Problem Dogs and Owner Surrenders

Over the past months I've had 2 clients call, no longer wishing to keep their dogs. Realizing that a dog needs to leave a home is a very emotional decision for anyone. While I get a handful of such calls every year, the circumstances for these owners were very different. and worthy of some discussion....

My one client had purchased a very young puppy. This dog was energetic, headstrong, mouthy, and quite the challenge. When I saw the dog, I saw a great deal of potential. The dog was intelligent, and being mixed with a working breed, also had the ability to keep up with an active family. Unfortunately, this dog was purchased by a couple that was looking for a calm dog that would mostly lie around and look out the window, or sit on their laps. Good dog, but terrible match for these owners.

My other client had a large dog with aggression issues, including many bites. This owner worked with the dog for 5 years, and the dog was very pleasant 99% of the time. However, problems would still crop up from time to time, and the owners never reached a point of fully trusting this dog. Over the years this stress became too much, with a recent incident becoming the "last straw".

In both cases the owners contacted me hoping I would have re-homing resources to offer. Unfortunately, trainers do not have any secret resources other than those available to the public. The first client was referred to Citizens for Humane Action in Westerville, a no kill shelter that I'm confident will be able to find a better suited home for that dog.

With my other client, we had a discussion about the realities of trying to re-home a dog with a history of aggression. Rationally, nobody is looking to adopt an aggressive dog. This owner had to make some tough decisions, but can find some solace in the fact that he worked hard with a challenging dog, and gave it a good life for many years. In the end, living with a dog you can't trust is a poor quality of life for an owner and the dog.

While this discussion may suggest to some that shelters are full of surrenders that have behavioral problems, from my perspective I find nothing could be further from the truth. Working with hundreds of dogs annually, I see great dogs coming out of shelters, rescues, AND from breeders. I also see some problem dogs coming from shelters, rescues, AND breeders.

Every dog's unique. Breeders (should) offer an owner the opportunity to see the parents of a pup. So buyers should look closely, as offspring often carry many parental traits. And rescues are full of dogs 9 months or older, giving a potential adopter the opportunity to assess a dog with more of an adult (finished) personality. So please DO adopt on that personality, not on a dog's looks!

Dogs, to me, are a true blessing. Choosing a good match is important, and this takes forethought and diligence - something that is often missing when emotions rule. And for dogs that are simply not well suited for life in our human world? Trying is saintly, but nobody should spend a decade of their life living in fear of their dog. Although such decisions are difficult, I've had past clients who have made them. I've also been honored to have several of them call me later for training when they do get a new dog.