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The doghouse

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

Original poster

Need to re-home my dog

83 replies

googlybeat · 30/05/2018 23:17

Hi
Please no judgers. I do realise how nieve I've been in retrospect.
We've been looking to get a dog for a few years but wanted to wait till the children were older.
Looking on pets for homes we found a dog which needed rehoming from a private ad.
We met the dog and she appeared perfect.
Previous owner had trained her and said she was really well behaved.
When we got her home she seemed to have the usual adjustment issues. Accidents on the floor and chewing which quickly stopped.
However, she is very aggressive with other dogs. This is our first dog and I didn't want a puppy because I was concerned about my inexperience. Instead we now have an older and much bigger dog with serious behavioural issues. To be honest I'm now scared of her and am very edgy with the kids near her.
She may be a wonderful pet to someone with more experience to take her in hand but I don't have that to offer.
Tried to contact the previous owner who isn't interested and became aggressive himself. Said we knew what we were taking on.
Feel completey trapped by this situation and don't know where to go from here.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks

OP posts:
Colbu24 · 30/05/2018 23:21

I'm sorry to hear that. Please call the RSPCA for advice or the dog trust.
You don't need to justify your decision if you can't have the dog don't.
You may consider a smaller breed next time.
Good luck.

noitsnotteatimeyet · 30/05/2018 23:23

Is she a specific breed? If so the breed club may be able to help. If not then you’ll need to go somewhere like the Dogs Trust but you may well have to wait until they or another shelter has space. Whatever you do, don’t try to rehome her privately - as you’ve found out that’s not often successful and the poor dog deserves better than to be passed from pillar to post. Being honest though there’s unlikely to be a queue of people desperate to offer a home to a large, untrained, potentially aggressive dog.... please don’t get another dog in future

Wolfiefan · 30/05/2018 23:25

You took this pet on. I wouldn't give up so easy. But then I wouldn't buy off pets for homes.
Behaviourist?
Vet check?
For now use safe spaces (you can rent fields) and stay away from other dogs.
What training have you done? It's an ongoing thing.
How long have you had her?
In what situations is she aggressive? How is she aggressive? Breed?
Be aware that a rescue (some places) will PTS an allegedly aggressive dog.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 30/05/2018 23:33

Would you consider working with a behaviourist to work with the issues your dog has and learn to manage them so that you can reduce any instances of aggression? It sounds like this is your only dog and so instances of aggression and so she's not being triggered within the home environment?

If you do decide, ultimately, to rehome her, then pick your poison when it comes to choosing a rescue... but I'd start with the Dogs Trust as while they operate a selective intake policy (i.e. they don't take dogs that are unlikely to be rehomeable) once a dog is in they have a lot of training and behaviour resources that are thrown at the dogs. Other rescues can be more open intake but far more likely to PTS a dog.

OhWotIsItThisTime · 31/05/2018 05:51

Get a dog behaviourist in. I adopted a dog that was completely unsocialised, terrified of traffic and kept barking.

It took consistency, tons of chopped sausage and time. He a fantastic dog now.

Original poster
googlybeat · 31/05/2018 08:25

She's a bull mastiff x staffy. That's a big part of the problem. She's so big and powerful I don't feel I can control her. We have an appointment booked in with a trainer but I've lost all confidence in my ability to turn this around.

OP posts:
ICantCopeAnymore · 31/05/2018 08:29

That's what you get when you buy an animal from a website. I find it very hard to muster up any sympathy whatsoever.

Poor dog.

CaptainBrickbeard · 31/05/2018 08:31

You have a strong, aggressive dog, children and no experience. You are afraid to share your home with it - and people are advising you not to give up? It’s easy to say these things about someone else but in actuality you are putting yourself and your children at risk for a dog you don’t want. No, you shouldn’t have got this dog and you went about it the wrong way. It isn’t the dog’s fault and it’s a shame for the dog but you cannot keep it. You can’t control it and it’s going to attack someone else’s beloved pet or worse. Training takes a lot of time and dedicated effort and whilst it’s ongoing, your family is at risk. Take her to a rescue!

LegoPiecesEverywhere · 31/05/2018 08:33

I cannot believe you chose an adult bull mastiff/Stafford as an inexperienced dog owner. Give him to one of the rescues and please do not adopt another dog ever.

Flicketyflack · 31/05/2018 08:37

Please contact Dogs Trust or RSPCA & rehome.

I would research before getting a dog/puppy again Sad

Wolfiefan · 31/05/2018 08:39

No answer to how she's aggressive or when.
You clearly don't have the experience or will to turn this around. She will probably end up PTS.
Don't get another dog.

MissGiddyPants · 31/05/2018 08:40

I despair.

Yogagirl123 · 31/05/2018 08:43

No judges? It’s never going to happen on here, I only had to read the title, from reading other similar threads and knew you were in for plenty of judging along side some sensible advice.

You have accepted you made a mistake, you aren’t the first and sadly won’t be the last, seek help from a suitable animal charity asap.

LEMtheoriginal · 31/05/2018 08:47

I am sorry -i tried not to judge but ffs!! Poor bloody dog is going to end up passed from pillar to post exacerbating her behaviour issues.

Who in their right mind gets that sort of dog with no experience?

Totally irresponsible but never mind OP you can advertise her on gum tree and I'm sure someone will reimburse you Hmm

TropicPlunder · 31/05/2018 08:54

I think loads of people get that kind of dog with no experience. At least OP is getting advice and can do the responsible thing now....which is likely to speak to a rescue, if she doesn't have the will to persevere with a behaviourist

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten · 31/05/2018 08:58

You have found yourself in a very difficult position - ignore the blaming posts on here they are not helpful.

The situation needs managing and it will be hard to find the perfect solution.

The best way forward is to find a reputable rescue centre that will assess the dog. However the reality is that they are full and taking on an aggressive dog of the breed mentioned will be almost impossible to rehome. If you need a list of local rescues near to you pm me your location i is always worth a try.

An alternative is to get a qualified behaviourist in and to also assess the situation. The number of times I have been to see "aggressive" dogs and in reality they need basic training and the owner needs educating. A good behaviourist will also have links to rehoming .

In the short term keep the dog safe and away from other dogs and people. Again you need a qualified assessment as many dogs can be reactive to other dogs and will not be a threat to your children - you need to know the situation to enable you to make the correct decisions for the future.

If you are unhappy taking the dog out then lots of brain games will help to releax and settle the dog. Scatter feeding food, getting the dog to sniff out food etc

Original poster
googlybeat · 31/05/2018 09:01

I can understand the judgement. I feel like a total idiot looking back. I put too much trust in the previous owners advert
When he met us he seemed to think she would be great for us. I should of listened to my gut instincts.

OP posts:
beenrumbled · 31/05/2018 09:01

a lot of rescues can't take on dog aggressive dogs.

If a dog is dog aggressive, rehoming to a rescue where it will be surrounded by other dogs or due to space issues needs to share with other dogs may not be possible.

Speaking to your vet for a behaviourist recommendation, not just training classes maybe the way forward.

Wolfiefan · 31/05/2018 09:04

Honestly you've done a very stupid thing. I think many rescues will just PTS a truly dog aggressive dog. Stil no answer to what she does and when. Do you have no desire to try and sort this? When you take an animal on it is down to you to at least try and sort any issues.

Original poster
googlybeat · 31/05/2018 09:06

Thank you vallhala for your advice. The old owner swears she never was aggressive before she came to us. He seems to think it's something we have done. He may be right I don't know. We have tried to be consistent with how he cared for her but obviously it's a massive change.
My problem is I'm a nervous person and the dog may well be picking up on my signals. That's why I don't think we are right for her
Even with the help of a trainer I don't think I will ever be able be able to stop the jolt of adrenaline I get when I see another dog with her.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 31/05/2018 09:08

FFS the old owner had an aggressive dog they couldn't be arsed to train. They advertised online and sold it to the first idiot they could find.
Keep away from other dogs. Maybe hire a safe space.
Still no answer when is she aggressive and how?
This dog could end up dead if you can't face up to at least trying to solve the issues. You can't blame the old owner.

BiteyShark · 31/05/2018 09:12

Don't go to a trainer. Get a good behaviourist in. Approach your vet for a recommendation of one.

Never trust an owner rehoming a dog. At least from a rescue you have an independent assessment of their temperament. The only time you could ever trust an owner rehoming privately is if you knew them and the dog personally for a long time.

tabulahrasa · 31/05/2018 09:17

I own a large breed dog aggressive dog, not a rescue and there’s a whole irrelevant back story about why and why sadly it’s not fixable... the important bit is, yep it’s hard going owning a dog that size that you can’t just walk normally, it’s really not what you’d ever want from dog ownership.

But, dog aggression does not mean she’s dangerous to have around you or your children, it does mean that short term you need to manage her and longer term either work with someone to resolve her issues or find a rescue that’s willing to take her on and work with her.

How reactive is she? Could you walk her on lead if you had more suitable equipment? Does she need to be muzzled?

helloBuddy · 31/05/2018 09:25

I've been in this situation and still am to an extent but we are slowly coming out the other side. I had a new baby and was very worried of him being around her but 5months down the line he's great, he's protective of her, when she's crying he wants to lick her all over. I'm glad I didn't re home him, even now I still have days when I get fed up with him.

Make sure you get a behaviourist rather than a trainer. Also I'd recommend joining reactive dog group on Facebook it has lots of tips and ideas. Use brain stimulating treat toys. I rotate this daily. Use hand feeding as it builds up a good relationship with you and your dog. Keep boundaries in place, no sleeping on the bed etc. Clicker training is good, something I'm working on.

Google secure dog fields, we book these and let the dog burn some energy.

We've had him nearly 2years and the change in him is enormous, still work to be done though. Good luck.

helloBuddy · 31/05/2018 09:29

My dog is reactive to other dogs whilst on the lead, it's a shame because we'd take him everywhere with us if he wasn't but I'm hopeful! He also hates being left at home alone, he's not left for long periods but hates it. So it's Catch 22 for us.