[Elkiboo]

We had to recently rehome a dog we got from an online ad. We had him for about 2 months and he was great at first, training was going great, he got along with the kids and our other dog. He had some resource guarding at first but we were making great strides.

As he got more and more comfortable here, he began getting aggressive with our youngest child until it got to the point where if our child came near him, he would get growly and snap. He bit him a couple times but not hard enough to draw blood, just leave a bruise. He was never unsupervised around the kids and always made sure the kids were behaving approximately with him.

He bit me once. Left a hefty bruise.
He was getting more aggressive with our other dog as well.

We tried all sorts of training and things to help this behavior. He was getting worse.

We really loved him but decided that the best thing for everyone was to find him a new home. We did. A nice person, with no kids or other pets.

I felt awful having to rehome him but it was a huge relief on our entire household.

I've been looking around at puppies. Not rushing into anything, just looking.
I mentioned it to a couple friends who thought it was too soon to be looking for another dog. Is it? We did everything we could to not have to rehome him, but that ended up being the best solution for not only us, but him too.

 

[Lillith]

Sometimes a dog just doesn't work out, and that's fine. Not every dog is meant for every household, and not every family can deal with a dog's quirks, especially when the safety of children is at stake.

If you and your family feel it's the right time, then you should continue to look around.

I would not, however, purchase another dog from an online ad....sometimes people luck out, but many times you may be taking on other people's poorly bred dog that has temperament problems. Try a reputable rescue or shelter that houses their dogs in foster homes so they have a much better idea of the dog's true personality. Also, if it doesn't work out, they will take the dog back so none of the liability of a potentially aggressive dog falls on you.

A reputable, ethical breeder who pays close attention to their breeding stocks' temperaments is also a good route. If you don't want to do the puppy thing, they sometimes have adults who need to be re-homed, too. A reputable breeder will take any of their dogs back, and sometimes dogs come back by no fault of their own, which ends up being good for someone who doesn't want to raise a dog from a puppy!

 

[Jen2010]

There is no "too soon". If you feel it's the right time then it's the right time. If you come across the right dog who fits in with your lifestyle then go for it.

As Lillith said though, I would NOT get a dog from an online ad. You could be supporting back-yard breeders or puppy mills by doing so and you never really know what you're going to get. You could end up with a dog with issues again. It's much better to find one from a reputable breeder or rescue.