Topic: Rehoming a dog in Surrey

[KLCG]

Hi we have to rehome our dog Gizmo, he is nearly 6, is a dachund cross jack russell.  He is a happy little fellow, loves cuddles, chasing balls and generally being busy.  He fights with his sister a lot, whenever the door goes she bites his face so they end up in a big fight, its exhausting and so we have decided to rehome him.   :-\ I rang battersea and they said because he doesnt get on with other dogs he wouldnt pass their tests so he would be put down - i cant get my head around that.
There is nothing wrong with him except that he is a bit soppy, doesnt like cats or other dogs. Would suit a couple or person who can spend time with him.  He loves my 3 year old daughter and was born in house full of people.  He was born 1st November and fireworks dont bother either him or my other dog funny things like to watch  ;D

I can email pics if you want just PM me.

We are in Sutton Surrey so if you know of anyone or you would be interested let me know.  we just want him to have a good home xx

[betula]

But he already has a good home. :(Have you really thought this through.?

He may be driving you nuts with the biting problem but a good trainer may be able to help you with this problem.

Battersea dogs home have enough of a problem with re homing strays.

I have a collie and a westie and the westie gives me a lot of problems but
there is no way I would let her go into a dogs home.To my mind you have the dogs ,you sort out the problem.The only proviso I would make on that is if children or Adults come to that are in danger.

Please consider training and take professional advice.

[Old bird]

This is surely a training thing that you needn't rehome the dog but just train him!

My dogs, when there is excitement - like someone at the door - get over excited and snappy.  It is a relatively simple procedure to take the excitement element out by training and hey presto!

Basically you need to ensure that both your dogs know that you are their leader - currently they think that one of them is pack leader.  Practice with either members of the family coming to the door and ringing the bell with both dogs on leads - making sure they are not within attack range of each other!

Make sure that you and the person ringing the bell completely ignore them - no eye contact whatsoever.   Invite them in and through to a living area - kitchen whatever.  If either dog is snapping barking or whatever a sharp downward tug on the lead - again - no speaking shouting or anything.  When they start getting used to people ringing the bell and no-one except you are allowed out to open the door - they should relax down - as you - their pack leader is in charge and they will then not have to confront the person at the door and their anxiety will decrease.

There is a lot more to this training - but the doorbell thing - is what causes your dogs this anxiety.  See if you can do this - but above all else - make sure they know that they are not in charge and you are - thereby making them a bit calmer as they do not have to make any more decisions and scrap on the doorstep.

Otherwise I wish you well with your rehoming.  It does seem a shame though if this is all it is and should be able to be sorted.

Old Bird

 ;)

[oakmore2]

I've been trying not to comment, but I haven't been able to keep my fingers off the keyboard, and I have to say I agree with Betula and Old Bird.

This is a training issue, not an issue with the situation your dogs are in. It is therefore an issue which will not dissapear by re-homing one of the dogs.

Please reconsider - please seek professional advice and proper training for both of your dogs. Ultimately both of them will feel more secure and settled, and it would no doubt improve your relationship with both of them.

My dog (jack russell) used to go crazy when the doorbell rang, but with training I have managed to reach a point where he stays in his bed and simply raises his head to watch what is happening. As Old Bird has said, dogs need to know that YOU are the pack leader. So act lack a pack leader and sort your pack out, don't just get rid of it.

I don't mean to sound as though I am preaching, so sorry if my message has come over that way, I just think you owe it to your dogs to sort them out, and ultimately I am sure that you would find it an incredibly rewarding thing to do.

A dog is for life and all that....

[KLCG]

Its not him who's biting its my other dog Missy she attacks Gizmo's face everytime the door rings and so its a nightmare everytime, because they then end up in a massive fight and you have to separate them!   I think thats why he is so wary.  We went to see the vet who said eventually with training he could be rehabilitated to be around other dogs.

It was my vet who recommended rehoming him. This a decision that has not been reached lightly, we have had him since he was a year old, and he came to us a extremely nervous dog, we have built up his confidence but the vet said he needs to be on his own.  We have been trying to rehome him for the last 2 years and only with people we know.  We are now branching out to starngers,  we dont want him to go a dogs home. It has been thought through, but this is hard.

[Borlotti]

Hope you find a good home for him.  Have two cats otherwise may be tempted.  You should take the vets decision and not feel guilty.  He may be better off if he is centre of attention.  Pleased to hear he is good with children as that can be a problem.  Good luck.  This is only my opinion, but all the best anyway.

[KLCG]

thanks borlotti

[Old bird]

KLGG

Yes I do understand what is happening - and if it was happening at any other time I would say yes they don't get on - but it is happening when there is excitement/anxiety - where in their misguided way they are saying "DON'T PANIC - I WILL SORT OUT THE DOOR - NO NOT YOU - I WILL SORT IT" and scrap ensues!

Seriously this is sortable and quite easily!  I understand that the vet has said rehome one but as you say you took it in and it was nervous at one year old - all this aggro at the door has re-enforced the potential "horrors of someone at the door" which is a major issue now.  It is sortable!  Seriously!

Do - please try training - when you are less stressed about the situation the dogs will be less stressed.  It can happen and it can happen quite quickly and easily.  Just a bit of dedicated training from you and your family and it can be sorted out.  If you let your dog go to another home - that will further re-enforce the position to them and make it even more anxious.

I know the vet said re-home it - but is that really the answer!  It is an easy opt out from the vets point of view.  

Old Bird

 :o

[ceres]

Hi KLCG, I'm sure this was an agonising decision to have to make and not one you arrived at lightly.  Hopefully by widening your search you'll find a great home for your dog.  Good luck!

[oakmore2]

Hi again KLCG

I just had to post again as I really don't want you to feel as though my previous post was intended to put pressure on or add to any guilt that you are feeling. That is really not my intention, I just know how I would feel if I was to feel I had no choice but to rehome my dog - devastated - and I just think that there may be other opportunities that you can explore that may help you to avoid it.

I'm a vet and all I will say is vets aren't canine behaviour specialists.

That's who I would want to talk to about getting BOTH your dogs sorted out.

I completely undertsand the difficulty of this situation and the heartache you must have gone through to get to this point (and will no doubt still be going through in tyring to sort it out). But doesn't that make it all the more worth exploring EVERY avenue before you consider rehoming a loved and cherished pet?

You mustn't feel guilty - you will make the right decision for you. I'm just trying to point out that it sounds as though you haven't yet sought help from a canine behaviourist, I don't mean dog trainer (no offence to any dog trainers out there), I mean proper clinical canine behaviourist. Most vets will have one that they refer tricky cases to.

Worth a try? I would have said so (unless you've already done that - in which case ignore me!). If they say one of your dogs need rehoming to have a happy life then fair enough, but from my experience of working with them, I doubt that they will.

Promise that's my last word on the matter.  ;)

[growmore]

I am not surprised at the answer you received from  the dogs home..  :-X
It is a real job trying to part two terriers having a right go at one another when they are really meaning it..
You have obviously thought this through and for what its worth, I think you are doing the right thing  and  hope you find him a good home.

[KLCG]

Hi again KLCG

I just had to post again as I really don't want you to feel as though my previous post was intended to put pressure on or add to any guilt that you are feeling. That is really not my intention, I just know how I would feel if I was to feel I had no choice but to rehome my dog - devastated - and I just think that there may be other opportunities that you can explore that may help you to avoid it.

I'm a vet and all I will say is vets aren't canine behaviour specialists.

That's who I would want to talk to about getting BOTH your dogs sorted out.

I completely undertsand the difficulty of this situation and the heartache you must have gone through to get to this point (and will no doubt still be going through in tyring to sort it out). But doesn't that make it all the more worth exploring EVERY avenue before you consider rehoming a loved and cherished pet?

You mustn't feel guilty - you will make the right decision for you. I'm just trying to point out that it sounds as though you haven't yet sought help from a canine behaviourist, I don't mean dog trainer (no offence to any dog trainers out there), I mean proper clinical canine behaviourist. Most vets will have one that they refer tricky cases to.

Worth a try? I would have said so (unless you've already done that - in which case ignore me!). If they say one of your dogs need rehoming to have a happy life then fair enough, but from my experience of working with them, I doubt that they will.

Promise that's my last word on the matter.  ;)

Hi Oakmore

Yep our vet refrerred us to a canine behaviourist because Gizmo was very nervous and had other issues going on, and Missy took no bloody notice anymore. I was nearly 8mths pregnant at the time we were referred and by the time we got an appointment I had my baby, the lovely lady just took one look at us and said that my hubbie working long hours, with a new baby and living in a flat at the time, (used to take them out individually for walks during the day), that we must be realistic and face facts that we didnt have time to train him, by that time though my hubby had become very attached to Gizmo, and said he would dedicate every moment to putting him right.  So she set up a list of things we needed to achieve and we had another appointment a few months later with her on telephone if we needed her.  We got Gizmo's confidence up but he would attack my MIL's dog for just sitting and looking at him and then he would fight with missy, if you took them to the park together missy would find the biggest dog there and bark at it, then if gizmo was off his lead he would attack it!! So they have to be walked separately now.  And separately they are lovely to walk and play with, together they are little bleeps!

Its been very emotional because they are brother and sister, from the same litter.  Each pup was very different.  The Mum is a jack russell and really grouchy now, the dad is dachsund cross spaniel and is bit soppy.  Missy seems to be taking after the mum.  We have been in our house with a lovely big garden for over 2 years now and they love the freedom they get, but i keep them in kitchen if we have visitors because they jump & bark a lot.  Missy used to sleep in our bed (i know bad move!) but Gizmo used to wee in it so they havent shared our bed in 4 years.  They never get scraps, Missy is on a special diet because she got really fat after she got spade, and Gizmo will eat anything you give him.  Missy loves the colour orange especially Ginger people  ;D, Gizmo cant stand the colour orange, doesnt mind Ginger people, will tolerate for a biscuit.

We tried our hardest with him and i think living with Missy is making him worse.  We just want him to be rehomed now, so he can get the attention he deseves before he gets too old.  Feel like i'm always shouting at them to be quiet or moving them into the kitchen when people visit.  Its got so bad that my cousin thought they lived in the kitchen and never came into the living room with us.  It goes against everything we stand for giving him away, we wanted him to live we people we know so we knew he would go to a good home, but all our friends seem to have cats or dogs already.  I have put an ad up at my allotment office, to see if anyone there would be interested.  Just have to wait and see now. :-\

[oakmore2]

In that case I think you really have done everything you can.

Good luck with the re-homing, I really hope you find him a good home. I have a couple of vet friends in your area - I'll ask them if they know of anyone suitable.

Hope you understand I wasn't trying to preach or make you feel pressured, was just trying to make you aware of all options. In fact, you had already tried the options, so I should have just kept my fingers off the keyboard!!  :-[ :-[

Will PM you if I manage to come up with any potnetial homes for him.

Really good luck.  :-\ :)

[KLCG]

Thats ok no offence taken,  ;)

[KLCG]

Had the most horrific night, my dog Gizmo attacked my other dog again tonight.  Normally its all superficial and there are no wounds, but this time he ripped a huge gash in her at the back of her ear, there was blood everywhere.  Its had to be stitched, she's at my MIL now and will have to stay there until we rehome him.  Whenever that maybe.  Its so hard because i think he just needs to be homed on his own!  So if anyone knows of anyone who would be will ing to give him a try....let me know

[star]

What sad news, I wish you the best of luck rehoming him. I hope Gizmo is ok.

Maybe your MIL will fall in love with him?

[Old bird]

KLCG

Didn't realise the full story!  It is easy to impart advice and when only part of the picture is visible for it to be so wrong!

Sorry Hope you didn't take offence with me tying to get you to train the dog!  It appears you have tried everything!

Good luck with the re-homing - Unfortunately I don't know anyone in the area who possibly could help but wish you all well!

Old Bird

 ;D

[star]

Its so easy to skim through replies OB, I have done that before and then regretted it after posting.  ;)

Just wondered how Ing got on KLCG, hope he is now rehomed :)

[waitingforland]

So sorry to read about your troubles with the 2 dogs.

Just a thought, may be you might consider...... why not look for a new home for the female dog if she is more adoptable? If no-one can/will take Gizmo maybe if you can only keep 1 try looking for a home for her instead. You would still only have 1 dog and a more peaceful life.

[KLCG]

Hi All

thanks for your posts.  Well i got in touch with Terrier rescue and they have been fab, they said they were fully booked for 3 months at least but in the meantime would put him on the rehoming list and on their websites.  I went on Dogpages and put an advert on there too.  Found a lovely family in Cheshire who are willing to take Gizmo on.  We are driving (4hours!!) there tomorrow to drop him off.  We are getting them to sign an agreement to say they will return him if it doesnt work out, so he doesnt go off to ANOTHER home, as per the advice from terrier rescue.  So fingers crossed it all works out ok.

We couldnt rehome Missy as she has long term health problems and has to have regular blood tests which is covered by our insurance.  We are hoping she settles down after Gizmo is rehomed as she has started to become agressive to MIL dog which previously was very playful with.


Thanks again for all your posts xxxx