Rehoming a dog

[CarolAnn856]

I cant remember from our breeder when we took our last one home, but it was definitely either 6 or 8 weeks

I pray it was 8. Even that's pretty early, but 6 is ridiculous, unless the mother had passed away or something.

 

[SharonZ]

I think the $1,000 fee is way too much, and you have the additional expenses of the fencing and at 2 years, you shouldn't need to enroll in obedience training, it should already be trained.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

We rescue and I would never pay a breeder for a dog. In a situation like this I don't think asking for the fence to be complete is too much to ask since even some rescues I work with won't adopt out some breeds without a fenced yard but that is the end of what I would do. I would not, under any circumstances, pay $1,000 for a dog. I would go find a rescue and pay the small adoption fee first.

YMMV.

I find the

I think asking for the fencing is fine. I think asking me to enroll myself & the dog in an obedience class is telling. I interpret that as "we may have dropped the ball with proper training & consistency with this dog & don't want to see her returned over & over".
My yard is almost completely fenced anyway except for 1 small area-this is no big deal & something I would do whether I was asked or not because I would want the dog to be able to roam my yard freely.
I do think it is aggressive for breeders/shelters, etc to "expect" people to fence their yards or deny people that opt for an electric dog fence. Shouldn't it be by choice what happens at my house? I guess they can then choose to deny me & I have to accept that too. What I do know is that growing up we always had dogs without these intrusive applications & declarations from the breeder/shelter on what "must" be in place to be considered. Our dogs were happy, well cared for & loved.
I get it & I am really torn about her cost. I am not looking for a free dog & I am willing to pay something.
The good news is I will be in Universal & Disney all of next week, so I have time to think about it while I am riding the rides!

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

This sounds like they are selling you the dog at that rate, not re-homing.

I have:
- Rescued a dog from a rescue group. PUPPY that needed full training but she had been fixed and had all her shots. We paid $250 which covered all that had been done plus her first doctor's appointment. Expected for a brand new puppy. Now 8.5.
- Re-homed a 7 year old dog. Family had a baby addition and didn't have time for him. Wanted $50 - to try to insure someone was getting him for right reason. After answering all the questions and meeting us, they took no money. He's my shadow
- Re-homed a young dog (less than 1). Said they had too many dogs, wanted $50. DD paid them, they took off. Paperwork checked out and he was fixed and up to date. But wild. Took two years and classes to calm him down. Clearly he came from bad situation who kept him locked in cage. He is happy boy now.

This is not a re-home, you are purchasing a young dog. You have lost out on the years of training that is necessary ... are you even sure the dog is house and otherwise trained. If the fence is a big issue it sounds like maybe it runs away or that the old owners would just leave the dog outside.

Given they are asking you to build fencing and take classes ... I think $1000 is unreasonable given you have missed critical years.

You have done much good service to take on these different dogs. I really love to hear about animals (people too ) getting a new chance in life.
I am not sure & no expert on what the difference is between a rescue & a re-home. To me a rescue is a mystery dog that was either wandering the streets as a stray & picked up by Animal Control or a shelter, was not chipped & now people are trying to sort out what type of dog it is, health & behavior stuff, etc. On the flip side, I think of a re-home as a dog that does have a known history, has been cared for in some way & needs to find new owners, maybe because of illness, death, divorce, a move, etc. I could have this all wrong?
I feel that this is a re-home with a hefty price tag & maybe some behavior stuff going on.
I won't be making any decisions until I know much more about the dog & have been able to spend some time with her.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

I once adopted a dog that needed rehomed. As the first family said "I could never take money for my family member".
I'm SHOCKED they are SELLING the dog. You don't sell family members.

I know, there is a creepiness about it.
Me personally, if I found myself in this situation with a pet that I could not longer keep, I would seek the best home possible & ask for nothing, except maybe an update or a picture once in awhile if the person was willing. That's me tho.
If the person insisted, I would ask them to make a donation to a shelter.
I think most people do see their dog as their property/investment & want compensation just as they would if they had a yard sale & were selling their toaster, skis, baby stuff.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

I pray it was 8. Even that's pretty early, but 6 is ridiculous, unless the mother had passed away or something.

I know 6 weeks is ridiculous, most puppies from reputable sources go home at 8 weeks to the best of my knowledge.
Off topic (slightly)....Just think-us moms are expected to go back to work when our newborns are 6 weeks old (& we are probably given the side eye that we took that long!).
Puppies get 8 weeks with their mom.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

I think the $1,000 fee is way too much, and you have the additional expenses of the fencing and at 2 years, you shouldn't need to enroll in obedience training, it should already be trained.

Yep, I'm in a personal struggle right now. I have a picture of her in one hand & a demand list in the other.
I am a firm believer in the idea that everything works out the way it was meant to, so time will tell.

 

[HopperFan]

You have done much good service to take on these different dogs. I really love to hear about animals (people too getting a new chance in life.
I am not sure & no expert on what the difference is between a rescue & a re-home. To me a rescue is a mystery dog that was either wandering the streets as a stray & picked up by Animal Control or a shelter, was not chipped & now people are trying to sort out what type of dog it is, health & behavior stuff, etc. On the flip side, I think of a re-home as a dog that does have a known history, has been cared for in some way & needs to find new owners, maybe because of illness, death, divorce, a move, etc. I could have this all wrong?
I feel that this is a re-home with a hefty price tag & maybe some behavior stuff going on.
I won't be making any decisions until I know much more about the dog & have been able to spend some time with her.

Yes that’s basically how I see rescue and rehome but there is the third which is selling a dog. You case sounds more like selling to recoup investment.

My rescue dog was part of a horrible neglectful situation. They weren’t sure she would live so the rescue kept her to 12 weeks. Still a tiny bag of bones. I thought maybe 40 lbs tops when grown. Nope she is a 60 lb lapdog.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

Yes that’s basically how I see rescue and rehome but there is the third which is selling a dog. You case sounds more like selling to recoup investment.

My rescue dog was part of a horrible neglectful situation. They weren’t sure she would live so the rescue kept her to 12 weeks. Still a tiny bag of bones. I thought maybe 40 lbs tops when grown. Nope she is a 60 lb lapdog.

I'm sorry your dog had a rough start like that-its terrible what people feel entitled to do to animals. She has obviously thrived with you HopperFan.
I guess I didn't think of it like that-a straight up sale, like I answered an ad to buy a canoe or something. Interesting & maybe that's why its giving me a creepy feeling.

 

[HopperFan]

I'm sorry your dog had a rough start like that-its terrible what people feel entitled to do to animals. She has obviously thrived with you HopperFan.
I guess I didn't think of it like that-a straight up sale, like I answered an ad to buy a canoe or something. Interesting & maybe that's why its giving me a creepy feeling.

I get if it’s purebred so some monetary exchange, and I even get they want to know you have a fence.

I guess I think $1000 moves out of the rehome range ($500 tops for purebred), and insisting in the classes tells me the dog might be a handful. It may be breeder is concerned about their own reputation if the folks who can’t keep it are doing so because of behavior.

I feel for you, I fell in love with my re-home from pictures, I would just be careful. The dog DD got has destroyed so much, including a sofa to shreds. She stuck it out and he’s doing great now - but most wouldn’t have kept him, as he’s cost her a fortune.

When he’s at my house he does great with others but for awhile it was hard.

 

[Imzadi]

You have lost out on the years of training that is necessary ... are you even sure the dog is house and otherwise trained. If the fence is a big issue it sounds like maybe it runs away or that the old owners would just leave the dog outside.

I think asking for the fencing is fine. I think asking me to enroll myself & the dog in an obedience class is telling. I interpret that as "we may have dropped the ball with proper training & consistency with this dog & don't want to see her returned over & over".

Yes, the dictate for the fence may be because the dog doesn't really listen or come when called. As HopperFan said, you already lost 2 crucial years of training with a dog that is strong-willed and most likely has a strong personality in place now. As much as you want another corgi right now, you may be inheriting buying someone else's years long headache to come.

I think most people do see their dog as their property/investment & want compensation just as they would if they had a yard sale & were selling their toaster, skis, baby stuff.

Yes, but it should be equitable to what the item is currently worth, not trying to re-coup what they put in. This is a "used" adult dog now, which may have training problems.

Yep, I'm in a personal struggle right now. I have a picture of her in one hand & a demand list in the other.
I am a firm believer in the idea that everything works out the way it was meant to, so time will tell.

This is why I say don't meet the dog until you get the price down to where you want it. Don't go by your emotions until the price is at least right.

Have faith that the right dog will show up for you, if it's not this one.

Remember: Time is on YOUR side, not theirs. That dog isn't getting any younger. And if it's an unruly dog, they are constantly living with it day to day. They may be willing to drop the price when they realize they may have had someone, who is ready to walk away because they are unrealistic about their asking price. Sure, it's a pure breed, but it's not a show dog, nor can it be bred. They just have an expensive, young adult pure breed dog (that may not be properly trained.)

 

[Imzadi]

Yes that’s basically how I see rescue and rehome but there is the third which is selling a dog. You case sounds more like selling to recoup investment.

I guess I didn't think of it like that-a straight up sale, like I answered an ad to buy a canoe or something. Interesting & maybe that's why its giving me a creepy feeling.

It may be breeder is concerned about their own reputation if the folks who can’t keep it are doing so because of behavior.

Yes, I'm wondering if the $1000 is actually going to the Breeder. (S)he originally SOLD the dog as a puppy. Most Breeders stipulate they will buy the dog back if someone wants to get rid of their dog. So (s)he may be having to give back a good portion of the money (s)he originally got and now wants to recoup his/her loss. This is a business transaction to the Breeder.

Why didn't the Breeder vet the couple better? (S)he had to know it was going to an "elderly couple." Didn't (s)he talk to them about the dog's temperament and what is required for this type of dog? I'm wondering if the dog was the runt of the litter and may have been more docile as a little pup? But, ill-training and age brought out personality problems the dog may have?


OP, if you take out the price factor and you met this same dog at the local pound and were told they don't really have much of a history to go by, (since you can't really be sure you're being told all the facts,) except that the dog used to be owned by an elderly couple who found the dog to be more of an handful than they could cope with and are giving up the dog. It needs a fenced in yard. And it will definitely need some professional training (which may mean the dog has behavioral/personality problems for it's young age & temperament,) WOULD YOU CONSIDER OR TAKE THIS DOG?

 

[jrmasm]

Yes, I'm wondering if the $1000 is actually going to the Breeder. (S)he originally SOLD the dog as a puppy. Most Breeders stipulate they will buy the dog back if someone wants to get rid of their dog. So (s)he may be having to give back a good portion of the money (s)he originally got and now wants to recoup his/her loss. This is a business transaction to the Breeder.

Why didn't the Breeder vet the couple better? (S)he had to know it was going to an "elderly couple." Didn't (s)he talk to them about the dog's temperament and what is required for this type of dog? I'm wondering if the dog was the runt of the litter and may have been more docile as a little pup? But, ill-training and age brought out personality problems the dog may have?


OP, if you take out the price factor and you met this same dog at the local pound and were told they don't really have much of a history to go by, (since you can't really be sure you're being told all the facts,) except that the dog used to be owned by an elderly couple who found the dog to be more of an handful than they could cope with and are giving up the dog. It needs a fenced in yard. And it will definitely need some professional training (which may mean the dog has behavioral/personality problems for it's young age & temperament,) WOULD YOU CONSIDER OR TAKE THIS DOG?

I must return my dog to his breeder if I can no longer keep him. No money would be involved. I also have a dog (same breed) that was returned to the same breeder per the same contract that I signed. She was given to me by the breeder FOR FREE.


This whole situation feels wrong to me.

 

[bethwc101]

What amount do you feel is fair/reasonable to pay for a dog that needs to be rehomed?
We would be her new home. She is a purebred corgi.
The current owner has asked that my yard be completely fenced in. It is currently 3/4 fenced & finishing the small open area in the front would be relatively simple.
They have also asked that I enroll her in an obedience class to assert my dominance as she is strong willed. I have many years of experience with this breed.

I have never understood the "rehoming fee". You are trying to get rid of a dog you are no longer capable of taking care of. Why would I pay you to do you a favor? If you take it to the shelter you have to pay to give up the dog. I'm not paying you to give up the dog.
It should be "free to a good home"

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

Why didn't the Breeder vet the couple better? (S)he had to know it was going to an "elderly couple." Didn't (s)he talk to them about the dog's temperament and what is required for this type of dog? I'm wondering if the dog was the runt of the litter and may have been more docile as a little pup? But, ill-training and age brought out personality problems the dog may have?


OP, if you take out the price factor and you met this same dog at the local pound and were told they don't really have much of a history to go by, (since you can't really be sure you're being told all the facts,) except that the dog used to be owned by an elderly couple who found the dog to be more of an handful than they could cope with and are giving up the dog. It needs a fenced in yard. And it will definitely need some professional training (which may mean the dog has behavioral/personality problems for it's young age & temperament,) WOULD YOU CONSIDER OR TAKE THIS DOG?

It’s possible the breeder DID do her due dilegence with the couple.
People’s circumstances can change in a heartbeat. I’m in perfect health right now & who knows, by Friday I could fall down a flight of stairs & end up in a wheelchair for life. I hope not but none of us knows what’s around the corner.
2 years is a long time & ALOT can happen to someone in that time, particularly medical stuff. I don’t begrudge this older couple having wanted a dog. We are all getting older & that could be one day.
I believe most people are good & I think they probably went it to it with the best of hopes & intentions.
I think you make a good point about comparing getting this dog thru the breeder vs if it was shelter dog instead.

 

[robinb]

I
I do think it is aggressive for breeders/shelters, etc to "expect" people to fence their yards or deny people that opt for an electric dog fence. Shouldn't it be by choice what happens at my house? I guess they can then choose to deny me & I have to accept that too. What I do know is that growing up we always had dogs without these intrusive applications & declarations from the breeder/shelter on what "must" be in place to be considered. Our dogs were happy, well cared for & loved.

I also think it's wrong for breeders/shelters to require a fenced yard. The fenced yard is a false sense of security and/or exercise for the dog. We *gasp* walk our dogs on leashes! We sometimes bring them to the dog park so they can run and sometimes I will let them out on a leash in the backyard to potty if I can't walk them. Too many times dogs are left outside in a yard all day with no interaction. My dogs are are NEVER left alone outside.

 

[Jaime4004]

This girl is not being rehomed due to behavior problems. Her current owners are older with health issues & are not able to give her the attention they feel she needs. As far as I know, she has been well cared for & loved.
I totally get where you are coming from as far as a puppy vs an older dog that may be set in her ways. This part does not scare or worry me since I know the breed & am willing to put the time in to work with her. I don’t know what her personality is like yet since I have not met her, so there is more to learn.

This is how we got one of our dogs a year ago. She's a purebred yellow lab and was 11 mos old. Had elderly owners who started having health issues. When I got the call about her, from the kennel we used to use before we moved, I never thought about payment. We were doing the owners a favor, not buying a dog, which is how the owners saw it also. We had recently lost a dog to old age, had another old dog (16) and a new rescue mutt puppy. I had no intention of getting another. But DH thought it was fate that we were called so we went to meet her. And one look at that face, took her home. It's been a year now, best decision ever!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Wow, there are now some tall tales going on on this thread!

The breeder's unscrupulous, the dog has major behavior problems, the couple isn't just older with health problems, they're elderly, dog's a handful since it needs training classes, runt of the litter, won't come back when called, missed two crucial years of training, etc.

Good grief!



Look, OP, take everything that everyone says here, including me, with a grain of salt. Go meet the dog. Talk to the people. Bargain with them. Read the original contract. Walk away if it doesn't feel right or if you can't get the price you think is fair.

The dog likely came from a decent breeder. That breeder planned for her birth, oversaw it with one of her own beloved dogs, and nurtured the puppy for the eight weeks or more that she was with her. She sold the pup to people she believed would take good care of the dog, and by your account, they have. They may well have been repeat customers or customers of another breeder known to the breeder of this dog. They loved and cared for the dog, and perhaps it became a lot. That can happen. Many of us are guilty of this when we take on a puppy, dog or other pet. (I remember the feeling myself when I got a puppy while still undergoing chemo.) Life happened for them, and someone is now having health problems. They feel the dog would be better off in another home and they're trying to find the right home for the dog now. Another loving home, like the ones she's had already. She does not sound like a ruined dog; she sounds like a well-bred, young one just out of puppyhood and still a year away from maturity. Hardly a lost case.

This is much different than a dog who's been abused or neglected or has unknown heritage or major behavior problems. This dog has had a very good life so far. It is highly unlikely that there are major problems with the dog. I have a dog like this now who got an incredibly great start in life with a good breeder, then came home with us. I know his siblings and relatives and all of them are pretty well adjusted - in large part because of their great start in life and the people chosen to raise them. My sense is that the dog will be a good member of your family with some fine tuning of his training and socialization. You know this if you have experience with the breed. Herding dogs need structure, consistency and firm leadership. Fences are often required because they are protective of the home and their intelligence and instincts will lead them astray. The last thing anyone wants is for the dog to wander out into traffic and get killed. Requiring a fenced yard doesn't equate to either behavior problems or to leaving the dog outside alone to languish all day - since they are barkers the neighbors would be all over that. We have a fenced yard and our dog can explore on his own while pottying, go in the pool with us, play fetch, have doggy friends over to play, hang out with us when we're working out there and such, yet he's safe there both from predators and from leaving this safe space when his nose sniffs out pesky critters. Some dogs are prone to running off and for many it's instinctual.

OP you aren't just doing them a favor, you were looking for a dog from a breeder and I'm sure didn't expect to get one for free. If you did, you could've scoured Craigslist or gone to the local shelter. You sought out a dog from a known breeder for a reason. Stick with your gut sense. We don't live in an area where much comes at a cheap cost. As I mentioned, I've been looking for a rescue and some of the costs have been what I thought were very high, too, as much as $800 and requiring a trip out of state to get the dog without even meeting her. I think the price of the dog seems high with the other requirements, but probably not high without them. YMMV.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

I also think it's wrong for breeders/shelters to require a fenced yard. The fenced yard is a false sense of security and/or exercise for the dog. We *gasp* walk our dogs on leashes! We sometimes bring them to the dog park so they can run and sometimes I will let them out on a leash in the backyard to potty if I can't walk them. Too many times dogs are left outside in a yard all day with no interaction. My dogs are are NEVER left alone outside.

We also walk the dogs everyday, only extreme weather interferes really.
The fencing is nice to be able to open the door & let them go, we are right behind them in a few minutes.
They can go chase squirrels or whatever makes them happy.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

@Pea-n-Me ...without quoting your most recent post due to the length, thank you & that’s why I’m keeping you in mind to PM if & when this girl comes home.
Everyone’s time & input is greatly appreciated. I know everyone brings different experiences to the table & sometimes things get added or “expanded” on here on the DIS!

It’s nice to see the feedback.