Re-homing a dog

[Anonymous]

We recently adopted a sweet sweet dog whom I love. Her behavior has been perfect with DH and I. However she has shown some signs of aggression to my 2 kids when the adults were out of the room. She also was threatening to the dog walker. I consulted a well respected professional dog trainer who strongly recommended we rehome her and that she's not safe around kids. I'm inclined to believe her but am broken-hearted. My kids will be so sad even though they are a little scared of her.

[Anonymous]

Hit submit too soon...WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Sorry but I would absolutely rehome. Some dogs are just not good with kids. Think of it this way: your dog apparently does not like kids and living in a house with kids is making her miserable. I know you don't want to rehome her but it's best for her and your family.

Contact the group you adopted her from and let them know what's going on. They should be willing to take the dog back and rehome it to a home with no children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but I would absolutely rehome. Some dogs are just not good with kids. Think of it this way: your dog apparently does not like kids and living in a house with kids is making her miserable. I know you don't want to rehome her but it's best for her and your family.

Contact the group you adopted her from and let them know what's going on. They should be willing to take the dog back and rehome it to a home with no children.

What a bull crap of a comment this is. I don't know what type of a dog trainer you have used, but sounds like someone who does not know how to "train" your dog properly for him/ her to recommend "rehoming" the dog you just adopted. It takes time,right method, love and patient to raise a dog, same way that you raise your kids. Please make sure that you are teaching your kids proper way to approach the dog and maybe you should replace your trainer instead.

[Anonymous]

No way would I keep an aggressive dog around young kids. It's not worth someone getting mauled.

The dog would be gone, and yesterday.

[Anonymous]

I have a similar situation but the dog is aggressive to my husband. We are also considering rehoming. The rescue organization will take her back but it is sad. My thought is that you have to think of your family first and make the right decision for the family. It breaks my heart but I don't want a dog that one of my family members doesn't fee safe aroudn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but I would absolutely rehome. Some dogs are just not good with kids. Think of it this way: your dog apparently does not like kids and living in a house with kids is making her miserable. I know you don't want to rehome her but it's best for her and your family.

Contact the group you adopted her from and let them know what's going on. They should be willing to take the dog back and rehome it to a home with no children.

Absolutely this. The dog will be much happier too. Don't force something that could be dangerous, that your kids have mentioned, etc. The dog will find the right home, and how nice that you have some "fostering" history to pass on so that the dog and final family can be the right fit.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids? Is this an older dog or a puppy?

I'm opposed to rehoming the dog. I think instead you need to invest in some good training. I have a very obedient, sweet dog, but he doesn't trust under 2 year olds. I've noticed he's incredibly patient with preschoolers though. He doesn't bite, but he does growl (without teeth) when children are too rough to him. Humans might think that's being aggressive, but it's literally his only way of letting kids know they're being too rough and he's a little dog.

Why was the dog threatening the dog walker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way would I keep an aggressive dog around young kids. It's not worth someone getting mauled.

The dog would be gone, and yesterday.

+1 There is NO way I would risk my kids' safety over a pet, no matter how loved that pet was.

-Dog owner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are your kids? Is this an older dog or a puppy?

I'm opposed to rehoming the dog. I think instead you need to invest in some good training. I have a very obedient, sweet dog, but he doesn't trust under 2 year olds. I've noticed he's incredibly patient with preschoolers though. He doesn't bite, but he does growl (without teeth) when children are too rough to him. Humans might think that's being aggressive, but it's literally his only way of letting kids know they're being too rough and he's a little dog.

Why was the dog threatening the dog walker?

No, just no. I am all for working with your dogs to train them and overcome aggression and fear and anxiety. All of that goes out the window when you have a dog that is showing aggression to your children. The best thing for the dog is to be rehomed to live out their life without kids in the home. Keeping this dog in a home with children could so easily lead to a bite and the dog will be euthanized. How is that fair to the dog? Once a dog has a bite history, the opportunity to rehome is over, no responsible rescue will rehome a dog after that.

This mindset that, if you rescue a dog, you keep it no matter what, even when it is aggressive towards members of your family, EVEN when those family members are children, is why so many people are resistant to adopting. The pendulum has swung from "rehome the dog at the drop of a hat" to "you must never, under any circumstances rehome" and we need to find a balance somewhere between these extremes. We need to allow for the fact that, despite everyone's best intentions, some adoptions don't work out and a new home must be found and I believe aggression towards a child in the home falls under this scenario.

[Anonymous]

How are your kids acting toward the dog? Have your children been taught that the dog is a living being and not a toy? Sorry, I've seen way too many of these "think of the children!!" sob stories when the children are actually little assholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are your kids acting toward the dog? Have your children been taught that the dog is a living being and not a toy? Sorry, I've seen way too many of these "think of the children!!" sob stories when the children are actually little assholes.

+1000. I would rehome the children before I'd ever rehome a dog.

[Anonymous]

Sweet but growling dog owner, yes your dog is acting aggressive. You might be in denial. Why would you ever let a child near it, preschool age or any age? Why is it worth the risk?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are your kids acting toward the dog? Have your children been taught that the dog is a living being and not a toy? Sorry, I've seen way too many of these "think of the children!!" sob stories when the children are actually little assholes.

+1000. I would rehome the children before I'd ever rehome a dog.

The dog has only recently come into the home. It's very similar to a foster situation, from the dog's perspective.

[Anonymous]

OP, when we looked into adopting a rescue, I read so many stories of adoptions that didn't work out. The success rate is nowhere near 100%. Your dog's home and family is out there, but yours isn't it. Rehome him sooner rather than later.