we're still alive! but i have a sad problem...
 

hey all it's been awhile! just wanted to pop in to say hello!
we have been so busy working and traveling that i just dont have time for all my online stuff :/

tikka has gotten over her long uti! she's been fishing and to watch the boat races, she's weighing in at 8.6lbs and is still fiesty as ever!

on a sad note... we have decided to rehome/sell Pooter. it would have possibly been Tikka too but she needs finished on housetraining and needs spayed and she is much more outdoorsy/adventurous and has a better chance of keeping up with us this fall if we take her out on our week/2 week long ventures into the rockies for hunting season so i want to give her a chance to come along with us and see if we can make it work.

it's not fair to Pooter to be left behind all fall or thrown from home to home for weeks at a time for dogsitters so i've decided to come here for some help. treating pooter like a yorkie here for a second... can i post an ad for him on YT, or what would be my best option? i don't want to take him to a spca/rescue because he will go for a mere $150 to a family who might decide against him later and rehome him yet again. he is worth more than that to me with all the time, training, love and money i've put into him from being a rescue to becoming a little lovable furball! i want the best home he can get!

it's so sad for me to do this knowing where he came from and that he has a 100% better life with me than he had before. but it's going to become very unfair to him this fall and possibly all winter.


bleh... help anyone? i hate doing this. i'm one of the many dog owners that believes i'm the best home... period. so it's hard for me to think i can find another just as good and permanent.

Wow....that is very sad news indeed. I cannot imagine ever planning a long vacation without considering Sugar let alone rehoming her to take it :(

Good luck with making the right decision for your family!

I'm not sure if I'm following why a rescue would be out of the question if you need to rehome Pooter. A rescue would ensure that the very best home would be found for Pooter and he would never need to be rehomed again. I wish you luck in making a decision regarding the little guy. :(

Maybe I missed some of your past threads, but I'm a little confused:confused: You are rehoming your dog(s) because they can't come with you on vacation?

I'm confused also.

You got that pup first. A Yorkie is going to be able to keep up with you better? Hunting in the rockies hardly sounds like the place for any small breed dog.

I can't imagine rehoming my dog over a vacation. She is MUCH more important than any vacation I could ever take. I'd board for a couple weeks and cut the trip short. Or take them both with you and make sure you have safe housing where they can stay while you're hunting.

A rescue is an option and they will be able to find a good home. I'm not following why you would rehome the first dog you had instead of the second though.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I have to say this makes me sad and angry at the same time. I don't think this is a reason to want to give up your pet, who loves and trusts you with his life, has been there for you. How very sad for Pooter than you have no time for him.

Agreed. I have to go away frequently to visit elderly family who is not doing well and needs help, but I make it work anyway, I alternate taking one of my kiddos and leave the other with family or a sitter, the sitter is not cheap but a necessary expense I committed to when I took on the responsibility of my dogs.

I also don't understand Why you wouldn't choose a rescue to rehome this dog, they have the best chance of finding a good home, you should be most concerned about pooters well being and not how much money you are going to get.

I have an idea. Why don't you rehome both of them. Your dogs deserve someone who will love them unconditionally and treat them as more than an inconvenience to your travel plans.

So, he was a rescue and now you want to rehome him,
but you don't want him to now go a rescue, because someone else might later decide to rehome him, just like you are doing.

hhhmmm???

You almost have that right. You forgot that a mere $150 is not enough part :rolleyes::rolleyes:

This whole thread makes me so sad. Poor Pooter being rehomed again because he's an inconvenience. I think you need to rethink your statement "it's so hard for me to think I can find another just as good and permanent." He deserves a home that is TRULY permanent.

Now, I'm going to sit on my hands to keep from typing what I really think.

I'm confused too. Is your priority a good home for Pooter or getting a good price for him because you feel you have invested time, training, love, and money in him?

I personally do not see these things as investments, or "putting into" a pet. These are things that we as guardians are responsible to do for pets. In return, we are gifted with their unconditional love and companionship.

What does Pooter get in return for the time and love he put into you?

I pray you do what is in the best interest of both these innocent creatures.

:goodpost:

That's messed up. Too bad you are in Canada. I have a good friend in NJ that loves the Pom breed and would give that dog a life time of love and a permanant home. By the way she goes on vacation too, but has a good friend of hers stay at the house with her dogs. They are her family! She has four. Really sad.

You said EXACTLY what I was thinking!:thumbup::thumbup:

My heart aches for all the loveable pets who are rehomed because they are an inconvenience:mad:

God Bless little Pooter, and I pray that he finds the wonderful loving forever home he deserves.

Depressing :(

I hope you reconsider a rescue because you clearly do not understand what a "furever home" is.

IF you adopted from a rescue and have a contract with them, you should contact them.

I was confused about the rescue part too. Is he from a rescue? He needs to be returned to them ASAP and should not be rehomed by the OPer.

Are you serious? You're going on vacation and you can't keep your dog? Please, please don't adopt any more pets that will be thrown out when you don't have time to deal with them. Please give your dogs to a rescue group that will get them their forever home and don't give them to the ASPCA only to be killed.

Such a shame u have to rehome your dog :( I dont fully understand the reasons behind it so i am not going to comment on it. I hope u make the right decision. xx

Very sad for Pooter. I could never give my dogs up for a vacation or anything trivial like that. What would be so wrong with leaving them both with someone you trust while you are gone? I know a family that travels all the time and are gone sometimes a month or more at a time and they leave their dog with a family member during that time. If you really want to give up Pooter, you should return him to the rescue you got him from. A lot of rescues have that stipulation that if you were ever to rehome them, that you need to return them, rather than rehome yourself or give to another rescue.

WOW, okay let me try to tackle these comments...

It's not a vacation, it's life. My husbands job is to guide American's hunts, I am also involved in those. I never thought we'd be doing it for months on end being gone, it was a temp job that we ended up sticking with. Usually we were home every night even if it's a 12-14 hour day of hunts, but this season we'll be gone doing it for 2-3 weeks at a time constantly.
I had a feeling I shouldn't have even said a word and just simply said "Personal Issues" or not have said a word at all, I came for help, not opinions on my reasoning.

I don't want to make money off him, but for $150 here the spca will give a dog to any home... they take the dog home on a "trial" and after 3 days if they like him they can keep him. They dont do extensive interviews or home visits. The conditions at the only rescue here in town aren't the best either, over crowded and not enough funds, living in kennels being fed ol' roy and not getting daily attention because the lack the money to pay for workers and volunteers are few and far. Of course I'd give him for free if I find the right home where I think he'd be perfectly off.

Even if I work out a plan to keep him through fall/winter despite never getting to see him, we will be moving and finding an apartment that allowed one dog was hard enough. And YES Tikka would love being up in the mountains with us... she's not your average 2lb tiny... she's 8.8lbs and growing. She's been around gunshots, boats, horses, etc and she runs ALL day. Pooter however tires after a 20 minute slow walk, he loves to sleep and lay at someone's feet and cuddle in bed, I just want him to have that kind of home where it's stable and consistent.

I know, I must look like a complete a$$ but you don't think it makes me sad? He's slept with me while my husband been gone, he's cuddled me to sleep when I've had a bad day/night, you don't think that makes me sad to think about? Or reading these comments doesn't make me cry and feel even worse? All I came here for was to find some help on the best way to find what's best for Pooter. If I don't find somewhere where I can feel is perfect, I'll find a way to keep him, but if there's a possibility of him finding a more consistent/stable home that can provide him with love everyday why wouldn't I want that for him vs. leaving him at a strangers house for weeks on end.

I left him with a friend for a month while I went to Iowa, when I came back he barked at me for a good 5 or more minutes and even tried nipping me when I went to pick him up, he's NEVER done that... you think that made me feel like a good owner? Being gone and leaving him alone so long he almost forgot who I was?


All I'm asking is for advice... the best way to do what's best for HIM.
I took him from a lady who could no longer care for him, his rear was matted in poop, he was overweight from too much food and sitting in a kennel ALL day, he was timid and fearful. I have put hours of work into cleaning away his mattes, getting his coat in order, socializing him, and loving him, of course this sucks for both of us. But like I said I just want help finding whats best for him... I want him in a steady environment, stress free and loving!

This is just wrong!!! You could do what we do, if we can't take Jada and Bogie we stay home.:(

And my husband and I are both not from here. Our only friends are his co-workers and I have a couple friends that have turned me down before due to having kids/no time. Trust me I've asked around, and I'll keep asking until end of August rolls around and push it to the last minute. I do love him, judgement like this makes it very hard to feel like a person can come in here asking for help when they need it and not being afraid of being ripped apart. Our closest family is a 14hr drive south.

And yet, another reason for a dog to be rehomed by it's owner...incompatible travel schedules...amazing!

Well, all I can do is echo the same sentiments offered by other YT posters and to remind you that Pooter expected more of you than this as his person.:(

As pointed out to you previously on this thread, "if" Pooter was acquired through a reputable rescue group, it is usually your obligation to at least notify them of your intentions and/or return the dog ASAP!

Since traveling, hunting, boat races, etc require $$$ to do so, I'd suggest sucking it up and not worry about recouping what you've put into Pooter and instead do what's only right for him at this point and return him to rescue where he will at least have a chance at finding a safe & loving home who will want him this time "forever"...:animal36

If you need help in finding a reputable toy breed or breed specific reputable rescue group, please pm me and I will at least do my best to help Pooter for you.:animal-pa

I guess rescues in Canada are very different than what we have in the US. Here when a dog is surrendered to a rescue it lives in a foster home as part of the family. :confused: If you make trips over the boarder into the US why don't you contact a rescue here. I really don't think we are judging you but are confused by your original post.

I was a little confused by the posts - did Pooter come from a rescue or from someone else who could not care for the pup?

I think maybe getting the dogs was a misjudgement considering how much you travel and lack of family/friend support to care for the dogs while you are away. Lots of us have made mistakes in judgement in our lives at one time or another. I think you should find a rescue group, possibly for poms, that will find a home that will be stable for him. He is a very cute boy and deserves a chance at a good home.

I think you were right to come to a reputable website to look for help w poor little Pooter. It is upsetting for animal advocates to hear another animal is losing his home due to a misjudgement, and I think that is why you are hearing the posts you are. I don't know if some of the rescues associated w this site would take a pom, but if they are willing, I (if I you) would be willing to drive as far as I had to to get him into their hands. It could be your last act of love for Pooter. I would search this site for the names of the rescues and ask them to help you if you would be willing to get him to them. I hope you continue to start now and work diligently to get Pooter to someone who can help him before August arrives.

....

All I can say, that's P.C., is that I pray Pooter can find a forever home he deserves.

Thanks, OP for the additional information on your situation. I realize now this was not just leisure traveling but, more for your family income in the way of jobs.

What this boils down to is that you have a dog which cannot keep up with this life style and you do want what's best for him, right? Again, I would suggest $ucking it up and doing whatever I had to do to ensure Pooter a good home.

You have very little time to be planning for this since August is right around the corner but, I think you need to start contacting toy/breed specific rescue groups in Canada and the US to see what Pooter's best options are.

If you need any help, again my offer still stands...I can try to locate a list of rescues in the US who might be able to assist you.

This option will ultimately require the cost of transporting Pooter...but, if this is what it takes to get him a good safe home...he deserves every penny of that!