Moving To Home That Doesn’t Allow Dogs
A dog is a member of your family. You wouldn’t move to a place that doesn’t allow your child to be with you, would you? When selecting a home, a place that doesn’t allow your pup to come with should be a deal-breaker for you.
Still, sometimes financial circumstances limit your options. It’s important to ask your potential landlord what you can do. Some will allow a dog to stay for an additional security deposit or monthly fee.
If not, just try to realize that there are other housing options available to you. Some other place that allows dogs will come along. You can even use filters on most property search engines that will show only places that let pups come with you.
It’s not worth taking your dog back to the shelter if you can find a place that allows dogs, instead.
Maybe your family has grown recently, and you just aren’t finding enough time to care for your dog. The good thing about dogs and babies is that they both spend a lot of time napping, but those nap times don’t always align to give you a moment of peace.
When the new baby is taking up a lot of your time, it’s hard to get a minute to take care of your pup, too. There are, however, ways to take care of a baby and a dog at the same time.
You might consider going for a stroll with your dog on leash and your baby in the stroller to get some exercise and fresh air. Find ways to include your dog in your daily tasks.
You may also worry about your dog being unfriendly or jealous toward a new baby. You can find ways to prepare your dog for a human infant in the family here, and follow these ten safety tips for children who live with dogs here.
Also, you should also follow advice for introducing dogs to babies here, and watch for the signs of an impending bite here. It’s possible for you to take care of a child and a dog, and as both grow older, it gets easier.
What are valid reasons for rehoming a dog?
Although it’s not uncommon for two dogs in a family to have occasional squabbles, there are also times when knock-down-drag-out battles – or even rough play – can put one or more canine family members at risk of serious injury or even death (not to mention the risk of injury to the humans who have to intervene in the dog fights). This can be especially life-threatening when a size differential almost guarantees that a smaller dog will be injured – or killed – by a larger dog who plays too roughly or has mayhem in mind. Plus there is the risk of predatory drift, where the larger dog sees a significantly smaller playmate dash across the yard and his brain kicks into “Squirrel!” mode. He perceives his smaller canine companion as “prey” instead of “playmate,” and tragedy strikes.
Whether due to size difference or not, conflict and potential injury between canine family members calls for careful management protocols, implementation of a behavior modification program to reduce or remove tension when possible, and if necessary, rehoming of one dog to prevent tragedy. If modification isn’t successful and management isn’t realistic, it is only fair to give both dogs a chance at long and happy lives by rehoming one. (I usually recommend rehoming the easier of the two dogs rather than the more problematic one, because it’s much more difficult to rehome a dog with problematic behavior; you are probably that dog’s best option.)
Putting others at risk in the home
A client brought her just-adopted adolescent Border Collie-mix to see me because the young dog was acting very fearful of men. Linda had adopted Freddie (names changed) less than a month prior, and he already had seven biting incidents, including one bite that had broken skin. She has two small children in her home, but so far the dog had been relaxed and appropriate with kids. Freddie was a delightful dog with many good attributes, and Linda was committed to keeping him, if at all possible. We worked out a behavior modification program, and this exceptionally knowledgeable client went home, fully committed to working through her dog’s behavioral issues.
A week later during a stressful day in the home, Freddie bit one of the kids – twice. Although neither bite required medical attention, it was clear that he wasn’t safe in a home with children. Despite his bite history, the client was, fortunately, able to place Freddie in a dog-savvy home with no children.
Should You Rehome Your Dog? I did…
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As Preventive Vets dog behavior expert and lead trainer at Pupstanding Academy, Cathy focuses on helping humans and their pets build a strong relationship based on trust, clear communication, and the use of positive reinforcement and force-free methods. With over 13 years of experience, she has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of dogs on a wide variety of training and behavior issues. Beyond her one-on-one consultations through Pupstanding Academy, she also teaches group dog training classes at Seattle Humane. Her specialties include dog aggression, resource guarding, separation anxiety, and puppy socialization.
Cathy is certified through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, holding both the CPDT-KA and CBCC-KA designations. Cathy is a Fear Free Certified Certified Professional, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, the Pet Professional Guild, and the Dog Writers Association of America.
When shes not geeking out about dogs, you can find her reading, hiking with her two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, or paddleboarding.
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