I want to start out by saying, I will never judge anyone for having to rehome a dog. If you are here because you are wondering if you should rehome your dog, please feel comfortable knowing you are in the right place.
Sh** happens. Life changes, people get new jobs, get sick, pass away, dogs develop health or behavior issues. When adopting a rescue dog there are never guarantees. Heck, life is never a guarantee!
This site has loads of helpful information that could help you through some health and behavior issues. If there is anything I can do to help you through this hard time, please feel free to contact me.
Rehoming a Dog Guilt
If you are unsure if rehoming your dog is the right choice, you may be feeling guilty that you cannot take care of her anymore. Or that you made a bad decision on adopting him in the first place. I can’t take away that guilt, but you can help yourself and the dog by doing some research before giving your dog away.
As hard as it may be to understand from the perspective of an outsider, sometimes a situation arises when you need to rehome your dog. As a volunteer for a local rescue, I see owner surrendered dogs all of the time.
In fact, our very first foster dog was a 10-year-old black lab, Silla, that was surrendered by her family. I admit I was confused as to why anyone would let such a sweet lab go. I didn’t know the family, but I do know they didn’t make the choice to rehome their dog lightly.
From what I do know, they lived on a farm and adopted two new herding breed dogs. The two new dogs did not get along with Silla and fights broke out. They felt that giving Silla a quiet home to retire in was in her best interest. Again, I am not here to judge. Did they feel guilty? I’m not sure, but I can only imagine how difficult that decision was for them.
Rehoming a Dog Tips
So, let’s start by ensuring you are making the right decision to rehome your dog. Why have you decided you need to give your dog away?
Rehoming a Dog Because of Life Circumstances:
- I have become too sick to take care of my dog.
If your situation is temporary, can you find a friend or family member to help by taking your dog in for a few months until you get back on your feet? - I can no longer afford my dog because of job loss.
Same as above, see if someone will help you and your dog out until you find a new job. - I am moving to an apartment that does not allow dogs.
Find an apartment that does allow dogs. I’m sorry but this is one that you do have control over. I know sometimes it can be hard, but there are plenty of landlords that do allow dogs. - We just realized my child is allergic to dogs.
Are you certain it is the dog your kids are allergic too? Have you tried bathing your dog? Brushing him more often? Keeping the dog out of the areas your child sleeps and plays? - We just had a new baby and no longer have time for a dog.
A baby may keep you busy, but it has been proven that kids who grow up with a dog are healthier. Children that grow up with a dog learn responsibility and compassion for animals. You will make time for both baby and dog. Many activities you can do with your dog and child… go for walks or play ball in the backyard together. - I cannot afford my dogs health care, because of an illness or injury.
Talk to your vet about payment options or look into Care Credit. I understand the thought of spending hundreds or thousands on your dog is daunting… trust me I do, I’ve been there. And sometimes we have to make tough decisions, but there are options out there, you just need to find them. - I got a new job and no longer have time for a dog.
Consider doggy-daycare or a dog walker. You did make a commitment to your dog when you first adopted him. Do your best to make it work.
Rehoming a Dog Because of Behavior Issues:
- My dog has bitten a child.
I understand it is really scary if your rescue dog has bitten your child. This should never be taken lightly. But please look at the situation with a clear mind. Read Why Do Family Dogs Bite and make your decision from there. - My dog has bitten another dog.
If you adopted a new dog and he isn’t getting along with your other dog, then take a few steps back and start over. Read The Best Way to Introduce a Second Dog and see if you can fix the relationship. - My dog has severe separation anxiety and has destroyed our house.
What have you tried to help your dog with his anxiety? Please read Solutions for Separation Anxiety to see if there are steps you can take before giving up on him. - I just adopted this dog and he isn’t what I expected.
How long have you had the dog? Have you given her enough time to adjust? Did you know that it could take up to 3 months for a rescue dog to feel completely comfortable in her new home? If you are certain you adopted the wrong dog, talk the rescue or shelter you got the dog from. Many times, they will take the dog back if it just isn’t a good fit.
An important note about rehoming a dog that has bitten a child or dog. Please disclose this information before giving your dog away. No matter how desperate you are, do not allow another child to be bitten. Do you really want another family to go through what you have?
Where Can I Give My Dog Away
If you are certain rehoming your dog is the right decision, where and how should you give your dog away?
No matter which option you choose, it’s important to be honest about all your dog’s issues and health concerns. Finding someone that is prepared to take care of all of your dog’s quirks, big or small, is important… or else he will just end up being returned to you or worse, euthanized.
Option 1: Contact the Rescue You Originally Adopted Your Dog From
If you adopted your dog from a shelter or rescue, start by asking them about taking the dog back. The rescue I volunteer for actually requires their adopters to surrender the dog back to them if needed at any time.
Some rescues will even post your dog on their website and let you keep him until you find a good home.
Option 2: Turn to Friends and Family for Help
I recommend you start by asking friends and family, even co-workers if they would be willing to take in your dog. This way you know the dog will be well taken care of.
Option 3: Post on Social Media
Posting a photo and your dog’s story on Facebook could be a great way to get the word out he needs a new home. I understand you may be afraid of being judged by your peers, but you’d be surprised how fast you could rehome a dog using social media.
Option 4: Ask Your Veterinarian
Your vet may have adoption resources you could turn to, or maybe even know someone looking to adopt a new dog.
Option 5: Rehoming a Dog on Adopt-a-Pet Website
Adopt-a-Pet is a well-known online adoption website, and they have a rehoming listing service too! Adopt a pet makes it easy to list by simply filling out the form online and uploading pictures. Rehome at Adopt-a-Pet also has a ton of resources for you to try and keep your dog!
Option 6: Rehoming a Dog on Craigslist
I love Craigslist, I use it to buy and sell everything from toys to furniture. But when it comes to dogs, it can be sketchy. Some very bad people lurk on the social selling site.
Let’s face it, we’ve all heard the horror stories of people getting scammed out of their houses, kidnapped or shot over a computer. And dogs being bought for reasons I’d rather not think of… bad reasons… for fighting and bait dogs.
There are also stories of puppy mills posting on Craigslist, so again, please do your research before buying or selling on this platform.
Now that I scared you, I have to admit something… we adopted our yellow lab Bear from Craigslist. Yup, that’s right we adopted an 18-month-old pure breed English Yellow Lab on Craigslist! We got lucky, the family rehoming him got lucky.
Bear grew much larger than the family thought he would… at a whopping 97 lbs, he was too big to live in a small trailer home with no yard. Plus, Bears’ previous owner was aging, had bad knees and couldn’t walk him. He was bursting at the seams with built up energy and was not a happy dog.
She realized this and came to the difficult conclusion that they needed to rehome Bear. She cried as we packed Bear’s belongings into our car, so I knew she cared very much for him and I am sure she felt guilty for letting him go.
A happy ending can happen, but you need to do your homework. Ask a lot of questions and meet the family before agreeing they can adopt your dog. Ask for a rehoming fee to ensure the new family is serious.
Option 7: Contact Your Local Humane Society or Shelter
I’d say this should be your last resort. Dogs become very stressed when dropped off at a shelter. A shelter can be a scary place for any animal. And you have no idea how long he could end up staying there.
Call ahead and find out the shelters process of surrendering a dog. DO NOT just drop a dog off at the back door! Please no matter how desperate you are, this is not the right way to handle rehoming a dog.
The more information the shelter has about your dog before rehoming, the less stress for the dog, and the better chance he has for being readopted.
Please make sure you find a no-kill shelter. Unless your dog is truly aggressive, and you’ve tried everything… does he really deserve to be euthanized?
Over to you… please share your story in the comments below. I created the Rescue Dogs 101 community so we can support each other in times of need. It could help someone else in the same situation. You may be feeling alone right now, having to rehome your dog is not an easy decision, but please take comfort in knowing you are not alone! I am here for you.
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I just would like to say that we just added a puppy to our family. Is is now 4 1/2 months old. Had him since hes been 7 weeks. He is as sweet as he can be. So playful. Well behaved and he listens. Our only issue is that our brand new home smells like dog now. We bath him twice a week. One full bath and than use dry shampoo for him. I’m changing his beeding every two days. We sweep and mop the floors every night. He is house trained so no messes in the house at all. I am trying to hold on but I dont like inviting people over only to walk in the front door and notice I have a pet without even seeing him first. What can I do to mask the smell without burning candles all day. What good shampoos can I buy. Should I bath him more often. Is it wrong to let him sleep in the garage with the lights and fan on or is it ok to leave him outside to sleep in a dog house. Is he to young for that right now. Please help..
If your puppy smells that bad, I’m guessing he has a health issue that is causing it. Maybe a yeast infection? A young puppy should not be bathed unless he is really messy. Take him to the vet to have him checked out. Then read 21 Secrets To Keeping My House From Smelling Like Dog. And yes in my opinion it is wrong to make him sleep in the garage or outside.
I’m sorry – but you lost me, and I’m quite certain many others, by even suggesting to see both sides of the coin when a dog bites a child. Are you serious? If a dog bites a child, that dog absolutely must leave the home. If it happened once, it WILL happen again, and potentially worse the next time. Dogs are not children, they are not humans – they are animals. When an animal’s behavior threatens a human being (especially a child), that animal forfeits its place in the household.
You really need to rethink that clause, because you sound more like a dog sympathizer than a realistic human.
If a is truly aggressive, then I agree it needs to find a new home. But many times when a dog bites a child it is out of fear or protection. Read my article about Why a dog bites a child.
I am currently breaking my heart over having to rehome my border collie. She is 14 months and has suddenly become snappy towards my two year old grandson. I believe it might be jealousy but as she is a big dog and I am older, I find her very hard to control. I can see no other option but to find her a new home otherwise I can see a worse scenario in the future. Right now she is lying at my feet oblivious and I love her so much I feel like a monster and so worried about her future
I am so sorry Carolynne, I am sure you are struggling with what the right thing is to do. But only you can decide what that is. Your puppy is still very young at 14 months so if you were able to hire a behaviorist trainer, maybe there is hope that you can keep her. Good luck and whatever you decide will be the best for both of you.
I had to drop my great pyr/bloodhound mix off to the shelter this week. We got her at 2.5 months and worked with her for over a year. Both myself and spouse work full time, but we would try to spend as much time with her as possible. She killed the chickens 1 by 1 as a puppy and we couldn’t correct it, so kept new chickens in. Went on to killing lambs/goats at my parents 2 miles away.
When it started, we chained her up and only let her off when we were outside. We tried to give her a little extra time off, but she would go exploring and couldn’t find her. Then we would leave and she would go off to my parent’s again.
I tried everything I knew to socialize and have her understand that the prey animals were to be protected, but I couldn’t get it through her.
The dog was a incentive for my oldest to potty train and we looked extensively into different breeds to fit our home. My son is sad and confused as to what he did wrong. I failed the dog and my son both, along with my parents who lost livestock.
The guilt has weighed immensely on me. I know I did the best option, but I’m still reeling in shame.
I am so sorry Kortney. I can feel your pain through your words. Time will heal and hopefully someday you can find a dog that is a better fit for your family.
I recently rehomed my two year old miniature schnauzer. I won’t elaborate on the situation, but she is an amazing little dog. I am a widow, and I wanted her placed with a whole family. She is now living with a lovely young family, with ten-year old twins. When people found out that I did this, I received many cruel comments on my Facebook, and even a private message from someone, telling me that I should never be a dog owner again. It hurt my feelings, so much so, that I took down my Facebook account. Rehoming Chloe was so hard for me. And having people be mean to me over it… Made it so much more terrible.
I am so sorry! People can be so mean, you didn’t deserve that! Please take comfort in knowing you made the right choice for you and the dog.
I recently had to rehome one of my dogs and feel like a failure and feel so guilty HOWEVER, I know it is the right decision and I was extremely lucky that a friend stopped by my office and happened to be looking for the exact breed I was needing to rehome. She is an Australian shepherd who was horribly abused as a puppy. Over the years, she has repeatedly attacked my other dogs, all dachshunds and dachshund mixes. The attacks resulted in injuries ranging from small tears and punctures to extreme damage requiring hours of emergency surgery. It got to the point where I thought she may have to be euthanized. I feel guilty and worry that she feels abandoned, but in just one week, there is so much less stress and one of the dogs she had injured is like a completely new dog. I realize he was always afraid. She is now in a home where she is the only dog. My friend is single and lives alone and is a better dog mom than I am. She takes her on several walks each day, takes her to her aunt and uncles during the day when she is at work so she isn’t alone for long periods of time and she takes her with her everywhere she goes. One of those situations where your heart is broken but you’re happy because you know it is a better situation for everyone.
Thank you so much for sharing your story Melanie! It sounds like you absolutely made the right decision for everyone involved.
My heart is broken and I am suffering. I know at age 66 I had to give my 1year old boerbull to lovely kind people on a farm.
I got her as a pup and although I have raised her and taken her to rivers she suddenly turned on my 7 year old Staffie who was her closest companion.
The damage was severe and cost a lot at the vet.
It took my 3 stressful day’s of keeping them separate. My husband and I made a decision because she was so big and strong to handle and that we are moving to the sea. She was going with us but the attack scared us both.
All this feels like we did the right thing and that she will settle with this family.
But now what about me. I am crying all the time. Looking at photos. Feeling depressed.
I feel totally heartbroken.
I have even turned my thoughts to getting a really small dog just to help me get over my loss.
I am so sorry for your loss Melody. I can only imagine the heartbreak you are feeling. Hopefully time will heal. I would not suggest getting another dog right now. Let yourself heal and the situation settle first. Just remember that it was the best decision for everyone involved.
My husband and I have two 4-year-old mixed breed dogs that we adopted from the Humane Society when they were 4 months old. They are litter mates. At the time, we lived in rural Hawaii where it is quite common for dogs to live outside with a large kennel for night time and during the day they roam freely on our large property. I had hoped that eventually they could also spend some time inside with us.
From the get go, they showed massive aggression toward any animal other than each other. They are sweet with people, albeit very energetic and prone to jumping up on people, but it seemed to be their mission in life to kill any and every other animal they saw. We have a cat who lives indoors, so the thought of bringing them inside became a dream.
As they grew up we found that they are also excellent jumpers and that our fence was insufficient to keep them contained. During the period of time when we were struggling with figuring out how to control them, they killed a neighborhood cat and mauled a neighbor’s dog. (He survived, but it was bad, and very, very scary).
A year and a half ago we moved to Texas due to unforeseen circumstances. The weather is still mild enough that they *can* live outside, but it’s not ideal. Despite our best efforts at keeping them away from other dogs, they managed to bite our neigh it’s dog through a fence, and they bark nonstop at the dogs on either side of our house. We still cannot bring them inside because I am 100% sure they will kill my cat.
My husband is stressed to the max at the constant barking and aggression, and I am deeply worried at having them outside in hotter and colder weather than we had in Hawaii, as well as the fear that they might get put at some point and hurt or kill a neighbor’s animal.
And then I look into their sweet little faces and the thought of rehiring them breaks my heart, and I worry that whomever takes them will end up giving them up too due to the aggression issues. We’ve discussed getting training but the level they’d need is phenomenally expensive and they were bred to be hunting dogs so I don’t have much confidence that the prey drive could really be “fixed.”
I am so torn about what to do. Living outside doesn’t seem like the best life for them, and being stressed all the time is not good for us either. I would love any advice you have.
First I suggest reading The Truth About Adopting Two Dogs at Once. The dogs should have been trained separately from when they were puppies… obviously we can’t go back in time. But in my opinion they would have a better chance at successful behavior training if they were separated. But I’m not a professional trainer. And you are right, the level of training they require at this point will be expensive and time consuming. And unfortunately, it would be very difficult to find a home that would be willing to take an aggressive dog. I’m not sure I have the right answer for you. But maybe you can reach out to a local rescue that would be willing to take them in, give them the resources they need and find more suitable, separate homes.
We have been fostering a quarantine furkid since March and it has been such a roller coaster. During the first few weeks, we did some slow intros to our three older dogs and things seemed to be going well. So we adopted the new guy. Flash forward a week and the new pup gets into fights with every single one of our older dogs. He put a pretty big hole in our smaller dog’s jaw, and on top of all of that he started to get pretty predatory towards our cat. SoI talked to the behaviorist at the shelter and she recommended putting him back up for adoption so we could find a home with no other pets. That was back in April. Now three months later, I’ve been working on reintroducing him to the other pets. He’s still predatory towards the cat but we keep in her in a bedroom. He does get along with one of our dogs but it’s still dicey with the other two. I contacted a few trainer and they think they can work on the issues with all of the pets. I was on board with this and so I agreed to adopt him again. Ugh…now I’ve found out that my older boxer has an aggressive form of cancer and will need surgery and chemo. It’s going to be stressful providing care for him but I cannot give him up when there is a chance of treatment. I just don’t think I can handle all of the training needed for the new dog and caring for my older dog. I’m still working with trainers but am I terrible for wanting to re-home the new dog? I’m just so overwhelmed and I have no one to help with either of them, not to mention I’m constantly worried about the cat. I just feel like a jerk because I’ve tried and tried and keep failing with this dog. I do have contacts on social media that I think could help me find him a more suitable home, so maybe I should try this? Really appreciate any insight. This is always such a tough situation.
You have to do what is best for you and your other dogs. Your mental health is important and the stress that keeping the new dog is putting on you and your other dogs is a lot to ask for. Don’t beat yourself up for trying. It does sound like he’d be best as the only dog in the house. And remember this is a life long commitment to keep him, I’m sure the trainers can help, but it will always be something you will need to be aware of and work on consistency for the life of the dog.
We’ve always been a dog family and have had one or more for 40+ years. Last year in June we were a 4 dog family. An old female Lab rescue, two terrier mix rescue boys, and my little princess yorkiepoo female. We had to have our lab put down in June due to an inoperable tumor in her jaw that had broke through and bleeding uncontrollably. We were extremely sad to lose her but we knew it was time, she was 13 and in a lot of pain. So then we were happily a 3 small dog family for a week! That’s when my husband found a little bitty white fur ball on a back road that had obviously been dumped. Instead of taking him to the humane shelter he brought him home where inevitably we fell in love and decided to keep him. That 5 lb puppy is now a strapping 83.5 lb Staffy mix. I took him to obedience training and he’s got his basics but he’s just too big for me, has knocked me down a few times, he’s always contrite afterwards, there’s not a malicious bone in his body. However he is also very play aggressive with one of our male terrier mixes and our little female, he’s accidentally hurt the female once and I’m afraid a bigger accident is in the making. However the most significant issue is my 11 year old grandson who lives with us and is autistic. Joel doesn’t understand that his “excited” behavior exacerbates Rocky’s own excitablility then results in Rocky jumping on Joel and nipping at his hands. What happens is Rocky is either spending too much time in his kennel or Joel isn’t allowed to move about our home freely. Neither of which is ideal. The decision to try to rehome Rocky has been eating at me for months but I’m 60 years old and I just can’t handle this big dog and a autistic grandchild at the same time. Since Rocky didn’t come from a shelter or a breeder I’m not sure how to go about finding him a good forever home. I’m afraid to advertise on social media because I don’t want someone disreputable taking him. I couldn’t bear for him to be hurt or mistreated. He needs a home with older children who understand how to be calm and also a place to run and get rid of some of that pent up energy. He isn’t food aggressive and has never so much as growled or bitten out of “anger” Only plays entirely too rough with the little dogs and with the Grandson. Please offer some advice, I’m heartbroken.
Your best option is to reach out to friends and family to see if anyone wants to take him. The other option is to find a reputable foster-based rescue that could take him in and find him a good home. I totally understand how you feel. Hang in there, you will find the right solution.
We have a senior beagle, somewhere around 12 years old, that we adopted from a shelter when he was 2. He has been a great dog. Since adopting him, we have had 2 children and he has been patient and sweet with them. We are very vigilant about making sure our 4 year old does not pester him and we are within arms reach when our 8 month old is close to the dog to make sure she doesn’t pinch him or pull an ear. So far, so good. But over the past month, the dog has started peeing in the house frequently. Something he has never done since we’ve had him. Even when we got stuck in some massive traffic from a day trip and he was home alone for about 14 hours, he didn’t go in the house. We have taken him to the vet, and he was treated for a UTI. But he is still peeing in the house at least once a day. Our living room rug smells like pee even though I’ve had it cleaned. And having a wet spot on the floor where our 8 month old plays is incredibly frustrating. We constantly have to redirect her away from the wet spot where we have sprayed cleaner. I also feel like our dog is getting frustrated by the kids. He looks uneasy when they get close to him, even though they are gentle. He has also started barking so much more than he used to. He would always bark at animals in the yard, and we understood that was going to happen with a beagle. But now it just seems like he barks at nothing. This constantly wakes up our baby.
My sister has offered to take him. She does not have children and her 16 year old dog recently passed. She spoils her dogs and has no problem spending money on them at the vet and cleaning up after them. I feel like our dog would be happier in a more chill environment and I know that he would be well taken care of, and we could visit.
What is your opinion on this? Are we terrible pet owners?
I think it is great that your sister can take him! You know he will have the best home to live out his senior years. It’s not uncommon for older dogs to start to loose patience with young children. And in your situation I think it’s a perfect option. I don’t think you are terrible at all. Now if you were to tell me you were planning on dropping him off to a cold shelter, then I’d feel different. But your sister sounds perfect. Plus you’ll still be able to visit!