I need to rehome my rescue dog - rescue won’t help. What now?

[MumDancing]

I got my first rescue last year and it went so well, we decided to get another. We found a ‘reputable’ rescue group that essentially helps smaller rescues abroad to find homes for the animals and got our second dog in March.

Things were difficult immediately as my resident dog would not accept the newcomer. I spent a lot of money on a force free trainer and equipment to resolve the problem. Eventually, my resident dog reluctantly accepted him.

However, this was when the real problems started. He absolutely torments my first dog who is only 4kg to his 10kg. He is far too rough, dragging her around by her tail and drawing blood daily during play. He also regularly bites her around the throat. Additionally, he resource guards, has separation anxiety, is destructive in the home, snatches food from my young children and has bitten (not broken skin though) every family member.

I made the decision that we are simply the wrong home for him (he needs to be an only dog in an adult home) so I contacted the charity to ask for their help as stated in the contract. However, they have been next to useless and are now ignoring my emails (I have been very polite and only sent an email once every two weeks to one month with new photos as they said this will help - they neither reply nor update his profile). Nobody has shown any interest in him and when they were responding, they just said it would ‘take time’. It’s been 4 months now.

I have approached another rescue but they won’t take him due to his issues. I’m having to keep the dogs separated and step in during their play fighting and as a result, his issues are getting worse and new problems arising. He is now showing aggression towards me. I can’t tell you how distressing this all is and I worry Daily he will seriously hurt one of us or kill my first dog.

I feel so stupid for not ensuring the rescue I was using had a back up plan for failed adoptions. They don’t even have a complaints policy. They are not interested in helping and I’m stuck with a dog I cannot cope with.

What on Earth do I do next?

[MumDancing]

Forgot to say, the contract I signed said I had to allow them to rehome the dog in the event of it not working out and I couldn’t do this privately or through another rescue. This reassured me that they had measures in place but they quickly stopped replying to my emails. I don’t know how I could have known that beforehand.

[twoheaped]

I don't know if you are close to Lancashire but I know a brilliant residential behaviourist here.
I have no idea how much she charges but the turnaround in a dog's manner amazing when she's had them.
PM me if I can be of help.

[BiteyShark]

Well if it said that in the contract then you would think they would take him back so the fact that they are ignoring you is terrible.

And it does sound like you have done everything you can especially if your behaviourist doesn't even think it's the right home for him.

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

I don't want to sound hard but your posts are all about how this is not your fault - rather than deal with the situation.

It is normal for small rescues not to have instant homes for dogs this is not unusual - not a practice to be encouraged but very very common.



When did you contact the rescue asking to rehome him?

Go back to the APDT, by the way they are trainers not all behaviourists, so that also may be something to consider. They should have contacts and also be able to help work out a plan on how to manage the situation in the short term. Use them for advice ad guidance.

It is easier to rehome a dog to rescues if you have a behavioural report from a behavourist.

Simple steps
Dog gate to separate dogs
feed dogs in different rooms
Do not leave items that can be quarded lying around
keep a house line on the dog and remove the dog when play is initiated – this will also solve the issues with your approaching him
When does he bite? Not sure what a bite is if it does not break the skin tbh

[DogInATent]

I’m in Yorkshire. I’ve tried dogs trust and rspca - dogs trust said if I hadn’t heard anything after a week it means they can’t help. Rspca told me to google rescues and ask them.

Try contacting Helping Yorkshire Poundies, tbh I have no idea what they're really like but a friend supports them and they do appear to specialise in problem cases. Even if they can do nothing else they do have a decent social media following and will advertise a dog for fostering/adoption.

[MumDancing]

Thanks to everyone who has posted suggestions. I will contact those rescues over the weekend/Monday and see if anyone can help. I have decided to set a deadline to find him a new home before I reevaluate my options. I think the hardest part is not knowing when this will end so I think it will be helpful to have a date in mind.

Valla, what gives you the impression that I think there is blame to apportion? You’re right in that I don’t think I’m at fault but then I don’t think anyone is - these things happen and until you’re living through it, you can’t possibly imagine how hard it is. My first dog had problems and I worked through them but I think when the dog is posing a risk and is clearly unhappy in the home, then it leaves very few options.

Whilst I don’t blame the rescue for this, I’m angry about the way they have handled it. I’m on their Facebook page and I can clearly see them promoting puppies and dogs from abroad, as well as other failed adoptions whilst they’ve chosen to completely ignore me. I posted a cautionary tale about how you can think you’re using a reputable rescue with safeguards in place which can easily turn out to be not worth the paper they’re written on if they decide they don’t want to know.

This post was asking for suggestions on what I can do next having exhausted all other options - not sure how that’s not dealing with the situation. I’m past self flagellation over this. You have no idea about me or how difficult it was for me to come to this decision. But the decision has been made. I do not want to go down the training route further because I am not in a position to do so given the number of problems he has. The bottom line is, he’s not the right dog for us, we’re not the right home for him and there’s no way to change that basic fact.

[MumDancing]

I’m not sure how to describe the bite? He opens his mouth and clamps down with his teeth but so far not hard enough to break skin although it hurts. Sometimes he does this during play, sometimes when he’s stealing food out of the kids hands, sometimes because I’m spitting up their playing, sometimes because you’ve stroked him and he doesn’t like it. There’s never any growling or warning though.

[BiteyShark]

MumDancing I am not one for rehoming dogs at all but in this situation you should be able to return the dog to the rescue and I think they have failed you and the dog on that point.

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten regarding your post earlier about ignoring all of our options as we clearly don't know anything. Our opinions are just as valid as yours even if you think they aren't.

OP I think having a set time to try and get a rescue to take him is a good compromise but I do think you will struggle but I hope I am wrong.

[MumDancing]

Final point: it’s not necessarily that the rescue doesn’t have an emergency foster as such, it’s that they’re not trying at all. He’s on their website which is a massive list of dogs, quite close to the bottom, they’re not updating his profile, not promoting him on social media. They are literally doing nothing to help me resolve this knowing full well I signed a contract saying they are the only ones permitted to do so. It’s only been the last week or so I’ve contacted other rescues out of sheer desperation.

I told them about the problems from the get go so they were aware but the decision to rehome was communicated over 4 months ago.

[WarCat]

As a vet, I advise euthanasia. I'm sorry but I feel like it would be the best thing for the dog.

[Doggydoggydoggy]

I would PTS.

More importantly, and I apologise for making you feel even shitter, but if it changes at least one persons mind it will have been worth it, this is one of many reasons why I wish this ridiculous trend of adopting overseas would die a death.

Virtually none of these ‘overseas’ rescues can provide help if the adoption doesn’t work out which leaves the dog euthanised or taking up space a UK dog could have had.

There seems to be a view that we should rescue overseas dogs because they are subject to horrendous abuse while UK rescues aren’t that bad.
UK rescues are not lovely places, they are fucking vile!
Dogs can’t understand what on earth they did to deserve being ripped out their home and chucked in a cage surrounded by barking dogs.
They are usually massively stressed in there and some of these poor sods are kept in there YEARS waiting for a home.
Very cruel.
And speaking of cruel, there are some truly horrific cruelty cases in the UK, just as bad, if not worse that what overseas dogs have been through.
Stabbings, starvation, shot, beaten, hanged....

Overseas dogs have a real potential of incubating and bringing over diseases to the UK that we don’t currently have.
UK vets are seeing more and more cases of overseas disease in Romanian/Greek etc dogs.

These dogs frequently have SERIOUS behavioural issues as a result of what they have been trough living in the street. As you have seen.

And finally, and most importantly,
YOU ARE NOT SAVING THESE DOGS
Shipping them all off to the UK does not address the core issues.
It doesn’t stop people dumping dogs.
It doesn’t stop strays breeding
It doesn’t stop people being cruel to dogs.
You are papering a crack instead of fixing the wall.

[MattMagnolia]

I have a family member who is a vet. She always says PTS if a dog is biting. You cannot risk serious injury to yourselves nor to your first dog, who is being bullied.
Don’t pass him onto another home, you can’t know where he will end up.

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

Doggy totally agree about foreign adoptions .

Bitey comments that are incorrect and give wrong advice are a waste of time and endanger the life of the dog and cause OP more stress and time wasting. Wake up this is the real world and not a popularity contest on who gives the nicest answer!

So the touchy feely comments about Dogs Trust etc are just a waste of time DT are the biggest charity to turn away dogs in the UK! Telling to OP to not feel guilt she has done all she can.......

I may be blunt in this post


But people are just not taking responsible decision in regards to dogs and it is always the dogs that suffer needlessly.

Please if you are considering getting a dog do think of the worst case scenario

Do speak to a trainer before you get your dog

Do think what will you do if your dog needs more help and support than just two walks a day

Do not get a dog if you just want a ready trained quiet dog that will just fit into your house.

All dogs needs time, all dogs will have some issue, all dogs deserve attention

What will you do if your situation changes, your hours at work, you get pregnant you move

No one makes you get a dog you do not have to have a dog

Make sure you are up to the job of owning a dog what ever the dog brings to your family.

What will you do if your dog needs extensive specialised training

In three days this week I have heard:-

The dog will not be able to cope with people staying at Christmas so we need to get rid of him

The dog jumps up at my children and bites we do not have time to take it to training classes we do not know who the breeder is we meet in a layby - the puppy is 4 months old.

I am pregnant and will not have time for the dog

I did my research but my dog needs more attention than I can give it eg a walk everyday

Can I cancel my 1-2-1 as my dog has died due to eating chocolate I left on the side.

My dog bite me when I held his collar and put him in his crate - he has to go

This is three days in the life of a dog behaviourist just 3 day

We can now add this one to the list -

*I do not want to go down the training route further because I am not in a position to do so given the number of problems he has. _ then don’t bring a dog to your house from a foreign agency with limited backup if you are not in a position to……it is not rocket science!


Hides thread in despair

[BiteyShark]

Wake up this is the real world and not a popularity contest on who gives the nicest answer!

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten it's also not your own popularity training center either. All I ever see from your posts is that it's your way or no way. Well maybe you should 'wake up' and realise you might think you are the best trainer in the world and your opinions are king but actually this is a free forum and we have as much right to voice our opinions as you. All you have achieved from this thread is annoying the OP from what I can see.

[MumDancing]

My understanding of UK rescues is that they often take dogs from abroad themselves - sometimes en mass. This hasn’t put me off foreign rescues as my first experience was positive. I tried for 18 months to adopt from a UK rescue but it was time and labour intensive (searching and writing detailed applications) and usually the dogs I applied for were reserved before I’d had my application looked at. I did t want to add to the breeding problem so foreign rescue was the next best thing.

I know you’ve hidden the thread Valla but as a behavourist, don’t you ever advise that the dog is the wrong one for that particular home? It’s not like I haven’t tried and I’m giving up lightly. As much as you want people to understand what they are taking on, that’s an never going to happen. I already had a dog with multiple issues but nothing prepared me for this dog.

It is an impossible task. Take just one of his issues, separation anxiety. I work and had the agreement of my family that they would look after him on my working days. Except they couldn’t because of his aggression. He can’t go to a dog walker or day care for the same reason. I’m having to drive home on my lunch break to let him out but he howls, barks and destroys my home in the meantime. I can’t quit my job. If anyone foresaw this as a potential problem nobody would have dogs.

It’s ridiculous to suggest that it’s NEVER appropriate to rehome.

[MumDancing]

Bitey, absolutely agree.

She clearly didn’t read the thread properly as she missed the bit where I said when I contacted the rescue to rehome and also the multiple times I mentioned why I thought this was a reputable charity with a backup (could have also mentioned they have behaviourist support by phone of which I’ve made use of) and still says I should have known they’d ignore me.

I guess only psychic people should own dogs

[Lovethesun100]

I would suggest loads of exercise for him. At least 40 minutes morning and evening off lead exercise. Or lead walk him jogging beside a push bike. Beagles are hounds and scent dogs aren't they ? So hide toys in the lounge and get him to find and retrieve to hand - reward with treats. Make him work his mind and some hard exercise - hopefully would make a new dog of him - good luck.

[Scattyhattie]

Have you told the rescue that you will be having the dog pts if they do not take him back as contracted?
It may make them take some action to find a place sometimes even if later blame situation fully on you.

[Lucisky]

I rehomed a dog privately (nearly 40 years ago now). I was not told he was being rehomed because of biting, I only found this out later by accident. I had the dog put down after he went for someone ( he meant it and he connected). My vet was in total agreement when I explained the circumstances.
Op, I feel so sorry for your original dog, being ragged around by a bully. I know it is difficult, but it would be best that this dog is pts if you can't get the rescue to help you, but I don't know what they would do with it either if it was returned (probably the same?) As others say, there are worse things than being pts, such as languishing unloved and ignored in a kennel for years.

[OnlineAlienator]

Valla's living in the past, what fucking use is advice about 'what to think about before' getting a dog?

Op i think you've done enough, you HAVE tried a trainer, how many trainers DO you have to burn your way through before giving up i wonder? Unsurprising for a dog trainer to be advocating spending life savings on dog trainers.

I have a dog like yours - he's bitten kids and no one wants to try rehoming that so he's on last chance saloon with me. Simple. We live in the real world and that reality is that there are not enough homes to go round, with obvious results.

[LadyLance]

I'd be interested to know if these type of rescue contracts are actually enforceable. If a dog is a danger in the home, the rescue isn't helping, then surely contacting another rescue is a reasonable step. Unless the contract is worded that the dog is still the property of the rescue, I don't think they would have a leg to stand on if you rehomed elsewhere.

Have you tried talking to any local charities who may be able to rehome?

If you do, and you get another charity willing to help, I would send one last email to the original charity, and explain you are going to rehome via another charity as the dog is a danger in your house. Alternatively, I agree, email them and let them know he will be PTS if the behaviour continues and he is not rehomed- this might force their hand a bit.

I also agree (I know it's unhelpful now) that adopting from abroad rarely works out well- the dogs are often just not suited to family homes.

[thighofrelief]

I adopted a 2nd dog as the 1st had gone so well. It was a mistake that I won't repeat. My eldest dog is 9 and the youngest 4 and it hasn't been easy and the eldest, though fine now, is less happy than when he was an only dog. I just wouldn't have two dogs again unless they were pre-bonded.