I agree, can't improve on it either.......

I do think that SMOKEY BEAR made a key point, namely that owing a dog, loving a dog, living with a dog, is meant to be enjoyable...

So even if the dog himself is gloriously happy in a given home, if the owner is suffering chronic stress because of the dog's behaviour and/or owner's inability to help the behavioural issues, then really it's not working well, is it...?

Both owner and dog need to be happy - as in any relationship

The first three months with Dexter were incredibly stressful and hard, and the reality is that had it continued being that tough, I may have had to rehome him, because I was arriving back from every walk in tears.

Ultimately, an unhappy, stressed owner is not great for any dog, so again, I think BOTH owner AND dog need to be happy and relaxed in an ideal world.

If the 'bad' days really outnumber the 'good' ones, and if this is still the case say for instance a year on, then I think an owner is reasonable in considering rehoming.

Just my thoughts.

I think , its a very good point, but the only problem with that is emotions, "ours" we tend to love our dogs warts and all, and giving them up because some aspects of their character is no longer pleasurable, is extremely hard.. try 9 years I own a dog that is a darling inside the house, very loving and a dream to own, its what happens outside the home that turns her into a demon

Could I give her up because of this, never in a million years.. she comes with faults , just like us and our children, and I take the view, she`s part of our family so we deal with it.


Having children is supposed to be enjoyable, but believe me, sometimes I could have happily have given mine away, .

But as with dogs, we see the best first and the worse is an after thought,

I didn't mean I would consider giving up a dog just because some aspect of it's behaviour was 'less than pleasurable'.

I meant that if the dog's problems/issues are so severe and possibly dangerous (e.g. aggression), and if the owner is experiencing constant stress and unhappiness as a result, THEN in that case it might be better for both owner and dog to consider rehoming.

For me, re homing would not be an option, I would take the responsibility of my dog and have it PTS, if things were so bad.

I fostered a little Yorkie cross. When it looked like there were no takers, I said I`d keep him. Then I realised this wasn`t the right home for him. No issues - he needed a comfy lap, a quiet life and a bit of pampering - which doesn`t really happen here . So I rehomed him to the right home.
I now have a dog who was a nightmare (apparently) in his previous 2 foster and 2 `real` homes, who has fitted right in.
Sometimes it`s the environment that doesn`t suit the dog.

Great post - for me every situation is differant I took in a 15year old gsd for the police cos his owner had been found dead this dog had a record for biting and a court date pending for aggression I was gobsmacked cos he was lovely and very elderly I brought him home and he was super but he missed his mum so I spoilt him rotten for 24hrs then took him to work and pts him and don't regret it at all ,years ago I worked at a big dog rescue charity I fostered a lurched who was brought in at 6wks as a stray he was aggressive to staff then but was rehomed to a family with children he was handed back in after biting them which is when i got to meet him,he suffered from agrophobia aswell as Sep anxiety and aggression toward animals and people I fostered him for 2 years cos I kept telling them he was rehomable,when I was leaving I asked wot would happen to him i was told if you don't keep him he will be Rehomed I was shocked so brought him home and ptsed him,when I told them I was called the worst person in the world even though he had failed numerous behaviour assessments which included one from outside behaviourists I had paid for

Great post - for me every situation is differant I took in a 15year old gsd for the police cos his owner had been found dead this dog had a record for biting and a court date pending for aggression I was gobsmacked cos he was lovely and very elderly I brought him home and he was super but he missed his mum so I spoilt him rotten for 24hrs then took him to work and pts him and don't regret it at all ,years ago I worked at a big dog rescue charity I fostered a lurcher who was brought in at 6wks as a stray he was aggressive to staff then but was rehomed to a family with children he was handed back in after biting them which is when i got to meet him,he suffered from agrophobia aswell as Sep anxiety and aggression toward animals and people I fostered him for 2 years cos I kept telling them he was not rehomable,when I was leaving I asked wot would happen to him i was told if you don't keep him he will be Rehomed I was shocked so brought him home and ptsed him,when I told them I was called the worst person in the world even though he had failed numerous behaviour assessments which included one from outside behaviourists I had paid for

Sorry havent got the hang of editting posts yet ignore the 1st one with spelling mistakes

Not too long ago I took in a 8 year old Cattle Dog, he was great! Until the second day in my home he went for my cats, and he really meant it! After much thought and heart ache I decided that he could not stay in my home as the cats were here first and there is no way to set it up so that they could be always separated, I returned him to the breeder (who was happy to have him back)

Years ago while living in America still I rescued a dog from the pound, she was a golden retriever x wolf hound. I had her for 6 months and had no problems at all, until one week she just flipped and started attacking people with no warning. In one week she had bit 3 different people and I took her in to be PTS. It was a very hard thing to do and I hated it. Still brings tears to my eyes but it was not something that I felt I could pass on to any one else as she was dangerous.