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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

May have to rehome our dog

67 replies

TornAboutThisDecision · 23/12/2017 10:39

Namechanged for this as some details may be outing. I'm tearing myself apart mentally over this decision so any advice would be appreciated.
We adopted a greyhound in May and at first all went really well. Lately, he's been getting snappier and growling a lot at all of us (me, DH, 2 children, 7 & 5) and he has bitten my husband. He constantly steals food and gets very aggressive about it.
On top of this my work hours are about to increase so I won't be around for the whole working day all week days, when we got him I wasn't working so I could be with him and then I got a p/t job. I feel he will be lonely because of this change.
We adopted him from a trust and if we don't keep him then they take the dogs back and rematch him with a new family.
Would it be best for all involved to have him rehomed? It doesn't sit right tbh, but I can't be happy with the children possibly being bitten and definitely feeling scared in their own home. We love him and would miss him terribly so we keep going round in circles about this.

OP posts:
Screepy · 23/12/2017 10:41

Please do not ever ever ever get another pet. People like you are why we need pet licenses.

AnaWinter · 23/12/2017 10:44

Did you bring him to the vet?

Mulch · 23/12/2017 10:47

Last chance saloon? Contact trust and they can recommend a behaviourist familiar with breed. There aren't families sat waiting round to take on dogs that snap. They could be facing rest of their lives in a kennel. Please don't write them off so quickly

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 23/12/2017 10:48

I completely agree with Screepy. So many questions about this situation: Why bother getting a dog if you knew you were then going to get a job? Have you put in effort with training? What was happening when he bit your husband, what was the trigger? Have you owned a dog before?

To be honest I assume he will probably be put to sleep if you return him. He now has food aggression and has bitten so they won't be able to rehome him, poor dog never stood a chance. Sad

steppemum · 23/12/2017 10:50

Ok, so he has got more and more snappy, but he wasn't at first.

I would say there has to be a reason for that.
maybe he is unwell, in pain, or stressed.
Before you thnk about rehoming, please take him to the vet, and have him checked out.

If he is well, then no, I don't think you are unreasonable to rehome a dog who is biting and your children at risk.

NorthernLurker · 23/12/2017 10:50

Well you've screwed this right up op. What were you thinking?

Ginorchoc · 23/12/2017 10:51

Have you tried a dog trainer for help? I work from home but the odd day I’m required to be out the house all day I have a lovely dog walker who takes our pup out. Is that an option ?

twinnywinny14 · 23/12/2017 10:51

Why not contact the centre and see if they can offer advice or support in some way first? Explain your concerns to them but stress that you don’t want to return him and see how they can help you? In the mean time don’t leave your children unattended with the dog and try to plan how to be step ahead to avoid potential issues x

Ellapaella · 23/12/2017 10:53

Poor poor dog. You need to look further into why he has starting snapping/biting. He won't cope with you working more hours as he is obviously already struggling with something. Can you look for professional advice as to how to help your dog? It's going to take time and dedication from you to sort this out. There is an excellent Facebook group called Dog training advice and support that give excellent advice from trained professionals. Agree take him to the vet and at the very least of you are going to be working longer hours get a dog walker or sitter in a coupe of times as day so he's not on his own for long.

Branleuse · 23/12/2017 10:54

OP of course you are the absolute WORST person in the world for not wanting a vicious animal biting your children. How very dare you put your children before a dog.

TornAboutThisDecision · 23/12/2017 10:56

Thanks for the constructive answers.
We have contacted the trust and are waiting for the behaviourist specialist to get back to us.
I should have said that we will do anything and everything possible to make this work, this post is merely asking for advice, especially if anyone has been in this situation before.

OP posts:
Notreallyarsed · 23/12/2017 10:56

If he’s stealing food is he hungry, maybe you need to change/up his food intake?
The aggression could be boredom or stress/separation anxiety.

If you do rehome him, please don’t get another animal until you know that you’ll be able to care for them properly, as rehoming is immensely stressful for dogs in particular.

We have a rescue staffy/boxer x and we’ve decided that after she goes we won’t be getting another, however we wouldn’t rehome her as we committed to her for the length of her life and that stands. Since then DPs job has changed and we’ve had 2 more kids, so changes in circumstances not really a valid excuse.

roundtable · 23/12/2017 10:57

Does the trust not have a behaviourist attached to it that can come and see you for advice/ training?

I work part time, dog goes to day care so she's not on her own which works well foot us.

If it's a change in behaviour I would also take her to the vet. She may be in pain/unwell.

roundtable · 23/12/2017 10:58

Yy to are you feeding her enough or decent quality food?

CrestedTit · 23/12/2017 10:59

Oh give over screepy and NorthernLurker.

OP, I'd suggest a trip to the vet first and foremost to rule out any illness that might be making him snappy. If that's not the problem then contact a trainer or ask the rescue centre for advice. IME greyhounds (adult ones at least) cope better than most dogs when left alone for long periods (so long as you employ a walker in the middle of the day) so I don't think that is necessarily a reason for rehoming. The buying off obviously a bigger concern though.

CrestedTit · 23/12/2017 10:59

*biting is

Reallytired17 · 23/12/2017 11:00

Well, it is hard. The job itself wouldn’t worry me. It’s all well and good people getting hoity-toity about working and dogs but most dogs live over a decade and life changes in that time. For my part, I’ve never rehomed animals when my circumstances change, but just sort of gone along and got on with it.

Biting however is entirely another matter. Any ideas why?

roundtable · 23/12/2017 11:01

Sorry cross post op

Notreallyarsed · 23/12/2017 11:01

I’d also agree about a vet check to see if there’s an injury or illness causing the snapping. Our dog has only ever snapped once and it’s because she’d hurt her leg and I brushed against it. Bar that she’s never so much as growled in 5.5 years.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 23/12/2017 11:02

I don't know where abouts you are but something to note regarding a dog walker is that around here it would be very difficult to find someone willing to take on the commitment to walk a dog which showed signs of aggression and which had form for biting.

Medeci · 23/12/2017 11:10

None of the problems sound unsurmountable. You say you love the dog so presumably wouldn't want to risk him being put to sleep.
As the behaviour has changed recently dog needs to be seen by a vet first to make sure nothing physical is causing the problem.
If he's OK then get advice from a behaviourist. There's probably no quick fix but if the whole family puts the work in and follows it consistently there's a good chance of turning things round.
BTW its easy to stop the food stealing, just make sure dog never has access to food. My dogs would eat any food within reach, and they've got a very long reach Smile.

Shambolical1 · 23/12/2017 15:02

It's pretty unusual for greyhounds to be 'snappy' at all, let alone to become snappy without there being a reason for it (actually it's very unusual for ANY dog to snap without there being a reason, a build-up or trigger). As others have said: vet check.

Without seeing the behaviour happening though it's hard - and possibly unsafe - to say. Hopefully the behaviourist will visit you and see what's going on. If this isn't suggested I'd be very surprised.

When and in what circumstances, exactly, is he growling and what do you do then?

When is he stealing food? Off your plates, or from kitchen counters or tables when nobody's around?

What and how much do you feed him? How much exercise do you give him? Does he have a chance to play and run free? Does he have a place he can feel 'safe' in your house, where he can sleep and relax without being disturbed?

All these things could affect his behaviour but in most cases simple changes can be made to help the situation, assuming you're willing to try.

Some dogs are fine being left alone (though periods of more than four hours in one go aren't good), so your increase in hours may not be a problem for your dog.

Note also that some rescue organisations won't or can't rehome dogs which have bitten, depending on the circumstances, so if you are talking a proper bite and not a warning air-snap, you could be sealing the dog's fate already; it may also affect any insurance policy you hold for him. Which is why it's important that you have a visit from a qualified behaviourist and preferably one attached to the rescue you got him from.

Branleuse · 23/12/2017 16:05

I always wonder how much responsibility the posters on mumsnet would take, if a biting/mauling actually happened after they slated an owner for considering rehoming an aggressive dog? I mean its so easy to say what you would do if it wasnt your own children being snapped at from behind a keyboard.

Id no sooner keep an aggressive dog than I would an aggressive boyfriend or lodger.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 23/12/2017 16:11

The trouble is Branleuse most posters on here are not naive people, they understand that this dog is very unlikely to be rehomed. In all honesty unless the OP works to resolve the problem with the help of suggestions posted on here the dog will be put to sleep.

The OP has admitted that the dog was not initially aggressive so there is clearly something stressing the dog out and or its in pain. The likelihood is this is a problem which can be resolved with some time and effort, dogs who were not aggressive don't become aggressive for no reason.

RestingGrinchFace · 23/12/2017 16:15

OP, it's sad that you didn't give the more thought before you got the dog but then again maybe you just didn't even imagine that it would turn out like this. At any rate, the dog is violent and you have children, it has to go. It's sad but you can't put your children at risk for the sake of a dog.

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