For a really long time I have wanted a dog (have kept spaniels in past).
I live in a house with a garden but the garden is accessed via a busyish lane (ie dog cannot access safely on own) so I didn't think a shelter would allow us to re-home a dog.
I was on gumtree and saw a dog who needed a new home (owners moving, cant take her). I arranged to go see the dog. My initial reaction was: NO as she was much larger than I had been told and also obese. Her eyes looked sore. I spoke to the owner some more and spent a bit of time taking her for a walk. She seemed a lovely dog living in very inadequate circumstances and I felt very sorry for her. She was with another dog and 3 young children in a small chaotic space. I agreed to take her for a couple of weeks to see if she would settle with us. I paid a small sum which the owner had asked for to make sure 'her new owner was genuine' which seemed fair enough to me.
I took her to our vet who says she is clinically obese and has eye and ear infections which seem longstanding. She also has a cherry eye problem. She is very very clingy and will not leave the house with anyone but me. H cant get her over the doorstep ( she is heavy -6stones) so all the walking is down to me. She wakes up at 5am and wont settle so I take her downstairs and give her a light feed and take her outside to toilet. On quite a few occasions she has refused to go out. This morning she refused (as I stood outside in rain) and toileted on H's newspaper sat on floor next to bag ready to leave for work. This has happened at her night time 'toilet walk' (10pm) too.
She is completely unable to cope alone for even 2 minutes. If I go to the loo she will howl and pace and get upset. She is clearly frightened of men - H is taking time with her and she is very wary. She will not move on the lead for anyone but me. If I step outside the front door or creep upstairs when she is asleep she will howl and bark - very very loudly as she is a hound. I work from home so she would never be left for long, and I realise it is early days - poor dog must be so confused - but I cannot be a prisoner like this forever.
I appreciate I have been really stupid here.
I wanted to help but I have taken on much more than I bargained for.
I have started her on Vet treatment for her ears and eyes and she has already slimmed down a bit. She is not being left alone and is begin given plenty of affection and walks. She is a lovely dog in every way but her needs are quite high.
Her old owner will 'accept her back' but will immediately re-advertise her on gumtree as he 'cannot take her' and is moving imminently.
My feeling is that she would be happier with an older retired couple.
I don't want to re-home her, she is not a parcel to be passed around, and my children adore her. BUT, the old owner now tells me she would howl if he left the house, even when at home with their other dog and his wife and kids, so I am clear (only NOW this is not what he told me at the time, of course) that it is a long standing trait of hers.
Please don't flame me. I have been stupid I see. I wanted to 'rescue' her out of her environment (not bad enough for PDSA but bad enough to want to rescue her, iyswim) but I don't see how we can keep her long term?
I also don't want to damage her further by re-homing her again.