How to rehome a puppy

[Hawthorne2]

Just that. My PIL lost their old and much loved dog. They bought a puppy from a farm. The puppy is too much for them to handle and also they are still in grief from losing their dog. They say they were not thinking straight.
It's a nice puppy, collie cross, it just needs a younger livelier home. The farm can't take it back. Where to begin finding a safe home for this young dog?
Please advise. It's no good judging. The thing is done and they are distraught.

You must have had to work very hard to do that though. I dont think PIL are up to it, to be honest, and it would be hard for us, not being very local. And hàving other commitments like work and family.

Go to a breed specific recuse. They often have people willing to foster in their own home. The added bonus is that the people who foster will socialise and train the puppy so it’s not missing out.

They are a fantastic charity but don't think they take puppies, usually dogs difficult to place.

The puppy was most likely born out in a barn to a chained up collie, it potentially being in a kennel for a short while is really not a problem.

Can you afford to be fussy which rescue takes it?
RSPCA, Dogs Trust, they kennel. You may find a local rescue that puts dogs straight into a home

Do you know what the border collie cross is?

Just trying to do best for puppy and bereaved people who have been very good to us màny times. This is all new to us so asking advice.

Not cross apparently. That was my assumption but he is a short coated border collie not long haired.

Try asking them again, responsible breeders never mind taking a puppy back as they would rather take care of it than see it potentially go to an unsuitable home. They honestly might not mind and might just keep it an extra sheepdog.

You've no evidence that this is true and it's really unkind.

If it's a farm with any arable, they're just coming into a frantically busy time of year. It would not be ideal for anyone for them to take the puppy back.

There are several border collie rescues who should be able to help.

Any response breeder regardless of if it’s a farm or someone trying to breed the nexts crufts best in show should take a dog back, the breeder should be your first port of call

I was going to tag this post too. Worth exploring as may be an ideal arrangement for both sides.

Since some of the pups siblings wwnt on pets4homes we are worried that if he goes back to the farm he will be sold that way too. Several people on this thread have said not to rehome privately.

I don't know why everyone keeps suggesting returning to breeder. There's clear reasons why this isn't appropriate now.

Have a google of local rescue centres. We have a few near us that foster before rehoming.

You could talk with the Border Collie Spot too.

Honestly if the dog does go into kennels it won't be the worst thing in the world. Good luck.

Returning a puppy to a professional breeder is one thing, but let's be honest, the farmer won't really be interested.

If they thought the puppy had decent working potential they'd likely never have sold it in the first place - and they won't want to keep a sheepdog that can't do a job so the likelihood is it'll just be sold on again anyway.

However it has to be said that in rural communities it's quite common for working litters to be sold privately via online ads or posters at the vets, though I know that goes against absolutely everything most MN'ers would do

Thank you so much, and everyone else too. Will follow up links and suggestions. We will all do our best. It has been very helpful. I didnt know puppies rehomed fairly easily. Thought they would be the hardest. Trying to stay positive.

You're right, I have no evidence, but I haven't seen a farm dog that isn't chained at some point during the day (or all day unless working).

My point wasn't meant to be unkind, I was trying to say there are worse things than being in a kennel.
I help out a local rescue, the puppies literally have hundreds of applications, they have little trouble rehoming them.

When my dh got his dc a puppy I returned it back to the breeder I think most will
take back a puppy (you won’t get a refund but it’s the safest way to rehome if you can)

The ‘farm’ clearly aren’t responsible people if they’ve sold others from the litter on pets4homes. A farm sheep dog having pups? The owners wouldn’t need to put the pups on a dodgy website, they’d have homes lined up elsewhere in the farming community. Poor dog, what a shit start between the breeder and your in laws.

Speak to a rescue.

WRT breeder- just check there isn’t anything in a contract that the dog can’t be rehired without permission/returning to breeder. Some do.

to go slightly left field- do they still want a dog? Is it that a puppy, especially a border collie puppy, is too much for them?

if so do they have the money to outsource? Pay for a trainer, a dog walker, day care one or two days a week? Obviously they’ll need to be able to afford this as an ongoing expense. Even pay for boarding until it has it’s basics?

Or what about something like borrow my doggy? If they can find someone young and active to take on the “fun” parts of training and exercise? Take it to fly all or agility training for example?

A puppy from a working sheepdog should be pretty valuable. I am surprised they won't take it back. It should find a home quickly.

It's actually pretty common for working litters like this to be sold online or via posters at the vets. I'm at our farm vets regularly to collect medication for our cat and there are always posters up advertising working litters - often collies, spaniels or terrier mixes.

Is it the "MN way" of breeding and selling? No, but it's very normal in many areas and not necessarily a sign of anything dodgy or irresponsible. The owners breed to produce a working dog and sell the rest of the litter to pet (or working) homes.

I’m from a farming family. No one we know would use pets4homes. It’s word of mouth in the farming community, yes possibly local vet adverts. Definitely not pets4homes for a genuine family farm dog having pups.

There is a page on Facebook called rescue dogs for agility homes.
The agility community is fabulous and if this puppy is a bit much for a pet home, this would be an ideal place to find someone who is looking for exactly this type of dog.
You will probably also get suggestions on there for suitable rescues.

This is true. Also posters at the agricultural suppliers: 'Springer pups ready end July. Both parents in work, sire eye tested. £600, phone...' That and word of mouth.

Farm and working dogs are often kennelled, not chained. A lot of them come into the house as well.