Question by : Should my father re-home his dog?
I asked this question an hour or so ago, and then deleted it because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ask the question after posting it. Checking back on my question page I found one person had answered it, so my apologies to the person that answered the original question for deleting it on them. I decided I did want to ask the question, which Is why I am re-posting.
I want some outside opinions on the matter, to decide whether I should bring the subject up to my father(him re-homing his dog).
My father’s dog is a 9/10 year old female, she is a boxer/lab mix and weighs around 75lbs.
My father’s health is basically going down. He was a mechanic most of his life(since he was 13/14 years old-he’s now in his 50’s) He lost one kidney to cancer, his lungs are very bad(he has been smoking since he was 9, and doesn’t plan on stopping), and he has had three to four heart surgeries(one heart attack). His legs and hips are giving out on him now too, the bones are basically rubbing against one another and my parents house has two sets of stairs. Walking/standing for a long period of time is painful for him.
He and the dog in question had a very strong bond and basically spent every moment together when he was home. He retired two years ago due to his health.
A month ago my mother took in my younger siblings dog(A shih-tzu), she now has ownership over the dog. My father’s dog does not get along with other dogs-especially not small breed dogs- and has attacked three dogs in the past(only drawing blood once). Because of this my parents decided to keep the dogs separate. So my father’s dog basically got booted out of the bedroom and has free reign over the the rest of the house while my mother’s dog spends most of the day in their bedroom.
My mother felt bad about this so every night they swap dogs(little dog goes out into the living room/rest of the home-while the bigger dog goes into the room to spend time with my father). When my mother is off they do this for almost the whole day(basically my dad’s dog spends the day with him in the room until night time, and then they switch back). This is usually only once a week though.
Because of my father’s health it is hard for him to walk, so most of the time he cannot take his dog outside so she can relieve herself. My mother can’t take her out because she is tiny and my father’s dog pulls when on a leash. I will come over in the morning to take the dog out, but sometimes I can’t.
Every morning my father’s dog cries outside my parents bedroom door for hours, even after she is taken out by me or one of my siblings(when they can). Because she is use to spending a lot of time with my father.
I personally think it would be best for the dog if my father finds a new home for her. She only sees him for three hours a night, sometimes only two hours a night or when my father can take her outside. My mother makes sure that the dog has food and water but aside from that she is kind of alone all day unless one of my siblings goes over to the house and spends time with her.
Neither I nor my siblings can take the dog into our homes. As I mentioned, my father’s dog is aggressive towards other dogs and most of us have our own dogs. The only sibling that doesn’t have a dog cannot take care of any living thing.
Should my father re-home the dog? Or should she stay with him? Are there any other options?
If it would be best that he finds the dog another home-how should I approach him with the topic?
He is rather sensitive, and get’s insulted easily, or takes everything to heart/personal(Any time someone disagrees with him he thinks they believe he is stupid, or that they hate him/are against him)
Sorry the detail to the question is so long, I wanted to provide as much information on the situation as I could. Thanks to those who take the time to read/answer this question-it is very appreciated.
Thanks to those who have taken the time to answer.
@Lindsay-If it’s too long to read. Why did you post an answer? To get points I guess?
@Tsuki- I understand that dog’s are important in a person’s life. I’ve already suggested a dog behaviorist however my dad doesn’t want to hire one, since the only one can find where we live is $ 1,000. I’m looking for a more affordable one. My father is against using muzzles too-he believes they are cruel. Her age was a concern I had for the idea of re-homing her. Thanks for your input, I will keep looking into a dog behaviorist to help with the situation.
@Lacey-I agree it is my father’s choice in the end since it is his dog. I also agree that it will be hard to find a home for a dog with the problems that his dog has. Thanks for your input on the matter.
@Jennifer- I’ve thought of one of us taking the shih-tzu but that idea was immediately turned down. My mother loves the dog. When my younger sibling got the dog, she was living with my mother(
(continued)-personal issues-it was when my mother and father were separated and my mother lived in another home) Basically they got the dog from a BYB and got it waaay to early(it could hardly walk/eat) so my mother was the one that took care of it. She developed a strong bond with the dog and now will not let it go.
The prong collar is also something I thought of using. You helped me for the prong collar use a while ago when I asked a question on pulling for my own dog. I started using that with my dog and have had wonderful results and my dog is not hurt from it. However when I brought it up for my dad and for his dog and her pulling he instantly pushed the idea aside. He sees them as a cruel device and as animal cruelty. Which is why I kind of don’t know what to do for the matter. I am starting to help leash train my father’s dog when I go over. My siblings aren’t helping on the matter though.
Thank you for giving your input on the matter
@Smeather- I agree on that matter. I don’t know if separating the dog and my father would be best given my father’s health and the dog’s age. Thanks for your input.
@Calypso-He does not have a home lined up for the dog. If re-homing the dog does seem like the best solution I planned on interviewing potential new owners and finding a good new home for the dog. There are no-kill shelters where I live, however I wouldn’t put her in a shelter and my dad would not want to do that either so shelters would be a no.
My father lives in a duplex. Good ideas. Thanks for your input!
This question is so long now ^^;
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to answer so far, I really do appreciate the input given. The answers got me thinking too. Re-homing won’t be the best idea. I’m not a great dog trainer, and leash training is actually one of my weak points when it comes to training. I think the best thing to do would be to train the dog, on leash training mainly. I’m going to look for an affordable dog trainer/behaviorist too. So hopefully I can get some help with training the dog. Maybe I can take my mother’s dog a few days a week so my father’s dog can spend some more time with him.
Thanks again to those who answered, my apologies that the question is so lengthy.
Best answer:
Answer by applesnsuger
Its a hard question to answer. I would say for the dogs well being rehome him. I hope it all works out for your family 1
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