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.
Recommended just for you:
Our new dog was inherited, and has been with us six months. He and our dog got on very well, and all was going great. But as time has passed, we have experienced aggression from the new guy to our boy, and this has led to New Guy initiating fights, and basically terrorizing Our Dog. New Guy growls a lot, both at Our Dog and at us. Today was the worst. New Guy snapped, initiated huge fight, and when separated from Our Dog, bit both Hubby and me. He stayed angry and agitated for the better part of an hour when he was outside alone. He is not a breed known for aggression, but the opposite. We need him out of our home.
It sounds like fear based aggression, which really isn’t aggression at all. I understand your frustration. If you don’t have the time or resources for training, then a new home that he could be the only dog may be best. You need to do what is right for the dog and your family.
I have a 1yr old Pomeranian cross and it breaks my heart that I am even thinking about rehoming him. He is a very difficult dog to look after with the worst separation anxiety. He cant be left home alone ever without constantly barking so we have to have someone home with him at all times and even when we are home with him he still barks at anybody that walks in front of our house or any noises from outside. He has to be walked either really early in the morning or really late at night because he goes crazy and aggressive when he sees any other dogs or if other people walk to closely to us. We cant have any visitors to the home because he will bark endlessly at them and try to bite their pants when they walk into the home. We have tried training him but we haven't succeeded so we took him to a dog behavioral specialist vet who has put him on medication for his anxiety, we have noticed some change in him but it hasn't helped a whole lot because we have had to remove all of his triggers like being home a lone and having people come into our home, it is so hard having to put a halt on our lives completely for the comfort of my dog and I just don't know if he will get better and ever be able to be by himself. I live with my sister and the stress this has put on us is driving us to fight all the time, I need to be able to go to work and to go and see my boyfriend but then she is left with my dog and it is too much pressure and stress for her and anytime I'm not at home with my dog I feel so guilty because I know my sister has to put up with the stress of looking after him and she is very sick at the moment and has been for months which makes it more difficult for her. The stress of the situation has lead me to fights with my boyfriend as well because I'm forced to stay home and cant spend time with him. I am going to be starting studying next month and I am getting more hours at work now which I need but that means I have to leave my dog at home and my sister is forced to stay home with him which is unfair for her. Our lease ends here in October and I will be moving in with my boyfriend but we will both be working everyday and my dog with be left alone all day and my sister wont be living with me anymore and wont be able to look after him for me everyday. We cant be leaving him at home alone everyday because he will just bark the whole time and it is so unfair on the poor thing because of how bad his anxiety is. All of the dogs I've known in my life (family and friends dogs) have always been fine to be left alone and when I bought my baby I never could have prepared myself for how difficult this has become and how much this has affected my life and my mental health and the lives and mental health of the people around me. And it is so unfair for my poor dog that he has to live with this anxiety everyday and I feel so bad for him and its gotten to the point where I resent him and regret getting him because he affects my life so negatively and I hate myself for it. There is just so much guilt and stress constantly and I don't know what to do. I'm scared that if I rehome him he will just be too difficult for anyone who looks after him and go from home to home before he gets put down and it makes me feel like a complete failure that I cant give him the proper care that he needs. I don't know how I would cope if I do make the decision to give him away, it would break my heart because I love him so so much and he loves me so much and depends on me so much and I just wish that I was able to take care of him how he needs. I think that my sister would be disappointed in me if I decide to rehome him because she absolutely adores and loves him so much and she thinks that I should just stay home with him and do the things that he needs but I cant do that without jeopardising my relationships and my job and my study and I cant keep leaving him with her because its just too stressful for her as well. Sorry for this very long comment but I am just not coping at the moment and don't know what the right decision is for me or my pup.
Look, you need to put your mental health priority number 1. And it sounds like keeping this dog is not good for your health or the people around you. Obviously giving up a dog is the last resort, but sounds like you’ve reached the point that you need to make this difficult decision. It’s not easy but again, you need to take care of yourself.
Aw where to start , tears are tripping me at the moment as I have had to put our Bulgarian rescue back up for adoption.She has extreme separation anxiety, extreme guarding general anxiety.I have recently lost my job as our dog can’t be left /won’t stay with anyone but me .we are in the process of being taken to court for Narlas barking despite medication from the vet , seeing numerous trainers & behaviourists .I know I have to give her up but I love this dog like a child & im struggling to give her up .
So sorry Laura, I know it is a very hard decision to make.
I just picked up my Golden Retriever last week at 8 weeks old. I knew a puppy would be a lot of work, but I didn’t necessarily imagine it like this. I’ve been experiencing quite a bit of anxiety and depression the last few years and its spiked since getting the puppy as I haven’t been able to leave the house and I feel so isolated between work and school. I feel as though I don’t have time for the dog even though I’m already so attached to her and I love her deeply, but for my mental health and I feel for a better future I must give her up. But I feel so guilty doing it so quickly and posting all over Facebook and Instagram I’ll feel like a bigger failure as I’ve already made puppy play dates in the future. There was no contract with the breeder and so there is no obligation to take her back and I wouldn’t be able to get my money back for that. I don’t want to drop her off at a shelter and I’m not sure how to proceed.
So the breeder won’t take her back? That should be a huge red flag against that breeder! Have you talked with the breeder about your situation?
Oh how this speaks to me. We got a new puppy for our daughter. If I’m honest, my husband and I wouldn’t have thought of getting a dog if it hadn’t been for her desire to have a pup. After only 3 days I was an absolute train wreck. I can’t eat, can’t sleep, cry all the time and just know I made a huge mistake. I hate this so much for my daughter who was so excited to have a new puppy but my anxiety just couldn’t handle it. I’m not myself and can’t be a good mom or wife if I’m not healthy – both mentally and physically. Our neighbor actually trains service dogs and when I stopped over to ask her advice on rehoming, she offered to take the dog and train it to be a service dog for children who have to testify in court. My daughter seemed really happy that she new where the dog was going and that it would be close by but I worry that seeing it all the time might be like running into an ex boyfriend or something. I know we made the right decision to rehome now I just hope we made the right choice on the location and it all works out for my family. I’m feeling like a pretty rotten mom 🙁
Hi! I know you made this post awhile ago and am unsure how things are going for you now. I just wanted to let you know I am currently in the exact same situation as you! Day 3 of my goldendoodle and my anxiety can’t handle it. My in-laws offered to take him, but I have your same fear of seeing him all the time and being reminded of my failure. Thanks for making me feel less alone!
I needed this today. After having my pure breed Pembroke Welsh corgi for a year we have had to make the unbearable decision to return him to the breeder to live on the farm. This was our first dog together as a married couple and we’ve always wanted a corgi. We know people who have gotten corgis through this breeder and last March we decided to pursue it. We gave Elton the best life we could but there is something more serious going on. We’ve spoken to our vet and had so many medical tests done that come back completely normal, we’ve seen at least 10 different trainers who have all said Elton’s behavior is genetically related and he needs to be put down, and we’ve reached out across the country to veterinary behaviorists for help. Our dog has bitten us both and we fear we would bite children. 97% of the time he is great but the other 3% he is scary and it flips so drastically you have no idea (e.g petting him on his belly and he flips and bites you or putting a leash on his collar). This was by far the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make because I love Elton SO much. But today we bring him back to the breeder to hopefully live a full life. At one years old I cannot fathom ending his life and I believe having the option to live on a farm and dig,sniff,herd, and run is best.
If there are resources for how to move past this guilt please share or if others have advice.
Hey there!
My wife and I are currently in the same situation, except we have had our Greyhound for 6 years. As we got older and had a child, we knew that our dog was not the right fit for a family. He would be very territorial over food and when snagging food off the counter he would become very violent. The worst case would be if he grabbed something without us knowing and our son would grab it and get bit. He also attacked our smaller dog recently and had blood dripping throughout the house, so we made the choice to re home him with the breeders help.
98% of the time he was relaxed and super easy going, but that 2% of the time, we had no say over what he chose to do. That 2% of the time would be all it took for the neighbors kids to come over and get bit.
After giving him away we feel sooooo guilty, like we gave up on him. We know it’s for the best and might have prevented something huge from happening, but we already miss him. Hopefully that guilt goes away, let me know how you handled.
My family just rescued an 11-month-old border collie. He is a wonderful dog, great with other people and other dogs. He knows some basic commands and house training is going well. We are a high energy family with two kids ages 11 and 14 and I thought a High energy dog with a great personality would be a perfect fit. I have noticed though that my son is becoming more anxious because of the high energy needs of the dog. He’s developing dark rings under his eyes due to exhaustion and I think also his allergies are becoming worse by the day. I’ve noticed my own allergies becoming more inflamed since we’ve had him and I now feel sick every day. we’ve had the dog for four days so I know it’s too soon to consider rehoming but my son‘s health is deteriorating by the day not to mention my own. my son is already on two allergy medications. My own exhaustion has left me in tears today. I don’t know how I’m going to manage working and caring for this very high energy dog with everyone in our family including me becoming worn down by day four. His personality is amazing and besides his needs for constant attention, he jumps on us and nips. This bothers both my kids a lot. I have already spent a fortune on him and I know that he and we would benefit from some training. Any advice or direction would be helpful.
Ironically we have a 11 month old border collie, we’ve had him since he was a baby. They are very high-energy dogs and high-demanding on training needs. These dogs need a job to do, for us that is agility. First, let’s clarify your allergies… if you both are allergic to him, that’s not going away, so unless you are willing to take allergy meds for the next 12 years, then I’d say you need to reconsider keeping him. Have you given him a bath? It’s possible keeping him well groomed could help. Feeding him a good skin and coat supplement to keep his dander down to a minimum.
Yes we gave him a bath straight away! We already take allergy meds year round so not much to change there. He’s so sweet and getting sweeter and fitting in more with our family every day. I am so sad that I am even thinking about this as a possibility! How long do I wait before contacting the rescue about rehoming? I will feel like such a failure!
Don’t feel like a failure! Your family’s health is priority one. I would contact the rescue and see if they have any resources to help you. Search for a good trainer in your area, preferably one that specializes in behavior, not just basic training. I’d give it a few weeks if you can, see if things improve. Have you read our 3-3-3 rule article?
Yes it was very helpful! He has blossomed after only 3 days and the jumping and nipping has decreased dramatically with some basic redirection and training. I am so proud of him and marvel at what an awesome dog he is. My heart breaks at feeling more sick every day, today being the worst for me and my son. Thank you for your advice. I’m taking it one day at a time but I think I need to reach out to the rescue to see what options are before things get worse. I am heart broken
Have you considered whether you need to rehome your pet straight away? Sometimes looking at short-term options like boarding kennels or friends and family can give you the time you need to get you back on your feet.
I have a 8 and a half year old pit bull. She’s a sweet girl but wasn’t always this way and has struggled with dominance issues and aggressive towards other animals when provoked. She’s a rescue and we’ve had her since 10 months old.
My husband and I just had a baby and we are considering rehoming our dog, which breaks my heart. I haven’t had the time to exercise her and give her the attention she deserves. My husband and I are worried with her and the baby that she could accidentally hurt him. She’s a big rough girl and isn’t aware of her strength. We are worried that once he starts crawling and walking that she could run by him and bump into him and send him flying. I am hoping for really any advice that might help me to keep her. She is part of our family and I can’t imagine life without her.
I’m sorry, but I disagree with number 3. My rent is being increased exponentially after a refit and I can no longer afford to live where I am. I have been searching for weeks to try to find someone who will let me rent with my dog, and no one will even consider it. For council housing it is a general policy that pets aren’t allowed. The private landlords I have contacted won’t even let me pay an extra deposit for pets. In my experience, people have this sort of “sucks to be you, not my problem” attitude. for every person with a dog, there is going to be at least one more without and in my experience, landlords just don’t want to take the risk. I don’t want to rehome my dog, but homelessness will not suit him well either and if I can save one of us from that situation, I’ll do it.
I’m sorry you are having trouble finding an apartment that will accept you and your dog. It sounds like you do not live in the States, and things are different where you live. I know here in the U.S. it can be hard to find a place that accepts dogs but they are out there. I do agree if faced with being homeless with your dog, then rehoming is the best option. I wish you all the best.