Thread: Rehoming :(
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Old 01-26-2012, 03:42 PM   #1
Mary4
Senior Yorkie Talker
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Norwood, MA
Posts: 139
Default Rehoming :(

After a lot of thought and with a heavy heart, I realize I need to rehome my yorkie, Charlie. I'm hoping maybe someone here can advise me on the best way to do this. I live in a suburb not far from Boston. I just want to make sure he goes to a good home.

My circumstances have changed tremendously and as much as I want to keep him, it's selfish of me to do that. There area few reasons I think it's best for Charlie. I've been ill since late summer and I just am not able to give Charlie what he really deserves. He's fairly content just lying on my bed with me or in my room but I know he deserves a couple of walks a day and someone who can play with him a lot.

He just turned two and while he does have a couple of bad habits/quirks, he is a really great dog. I'm worried about doing this as he is VERY attached to me. He follows me everywhere. Even if I just go to the bathroom, he has to come with me.

I never got him fully trained and he does occasionally have accidents. He also seems to dislike men/boys. He is fine with my two boys but he seems to have some fear aggression with boys. My dad lives with me and he's 83 and Charlie only tolerates him. He does bark and chase teenage boys and men when they come in. He has snapped at their feet or nipped their leg, though he's never broken the skin. This worries me and what I usually do is just keep him with me when the kids have friends over. He never has a problem when my girls have their friends over.

When I got him, I didn't know anything about buying dogs at pet stores, puppy mills or backyard breeders. My cousin in NY mentioned they had a friend who was a breeder but "due to the economy" weren't able to sell him. (I know, I know ... Now I see all the red flags there were but at the time I didn't have a clue.) My guess is the real story is something like this: someone thought they could make some money by breeding yorkies and got together with a friend and then found out that without papers, etc., they weren't going to make any money.

I was very lucky as Charlie has really been a gem and very healthy. I was told he was a purebred yorkie, but the truth is, I have no clue. He's about 10 pounds and he's a beautiful looking dog with a gorgeous coat. Due to the way he acts around boys and men, I have to wonder if he wasn't abused by a male owner.

I also know that due to being sick and realizing that I will not be returning to work, the fact is that I know if something came up with him health-wise, I couldn't afford it.

One of his bad habits also makes me nervous ... he tends to get a bit hyped up if someone is going up or down the stairs. I was pretty weak and having some trouble on the stairs and he was running up and down and through my legs. I'm very aware of him doing it and am really careful but my dad is very unsteady on his feet and I'm afraid he'll trip over Charlie and get hurt.

He also seems to be a little possessive of me. If I'm trying to talk to my dad or one of my kids, he will just bark over me. It's impossible for me to have a conversation (in person) with anyone without him acting up. He does this with no one else. My kids keep telling me it's because he wants me all to himself. In general, he's not a barker. Other dogs don't set him off. He will bark if he hears someone at the door or if someone comes in (that doesn't live here) to let us know.

I think he'd do great with either a woman or a woman with female children. I'm not sure he'd be a good fit for anyone that had men or boys in their house. I imagine it's something that could be fixed with the right training.

My heart is broken over this. I really love him and have become so attached to him. But in fairness to him, I think he deserves to be with someone who can give him the kind of attention he really needs and who can afford him ... He has had no health issues but our first dog had very high vet bills on several occasions. At the time it wasn't an issue as I was working and was able to pay for whatever care was needed. I know I can't do that right now and I don't see that changing in the near future.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle this? My kids are so sad over this, too. But they're teenagers and between school, sports, friends, activities, they're hardly ever here.
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