giving away our puppy =( (venting)

harkeyl86 · June 2014

We have had our puppy for 4 years now and he is very high energy and we are moving this weekend and found him a really nice home with a coworker of my moms but i am devastated to let him go =( I am sad to let him go and then add in the pregnancy hormones and i feel like I'm having anxiety!!!! Gonna be a hard day for me today.

harkeyl86 · June 2014

our new place is not too keen on dogs and we also want him to have a lot of room to run around which he won't have. It was a SUPER hard decision and we did 3 months of training classes which resulted in it will be best to have a new home. we tried the clicking and all of that. we will still get to see him which is positive

hizah05 · June 2014

harkeyl86 said:

our new place is not too keen on dogs and we also want him to have a lot of room to run around which he won't have. It was a SUPER hard decision and we did 3 months of training classes which resulted in it will be best to have a new home. we tried the clicking and all of that. we will still get to see him which is positive

Unfortunately they can't all be trained. I'm sorry you have to give him away. At least you found him a home you are confident with and can be sure he's in good hands. Hopefully they can keep you up to date on him and you'll know he's loved. We had a rescue dog that just couldn't get it under control. We did professional classes and even ended up spending hundreds on an electric fence (even though our whole yard is fenced in!!!) because he wouldn't quit jumping it and taking off. We found a great family for him through my dad and they text us pictures and throw him birthday parties and take him everywhere. I think he is MUCH better off. Hoping you have the same experience. It's ok to be sad though!

mrsH1112 · June 2014

Sad :-( I cant imagine having to give one of my pets up. I have anxiety right now thinking about what would happen if my little one ended up being allergic. I cant even imagine actually having to part with them especially if I have had them for 4 years!

Sorry it didnt work out.

Rmj1022 · June 2014

i'm sorry you have to give away your pup! for me that would be devastating i couldn't even imagine it. sometimes when my dogs are acting up i stress about how it will be with the new baby but i just couldn't imagine my life without them, they are our original kids. Moving is so hard when you are a renter! It's nearly impossible for us to find places that allow our 65 lb dog when our 7 lb dog is the one they should be wary of (tiny dog = tiny bladder!). At least you know the home he is going to and can be sure that he will be taken care of!

JustCricket · June 2014

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this, but I'm glad you found a good new home for him! I can't even begin to imagine how hard of a decision this was for you.

harkeyl86 · June 2014

yup ive cried the whole day. one of the hardest things I've ever had to do

kleigh926 · June 2014

MrsG914 said:
I am sorry that you are upset- but I have a hard time with this. I view dogs as companions for their whole lives. Training aside... All issues can be worked through. 4 years is a long time... You are their whole world. I can't even fathom this.. And I find this decision just devastating.

This totally rubs me the wrong way. Our 4-year-old lab had shown aggressive behavior from before 6 months old. We had her to two trainers, one of which was a dog behavior specialist. Nothing we did helped her fear and aggression. We were told that since her aggression started so young, we had about 0% chance of correcting the behavior. It was genetically hard wired in her, and she was experiencing anxiety and fear all the time. She almost bit neighbors and strangers on walks numerous times. We had to constantly be on guard with her and she absolutely would have bitten someone if we hadn't been so vigilant.

When DD became mobile, our dog started growling at her. It got progressively worse. We tried so hard to get them comfortable with each other, but it didn't work. One day our dog attacked DD basically unprovoked (she crawled past the dog and touched her lightly-no pulling hair, pinching, etc.). She had the side of my daughter's head in her mouth. She could've bitten off her ear if DH and I weren't right there to stop it.

We couldn't keep her around our kids and she couldn't go to anyone else. Due to her history of aggression that was getting worse, we had to put her down. It was devastating, the hardest thing we have ever done. But people are more important than animals and she had been threatening other people her entire life.

I realize this is different than the OP's issue, but please do not say that "all issues can be worked through." It's not true and hearing that is very upsetting for someone who tried so hard to work things out and it just wasn't possible.

rlyttle · June 2014

I don't agree with getting rid of pets, but I think you did the right thing. You found the dog a new HOME. You didn't just take it to the pound or shelter. Some people shouldn't have pets and it's good that you realized that your dog could have a better life with someone else. I'm sure you are heartbroken. We adopted out 6 year old boxer/pit when she was 2 from a family that just had a baby and couldn't give her attention. She is soooooo happy with us and has a great life with DS! So I know dogs can thrive in a new home.

hizah05 · June 2014

kleigh926 said:

I am sorry that you are upset- but I have a hard time with this. I view dogs as companions for their whole lives. Training aside... All issues can be worked through. 4 years is a long time... You are their whole world. I can't even fathom this.. And I find this decision just devastating.
This totally rubs me the wrong way. Our 4-year-old lab had shown aggressive behavior from before 6 months old. We had her to two trainers, one of which was a dog behavior specialist. Nothing we did helped her fear and aggression. We were told that since her aggression started so young, we had about 0% chance of correcting the behavior. It was genetically hard wired in her, and she was experiencing anxiety and fear all the time. She almost bit neighbors and strangers on walks numerous times. We had to constantly be on guard with her and she absolutely would have bitten someone if we hadn't been so vigilant. When DD became mobile, our dog started growling at her. It got progressively worse. We tried so hard to get them comfortable with each other, but it didn't work. One day our dog attacked DD basically unprovoked (she crawled past the dog and touched her lightly-no pulling hair, pinching, etc.). She had the side of my daughter's head in her mouth. She could've bitten off her ear if DH and I weren't right there to stop it. We couldn't keep her around our kids and she couldn't go to anyone else. Due to her history of aggression that was getting worse, we had to put her down. It was devastating, the hardest thing we have ever done. But people are more important than animals and she had been threatening other people her entire life. I realize this is different than the OP's issue, but please do not say that "all issues can be worked through." It's not true and hearing that is very upsetting for someone who tried so hard to work things out and it just wasn't possible.

Why can't I find just the original quote from MrsG? Anyway, I think the statement that, "all issues can be worked through" is really ignorant. And overall shaming people for re-homing a dog is ignorant. There are many, many factors that people don't know about or consider. There are reasons that vets and shelters determine whether dogs are adoptable or not. Not all dogs can be trained and are good pets. It's unfortunate but it's the truth. And not all living situations are perfect for the dog. When my mom got cancer and was constantly in the hospital and couldn't care for her dog would you have told her to suck it up because she committed to the dog?! Would the dog be more important in that situation? And was the dog even in a positive situation? No, it was being boarded all the time. Finding it a new home was a way better choice. To say this is devastating and that you are their whole world is completely rude and insensitive to the OP. She didn't just drop the dog off at a shelter and say, "see you later!" She took the time to find the dog a loving home and it was a hard decision, but the right one. And the dog will be fine. It's a dog.

As the other poster said in this quote, people are more important than animals so @kleigh926 you did the right thing as well. Dogs are not humans and your child and her safety is much more important.

I don't know why this made me so mad but it did. I get so tired of people giving others a hard time for re-homing a dog. Again, if the animal is just dumped that's a different story. But taking time to find a dog a home that is better than what you can provide is not wrong. And if the dog OP had is in a house with a big yard where he can run he's probably much happier.

And I've had dogs my whole life, absolutely love them. And trust me, my 10 year old chihuahua has been treated like a child. But I'm realistic and realize she's still an animal.

Djcieply · June 2014

We had to rehome one of our dogs, it was a really hard decision I totally understand what you are going through. I was also pregnant at the time which does not help the emotional side of it at all. Its like losing a member of the family and it sucks!

Like you we worked for years with ours. We had two dogs that decided they no longer wanted to get along. We thought that getting a puppy and letting it grow up with our already adult dog we would not have any problems in that area but when our puppy was about 1 we started having problems. We did training with both of them, had a dog behaviorist come to the house a few times and thought we had the problem worked out and solved. The last fight they had was the last straw for me (and my dog since he refused to come in the house anymore) I was pregnant, DH was bit on accident trying to separate the two dogs and I did not want that kind of dog relationship in my house any more. Both dogs were great when they were not around each other but you could just tell they were totally stressed being in the same house, even if they were separated. My parents took my dog and we kept DH's since his dog was the one that couldnt live with other dogs, so it was harder to find anyone we trusted to take him. We were still able to see my dog whenever we wanted and he was so much happier.

It really makes me angry when I see people say stuff like "all problems can be worked out" because NO, they cant. I cant make our dog get along with other dogs, we tried and it didnt work. So why force them to be in the same house, not only making them unhappy but us as well, when they could be somewhere else separated and get just as much love and attention as they were receiving.

deviousmuse · June 2014

Giving up a pet, for any reason, is hard. But making that decision for DH and I is one of those things that I think saved our relationship (we were still engaged at the time). We brought home a beautiful German Shepherd puppy to be a part of our little family a couple years ago (we had two small dogs), and all seemed to be great at the outset. And then we started crate training... which turned into a living nightmare. Her anxiety was so bad about being in the crate that we were cleaning up feces off of her and the crate about twice a day (after overnight and at the end of the work day, despite taking her out in the middle of the night and one of us coming home to take her out at lunch). We took her for professional training, to the vet, etc., and nothing we did made a difference.

The day that finalized our decision to re-home her, was when I went downstairs and cleaned up the regular morning mess (and trying to do so before J got up and got stressed), and gave her a bath. We decided to go for a walk to clear our heads and talk about the challenge... and when we came back to the house 45 minutes later, and the scene was repeated. As cute and sweet and smart as she was, I couldn't take it anymore.

Luckily, we found a wonderful family who owned 3 acres of property on a lake, with a SAHM mom, so she wouldn't have to be crated. We've since heard from them that she's thriving out there and their 3 kids absolutely love her.

Honestly, best decision for all involved.

Daisy1232 · June 2014

My dogs also started fighting non stop and despite everything we tried, it was getting worse so one of our dogs went to live with my brother. It was really hard and we feel terrible, but sometimes life happens. You can't control everything and fix every problem the way you'd like. Sometimes even if you try, it doesn't work. That's my mantra so I don't feel as guilty. I'm glad you found your pup a good home and can keep tabs.

bainidhedub · June 2014

Good for you. It's not easy but you know you're doing what's best for the dog. We're going to have to rehome our dog too, and I don't think it's really hit me yet. He came to us with an info sheet from his former family that had some... exaggerations? Outright lies? They said he was good with kids and other dogs, and it's become clear that that's not the case. We took him to a trainer early on and they said no matter what we do, he can never be 100% trusted around kids. Now we're working with a breed training & rescue group, because we know that an elderly dog with a history of aggression isn't going to have a good chance back at the pound.

giving away our puppy =( (venting)

Re: giving away our puppy =( (venting)

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