas.

Is there a specialist rescue group for scent hounds? Perhaps they'd be able to help. I don't like rabbit hunting either, luckily for me my Whippet would be as much use at a hunt as a Budgie would be, so my Dad is no longer interested in 'training' her . She's scared of rabbits, bless her

From Google maybe someone here might b abel to help or offer specialist advise. There is a PDF at the bottom especially for recall training trail hounds.

I bought a Furminator, and it's brilliant! It's a kind of stripping comb but it works on all our dogs (collie mixtures, thick and thinner coats). Wellcome to my world re dog running off. It's a bloody nightmare isn't it. I hate not knowing if or where we will pick up a body from. I am using a behaviourist who uses only treats. I don't believe it is the only way in some circumstances, but if you are going to use anything harsh, it should only be used as an absolutely last resort, when all other training techniques have failed. Pup is still on a long line (it's 10m) but he has had 25m of line. I tie it round my waist. It hurts less than having my arms yanked out of their sockets!

Booja - in many ways you have described me and my dog! I have a rather love/hate relationship with mine. Also a rescue, hard to train, strong and hard to recall (not remotely interested in food treats). I have been at the end of my tether many many times and DP and I discussed rehoming and even had a friend offer to take her, but we decided to persevere. She pulls dreadfully, even with a halti, although I am taking more time to walk her on a lead and stop every time she pulls - but DP rather undoes this as he likes to walk her off a lead and let her run and play with a ball, so she thinks every walk is a high octane ball chasing opportunity.
On the plus side, she is a wonderful dog in the house, very quiet and well behaved, good with kids, excellent around food and toys but outside she is hyper and whilst not a scent hound, she is some kind of mixed terrier breed and has run off and not come back many times - she's been returned and we've had to drive off and collect her when she has finally come to stop somewhere.
She's getting older now and the recall is much better, although I don't enjoy walking her, but I do take comfort in having provided her with a comfortable, home where she is walked regularly, taken care of and treated well and I enjoy to see that she is a happy, healthy animal. Had I known what I was taking on with her though, I wouldn't have done it, I don't think we were well matched and she may have been better off with someone else.
Even if you can nail the training, I think you need to consider the allergy you and your daughter have to the dog - you have possibly quite a few years ahead of this.

Booja, sorry you are having problems. Everything you have described is entirely normal behaviour for a foxhound. If she was part of a working pack she would be working ie out all day - foxhounds are bred for all day stamina and to run for up to twenty plus miles a day, and of course to be highly scent oriented. Most working foxhounds in hte UK have ear tattoos - does she have these?

Are you in the UK? Your use of language (shelter, poop) sounds American.

If she doesn't have good recall, for her own safety, you MUST stop letting her off. It is deeply unfair on her and you to do this - she could endanger herself, livestock, other animals, and be in all sorts of trouble. Apart from long on lead walks and runs (things like Cani X would be ideal) do what a lot of greyhound owners do and find a secure field or indoor riding school for off lead play and exercise/training.

Poo - as others have said, consider moving over to a raw/BARF type diet. We did for our three, and poos are much smaller and firmer - but they still do it, and poo patrol in the garden is a necessary part of dog ownership. As someone who's had dogs before, surely you expected this, along with the hair?

How much assessment of your lifestyle did the rescue undertake before homing this dog with you? Foxhounds are rarely pets for very good reasons. Are they specialists in hounds? Did they give you a realistic picture of what to expect? Are you getting support from them?

Allergy - are you SURE it's the dog? Have you undertaken thorough allergy testing? A vacuum with a HEPA filter used daily, lots of fresh air, damp dusting, frequent and regular hot washing of any soft furnishings/dog beds can all help to minimise allergic reactions - DH is allergic to long haired dogs/has asthma so can sympathise, but we now have three dogs and he's doing well.

I have dogs that cannot be let off the lead (it's a breed thing) and I would suggest that it is possible to walk a single dog on a long line on a permanent basis. You just have to pick your walks carefully, i.e not in dense woodland and have a certain amount of patience while the dog gets used to the length of the line (I like a 50ft line) and learns some simple directional commands.

What's her general obedience like? Will she focus/watch me? If you have that you can begin teaching commands on the long line (sit and down at a distance, go left, go right, come, this way, steady, fetch, leave...) which will do as much to mentally tire out a dog which is just as important as physical exercise. A good gundog trainer (go for a positive reward one, not a traditional beat-'em-with-a-stick kind) will be able to help you with this even if you are not interested in it as a sport.

If she's really interested in scenting I'd also suggest looking for any schutzhund clubs near you - teaching her to track and scent when you ask her to will be really rewarding for her.

Ditto on the BARF diet for pooping issues.

These kinds of dogs also make excellent bikejoring dogs if you're feeling brave...!

Incidentally t's very unusual to have a foxhound or a cross in a pet home, have you checked for an ear tattoo?

Thanks all for your advice and sharing your experiences,

Scuttlebutter, I'm Canadian hence "poop" I suppose, but our local rescue is called a Shelter. We're in the UK. I've been here for twenty odd years.

The rescue didn't do a huge amount of assessment, but this is because the people who brought her in to them told lies, frankly. They said she had excellent recall and was fine off the lead. The rescue have been extremely supportive of our problems though and have actually paid for the behaviourist who we see.

She's great in the home, with DD and visitors. She tend tends to just sit on her bed. We have to keep all food out of the way though.

I'm 99% sure the allergies are the dog. All of us were fine before she arrived into the home and if DD or I spend too much time in close proximity of her, it sets us off. DD definitely isn't allergic to any of our other animals. When the dog was away for a couple of nights at the vet as she had a op after being attacked by another dog, we both felt a lot better and DD's breathing improved. I do all of the things you recommend, in terms of cleaning in the home and the car. I'm sure that helps.

Bikejoring looks fun! I might have to adopt a Husky just for bikejoring. My whimpy terrier just runs along side the bike for all of 20 minutes and then gives up, the little fatty

You should try that, op, or bring your dog here so I can try it

Thanks for the advice. Bikejoring does look like fun!

She is focused when we need her to. When there are no distractions and we have good treats on us. She will sit, lie-down etc, but with an expected "OK, where's my treat" look!

I've never heard of Schutzhund clubs, but will look into that, thanks.

She doesn't have an ear tattoo. So, I have no idea of her history really. The people who brought her to the rescue gave wrong information on her, in terms of her behaviour. They said they found her in a field with no ID.

Strangely there is another rescued foxhound who lives a street away. Unfortunately our dog just goes to attack him when she sees him, so I have to keep my eyes peeled. In fact, the time I ended up in the stream was because she was trying to get to him.

will try to be stern but do have to say dont be too hard on yourself. it is hard sometimes to feel love towards the dog when the dog is having such an impact on your life. the fact you are posting here and have already thought of the ideal home (very common ideal home btw but very very rare) show you care

that wasnt very stern was it? um, you rehomed the dog and need to do more training and exercise with the dog. better?

seriously, look into if you can get any help with walking dog. you dont always have to pay a dog walker. do you know anyone who likes running and would like to borrow your dog to do cani x?

i would continue with the dog classes. they are very good for mental stimulation. they will also increase obedience and the relationship between you and dog will then improve

furminator - i use one. bought it on ebay for about £9 iirc.

we have asthma and dogs here - second all the advice on allergies scuttle mentioned

Thanks chick.

We did pay to have her walked when we were out all day last week and she ran away from the cocky dogwalker who thought letting her off the lead would be ok. He started to jog and lost sight of her.

We'll certainly continue with the Behaviourist and the training we do and I'll look for a furminator now. £9 is a bargain!

Yes, re. allergies I'll continue with the cleaning. We've actually started to pay for someone to come in once a week too, as we spend so much time cleaning the rooms the dog goes in, that we don't have time for the bathroom etc! I know I should be doing it now, but I'm very grateful for everyone's advice. BTW, DD's been prescribed an inhaler because of the allergies, which I'm sad about.

Thank you.

Booja, people surrendering dogs to rescues routinely tell outrageous whoppers, so any rescue worth its salt usually ignores 90 (no, make that 95)% of what they are told when a dog is brought in. There have actually been some scientific studies on this issue illustrating a big gap between behaviours described and behaviours experienced in subsequent adoptive homes. It sounds as though you and she were poorly matched in any case.

Have you talked to any specialist hound rescues? I found these via Google.

If she has no ear tattoo, she is unlikely to be from a working pack. Until I googled I had no idea that foxhounds were bred as "show" dogs - can't say it's something I welcome. I've been to many hound shows, but they've been for working foxhounds from packs.

The on lead behaviour is solveable and both Cani X and Bikejoring would be brilliant for her (and imagine how fit you'll be!)

Not really sure what else to suggest about allergy - haven't tried Petal cleanse myself but have heard good things about it.

we all take inhalers here. there was a thread recently about dogs helping long term with allergies. it was within the last month if you want to search for it? (off to bed soon or i would have a look)

there was also a thread about furminators and if anyone could tell fakes from genuine. iirc the general consensus was that we couldnt and that those of us who bought off ebay were as pleased with them as those you paid triple the price (tired so may be wrong but think this was the case)

dogwalker sounds silly and irresponsible to let dog off the lead. i wouldnt use him again

doesnt matter having a cleaner. i have one now too and it does take the pressure off

i think dooin suggested up thread about continuing onto more advanced training classes? this sounds ideal if you have completed the beginners class. its good for dog to be in a class environment, will tire dog out concentrating on new commands, may help you to feel more confident too. someone - i think maybe scuttle - suggested i do this with my oldie (for different reasons) and i was so grateful for the suggestion as it was something i hadnt thought about doing. oldie is 14yrs old, very obedient, but it will help her with mental stimulation and she will enjoy it.

good luck

Your dog walker let your dog OFF the lead?!!

Definitely a "You're fired" moment. Though idea of dog walker is v good.

Thanks again, everyone, for your fantastic advice and support. I need to stay focussed and give her as much of a life as I can.

I think I have just a fair bit on my plate at the moment (had to start another thread in step-parents!) so perhaps everything seems worse than it really is. It's not as though she's a vicious dog. She's just a handful!

Thanks again.