Dog rehoming success stories?

[Anonymous]

We have an 8-month-old lab/pit/retriever mix who’s an absolute doll 98% of the time but the other 2% she’s a pretty bad resource guarder (e.g. gets possessive of some toys/food and certain places). We’ve been working with a behaviorist and she’s doing SO much better but we also have a 6-month-old baby and the dog’s guarding is unpredictable enough that we are finally accepting we are going to have to rehome the dog. It’s really hard because as I said she’s such a lover (currently cuddled up asleep in my husband’s lap) and she also has bad anxiety so I’m worried she’ll be sad at a new home. I know, realistically, she’ll do so much better at a quieter home outside the city without kids, but would appreciate hearing anyone else’s positive experiences with rehoming a dog - and if anyone has tips on rehoming a dog with behavioral issues, that’s extra appreciated!

[Anonymous]

When you adopted her you most likely signed a contract that stated you would return her to the rescue/shelter if you had to rehome. So, it’s pretty clear-cut how to proceed if you feel this is the right thing to do.

[Anonymous]

Is he growling and baring his teeth? While you're working out the details of rehoming, you absolutely MUST NOT let that continue. The first and only time my puppy tried this, he was a teen like yours, and I yelled at him in the strongest voice I could muster, hauled him about by the scruff of his neck and kept shouting at him for at least a minute, which is a lot. You need to physically impress upon him that he cannot do that, ever. Then I purposefully had him sit and wait before getting to his filled dish. I purposefully took toys out of his mouth, or kibble out of his dish, and gave them back to him, as an exercise to prevent resource guarding.

Of course, if your dog has been doing this for weeks, you have more uphill work to do, because he now thinks he's allowed to resource guard. Start by having him sit and wait before eating. Hand him his food, but before he eats it, take it away again and have him sit again. Etc. Same before you hand him a toy. If you're afraid he's going to bite, lure him with a treat to prise to toy away or the food dish away. Always give everything back with lavish praise. You want to work up to him letting you take anything away at any time.

Do you brush his teeth? Its a good way to get him used to you doing stuff in and around his mouth. Groom him yourself with a comb or brush, clip or dremel his nails, bathe him, etc... so he gets used to handling. It's a large part of accepting a human's right to manage his body, food and possessions.

[Anonymous]

And, of course, never ever leave your baby alone with a dog, even a supremely gentle one.

[Anonymous]

You know I feel that the trend of positive dog training has in some measure been detrimental to a lot of dogs who need strong but very time-specific correction at certain moments in their life, as in OP's situation. Many dog owners equate positive methods with never elevating their tone of voice, never laying their hands on the dog, etc. This is not compatible with a dog's communication capability: dogs don't understand many words, they understand the tone of voice. They understand corrections like pressures on muzzle and around the neck, because that's how dogs communicate with each other.

I don't know what that trainer did, but for others reading this thread, please understand that most positive method dog trainers aren't worth the money and time you're spending on them.

[Anonymous]

We adopted a second dog who suddenly and quite out of the blue attacked our older dog when we were out one day. We called the rescuer and she had us return the attacker dog immediately. The attacker dog has been rehomed to be in an only dog ever situation, very happily, after about a year of training. Good outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You know I feel that the trend of positive dog training has in some measure been detrimental to a lot of dogs who need strong but very time-specific correction at certain moments in their life, as in OP's situation. Many dog owners equate positive methods with never elevating their tone of voice, never laying their hands on the dog, etc. This is not compatible with a dog's communication capability: dogs don't understand many words, they understand the tone of voice. They understand corrections like pressures on muzzle and around the neck, because that's how dogs communicate with each other.

I don't know what that trainer did, but for others reading this thread, please understand that most positive method dog trainers aren't worth the money and time you're spending on them.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you adopted her you most likely signed a contract that stated you would return her to the rescue/shelter if you had to rehome. So, it’s pretty clear-cut how to proceed if you feel this is the right thing to do.

+1 Absolutely this.

[Anonymous]

I wish you would euthanize the dog. These dogs with anxiety problems just get passed around from place to place until something bad happens. So many people wanted to adopt a dog during the pandemic and the behavior problems are just overwhelming, but there are so many adopters and adoption agencies that are willing to place them in homes even when doing so is clearly irresponsible. You took responsibility for the dog, you should see it through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have an 8-month-old lab/pit/retriever mix who’s an absolute doll 98% of the time but the other 2% she’s a pretty bad resource guarder (e.g. gets possessive of some toys/food and certain places). We’ve been working with a behaviorist and she’s doing SO much better but we also have a 6-month-old baby and the dog’s guarding is unpredictable enough that we are finally accepting we are going to have to rehome the dog. It’s really hard because as I said she’s such a lover (currently cuddled up asleep in my husband’s lap) and she also has bad anxiety so I’m worried she’ll be sad at a new home. I know, realistically, she’ll do so much better at a quieter home outside the city without kids, but would appreciate hearing anyone else’s positive experiences with rehoming a dog - and if anyone has tips on rehoming a dog with behavioral issues, that’s extra appreciated!

I hope you don't decide to adopt another animal. Not to be mean but, honestly animals are work and you can't expect them to be perfect all the time. Your puppy is only 8 months old. What has your behaviorist said? Do they say it is hopeless?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have an 8-month-old lab/pit/retriever mix who’s an absolute doll 98% of the time but the other 2% she’s a pretty bad resource guarder (e.g. gets possessive of some toys/food and certain places). We’ve been working with a behaviorist and she’s doing SO much better but we also have a 6-month-old baby and the dog’s guarding is unpredictable enough that we are finally accepting we are going to have to rehome the dog. It’s really hard because as I said she’s such a lover (currently cuddled up asleep in my husband’s lap) and she also has bad anxiety so I’m worried she’ll be sad at a new home. I know, realistically, she’ll do so much better at a quieter home outside the city without kids, but would appreciate hearing anyone else’s positive experiences with rehoming a dog - and if anyone has tips on rehoming a dog with behavioral issues, that’s extra appreciated!

I hope you don't decide to adopt another animal. Not to be mean but, honestly animals are work and you can't expect them to be perfect all the time. Your puppy is only 8 months old. What has your behaviorist said? Do they say it is hopeless?

OP here. I've had pets/animals before, so am quite aware that pets aren't perfect all the time. Resource guarding is a very specific issue, and our trainer and behaviorist have both said it's a problem that can be managed but not cured -- and with a small child that won't understand boundaries, management can be tough/risky. The dog growls and sometimes snaps if we get too close to something she's deemed as "hers," and this includes food and spaces. Two adults can handle this with no problem, but again, throwing a baby into the mix makes this much riskier. Both experts have also said they think living in the city increases the dog's anxiety. We are trying to do what's best for this dog -- find her a quieter home where she will thrive, but we love her so it's also sad for us, which I why I was hoping to hear from others who have successfully rehomed their pups. REALLY don't need suggestions that we euthanize her (what the actual f*ck), or the judgment that comes with statements that start "not to be mean"...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have an 8-month-old lab/pit/retriever mix who’s an absolute doll 98% of the time but the other 2% she’s a pretty bad resource guarder (e.g. gets possessive of some toys/food and certain places). We’ve been working with a behaviorist and she’s doing SO much better but we also have a 6-month-old baby and the dog’s guarding is unpredictable enough that we are finally accepting we are going to have to rehome the dog. It’s really hard because as I said she’s such a lover (currently cuddled up asleep in my husband’s lap) and she also has bad anxiety so I’m worried she’ll be sad at a new home. I know, realistically, she’ll do so much better at a quieter home outside the city without kids, but would appreciate hearing anyone else’s positive experiences with rehoming a dog - and if anyone has tips on rehoming a dog with behavioral issues, that’s extra appreciated!

I hope you don't decide to adopt another animal. Not to be mean but, honestly animals are work and you can't expect them to be perfect all the time. Your puppy is only 8 months old. What has your behaviorist said? Do they say it is hopeless?

OP here. I've had pets/animals before, so am quite aware that pets aren't perfect all the time. Resource guarding is a very specific issue, and our trainer and behaviorist have both said it's a problem that can be managed but not cured -- and with a small child that won't understand boundaries, management can be tough/risky. The dog growls and sometimes snaps if we get too close to something she's deemed as "hers," and this includes food and spaces. Two adults can handle this with no problem, but again, throwing a baby into the mix makes this much riskier. Both experts have also said they think living in the city increases the dog's anxiety. We are trying to do what's best for this dog -- find her a quieter home where she will thrive, but we love her so it's also sad for us, which I why I was hoping to hear from others who have successfully rehomed their pups. REALLY don't need suggestions that we euthanize her (what the actual f*ck), or the judgment that comes with statements that start "not to be mean"...

That statement is very misleading. When taken early and treated correctly, resource guarding is 100% fixable. However, its not your fault if you adopted this dog recently and it had already developed that issue prior to the adoption - in that case I agree that it will be harder to fix, and you might never trust that dog.

At what age did you get the dog, how did you react when she first started, and what did the trainers tell you to implement?

[Anonymous]

You have a 6 month old who will be crawling shortly. Call wherever you got the dog from, tell them the issue and send him back.

[Anonymous]

Back to the rescue, although I would question any rescue who would adopt a pit mix puppy to a home with a baby. What the hell?

[Anonymous]

I would return the dog. I had a 6 year old pug that I had for several years and an acquaintance from church agreed to watch him while I was out of the country for work for two years. The whole time I watched via social media how he became such a strong part of their family. When I got back I didn't have the heart to take him back and they never contacted me once I got back so I just let him live out his years with them. I would've gladly taken him back if they could no longer care for him. He passed away two years ago and they reached out to let me know. So yes, I guess I have rehomed a dog and it was a success.