Would a sanctuary take on a dog like this?

[nikki]

My sister bred a litter of pups about 5 yrs and has just taken one of the litter back. The owners said that they couldn't cope with her. Turns out that when they had their children the dog started messing in the house so they started smacking it and when that didn't work they shut it in a puppy crate (the dog is 5!!) in the spare room on its own and had very little to do with it. Said dog is now almost feral and very distrustful of humans. My sister took the dog back because they said otherwise they'd take it to a sanctuary who would 'have it put down'. Typical story of idiot owners who haven't got a clue about dogs. The poor dog has been labelled 'bad' and they refuse to see that they've done anything wrong. The dog is also very very thin as the owners have been feeding it on a cereal based dry food that isn't meant for dogs at all.

Anyway, my sister already has 2 dogs but has a big heart and is going to try and turn the dog around but really she already has a huge amount on her plate and this dog has some serious issues.

Would a sanctuary/rescue centre take on a dog like this? I've reassured my sister that no-one would have the dog put down unless it was very aggressive and attacked people but she feels its her responsibility as she bred the dog.

Any help/suggestions?

[perky]

post this on dog pages wwww.dogpages.org.uk
the site works very much like this one but is mainly for dogs. A lot of rescues look and post on their so they will be able to help you.
Sorry I cant as I don't know, would of thought someone should be able to help.
Where abouts are you?
Good luck let us know what they say.
I fyou get stuck posting on their let me know

[Roz]

What kind of breed is it, if you can I would find a rescue specific to it's breed, they are usually smaller but experienced and have people coming to them specifically for that kind of dog.

Good luck.

[Lyn]

I agree with your sister it is her place to try and help this dog, she bred it, this is the unfortunate part of breeding that people dont realise, it is not going to be an easy job but it is not impossible, sometimes however too much emotional damage is done and you have to consider if it is fair to try and rehome this dog again, Breed rescues are brilliant and will match the dog to the home, but consider how many people are prepared to take on a 5 yr old dog who is not clean in the house and doesnt actually like people, its not exactly a great proposition is it?
I have recently taken a 5 year old dog on myself who has lived his life in a crate, again not housetrained and totally distrustfull of strangers, although not agressive, he is coming on in leaps and bounds but patience and kindness is the only way forward, along with plenty of love and socializing,
I too have an awful lot on my plate but you can always find time to love one more.
A sanctuary i feel is the worst possible thing for this poor dog, if he cannot go in a home then the kindest thing to do is have him put to sleep.

[reg nice anon]

Whats she like with other dogs? I have 3 dogs at the minute and although I don't really need another dog I may be able to help depending on a couple of questions. One of my dogs was a poachers dog very thin, very nervous didn't trust anyone but over time he is a wonderful dog, if I had listened to people around me he would have been pts. Becuase of the nature of 2 of mys dogs - the above timid, another resuse nervous, this poor soul would need to get on with other dogs, I also have an elderly dog who is epilectic and has chushings so don't want him stressed out. I also have a 5yr old niece who of course visits so in time he would have to get used to her, although she could be kept away from him. If youc ould post some more info on her then that would be great. thanks

[nikki]

Lyn - not sure I agree that a Sanctuary would be the worst thing and rest assured that my sister takes her responsibilites very seriously and is doing everything she can to try and re-train this dog. She has been in touch with trainers and behaviourists for some ideas. She herself has not considered a sanctuary as an option, it was my thought as I'm worried about how my sister will cope considering all that she has to cope with at the minute. She only ever bred 2 litters from her pedigree bitch and that was only because she already had homes lined up for the puppies so she most certainly isn't an irresponsible breeder. Thanks for your encouragement. Its good to know that with time and patience this poor dog may get better.

Reg anon - Its believed that the arrival of children in the house caused the onset of the original problems so I don't think this dog would ever be happy in a house where children are around. Many thanks for your interest though and I'll keep you updated on how my sister gets on.

[thistle]

Sounds like the sort of dog that would flourish with Lesley at Trawllm Farm, why don't you contact her?

[perky]

Did you look on dog pages? If you have a good look you will see other dogs similar and some worse have found homes on their. And the rescues that go on dog pages don't pts or they wouldnt be on thier.
Don't be dis heartend think your sister is wonderful
where is the dog and what is it.?

[mattie]

Some sacturaries are better than others and it would need to be a special one to turn this dog round. Your best bet is Lesley, if she can't take it herself she may know someone who can.

What will help this dog is TTouch www.pawsnlearn.co.uk, it has a high success record with this type of dog.

It may not have been children coming into the family that started this, it could be the owners and the way they handled it. Given the right family, this dog could do very well.

What also may help is some of the Bach flower remedies, Serene-um or Dene's Nerve tablets. These are all natural and do help dogs with problems.

[shep]

I took a dog with MASSIVE problems from a rescue centre; he has, ;D at long last, settled and is a very happy dog. However, because of his 'issues' he was in the rescue centre for almost four years; a very long time for a dog who was desperately stressed by the kennel environment. The centre did all they could for him, but he deteriorated and his health suffered so much that he was in a very poor state when he came to me.

If this dog of your sisters went to a Rescue centre, he would be taking the kennel space of healthy, normal dogs who can be rehomed far quicker than he can... many dogs are put to sleep because the centres are full and cannot take them, and they are full because a lot of kennel space is taken up by dogs with 'issues' who need more than the average family home; this dog may suffer terribly from stress if he is already nervous, so may be harder to home and may spend a very long time in kennels, costing the charity a vast amount of money, like the dog I took; my dog was aggressive, not house trained and suffered from stress - induced ulcers.
Please think very carefully and try to place him with someone who can deal with his problems (like Lesley as someone above mentioned)

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[nikki]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll pass them on to my sister who I think is set on keeping the dog although she is finding it very difficult as she already has 2 dogs who have their own problems. I'll let you know how she gets on.

Many thanks again.

[mattie]

Well done to your sister ;D

Ask her to contact Marie Miller at www.pawsnlearn.freeserve.co.uk/, I have seen Marie work with very nervous dogs and she is very good.

[bridge]

I agree with Perky. Dogpages is a brillient site with lots of rescue centre employees/volunteers on there on a daily basis. They all seem very friendly and I'm sure they could offer your sister some advise.

Good luck to her.