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The doghouse

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Original poster

Considering rehoming my dog

151 replies

Smirna · 14/02/2023 16:33

I had a lovely small dog for many years. Cuddly, friendly, placid. Sadly she died. It left a hole in my life so I got a new puppy. Same breed, same breeder.

New dog is horrible. She’s a year old and still chewing things all the time. Still peeing and pooping in the house sometimes, she just isn’t getting the message about going outside. She’s very barky and constantly barks for attention. If I’m eating she barks beside the table. She wants to play all the time and barks at me to join in. If I ignore her she starts clawing at me. I do play for a bit but she hassles me constantly. I end up locking her out of the room so I can work or watch tv. When I come home she leaps around and runs in circles, she won’t cuddle me or let me pick her up. If someone is eating she’s in their face trying to snatch food. Kids are always crying because she’s taken their food. Even if we’ve just been for a 30 minute walk she’s still bouncing around and playing when we get home, she won’t lie down.

Basically we are not a match in terms of energy levels. My previous dog was ideal, two short walks a day and a bit of playing with toys, then she lay down. So I purposely got the same low energy breed, but this dog is not low energy. I’m considering rehoming to someone who wants a more high energy dog. I feel awful about it but I just don’t have the energy or time to play with the dog the amount she wants.

OP posts:

Soubriquet · 14/02/2023 22:43

You got a puppy to replace a dog that was already older and well used to a routine.

It takes time and training

OllytheCollie · 14/02/2023 22:44

There was some research out last year that suggested temperament in dogs varies more just between dogs than between breeds i.e. breed isn't that good a predictor of behaviour beyond some basic rules of thumb like herders like to herd, gundogs like to retrieve etc. Temperament is a product of genetics, epigenetics and training.

As a result she's not at fault for being a lively example of her breed. I have known super lively small dogs and currently have a collie snoozing on me ( though she will certainly herd!).

The only thing you can change is training. Dogs can learn to chill between activities if we ignore the barking and give them regular mental and physical exercise on our terms. At one she has plenty of time to learn not to be annoying like that.

But she will still be lively and smart. If she needs a more active home than you can offer maybe you should consider it. If it was me I would look for advice from a trainer first on teaching chill and stimulating her mentally more to calm her down.

StarDolphins · 14/02/2023 22:45

Poor’horrible’ dog hasn’t been trained or treated properly & now you’re going to burden an overstretched rescue who will be bursting at the seams with nowhere to put the dog because of people like you that don’t train or offer a lifetime commitment to their shiny new puppy.

THIS is why rescues are on their knees. Please, please think begore you get a puppy & unless you can do the right thing by it for potentially 19-15 years, get a goldfish instead.

Justmeandthedog1 · 14/02/2023 22:46

Maybe you’d have been better with an older rescue dog? A reputable rescue centre would have taken time to assess the dog and know it’s needs in terms of exercise and attention. Contact your dog’s breed rescue and rehome him.

AthenaPopodopolous · 14/02/2023 22:51

She’s still a puppy really. Just give her time and more training and it’ll get easier.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 14/02/2023 23:07

And hour a day of walking is not a ridiculous amount of time to invest it’s the absolute bare minimum

Ooshie · 14/02/2023 23:24

She just sounds like a young dog to me, 12-18 months can be the naughty teenager stage. Considering you think she’s horrible it would probably be best to rehome her (and please don’t get another dog). They aren’t robots, they all have different personalities and quirks.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 15/02/2023 06:48

If you can't be bothered to put the time and effort in to train her then it's probably best for the poor thing if she does get re-homed.

Usernamesarenoteasy · 15/02/2023 07:09

@Smirna
And don’t say a small dog needs to be walked for more than 1hr a day, that’s ridiculous and nobody has that amount of time to invest.

That is a ridiculous statement. I have 2 dogs. Which can't be walked together, unless I have someone come with me. I spend at least three hours of my day every day walking those dogs. Because it was my choice to have them, and that is what they need. Along with that there is play time, and training. Even for the 6 year old.
The size of the dog is irrelevant to the amount of exercise it needs, for example dachshunds and jack russells are recommended to have at least an hour a day, and they are small breeds.
It sounds like you were extremely lucky with your old dog, but if you can't put in the time and effort with your current dog to enrich their life and train the behaviours you want then maybe you shouldn't have a dog.

Emma543 · 15/02/2023 07:19

‘And don’t say a small dog needs to be walked for more than 1hr a day, that’s ridiculous and nobody has that amount of time to invest.’

not fit to own a dog if this is your view.

Newpeep · 15/02/2023 07:38

An hour a day is fine for most small dogs but they need brain work as well. Ours will only get that but she’ll also get obedience training, brain games, agility once she’s old enough and anything else she’d like to do.

I have always found that more exercise just means fitter dog. It doesn’t tire them as much as 10 minutes of training especially if they are choice based and self control. The absolute worst for revving up a dog is endless ball throwing.

I do sympathise. We’ve got our first puppy after losing our 17 year old rescue that we had at 6 months. It’s a big shock and there has been lots of wobbles. Nothing you describe can’t be fixed by training and adjustment to routine. But you need to put the work in. If you don’t feel you can then rehome.

AngelDelightUK · 15/02/2023 07:43

What breed is she?

I currently have a dog which is a breed I’ve had all my life - my parents used to have them too - and she is the hardest dog I’ve ever had. You’d never have another of that breed if she was your first, and she sounds very similar to yours.

Feel free to pm me and we can talk. Have you tried a water spray bottle for when she barks? I only have to show mine it now and she stops. Frozen kongs for enrichment and to keep them quiet are good too, as is a good bone

BethDuttonsTwin · 15/02/2023 07:44

Viviennemary · 14/02/2023 16:56

I don't blame you for not wanting such a badly behaved difficult dog. But will anybody else want it.

This is such a ridiculous and ignorant response that I actually laughed when I read it.

OP you don’t exercise your dog enough and have extremely unrealistic expectations of a puppy/adolescent dog, when you compare her to an elderly dog you had for many years and who you knew very well and were settled with. You don’t love this dog for herself and are trying to recreate the same rapport, but this is impossible because she’s a different dog. You are the one out of step not her. Yes please do rehome, asap, to someone who will love and appreciate her for herself.

BethDuttonsTwin · 15/02/2023 07:46

And don’t say a small dog needs to be walked for more than 1hr a day, that’s ridiculous and nobody has that amount of time to invest.

OMG, please rehome her! Poor little dog :(

adamsaboutnothing · 15/02/2023 07:49

I had a small placid Lhasa aspo. Never barked, never craved attention other than cuddles on the sofa on an evening, and never begged or stole food. He's 4lb of loveliness and very much a typical Lhasa. So...we bought another. Same breed, same breeder. And OMG do we know we have him. He's now almost 4 and very much still a puppy in terms of playing and attention. We don't have the toilet or food trouble, but we do have the yapping and stealing of socks from radiators which he will chew and not give up until they're dead. He's also a whopping 12lb, so he's like a bulldozer when running around the house crashing into things. Whilst both are happy with an hour walk on a morning and an hour on a night, I'm sure the pup would just keep going if we had the time. Moral of the story, no two dogs are the same.

silverclock222 · 15/02/2023 07:52

Smirna · 14/02/2023 22:40

do you really want another dog ?
I want a nice placid dog like my previous dog. Who goes for a 30 minute walk then lies down beside me while I work. I haven’t trained this dog any differently from the 3 previous dogs, she just isn’t getting the message.

Perhaps a stuffed toy would be better. Good god re-home the dog and don't get another

ChangedmynameagainforChristmas · 15/02/2023 07:54

When you get a new puppy you are responsible for everything in his life. You feed and toilet train and exercise and the rest. It is all on you. If you can't be bothered with that puppy because he is not like your other dog then the best thing you can do is to rehome him to someone who will do these things, and never get another dog OP.

Ihatethenewlook · 15/02/2023 07:56

Your update has left me gobsmacked. I wouldn’t trust you with a goldfish. The problem with people like you owning dogs, is that to train a dog properly you need to be at least as intelligent as the dog 🙄

FurAndFeathers · 15/02/2023 07:58

Smirna · 14/02/2023 22:33

I treat the new dog the same as I treated my previous dog her entire life. Morning walk before work, evening walk after work, let out in the garden regularly, and play with toys for a bit at lunchtime and in the evening. I’ve always worked from home due to my disability so I am there during the day, but the dog needs to let me work, she can’t be barking and clawing at me. Often I have to put her out of the room so I can work.

I purposely chose the same small breed as I had before, and my previous dog was satisfied with a 30 minute walk then would lie down while I worked. But new dog is still yapping and clawing me for attention even after her walk. And don’t say a small dog needs to be walked for more than 1hr a day, that’s ridiculous and nobody has that amount of time to invest.

I never trained my previous dog not to bark - she just didn’t bark. I didn’t train her not to climb on people and snatch food - she just didn’t. Because the breed is supposed to be quiet and placid and easy going, not yappy, doesn’t need a lot of walking, and that’s why I chose it. But new dog is none of those things. She has the energy of a collie or something, not a small lap dog. This is the 4th dog of this breed that I’ve had and I haven’t had this problem with any of the others.

What breed is she @Smirna ?

honestly all of the behaviours you describe not liking are learned behaviours which is why your previous dog didn’t do them. This dog has learned to do them because you’re reinforcing them in some way.

if she’s barking and pawing at you, you must be responding with tactile and eye contact or she wouldn’t do it. You need to ignore completely.

have you trained her to settle? And reinforced this calm quiet behaviour? It sounds like that would be a worthwhile thing to do.

You get the behaviours that you reward, not the behaviours that you want. If you ignore her when she’s nice and quiet, and push at her/speak to her when she’s barking/pawing, then you are training her to bark and paw at you as the only way to get your attention.

If you want her to be quiet whilst you work, how are you setting her up for that? Do you expect a young dog to sit quietly doing nothing for hours at a time? Or does she have something to do whilst you work? A chew toy, puzzle feeder or similar?

it sounds like you need to increase her exercise and engage in some specific training to achieve your goals.

she’s your responsibility. Surely you didn’t honestly expect an identikit dog with no effort or training?

Locking her in a room is helping no one.

FiveShelties · 15/02/2023 07:58

Another wind up - and if it is not a wind up, rehome the poor dog and get a bloody teddy bear.

nkgopq · 15/02/2023 07:59

Please rehome the dog, it deserves a better life than you are giving it. Accidents inside alone at this age show you just haven't bothered to train it properly.

Honey83 · 15/02/2023 07:59

" I feel awful about it but I just don’t have the energy or time to play with the dog the amount she wants"

This is kind of ridiculous. You bought a puppy, what did you expect. There is an expression as 'playful as a puppy'. They are incessant about play and wanting attention by nature. Add to that the fact they are living things and have their own personalities. If you are going to resent it then rehome before the poor thing bonds to you as it's owner.

nkgopq · 15/02/2023 08:00

And don't get another one ...

Nw22 · 15/02/2023 08:11

If you don’t have more than an hour a day to walk your dog you don’t have time for a dog. Our dog is small but he needs much more than 1 hour of exercise a day.

Haver74 · 15/02/2023 08:23

You absolutely should rehome the dog, as you are not a fit owner 😡

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