Should I give my dog back to the rescue group?

Question

Ok so she's not a nightmare or anything but I don't think my wife and I are equipped to take care of our dog. We've had her for about 8 months and we're never home. My wife hates her, I haven't really bonded with her, she doesn't get along so well with the cat, she's home alone for 10 hrs before someone gets home. We overestimated our time a bit, as I thought I'd be able to take her to work, but can't. We can't afford a daily dogwalker. She chews and destroys things on occasion, she sits in her crate all the time, even when we are home. Bottom line, we're just thinking that she needs more than we can offer and maybe she'd be better off if we gave her back to the rescue group we got her from. Help, are we thinking right or over-reacting?

Answer 1

I hope that by reading all these replies you have made up your mind of taking her back. Dogs are like little babies they need much attention that obviously you arent able to give. You shouldve def bonded with her by now, since you havent thats a clear sign that she is not the pet for you. She's probably very lonely. Just think about how you would feel stuck in the house for 10 hours?? Dogs are very smart and have feelings, meaning she might have the sense that she's not wanted at your home and that is why she probably sits in her crate all the time even when you are home. She needs love especially coming from a rescue group. She has been through alot and deserves a loving home. Best of luck and hope you can resolve your problem!

Answer 2

PLEASE give the rescue group a call. Placing an ad or trying to find a home for this poor dog yourself might cause this dog more trauma and heartache. Good rescue groups have foster homes who know how to work with a traumatized animal and help him feel good and work with behaviors he has picked up that are not so endearing. They also as a rule work on placing a dog in the proper home where he will not only thrive but be happy, loved and safe. With or without kids/cats/proper fencing/assurances that he will be well taken care of and not left tied up outside are many considerations that have to be looked at in finding a proper home for any dog. Sometimes they don't have all the facts and the dog winds up in a situation that isn't good for him. Please return him to a rescue group who can work with him and find him a forever home where he will have his needs met and be well cared for and loved!

Answer 3

You are on the right track as far as realizing that you do not have the time, energy or resouces that your dog requires & it would be best to give her up. Besides giving her back to the Rescue Group, another alternative would be to find another appropriate home yourself - maybe a co-worker, relative, neighbor? If you could do that, I think it would help with any guilt you may feel because you would be taking responsibility to finding her another home - not just giving her up without knowing what will happen to her.

We recently adopted a 2nd dog from a family who did not have the time for their dog. They took their time to find the right home & I'm sure it helped them with the guilt they were feeling in having to rehome the puppy they had for a year. I have occasionally wondered if I did the right thing getting a 2nd dog, but we have bonded with this little guy in less than 3 mos & could not give him up. You & your wife don't seem to have that connection with your dog, so it's only fair to let her have a better life with another family. Good Luck!

Answer 4

You know,this is a hard question to answer,but in the long run,if we all want to do what is right for your animal,it would be best in my way of thinking to find him/her a new home,Im not saying to take him/her back to the rescue unless the rescue is not made like the shelters?10 hrs is along time to be crated for any dog,and what tells me hes not happy is what you said about him going back in his crate when your home.He should want to be all over you just from missing the company all day,you'd be surprised what a dog picks up from people when it comes from the heart.he feels the lack of bonding from you and above all from your wife,a look from a person to a dog they can pick out from kindness to love to dislike.I rescue the chinese shar peis which are very loyal dogs and very needy,the worst type of abuse is mental this works the same with people as animals,above all if your dog is smart,they know how you feel about them even if you would walk in and talk with a warmth in your voice,this comes from the heart in which they feel,theres just no fooling them.I think from one dog lover to another,do the right thing for him,and give him to someone who can give him what he needs.You owe her at least this much,i hope you don't feel Im a bit to cold but i've seen so many ugly abuse casses,and each time my heart breaks a touch more then the last time,im not saying this is the way you are or well be,im just saying leaving a dog alone all day and then no comfort for the little fella when someone comes home is the same as leaving him out in the cold alone all night(with no comfort)I would love to hear the follow up on this story,maybe you could let us know,untell then,try holding him when you get home from work or taking him for a walk,but please find him a good home tonee

Answer 5

Yes you should definitely give her back and you are definitely not overreacting, you are doing a disservice to this dog. Being locked up in a crate all the time is not a good life for the dog and part of the reason the dog is destructive is because she has no way to release her energy or frustration.
There is nothing wrong with admitting you and your wife are not ready or equipped to have a dog right now. You would be doing what is best for yourselves and the dog.

Answer 6

First, I am a dog lover. That being said, I believe you are making the right decision provided the rescue is willing to find it another home. As much as you care for the dog, your right in thinking it can't be very good for it under the current living conditions. Just like people, dogs get depressed and lonely too. We adopted ours from a family who like yourself just didnt think it was getting the attention it deserved even tho they provided a good home, sometimes thats simply not enuff. We have had him 7 years now and neither they, nor ourselves have any regrets. Please, if you cannot find a rescue to return it to at this time, do not take it to a shelter. You have had it this long, take the time to know you are giving it back to a good rescue.

Answer 7

You really should return the dog. You know it's the right thing to do. The main point is that you haven't bonded with the dog, and that probably isn't going to happen if it hasn't already. Since your wife hates it, it's going to effect your marriage (which you certainly don't want). Look, the dog is suffering with you, do the right thing and give it back. It'll get a good home it deserves.

Answer 8

It sounds like you are facing up to the reality that you're not ready to be dog owners and your home was not the right home for this dog and she deserves owners that will have time for her. Don't be too hard on yourself for being honest.

The answer is a definite YES. Contact the rescue group you got her from. They will probably place her back in the home she was fostered in. This will help her join back with people she was familiar with and who will probably be able to help her and assess any setbacks she may have from the change in homes. It will probably help her to find trust and happiness, going back to a house she had previously been a member of.

I have participated in Border Collie Rescue and most groups try to screen applicants well so that dogs can be placed in the right homes for the dog's needs and reduce situations like yours, where good people might not be the right owners for that dog. But it sometimes happens, and returning the dog back to the original foster home is usually the best option to help her to continue to have trust in humans and to hopefully minimize any emotional upset from losing yet another home. In doing so, she will be returning home, to her foster home; a place that she knows loves her.

It is not what is best for you and your wife, but what is best for the dog. You were right about not bonding, you never mentioned the dog's name once. Make your final act of love the one where you return her back to where you got her so she has a chance for a more fulfilled life.

Answer 9

As a rescuer myself I would say that if the dog is not getting the attention she deserves you should give her back to the rescue group so that she has a chance to find a family that will have time for her and truly love her. Any true rescue group will take her back with no problem at all. She deserves to find a family that fits her. I recommend no future dogs until your schedule allows for the dog to not spend so much time alone.

Answer 10

I really think you need to give the dog back asap. I am disappointed this did not occur to you 7 months ago. You have kept the dog 8 months and now it has to go through all the trauma of being relocated again. You may not think this is a big deal, but it is for a dog. it causes stress and other eomotional issues in the dog. Next time buy fish.