Yorkie Advice - Re:homing?
 

Hi Forum!

Well, I've decided to turn to you all for your thoughts on a decision that has been on my mind for probably about a year now.

I've had my pup for just about 7 years now. I purchased him in my mid-20's on a whim, like many young people, not really understanding that having a dog is about the same as having a kid. I wasn't sure the direction my life would go over the course of the next few years.

I am now 33 years old, and basically I'm torn for a couple of reasons. Mainly because I feel like a selfish jerk for even thinking of finding him a new home.

1. I want to travel. As much as possible, and the one thing that often holds me back is finding my pup a house sitter (or not being able to find a house sistter), or being away too long, etc.

2. I work all day, and he's alone for a good 8-9 hours while I'm away. When I do get home I often don't feel like I am/ or can give him the attention that he needs.

3. I'm a professional photographer (balancing 2 careers currently), and probably in the very near future, will be relocating to a major city for career purposes. Having a dog will make this much more difficult.

I actually got my pup a cat companion a little over a year ago, but my cat is an independent cat, and they aren't really friends so that didn't work.

I'm starting to really feel that he would be much happier in a home with ideally ANOTHER Yorkie, or other dogs in general. Or at least with people who are home more.

Obviously making this decision is one of the most difficult for me to make, and I'm nervous that I won't even be able to follow through, but I can't help but feel that gut feeling that it's the right thing to do at this point. My friends all ADORE him and it's possible that I could easily find a great friend to home him, where I could still see him and keep tabs, but I'm just in the beginning of this process at this point.

Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I think you should not re-home your dog for such shallow reasons. There are many reasons but the main one to me would be that you had that wonderful puppy for 7 years and it wouldn't be fair to him. How do you think he would feel being abandoned by you? Maybe I am biased because I just lost my 10 year old baby last month and would give anything to have him back. If you don't love your dog then give him away to a loving person that would love him unconditionally. This is just my opinion and what do I know?

First of all let me say I don't like the thought of rehoming an older dog; however, it has been done before and sometimes the dog is much better off. My thought is that the best thing to do is to determine what is actually best for your dog.

If you feel it is best to rehome, you might consider contacting a rescue group to help with his new placement if needed. I would be very careful where he ends up.

I can't imagine the feelings of having to rehome one of my pups. I would think it will be a difficult decision for you. I can tell you are really battling with this decision and it will be one that is not taken lightly.

My advice would be to consider what is in the pups best interest. My girls love it when I'm home. They love the social interaction. Even though they have each other, they still need the human interaction as well. If you plan on bring gone a lot, you need to keep that in consideration.

Basically, if there is anyway possible to keep him I would. However, if rehoming is in his best interest, I would look at my options as well. This will be a hard decision. I wish you luck in what you decide to do.

Wow.... Please don't think you are being "shallow". You want to do what is best for your dog and there is nothing wrong with that. Things in our lives change and you can't hold back on your career no matter how much you love your dog. Loving your dog is doing what is best for them, and if you are not able to be there and give it the attention it needs then finding a new loving home may be best.

It sounds like you are taking a very good look at your life and the future of your dog. Although 7 years is a long time he could actually live 10 more years so being open to possibilities is great for both of you. My suggestion is to take your time, find a doggie daycare that also boards overnight when needed. See how he does and if this can be a permanent plan for you. It may be costly but it may be worth it.

If that doesn't work, take the time to find a group that will be very picky about his placement.

If I were young I would love to travel but I would still want to have a Yorky welcome when I got home. Best wishes to you both.

That is a great option for you and I say go for it. In my opinion when people say they are thinking about rehoming they need to rehome. People saying negative things about rehoming or scolding you are doing you and your yorkie a disservice. It sounds to me like both of you would be happier in the long run. And let me say that giving the amount of thought that you are giving it is a good sign. So many people dump their pets at a pound or shelter. They put them outside to fend for themselves or dump them on the side of a road. Thank you for caring about your little one and trying to do the best you can for him.

I agree. If you are truly being honest with yourself, and think he'd be better off in a different home then you are doing right by your dog.

Thank you all for the advice. It was difficult to bring this up as I know people's thoughts on re-homing a pet. I'm the same way, I choose a pet for life. My own mother (who owns a yorkie) has been giving me a really hard time about this thought as well.

I really am not doing this for selfish reasons, I want this to be because he deserves a better home, with more attention and love and care. I'm getting ready to start traveling more often for my photography business, and I've never put him in day care, I think that would really upset him, and I always feel bad leaving him with a house sitter. Such a catch 22.

Also - I wouldn't just give him to anyone. I would absolutely make sure it was the BEST fit and situation for him to be very happy.

What about your Mom, can she take him?

Personally, I could never, ever rehome my dogs as I believe they're my family and that you commit to them for their lives. That said, I understand it's not that way for everyone. I do think, however, that you could make it work for you both in a very good way - if you want to put the time and effort into making it work and keeping him in his home.

If you do choose to rehome him...gosh, it'd sure be ideal if you could find someone that he already knows and is familiar with as it's going to be so tough on him, losing everything he knows in his current life.

I do wish you the very best in this tortuous decision...it's such an incredibly tough situation :(. If you do rehome, just PLEASE make sure it's his forever home...that he won't be rehomed again and again.

I agree it has to be what is best for him! And would your mom take him that is a great idea if it could work for her family! I wish you the very best in your decision.

My mom taking him is an idea, but that worries me also !!
She lives in the country, has a HUGE German shepherd, and they're looking to move to Florida and downsize soon, so that could potentially be a dicey situation for him also. I do have a friend who rescue's min-pin's that I'm very close to, and they LOVE my pup. They would be the 1st people to ask. They treat all of their dogs like kings!

You may love your dog but it sounds like he is in a very lonely situation already. Please do what's best for him & find a home that can give him the love & attention he deserves.

I can totally understand how you feel hon, you've been through a terrible time recently and in the process of grieving, so this is particularly hard for you to read. Your points are honest and good ones, and at a time like this the OP has to take all things in to consideration before she makes a permanent decision. I'm sure though blunt she will take your points in to consideration as well.


I'm sorry for the loss of Dudley.

I am not into re-homing my furbabies, I moved 2 states away to be able to keep mine, but, I was not 22 when I got my pups, nor am I 33 with a awesome future before me. In your heart you know what is best for him and that's what matters most. Re-homing him with ppl he knows, and you trust is the best thing for him and for yourself. At least you will know he is with good loving ppl and not with a stranger you know nothing about. Good luck in making the right decision for your little boy.

Agree , especially the highlighted part. OP, if you need suggestions about how to rehome your pup, feel free to PM me.

I think at his age a rehoming would be more difficult for him then if he were a younger dog which Im sure you have already considered. I think your best bet for rehoming him into a home he is comfortable in is your friends however Im concerned also they have other dogs and he has been the only dog so he may not fit in with the other dogs. A rescue is a great choice because they will screen people and make sure he is going to the right home. I really think you need to do some soul searching and be very serious about finding just the right home for him.

We all make mistakes, this is a biggy, but we all do things we wish we hadn't. I wish when in my 20s and 30s I knew what I do now. You've been thinkin about this for a year, so it's not been an easy decision for you. It sounds like you dogs, not getting all he needs (your time) already and will only get worse in future. Perhaps you could talk with your friend, and do a triail period, see how you dog does with them for a short time and build that time up. It'll give you time to see how you feel about the placement and how you dog fits in. Also if its the right choice for you.

I think some of us are forgetting that when you adopt a rescue you are receiving a "rehomed" dogs. So far that has worked out for me and my rescues are very very VERY happy. And before anyone jumps on me......No I would not give up any of them for anything. That doesn't mean that my feelings are the end all. We all have to deal with situations in our own way.

Looking at this issue from my present situation I would be grateful to be able to take an older dog into my home. I have just lost one of mine and miss her so. We are an older couple, always home and not willing to train a puppy. Our two dogs would have to adjust to new company but that could be done. I'm sure there are many people in my condition who probably feel the same. So many of you foster and do such a fine job with animals that come from all sorts of family environments so I think the idea of re-homing is great for all concerned. Change is part of life, health and work impact decisions, in short, giving up your dog will be hard but if you feel she will be better off in another loving home, go for it.

Maybe you could work out a deal with a friend where they'd always watch your dog when you have to go away.

Are you planning to have kids? If so I wouldn't get rid of my dog for a few years of freedom.

This kind of stuff makes me sad. I am not against re-homing. But I think your reasons, to me, aren't good enough if I'm being honest.

I got Jackson when I was 18 on a whim as well. And does he hold me back from some things? Absolutely. There are times where my life and my decisions would have been easier without a dog. But overall he has improved my life so much and is SUCH a huge part of it. He's literally family. I cry even at the THOUGHT of re-homing him, even if it was to family. He is so upset without me... even though he loves my dad and has grown up there, when I have to leave him for a few days, my dad said he is not the same dog. The longest I left him was 10 days and he would be okay and still eat, etc, but my dad said he would eventually end up back in the window again, waiting for me.

I guess it would depend on the dogs personality. I do think some dogs are more resilient than others. I believe Jackson would be better off being put to sleep than being re-homed to someone else that wasn't family. But he's a very quirky, overly attached dog that is extremely bonded to me and my close family. If your dog is used to sitters, etc, it may be a different situation.

I understand that life does change and we sometimes need to change with it. I also understand the promise of permanence we make to the babies we acquire, our attachment to our babies, our sincere desire for them to have the home they need even if it is not our home any more, and the quandry of deciding which is which from the options we believe we have at the time we feel we must make them. I know there is deep sadness at losing them for any reason, even if they just live half a country away temporarily...and how traumatic it is to have to fly them there until we can retrieve them again...because I have had to allow a heartbeat boy to live temporarily elsewhere...and it is nearly impossible to drive home from the airport, having to stop all the time to allow for all the heartbroken sobbing.

I have also had many, many babies...cats and dogs...that lived elsewhere before coming to live with me. Many came home with me absolutely 'needing' homes for their own survival, and needing love, and one was so near death she couldn't hold food down at first from starvation. But when she was well again, we found her a most marvelous home in a family with little boys...I had two sons and oh how she loved little boys (she 'hated' little girls, BTW...LOL)...and it was soooooo hard when she left even though I knew she would be soooooo loved and happy in her new home.

I believe you will make a proper decision for yourself and your Yorkie baby, and I wish you all the best in making this most difficult decision.

Take care.

- Cat

Even if treated poorly dogs especially when they have been with you for 7 years would rather stay with you then go to a better home. Im sure it's going to be extremely hard on him. Also keep in mind although not old for yorkies it is harder to rehome older dogs and some end up staying in there foster homes the rest of there lives. If you seriously want to rehome I would look at some yorkie rescues to help or he could end up being passed from house to house.

She also can't just get rid of kids either.....

People don't realize that staying in a foster home for the rest of their lives is not a bad thing. At least not if the rescue is one that checks their foster homes out well.

I have fosters who have been with me for a very long time and they are treated the same as my own pups.

We don't allow people to foster unless they meet our criteria for adoption.

It is not age that makes a dog difficult to place...it is other things such as medical issues or personality issues such as not getting along with other dogs.

I think that you really need to reassess your situation. I am not really into re-homing animals. I am very close to you in age and kind of got my dog on a whim - I didn't really want a yorkie but I fell in love with Milana when I saw her. My career is very demanding - I work 8-9 hours each day plus some hours from home. I LOVE to travel within US and outside. Did having a yorkie stop my dreams and career aspirations? Nope. Yes, she stays at home for 8-9 hours by herself but she is completely pee pad trained and always has access to food and water throughout the day. So I never feel that I need to rush home but once I am home we go for a nice 30 min walk. I have traveled outside the US for weeks at a time this past year. I board her at doggy day care place - she has been fine there and actually loves being among other dogs. Yes it's somewhat expensive but companionship is definitely worth it. When I do feel that she is super lonely, I take her to doggy day care once in awhile. On the weekends, I try to go to dog parks. Few weeks ago, I moved across the country to a new city with my dog - no issues here (many bigger cities are becoming a lot more dog friendly). I love coming back from work and knowing that someone is waiting for me! Please think about re-homing very carefully - you have been 7 years with this dog. Seven years is a long time. I could maybe see someone questioning dog ownership after one to two years but you have spend 7 years together, do you think that it would be that easy for both of you to part? Unless you are traveling 5 days out of 7 (I could see rehoming as possible option), you should really assess what would be the best for the dog.

Would this be hard on the dog. You bet it would. My dog who just passed away was a found dog who I could never locate the owner. I looked for months. His age at that time was close to 4 years old. He had a lot of separation anxiety when I would leave the house. Did he turn out to be a great dog for me. He was my best buddy yes. But the first few months I had him were very difficult for him and I. There is no good answer here. We all talk about the importance of rescue and rehoming. We don't always know the story of why. But we don't judge the dog. I don't think we should judge the owner. Just remember that you can't go back the decision will be permanent. Good luck with all of this.

When some one rehomes though I always worry it won't be to there forever home or they will not go to a reputable rescue. Sammy never went to a rescue and was just passed around from home to home and that just seems so scary for a dog. Sammy is terrified of ridding in the car and my heart tells me this is because he is afraid of being switched off to another home :( I had heard older dogs were harder to adopt a while ago from one of our local shelters that's why I said that but it might be different for a breed specific rescue or even smaller dogs. Most of the rescues here seem to big large dogs.

I have a friend who adopted a girl who was 7 or 8 years old. This pup went from living in a cage to having a wonderful loving home. She is now pampered and doing so well. My friend had to fill out an application to adopt. The group placed the pup with her because she was a "perfect" fit. So I do believe some rehomes are so much better for the pups. Again, I think it all needs to be what is best for the pup.

I agree. Keeping a pup and you're almost never home is not good for them. The puppy needs love & attention....I think rehoming is a good decision so the puppy can get the attention he needs. Do what's best for the puppy by all means.