dog with new ower?

Question

I've recently 'aquired' my neighbor's dog b/c she was living in a very bad enviornment. These people are duggies, the house is trashed (inside and outside) and I don't think she was being taken care of. (never spayed and never had shots! and she's three! or older). After two months of having this beautiful little lady, the previous owner wants her back and I'm not going to do it.

My question is how long does it take for the dog to say "you are my new owner" and forget the old owner. I'm really afraid she'll become happy if she sees the old owner and they'll will take that as a sign that the dog wants to go back.

I might add, that's i can't go over to talk to neighbors b/c I'm afraid of them. They are nasty, drug people, Probably squatters that we're are trying to get rid of. They are not nice people. But they haven't bothered me ever since I said I'm not going to get the dog back. (that was three days ago)

Answer 1

Good for you!!! Well done for taking this poor little soul into your home and caring for her but please be careful. If the druggies can prove she's their dog, ie: paper work etc then the law will be on their side, sadly! My advice would be this - take her to your vet and explain the situation, get him/her to give your dog a check up and ask for your visit to be logged ( if they claim they've taken care of her then you can prove it was YOU who took her ), have her micro-chipped in your surname and address ( ok its illegal to take someones dog and have it registered in your name but this little lady needs you! ), if you can afford it have her spayed - drug addicts will do anything for money including breeding a sick dog so if you have her spayed they'll have no use for her! The likelyhood of them taking you to court for her return is about nil, they will not spend good drug money on legal expenses but they will probably give you no end of hassle! Make sure you have the support of your friends, family and neighbours in case of trouble but heres a tip for you - if they DO come round wanting her back, offer to buy her for a set amount! They'll snap your hand off i bet, they've got rid of a dog they didn't want and couldn't care less about and you've gained a wonderful companion that will pay back your kindness ten fold! I really hope everything turns out well for you x

Answer 2

If you have the receipts from the vet, etc. that you have paid for the last 2 months, you have a better chance of being declared the owner if the neighbor pushes this.
The dog may remember the neighbors. If you can, have her microchipped and register the chip in your name.
If they cannot produce any paperwork that shows they were the "owners" and you have paperwork, any decision may go in your favor.

Answer 3

well if the eviorment that the dog was living in was bad then the dog shouldnt go back to that house.

i have no idea how long it would be until the dog understands that ur her new owner, it might be a while though so give it time

Answer 4

If you are caring for her full time and welcoming her into your family then she will not want to go back. I recently had a situation similar. I got my German Shephard and my lady and I broke up. My German was heartbroken at first but has since come around. Recently, my ex-lady came to retrieve the last of her stuff. He immdiately recognized her and wanted to play. They will always remember but like my lil guy, they move on.

Answer 5

Well, i'm not sure how long it takes. But i do know that if you know that the dog is happy with you, then you should keep it. does the dog whimper alot? If so maybe it is either upset or hurt. You should talk to the owners about how they treated her. Bring her with you and if she gets comfortable with them or doesnt want to leave maybe she is missing them. :( good luck! I hope you get to keep it.