So you think you are unable to keep your dog anymore?

There are several options available to you if you are unable to keep your dog, however before you go any further we encourage you firstly to read the article below which presents an honest assessment of the re-homing process. Cast your mind back a little. Not that long ago, you were thrilled to have a puppy of your very own. You never dreamed you’d have to give him up someday. Even if you can’t keep him anymore, your dog still depends on you to do what’s best for him, just like he depended on you when he was a puppy. Now, more than ever, he needs you to make the right choices for his future. Throughout this article, we’re going to be direct and honest with you. Your dog is your responsibility. He has no one else but you to look out for his interests. It’ll take effort, patience and persistence to find him the right home. He deserves your best efforts. Before you start, there are some important things you should consider…

Soul Searching – Do you really have to give up your dog?
There’s a big difference between being forced to give up your dog and wanting to “get rid of him”. Search your heart for the real reason why your dog can’t live with you anymore. Be honest with yourself. Your answer will probably fall into one of two categories: People Problems, or Dog Problems. The Most Common People Problems “We’re moving and we can’t find a landlord who’ll let us keep our dog.” Many landlords don’t allow children either – but you’d never give up one of your kids if you couldn’t find the right apartment. Affordable rental homes that allow pets are out there if you work to find them. Most people give up too easily. It doesn’t have to be this way – Here are some useful tips:

1. Most people give up too quickly in their search for rental property that accepts pets. Don’t be too quick to jump on the first house you see. There’ll probably be a better one available soon.
2. Widen your search. Most people only look as far as the classified ads. Many landlords list their property through real estate agents or rental associations rather than the classifieds. Take advantage of rental services that help tenants find houses. Ask friends, relatives and co-workers to keep an eye open for you. Many houses are rented via word of mouth before they’re ever advertised in the papers.
3. A home that allows pets might be in a different neighbourhood than you’d prefer. It might be a few more kilometres from work. It might not be as luxurious as you’d like. It might cost a few dollars more. Are you willing to compromise if it means being able to keep your dog?
4. “No Pets” doesn’t always mean “no pets, period.” Many landlords automatically rule out pets because they don’t want the hassle. Many of these landlords are pet owners themselves. Just because the ad says “no pets” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go see the houses anyway. During the interview, ask the landlord “Are pets absolutely out of the question?” If he answers, “well….”, you have a chance! Hint: You’ll have better luck asking this question in person than over the telephone – it’s harder for people to say “no” to your face. To encourage a landlord to let you keep your dog:
• Bring your well-groomed, well-behaved dog to the rental interview. Show the landlord that your dog is well-cared-for and that you’re a responsible owner. Bring along an obedience training certificate if your dog has one.
• Offer an additional security deposit or rental amount to be able to have a dog.
• Bring references from your previous landlords and neighbours. Invite the landlord to see your present home to show him that the dog has not damaged the property nor been a nuisance to the neighbours.
• In difficult times, people often have to move in with relatives or friends who don’t like dogs. This doesn’t have to be an impossible situation. Use a dog crate when you’re not home or when your family doesn’t want your dog underfoot. A portable kennel run can be set up in the yard for exercise and can be sold later when you have your own place and don’t need it anymore.
• Don’t think you’re being unfair to your dog by moving into a smaller place than what he’s used to. Dogs are very adaptable, they can often adjust even faster than people. Where he lives isn’t as important to him as who he lives with. He wants to be with you and he doesn’t care where that is.

“We don’t have enough time for the dog” As a puppy, your dog took far more of your time than he does now. An adult dog doesn’t really take that much time – all he wants is companionship from you, and taken out for a daily walk (something that is good for you also), and regular grooming which need only take an hour a week. HONESTLY, are you really that busy? Can other members of your family help care for the dog? Will getting rid of your dog really make that much difference to the time in your life? When they look closely at their lives, people often discover that the dog isn’t cramping their style as much as they think.
The Most Common Dog Problem Behaviour problems If you got your dog as a puppy and he now has a behaviour problem you can’t live with and you haven’t really addressed it in earnest, you must accept the fact that you are at least partly responsible for the way your dog is now. You have four options:
1. You can continue to live with your dog the way he is.
2. You can get help to correct the problem.
3. You can try to give your problem to someone else.
4. You can have the dog destroyed.

Obviously the first option is out or you wouldn’t be reading this article. You’re probably most interested in Option 3, so let’s talk frankly about that for a moment… If you were looking for a dog and could select one from all kinds of dogs and puppies, would you deliberately choose one with a behaviour problem? No, certainly not, and neither would anyone else. To make your dog desirable to other people, you’re going to have to take some action to fix his problems. Most behaviour problems aren’t that hard to solve. We can help you with them if you’ll give it a try. What’s more, if you solve his behavioural problems, you may find there is no longer a need to get rid of him. Think hard about Option 2 before deciding it won’t work for you, because the only option you have left is number 4, having the dog destroyed. That’s the bottom line. If you, who know and love the dog best, won’t give him another chance, why should anyone else? Think about that. If your dog has ever bitten anyone If your dog is aggressive with people or has ever bitten anyone, you can’t, in good conscience, give him to anyone else. Could you live with yourself if that dog hurt another person, especially a child? It is also possible that a lawsuit could result from the withholding of any such information? You could stand to lose your home and everything else you own. Our society today has zero tolerance for a dog with a bite history, no matter how minor. A dog that has bitten — whether or not it was his fault — can be considered by law to be a dangerous dog, and to be perfectly honest, no responsible person in his right mind would want to adopt a biting dog. It is imperative that you speak to your veterinarian if your dog has ever been involved in a biting incident. Don’t just pass your problem off to another family.
If you have decided after reading this that you can no longer keep your dog, and he IS suitable for re-homing, there are a couple of things you need to know:…. about Animal Shelters
Shelters and humane societies were created to care for stray and abused animals. They were NOT meant to be a drop-off for people who don’t want their pets anymore. Shelters take in many new animals each day. Many shelters are not Pro-Life like Pets Haven and the sad fact is that the majority of dogs will be euthanized before being adopted. By law, stray pets must be kept several days for their owners to reclaim them. They may not be destroyed until that period is up. Dogs given up by their owners aren’t protected by these laws. They may be destroyed at any time. Shelters don’t want to kill all these animals but they don’t have a choice. There just isn’t enough room for all of them. Shelters today are so overcrowded that your dog could be killed the same day it arrives. If your dog is purebred it won’t necessarily help their chances of adoption either — almost half of the dogs in many shelters are purebreds. In some shelters, many dogs would not pass a standard adoption entry test. Your dog may be as good as dead when it walks in the door. If your dog is old, has health problems or a poor attitude toward strangers, it has no chance of adoption through most animal shelters. Sending your dog to a shelter in hopes that he’ll find a good home is wishful thinking. It’s more likely that you’ll be signing your dog’s death warrant.

Evaluate your dog’s adoption potential
To successfully find a new home, you need to be realistic about your dog’s adoption potential. Look at your dog as if you were meeting him for the first time. What kind of impression would he make? Would you want to adopt him? What kind of home do you want for your dog? A large fenced yard? Another dog to play with? Children? No children? Make a list of what you feel is most important for your dog. Then get real. No home will be perfect, of course, so you’ll have to make compromises. What kind of people are you looking for? What will you be willing to compromise on? Once you have a firm idea of what you’re looking for, it will be easier to plan your search and get the results you want.