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The doghouse

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

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Original poster

Wanting to rehome my dog..

51 replies

emilyjayne5 · 19/01/2020 17:35

Okay so we currently have 2 dogs, one is 1 and the other is 3. We've had them both since pups but other 1 year old pup is our problem. Our neighbor constantly complaining about him barking even though we only leave him for around 1ish hour and that's for the school run. Hes a greyhound x whippet so hes pretty big and we only live it a 2 bed house, with 2 small children and another dog. Our other dogs isn't the problem at all but we are in two minds about rehoming the 1 year old. Any advice for us would be helpful please!

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 19/01/2020 18:54

You need to walk the dog every day.
See a trainer.
Try brain games.
Stop leaving him.
You sound like you’re doing a pretty poor job of meeting his needs. No wonder he’s barking.

Original poster

emilyjayne5 · 19/01/2020 19:03

Well thank you to everyone who replied, its definitely some ideas.

OP posts:

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 19/01/2020 19:33

Start walking the poor thing twice a day. If you can't do that, rehome him (to a shelter, don't just put him on Gumtree).

Indecisivelurcher · 19/01/2020 19:40

Look up 'reactive' dogs to see if it sounds familiar. Read 'feisty fido' for management tips. Find a good dog trainer. Exercise the dog more!! Go out early and late, when there are fewer people walking their dogs. Set up brain games for the dog inside the house. Go to agility. If barking in the house is still an issue then you can get various gadgets to help, as a last resort. A plug in gadget that emits a high pitched sound every time the dog barks. Or a collar that poofs air when they bark. I know not ideal.

AwkwardPaws27 · 19/01/2020 19:42

We would only rehome him if we knew that he was going to someone who could look after him and we wouldn't put him rescue as we wouldn't know where he would end up

OP, if you do decide to rehome I would highly recommend that you do go via a rescue as they will ensure he is assessed and placed in an appropriate home, with a home check, and will usually give rescue back-up for life - this means that if the new owners circumstances ever change and they are unable to keep him, the rescue will take him back (rather than him ending up being sold on via Gumtree or suchlike).

adaline · 19/01/2020 19:42

We walk him maybe around 3/4 times a week but it only ever short because of his barking and pulling gets too much, bearing in mind that I normally have my other dog and 2 small children with me and my partner.

Sorry OP but that's totally unfair. No wonder he's barking and crying - he's bored! He needs a good walk everyday - at least an hour at a time. Lack of exercise in a dog leads to anxiety, destructive behaviour and nuisance behaviour (like barking).

If you can't give your dog what he needs then the kindest thing is to rehome him. It's not fair to expect a young dog to have good behaviour if he's not given an outlet for his energy.

Hoppinggreen · 19/01/2020 20:00

I walk my dog 3-4 times a DAY!
And he’s quite lazy
You need to start looking after this dog properly or rehome

WingingItSince1973 · 19/01/2020 21:01

You admit you live in a small house and you only walk him 3/4 times a week. I think there's your answer! Hes going stir crazy.

talia66 · 19/01/2020 23:25

There is a fantastic group on Facebook - reactive dogs U.K. with some of the issues you are having when out on a walk (lunging etc) this group will really help you x

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 20/01/2020 08:08

What everyone else has said: behaviourist, more exercise, brain games.

Can you let him off lead?

GiveHerHellFromUs · 20/01/2020 08:19

You need to walk a dog like that twice a day. Get him into a routine - walks at the same time every day. Can you take him on the school run?

Given that he's never alone, there's no reason he can't be walked more than 3-4 times a week. That's awful.

HisBetterHalf · 20/01/2020 08:29

We have spoken to vets/trainers and they have said it may be a dominant thing

Most behaviourists now see the dominancy line of thinking to be outdated and a lazy diagnosis

LittleLongDog · 20/01/2020 08:34

Don’t say something stupid like ’I don’t have time to walk him’. Get up twenty minutes earlier and take him out.

MovinOnUp · 20/01/2020 08:54

3 or 4 times a WEEK?? That's either a typo or neglect.

You said bearing in mind you have your other dog and two small children with you...You had these when you got the pup surely? This is not a surprise.

Seeing as older dog behaves in the house, Could you leave older dog in the house and take younger one on school run?
Then give him a really good run/decent amount of training, Then hopefully he'll sleep when you get home and you can get out with older dog?

Gottobefree · 20/01/2020 08:59

3/4 times a week is a joke. Im sorry but you and your family have gone wrong somewhere. A sight hound mix should not be very barky or pulling and not 'dominant'.

You either need to commit to this dog and put in the 1-2-1 and training and EXERCISE it needs ! It is a sight hound so needs to be walked at least twice a day! or you need to re-home it before you mess it up for life.

Motorina · 20/01/2020 09:09

This can all be fixed, but it will take time (exercise, training classes, one to one input daily) and money (behaviourist, classes...).

Is that realistic for you right now with your current commitments? If not, it is in the dog’s best interests to be rehomed to someone who can meet his needs.

Ginger1982 · 20/01/2020 09:10

How can you only walk him 3-4 times a week? What's wrong with you? Sounds like you just want an excuse to get rid.

XXcstatic · 20/01/2020 15:08

Is that realistic for you right now with your current commitments? If not, it is in the dog’s best interests to be rehomed to someone who can meet his needs

Agree with this. MN is very anti-rehoming, but it doesn't sound as if you can meet this dog's needs, so he would be better off re-homed, as long as you do it responsibly.

ThinkingIsAllowed · 20/01/2020 15:38

I actually can't believe you only walk your dog 3-4 times per week. Is that a typo? Is it actually 3-4 times per day?

I'm shocked that anyone would think 3-4 times per week is sufficient. You're neglecting your dog. Either look after it properly (walk it twice a day) or rehome it via a charity.

seltaeb · 20/01/2020 15:42

I am baffled as to why so many people decide to get more than one dog when they are not able to cope with looking after them adequately because of other family commitments. This situation is entirely of the OP's own making. Why get another dog and then not even walk it properly?

pigsDOfly · 20/01/2020 16:25

Seems like quite a lot of people get dogs and then expect them to entertain themselves and train themselves.

Makes no sense. I really don't understand why anyone would want an animal in their home that they, effectively, have no interaction with.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 20/01/2020 18:48

I suspect OP is going to continue neglecting him until he becomes unmanageable, and then flog him on Gumtree 'so I can be sure he's going to a good home'. Then she'll buy another puppy.

sillysmiles · 20/01/2020 18:49

3-4 times a week? That's mad. If the dog is only left for an hour a day that suggests you are at home during the day so how come the dog is not getting walks during the day?
I would have thought 2 walks per day is the minimum for any dog?

What breed is the older dog?

sillysmiles · 20/01/2020 18:52

Agree with this. MN is very anti-rehoming, but it doesn't sound as if you can meet this dog's needs, so he would be better off re-homed, as long as you do it responsibly.

But the problem is when people don't get what they are doing wrong and don't realise that they are the problem and it isn't that they have a problem dog. People make a committment and they should be taking all steps to change their behaviour first before rehoming.
Most rescues are brimming and can't handle the intake from people who just need a kick up the butt and to start stepping up and stop being lazy.

pigsDOfly · 20/01/2020 20:02

sillysmiles You're absolutely right but unfortunately, a hell of a lot of people don't want to acknowledge that it's not the dog that's the problem, it's the owner.

Before I got my dog, my first ever dog, I did masses of homework. I learned as much as I could about her breed, about training, about health and feeding etc.

When I got her, I socialised her, took her to training classes, spent time training her and so on and walk her regularly in all weathers.

I didn't get a dog and stick it in my house only to leave it there to mope around, have nothing to do and bark at people.

Most people on here will have done exactly the same as me.

I'd take a bet that the OP's other dog lives a life very similar to the dog she's having problems with, the only difference is that dog isn't a problem because it doesn't bark.

Some people just don't want to fulfill their commitment to the animals they take on, which is one of the reasons rescue centres are overflowing with unwanted dogs.

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