Advice On Whether Or Not To Rehome

[dewittsc]

All:

 

I posted here back in late dec/early January when I got my husky pup and you were all extremely understanding and helpful.  We have now had her for 4 months and she is 6 months old on tax day.  She is a great, great dog.  However, my wife and I are really not sure we are a good home for her.  The main reason is that we feel like we are being totally unfair to the dog and that we are pretty awful pet owners.  I would like your candid advice on whether this is true and/or what we should do.

 

The main thing is that we really don't have a good place for her to hang out. (I realize in hindsight that we should have thought of this beforehand - our bad...)  So #1 we don't have a fence and can't afford to put one up.  I have read that tie outs and stakes are very dangerous so I won't do that.  #2, on the inside our house has a very open layout and has 5 children running around which makes it near impossible to dog proof.  We have tried several times to just let her roam around but she always just ends up trying to eat a toy (choking hazard) or peeing on the floor.  We have no way to block off a room completely (short of building a wall).  So, that has left us with our current solution of keeping her tethered to our kitchen table (the only thing big enough to hold her) which I feel is just as cruel as keeping her crated up 100% of the time.  We do walk her 2-3 times a day for at least a mile each time but I don't feel like this enough - she is a runner after all.  So, bottom line we feel we are just being unfair to her and she would be better off somewhere with a secure area she can run around in.

 

The secondary thing is the following.  We knew she would be work - that's fine, we were willing to do that.  Unfortunately, for reasons I can't discuss, we have come to a place where we are having an extremely rocky time in our marriage and family.  IMO, this has two problems.  1) They say dogs are very intuitive and I'm worried she can probably feel all the tension (and it's not like you can't hear the yelling) and she is unhappy and depressed.  2) The extra work is a pretty constant stressor in an environment already filled with a stupid, crazy amount of stress (I realize this is OUR problem and not hers but it's still not good for anyone).

 

We do have some other issues that are smaller and I'm sure could be fixed if we didn't have the above two things.  The main thins is, she still pees in the house - she just did it while I was writing this.  I have read every puppy potty training article I can and done everything they've said - take her out plenty (about every 1-2 hours), say no and run her outside when she does, cleanup the area with nature's own but don't let her see it, never yell at her, etc, etc, and on and on but she still does it.  We go back to the vet on Tuesday so I will ask her again about this. Granted she is way better than she used to be - some days she won't do it and others she might do it once or twice (she used to do it like 10 times a day).  I have read on here of folks potty training in 2 weeks - it's been 4 months so I don't get it.

 

She is a great puppy and I want the best for her.  I really feel like here is not it.  I am willing to make changes if someone can come up with them but I'm out of ideas.

 

Your thoughts would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Scott

[Jay]

Sounds like a difficult situation and it's good that you are going through your options first before acting. As for the peeing in the house I'm sure that this could be an easier fix. I would say it should be more than 1-2 hours. I'd say every half hour and after eating playing or sleeping.

I wouldn't feel guilty about the space. I have 3 huskies and a 1200 sq ft town home. The only running they get is on the bike or at the dog park.

Regarding your family problems this I have no advice on . Sorry that your going through that but dogs do pick up on these things. That may be the only issue that I can see impacting the pup. Hopefully someone has some suggestions

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Sarah]

Oh Scott sounds like a tough time right now

 

I don't think having her tied to a table all the time is healthy for her, or for you or your kids,  although I understand how this is a limited option for you.  The potty training is improving and it sounds like you've done great with her.

 

I've sat trying to think of something to help but like you i'm struggling.  You can get tie out lines that run above - like having a washing line outside - the lead runs above her so she can't hurt herself or get tangled 

 

bit like this

 

 

 

try taking her out half an hour after eating or drinking, that may help with the peeing indoors

 

What I would say is that if things do go worse for you, and i sincerely hope they don't, interview potential new owners before you re-home her - make sure they know what they are taking on and can work with her 

 

I hope others have some good advice for you x

[mydiamond]

^^^ if you do decide to use that lead run Sarah posted above, please do make sure she can't jump over the line above. I've heard a story about a pet (not a K9 though) that jumps over it out of curiosity and almost hanged himself to death. 

 

About potty training, I think it is very hard to expect her not to pee inside the house when she's not allowed to roam free in it. Dogs only keep clean what they believe is their den. Since she doesn't roam in the house, she doesn't feel like the house is her "den". I think that's your problem right there. I do know that it takes commitment and teamwork from the whole family for dog training to work, and from the sound of your description, your family has something else far more important to deal with right now. I'm afraid that before you could get everyone back together as one team, this would be hard to work on.

 

I can't say whether you should re-home her or not. It's all up to you. I do see the potential of keeping her and making it all work out, but it all depends on how stressed you are at the moment and how long you're willing to stay stressed. Because, well... let's face it, this dog is adding to your stress and stress is not healthy. I'm sorry I couldn't help you make this decision, but please note that whatever you chose to do in the end you are NOT a terrible person. The fact that you're willing to do this much for your dog is already admirable. Let me tell you what a terrible person would do in this situation:

 

I know of a person that beats his Husky up due to boredom/stress, and then when he got bored of the dog he intended to throw him out to the streets. My cousin then stepped up saving the Husky. 

[snowpups]

How about getting a large puppy pen I would also be taking her out every half hour or so.

[Tatipu]

As for the thethered to your table -- mine is tethered to her crate around 10 hrs a day (mostly because she isn't allowed free roam and we also have an open house so she's only limited to basically one room of our house) The only time she isn't tethered is when I'm playing or training her. She's a happy dog nonetheless. Just keep the dog mentally stimulated and physically tired and play with her and you'll have a happy dog. Even though huskies are active dogs, they do not need the be able to roam around the house to be happy. Like Jay said, you don't need the space to make her happy. Mine can only move at max ~10 ft from her crate. 99% of the time she doesn't go past 3-4 ft from the crate. (Her lead is never fully extended)

As for the potty training, it takes different times for different dogs. There is no set time that will guarantee your dog is potty trained. Maybe try taking her out more often and I'm sure you notice some signs that she needs to go by now? The most usual signs are sniffing the ground and walking in a circle but I'm sure there are plenty more -- I never gave mine the chance to do those as I always just set a timer and took her out every 30-45 min. and every 15-20 min after play/feed time.

Sorry that you're going through a rough patch . Dogs pick up very well on human feelings and at least mine decides to be a nuissance when I feel stressed. I don't have much other experience on that matter though.

[goingsolo]

Sounds like life is tough at the moment you are not a bad owner, bad owners don't care. I hope you all come though the other side and find happiness in whatever form that takes. If it is that you have to re home, remember that it is not a failing, just make sure you find a home as caring as yours. Never tethered mine so I cant offer advice ( though need to train them so we can take them camping). Keep us posted

[Sora]

Ignore everyone who says they have their dog potty trained in 2 weeks... 
1. Huskies are normally quiet and are notorious for not telling their owners when they have to go, so unless you are extremely attentive you might miss her ques. 
2. BOTH of my huskies were not even close to fully house broken until they were over 7 months old...they are stubborn, and have accidents. they take time and patience, and most of the people I know with them have had a hard time with house breaking. 

My male husky still won't poop on a leash, so whenever we travel somewhere with him he always has accidents in other peoples houses...it drives me bonkers. He'll hold his poop for an entire 3-4 hour walk and then go on the floor as soon as he comes inside. and he's 9 months old now. 

 

huskies are naturally anxious dogs, so she may be under some stress with all the kids running around, and the fighting. but they do make amazing family dogs. and I agree with a lot of what others have said, if shes going for walks, and you're running out her excess energy she should be just fine being confined to the kitchen. The dog park is your best friend for tiring a husky out I know around here the dog parks have a big playground for the kids, so it ends up being a nice family outing. 

 

thats a hard decision you are having there, and only you can be the best judge of what you think is best for the dog and your family. 
You can also look into getting an outside kennel. they start around 150$ and go up from there depending on size. Sometimes you can find good deals on them online too. 

 

You're not a bad owner, you're doing a great job with the pup so far. Keep up the good work. and If you do decide to rehome make sure you screen potential new owners, ask them a TON of questions about the breed and really make sure they know what they are getting into. My neighbor down the road has a husky she hates her guts because she got the dog because it "looked pretty" and she is always running loose around the neighborhood.