Sorry to hear you are having to rehome your dog Dave.

You are probably already aware, but be extra careful if anyone contacts you out of the blue wanting to adopt your dog... some dogs get stolen or 'acquired' and are used as bait dogs.

Good luck.

So sorry you have found yourself in this dire position having to find a good home for your beloved boy. If you really want him to be safe, then he should go back to his breeder where he will be found a really good home, they all value their dogs no matter what age and will go out of their way to find him the "right" home, whereas, you might not be that fortunate.

I hope you can get in touch with his breeder and have a chat with them and take it from there, and I'm so sorry, you must be heartbroken.

Thank you - I am gutted - just never thought I would be in this position - I will call the breeder tomorrow as everyone is giving me the same advice. I just want my boy to be happy and loved .

The first person you must approach is your dog's breeder & then a breed rescue

Is it worth asking your vet if he/she knows anyone looking for a dog?

You must give your breeder the opportunity to take him back or find him a home for you, after all that's what good breeder do, so please give them a chance to help.

Next step would be the breed rescue, after the breeder they will be the best placed to finding him the correct home.

so sorry to hear your news Dave.
If the breeder is no help contact canine partners, hounds for heros and hearing dogs for the deaf as they will assess Smithy for suitability and if he passes you will know he is going to a permanent home doing a very worthwhile job. They are always happy to have suitable candidates donated to them

Thanks everyone for their advice and kind comments.

Thankfully smithy has been re-homed with the help of the retriever society. He has gone to a loving home and his new mum & dad are delighted to have a new companion - The couple had a retriever who passed away with cancer aged just eight 2 years ago and until meeting Smithy couldn't decide weather they should get another dog! They send me weekly updates & Smithy has settled in easily and is enjoying country walks daily & apparently has already taken over the sofa.

I couldn't have wished for a nicer or more deserving couple to take on my little pal and it has made the heartbreak of giving away my friend Smithy much more bare able.

Thanks again for all the help and advice it was worth its weight in gold xxxx

I am so pleased that there has been a happy ending for Smithy, and I hope he has a long and enjoyable life with his new family.

FANTASTIC! And thanks for the update. I was getting quite upset reading about your plight and could tell you were so concerned to find him the home he deserves.

What a lovely happy ending. He looks like a beautiful dog.