Ever regret adopting a pet? I do.?

Question

December 2004 I adopted a Bichon Frise. They told me he was 5 years old at that time but the more I've paid attention to him, he definitely seems much older. He has missing teeth and poor skin with an immense body odor. No matter how often I bathe him, he still smells! The vet said not to wash him but once a month because I told him that I wanted to bathe him at least twice a month.

I'm very frustrated because he stinks up my house. I own other dogs and they don't smell at all.

I've tried for two years now and I'm just not happy about the adoption. I now view adopting pets as adopting other people's PROBLEMS!

What should I do about this dog? I want him out of my house and just want to purchase a puppy instead.

Answer 1

the smell could be food related - if you are feeding ANY from grocery store or Wal Mart you are feeding a food that is high in filler and low in nutrition

filler = by-products (beaks feet feathers), corn, soy, wheat, etc... cheap meat like pork or beef

NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE, while not being a top food, does have a guarantee to improve skin and coat... esp the oatmeal formula is good for smelly dogs

some dogs are more sensitive to crap in their food which may be why he smells and the others dont - or it could be he was bred for one thing only (to be a Bichon) and genetics of odor were not paid attention to...

you could buy a puppy and it could develop the same problems too - you never know - especially if you buy from a pet store.. NEVER NEVER buy from a pet store you will pay too much for a low quality pup... get from a breeder or adopt again

not all adult animals are in shelters because they have problems... I adopted cats and one was there simply becuase its owner was pregnant so they got rid of the cat.. however yes you need to be sure...

if you would be happier with a different dog then it is not fair to keep this one, it is not fair to give it to another unsuspecting owner - either euthanize the dog or pass it on but give a new owner the FULL information about it.. there are older people who want older dogs and wont mind the smell

Answer 2

First of all you should not feel bad because this dog was not a good match for you. However, you accepted him and now he is your responsibility. I think you will be able to find him a nice home. He probably would like to be outside more. Be very up front and honest with prospective owners so hopefully his next home will be his last. I would only recommend the animal shelter as a last resort after you have exhausted all over avenues to have him adopted. You can run an ad in newspapers, post on message boards. Yahoo Groups has The Pet Exchange. You post a picture and the whole group will help you find a home. Good luck to you and your dog.

Answer 3

AH! No don't buy a puppy. And adopting dogs is a wonderful thing! Where did you adopt this dog from? If it is a rescue organization explain to them the problems that you are having. Also you can contact another rescue group like this one: http://www.bichonrescue.org/ to help you. Don't put up free dog for adoption. The people who adopt him might just be looking for a free "new thing" and the last thing this poor guy needs it to go into another home that won't keep him and care for him the way he needs to be cared for. It's unfortunate that you aren't that person but not every person is right for the dog. This dog needs to go to a forever home that will care for him in his old age. Again do not purchase a puppy. There are 25 million unwanted animals put to sleep every year and there is one out there that will fit with your lifestyle. Good luck and don't give up until you know he will be well taken care of :)

Answer 4

If the dog smells that bad then it's not typical body odor. Has your vet run any tests on the dog? I have had my share of dogs that come in to the rescue group smelling like they've been living in a sewer plant and 9 times out of 10 it was because of anything from hook worms to mange. If it's his breath that stinks it could be anything from infections in his teeth/gums to even an issue inside his body. If the smell is constant gas then the food you are feeding him is upsetting his stomach. A bath is not always the cure for the way a dog smells. You need to figure out why he smells and then treat it properly. But don't expect it to go away over night. I recently had a dog that had hookworms so bad you couldn't get within 10 feet of him because he smelled so horrible. 30 days later he had been treated and you could get close enough to touch him but he still had a linguring smell to him. It takes time.

If you're not willing to go through the trouble of finding out what the problem is, then I suggest finding a no-kill shelter, another person or an animal shelter to return him to. Granted he may be euthenized but if he smells that bad he's obviously in a lot of pain and it may be the best thing for him.

Answer 5

At one point or another both of us have said we only want one or two dogs, and "knowing what we know now" we never would have adopted . . . But the circumstances in which we adopted each one will not change (Buck was going to be put down because he had been picked up 4 times; Tiffany had kennel cough and animal control was waiting for the organization to leave so they could put her down etc.) So we probably still would adopt them. Bottom line is, every one is happy and we made a lifetime commitment. Besides, Buck is one of the sweetest, low maintenance dogs we've had, plus he smiles a lot and Tiffany is possibly the most normal of the pack.

Answer 6

The only answer I have to this questions is: no I have never regretted adopting any pet that I have. There are other things that you can do for this dog, ask your vet if there is a shampoo that he can sell for to bathe your dog with, or have a groomer professionally groom your dog on a regular basis, we have several skin problem dogs that come in to our facility that are brought in with special shampoo that we use each time that they are there. Have your considered changing your pets food to a perscription diet, there are several out there that are available and sold by veterinarians? have you considered taking your dog to a Veterinary Dermatologist to diagnose and treat the problem?
I am sure you are frustrated and I am sure your dog is not so happy either, this breed tends to have skin problems. If you no longer wish to keep this dog, I would try and get him in to Bichon Rescue, as they would be able to rehome him and help him with his problem. One last question to you-does he reside in New York State????

Answer 7

i adopted a little maltese mix and she poops and pees in my house all the time. its frustating too because its been 3 yrs now and she still hasnt learn not to go inside. my other dog she never goes inside the house. she lets me know 1st. my other problem is when we travel is very expensive to leave them. for times like this i regret having dogs. even with all the problems the maltese mix gives me, i dont think i can ever give her away, she feels home now and safe specially after who knows what kind of suffering she went thru before we found her.

old age in dogs is tough, i know because my mom's dogs die when they were 20 to 22 and the smell was bad, she bathed them anyways but yes irritates their skin more too. put some perfume on the dog or baby powder.

if you really need to get rid of the dog, go to http://www.petfinder.com/ and look for bichon frise shelters, or any other shelter, they could probably help you more and will take the dog in, because if you go to an animal care and control they are a high kill shelters or if you give the dog away free, the dog could end up in a lab for testing.

Answer 8

Sorry but I'm with woooh on this one. How did your parents take care of you? If you had kids, and one had a b.o. problem would you retrn him, or would you keep trying to find things that would help him. Don't give up so easy, yeah it might be 2 years but how do you think your dog would feel being just given away, he has feelings toyou know. How would you like it if you were ripped out of your home that you fekt secure and loved in for the past 2 years. Think about it huh!

Answer 9

All dogs smell - FACT! If the smell bothers you, don't get a puppy because they need toilet trained and that will smell your house up even worse. The last thing we need is yet more dogs abandoned due to people thinking they are disposable.

As for your dog, hand him into an animal shelter where they can look after him properly and most importantly LOVE him - smell or no smell.

Answer 10

you know, maybe you should reconsider if you really want the responsibility of a pet at all.

even if you get a new puppy now, what do you think you will do when your puppy grows old? that old dog you now have started out as a cute lovable sweet-smelling puppy too. but we all grow old, if we're lucky.

you have to be sure you can deal with old age and all its shortcomings before you give a home to a pet.