[Musky]

I'll start off by being honest and saying I won't be an active poster on these forums. I only have a few questions, but they concern my dogs well being so I'm hoping you guys will be kind enough to help me out.

My parents have told me I need to rehome my dog. I'd rather not discuss the details of the situation, so I'll just go ahead and asked my questions.

1) I've had her from a pup, she's now 5yrs old. We are all she has ever known. How hard is this going to be on her?

2) How long will it take her to settle in her new home with new owners?

3) Will she eventually forget us? I'm not asking this from a selfish "i hope she never forgets me" point of view, but instead "it'll be easier on her if she forgets" view.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[RonE]

In my opinion:

1) It will be hard for the dog. They are creatures of habit.

2) On the other hand, dogs are opportunistic. If the people in her new home treat her well, she will likely settle in in 2-4 weeks.

3) Dogs have a scent memory of every dog and every human they've ever known. She won't forget, but she won't be moping around, either.

You'd rather not discuss the details of the situation, but you might at least tell us what your re-homing plan is. If it involves surrendering your dog to a shelter, then all bets are off. Dogs who spend too long in a shelter, after living in a home, go slowly insane or just shut down. That's assuming they are allowed to stay more than a few weeks before being euthanized.

 

[Musky]

We are rehoming her, she won't be going to any shelter. We will keep her as long as it takes to find a suitable home, my parents are already aware of this. Thanks for answering my questions.

 

[Kyllobernese]

I think a lot depends on the dog. I had a Shih Tzu that I raised from a puppy. I had to rehome her when she was five years old. She was always afraid of new people so I was a little concerned about her settling into a new home. I found a good home for her and about six months later, I stopped by to see how she was doing. She completely ignored me, acted like I was a complete stranger. Even when the new owner handed her to me, (she would not come to me) all she wanted to do was leave no matter how much I talked to her. This really shocked me as I have sold puppies and seen them months later and they remembered me. She obviously loved her new owner as much as she had previously loved me. I am glad for her sake that she was happy in her new home but thought it really odd.

 

[Amaryllis]

I'd look into how rescues work, even ask a rescue if they can do a courtesy listing for you. Rescues know the ins and outs of finding good homes for dogs, and there are lots of ins and outs. The person who assures you they'll take great care of your dog may mean "by putting her outside and leaving her there 24/7 because outside dogs, yay!" I would definitely charge some sort of rehoming fee, that will help weed out people looking for bait dogs and such. I would ask for references and actually call them, and I would drop the dog off at the home and do a home check at the same time. While there, look around, did they buy dog food for the dog? Are there toys and a doggie bed? A leash and a water bowl? Dedicated owners will have all that ready and waiting, and you want a dedicated owner.

 

[Sasha1/2]

If she has any behaviour, training, or health issues, do be honest with prospective adopters. She'll be more likely to find a permanent new home if they know what challenges they may face.