What is the best way to find a new home for a dog?

[monkeybug]

Even aggressive dogs can be helped with proper training. Michael Vicks dogs were trained and most are now in homes.

I am sorry for this situation that you find yourself in and I hope you find a good solution.

But I can guarantee you, that nobody in their right mind would suggest pairing up Micheal Vicks dogs with small children!
Aggressive dogs can be trained, and can do really, really well in homes with older adults and children, but most rescue groups don't adopt out dogs with a history of abuse or aggression to families with small kids.
I just think of that baby that was killed by a family pet recently. I know it's not the dogs fault, or the parents really (no mom stays in the room with her baby 24/7, and likely it never even crossed her mind the dog would do that).
If she had posted something similar to this before that happened, what would we all be saying? That we can't believe you knew the dog showed aggressive tendency's and allowed it to remain in your home around small children. Sometimes we have to make hard decisions for the safety of our kids, and the comfort of our animals.

 

[PixieDust32]

You need Cesar Milan!

 

[sue1013]

OP I feel for the situation you are in. I've got an almost 11 year old dog that started with similar behavior about a year ago. We took him to the vet they did some tests nothing was found. The vet started him on an antidepressent which has really helped him. I do have a 4 yr old granddaughter when she or any young children come over he goes in his cage I just won't take the chance that he could hurt them. In your situation having to deal with that everyday I would probably put him down.

 

[Gabes_mommy]

OP - I PMed you. We went through a very similar situation when DS was born. I hope you can find the right solution for your family.

 

[Dancemom03]

There are no-kill shelters but you usually need to make a substantial donation ($200-$500) when surrendering your animal and they won't accept every pet. In today's economy, they may be over-capacity or there might not be one near you but it is an option to explore.

No-kill shelters attempt to adopt all the animals out but those not re-homed live out their lives there. The one I visited several years ago has a cat room and several areas for for dogs with furniture to lay on and toys to play with. The director told me that most of them were eventually placed in new homes but I don't know what their requirements are regarding age/disposition/ect of the animals they accept. The animals were not kept in cages but in rooms that we could enter and visit with them.

 

[Donaldswife]

I would recommend petfinder.com. do not use a newspaper classified or craigslist. I used to work in the advertising department of a newspaper, and people would take free pets they found in the newspaper and sell them to companies that did animal testing for a profit. Not all the time, but it does happen. These people will tell you that they are going to keep the pet, only to turn around and sell them to the research companies. If you want to make sure you dog is going to a good home you are better through petfinder.com, and be careful.

 

[Angelhalo]

The rescue groups are correct, you need a trainer.

Exactly. I'm sorry you don't "want" a debate but you're going to get one. Basically you are willing to throw away a 9 year old family member or God forbid put the poor thing to sleep rather than invest in some training. That is just pitiful!

 

[Abbie]

I second the getting another vet/trainer opinion, rule out any illnesses in particular or get some anti-anxiety meds.

Spaniels can be snippy under the best of circumstances. Mine are part spaniel and as the one is getting older she is less tolerant of strangers, to the point that I will pick her up if someone rings the doorbell because I don't trust her not to nip at someone's ankles. She is very sweet-natured but I have noticed this change in her as she ages.

I realize any dog can become aggressive, but my sister was attacked by a "sweet, never ever growled" English springer spaniel when she was young. After several surgeries she still has some facial scars as a reminder. It was nothing she did to provoke, it just happened, but those particular dogs scare me if for nothing other than the unpredictability. I can certainly understand your concern for your children with this dog.

 

[SundaeAfternoon]

You are going to throw away NINE YEARS with this dog...this family member...without first trying to get to the root of his change in demeanor????

Wow. I'm not speechless. There are a lot of things I'd like to say. But I will only say this: You owe it to him to take him to the vet first to see if there is a medical cause for his change in behavior, and then SECOND, to a trainer to try to fix it.

If you are unwilling to do both of those, then try putting an ad on craigslist, and never ever own a pet again.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

A dog's behavior is not always something that can be trained away. When dogs get older, sometimes (just like older people) they lose their patience, and just don't display the same demeanor they used to.

I do not agree, I believe all dogs can be trained, you need to be Alpha at all times, and they will be submissive and you can train them. Failing being Alpha (and knowing the appropriate ways to do so) you cannot solve the issue.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I've heard about that, but i still think they should all have been put down. They were in a fighting ring which is much different then what the OP has going on. I really don't think the fighting can be trained out of them. But I also don't believe that all Pit bulls are bad either.

Horrible

 

[DisneyKT]

Exactly. I'm sorry you don't "want" a debate but you're going to get one. Basically you are willing to throw away a 9 year old family member or God forbid put the poor thing to sleep rather than invest in some training. That is just pitiful!

I agree with this poster. You have had this dog for 9 years you just don't dump it.

I also had older dogs that were less than tolerant when they got older. Two German Shepherds. My children are 7 years apart. So I did have a baby when the dogs were older. Was it more work for me yes it was. But I have also taught my kids to respect animals. Don't hang on them. Don't tease them.
Don't take things away from them. In other words respect them. Again not saying that your kids don't.

Maybe you could also create a sperate area for your dog. That way it could have a place to feel safe away from the everyday household going ons.
I did this for my dogs.

For me it was worth it my dogs were my constant compainions and I still miss them much. Good luck to you

I am not flaming you. You will have to do what is right for your family. But the next pet you take it consider long and hard before getting another.

 

[jrmasm]

Maybe you could also create a sperate area for your dog. That way it could have a place to feel safe away from the everyday household going ons.

This. And not behind a closed door. Use baby gates when your children are awake. Make sure to spend time with the dog outside of the gates when your children are asleep.

And get a good trainer to work with you and the dog. Do not watch a 'trainer' on tv. Especially when dealing with aggression issues.

If you can't or won't do this, I think the kindest thing to do is to have the dog put to sleep. Rehoming a 9 year old dog is cruel IMO.

 

[Jockaroo]

I will try to avoid my soapbox. Others have expressed much of what I feel at this point. Also, we all need to consider this poor dog's welfare.

One way to try to rehome: Talk to your vet. He/she may have an idea of a home for this dog. Yes, it should be a home without small children. Occasionally older people lose a beloved dog, but are not able to go the puppy route. Older dogs can have wonderful homes and be the doted family member in these situations.

When did the behavior start? I think this is very important. If the change in behavior happened around the time of the new baby, I strongly suspect that this dog is just trying to establish a place in the pack and is challenging his status. Dogs don't mind being the lowest, they just need to know where their status is. You may be sending confusing messages to this dog and he is acting out. This behavior can be corrected with training and behavioral modification. However, this will take time, effort and patience on your part. You must be willing to invest this.

Even though you've taken the dog to the vet and nothing was found, you may want to consider a referral to an animal behaviorist. Older dogs can get canine cognitive disfunction, a form of doggie dementia. It can be helped with medication. Arthritis pain can cause dogs to get snippy. If this is the case, he may be seeking the couch for its softness and comfort. Dental issues can cause dogs to become snappy. And, worse case, brain lesions can cause behavior changes. A health check for your senior needs to include senior blood work, urine and stool checks and a complete physical exam where the vet checks the mouth/teeth and manipulates all joints. If any joint issue is expected, then you need X-rays. Deafness can cause dogs to get snippy as well. And you need to explain the dog's behavior changes in great detail. And you may need a referral to a specialist.

I strongly discourage placing the dog on Craigslist. If he is placed on petfinder make sure the listing specifies no homes with children. You could also talk to area pet trainers and see if they have any clients who would be willing to take on your challenging elderly dog. His age makes it much more difficult, but there are some true animal lovers that might consider taking him.

 

[monkeybug]

I do not agree, I believe all dogs can be trained, you need to be Alpha at all times, and they will be submissive and you can train them. Failing being Alpha (and knowing the appropriate ways to do so) you cannot solve the issue.

When I was little my parents had a dog who in his old age began to go blind. We lived in a small house, and had three small kids running around. He was an incredibly sweet dog, but because he couldn't see well, he would sometimes snap at us (especially my baby brother who was crawling at the time).
My parents are wonderful pet owners (I mean, really, really wonderful pet owners. Just adopted a three legged puppy from a family, and treat that baby like royalty! The best food, private trainer, excellent vet care. Just amazing)
They gave the dog to my Grandma when we were smaller. It was hard because he had been a part of my family for so long, but he was MUCH happier in the calm quiet of my grandmas house (with no steps) than the crazy chaos of ours. They aren't horrible people. They didn't "throw away" a family pet. They just felt bad for the little guy, and wanted him to end his life in peace. Not quarantined to a corner of the house, away from the people he loved, so that they didn't have to worry about him biting the baby.
A trainer could have done nothing in that situation. Nor would they be able to do anything for my dog, who is getting less tolerable (thankfully he was crazy amazing tolerable to begin with, and even grumpy is still better than a lot of dogs) in his old age. He has had great training. He knows who the alpha is! But when someone brings a baby to my house, he gets baby gated in the bedroom, because he just doesn't like to be slobbered on like he used to.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

When I was little my parents had a dog who in his old age began to go blind. We lived in a small house, and had three small kids running around. He was an incredibly sweet dog, but because he couldn't see well, he would sometimes snap at us (especially my baby brother who was crawling at the time).
My parents are wonderful pet owners (I mean, really, really wonderful pet owners. Just adopted a three legged puppy from a family, and treat that baby like royalty! The best food, private trainer, excellent vet care. Just amazing)
They gave the dog to my Grandma when we were smaller. It was hard because he had been a part of my family for so long, but he was MUCH happier in the calm quiet of my grandmas house (with no steps) than the crazy chaos of ours. They aren't horrible people. They didn't "throw away" a family pet. They just felt bad for the little guy, and wanted him to end his life in peace. Not quarantined to a corner of the house, away from the people he loved, so that they didn't have to worry about him biting the baby.
A trainer could have done nothing in that situation. Nor would they be able to do anything for my dog, who is getting less tolerable (thankfully he was crazy amazing tolerable to begin with, and even grumpy is still better than a lot of dogs) in his old age. He has had great training. He knows who the alpha is! But when someone brings a baby to my house, he gets baby gated in the bedroom, because he just doesn't like to be slobbered on like he used to.

A medical condition is very different then a behavorial issue. I was referring in my post to the OP who has indicated the dog is healthy and does not have any medical conditions. Medical conditions cannot be trained out, you may be able to get the dog to cope with them, but they condition doesn't just disappear.

Our dog has arthritis, she is 12 and get sore during the winter (we do give her supplements to help and aspirin on the colder days), so if someone picks her up she sometimes yelps from pain and might growl, but its because it hurts. I cannot train that action out of her, it's painful. I can train out any aggression she has otherwise not related. I can train her to walk slightly behind me, I can train her not to be aggressive with others.

 

[Christine]

If the change in behavior happened around the time of the new baby, I strongly suspect that this dog is just trying to establish a place in the pack and is challenging his status. Dogs don't mind being the lowest, they just need to know where their status is. You may be sending confusing messages to this dog and he is acting out. This behavior can be corrected with training and behavioral modification. However, this will take time, effort and patience on your part. You must be willing to invest this.

I think this is the heart of the issue. The OP provided only minimal information to this point about the problem. But what I envision is a busy mom with a two kids in the house, one being an infant. I think the dog has definitely been put on the back burner, which always happens, and the dog is probably feeling confused and a bit threatened.

Owning a dog and keeping it in its place in the family pack is a lifelong "training" process. It's not just 6 weeks training at Petco and your done. A dog needs continual reinforcement especially through the major changes in his life; i.e., moving to a new home, adding a new dog, adding a spouse, adding a new child, etc. Certainly a younger dog may be able to adapt better to one that is more set in his ways.

The one thing that struck me that the OP commented on was about sitting on the couch even though he knows he's not supposed to. Right there I spot a lack of consistent discipline. I'll admit--my dog is not allowed on the furniture but I occasionally catch her on the couch and I don't always discipline for that. My fault. So after I let her sit for two time and on the third time I challenge her and make her get down, she gets put out and miffed. I have totally confused my dog and *I* take the blame for it.

I really feel like this is an issue of needing to reestablish the dog's boundaries. Of course it will take a big time commitment from the OP and her husband. With two children, many people no longer want to provide that effort with their animals. I see it happen often. The passion and commitment to the animal wanes with the arrival of children.

 

[monkeybug]

I also have to say that not all of us are thinking about family when we adopt our dog. I adopted my oldest dog when I was 17! Thankfully my parents helped me choose a breed (golden retriever) and paid for private training as my Christmas present. I was lucky that my dog fit perfectly with family life and small kids, but I can see how in some situations pet owners might not think about their future situation when bringing a pet home. Especially at young ages.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I also have to say that not all of us are thinking about family when we adopt our dog. I adopted my oldest dog when I was 17! Thankfully my parents helped me choose a breed (golden retriever) and paid for private training as my Christmas present. I was lucky that my dog fit perfectly with family life and small kids, but I can see how in some situations pet owners might not think about their future situation when bringing a pet home. Especially at young ages.

But a dog or any pet is family, you do not just pass one family member off for another one.

 

[Jynohn]

Did you get him the dog from a breeder? If so, I would ask his breeder for advice. I breed Great Danes, and have it written in my contract that if at any time the family can no longer keep the dog, it must come back to me instead of to a rescue or shelter. A reputable breeder would want to know what's going on and will try to help you with this situation.

I also volunteer with Great Dane rescue, and our rescue has the policy that we cannot take in a dog with known aggression issues. There's just too much liability at stake.

I'm sorry you're going through this. If the breeder is unwilling to help you, I agree with others who have suggested a trainer before giving up on him.

Good luck!