Rough training week and starting to think the unthinkable

[HankGSD]

My opinion would be if someone is even thinking of re-homing their dog then it's already over. Very sad, but I am sure there are many who would love, adore and cherish this girl.

I will not judge the OP, although I would like to. Let's just hope for a loving forever home.

[msvette2u]

Ah but in another thread, someone's complaining that the dogs in rescue are "shabby", so yes, there's always room for good breeders in the world.
Rehoming your personal dog you've had for years isn't raising puppies to sell...and you're coming awfully close to breeder bashing, aren't you?

[Mrs.K]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Ah but in another thread, someone's complaining that the dogs in rescue are "shabby", so yes, there's always room for good breeders in the world.
Rehoming your personal dog you've had for years isn't raising puppies to sell...and you're coming awfully close to breeder bashing, aren't you?

Me? Breeder bashing?

[selzer]

Originally Posted by Mrs.K

Right, and because re-homing is shallow you produced litter after litter and re-homed those pups and put them into the possible situation of being passed around....

Oh the irony and hypocrisy....mindblowing....

Mrs. K, I really have no clue what you are talking about. I have never considered rehoming any of my breeding bitches. Sorry. I have several bitches here that I have dropped from my program, never bred and am keeping and working with just the same. I only rehomed a dog after having used him once for breeding, partly because he did not produce the type of dog I wanted to produce. And even then, I kept him and worked him for a year, and only sold him when someone came to me looking for a dog with all the qualifications he had. I never replaced him either. I currently don't have a dog.

But whatever, you are comparing apples to oranges, as usual.

But let's talk about you, for a moment. Before you ever got the Mal, your marriage was on the rocks and your husband's job was uncertain, and you weren't communicating with him about bringing yet another bitch into your situation.

We, many of us advised against it. But you strode forward and brought in yet another dog. So now you have gotten rid of the Malinois, and now are whining about getting rid of Indra. Talk about revolving doors. I guess I should be happy they are going to new homes and not being put down, but still. I really don't care if you have dogs because you work with them, do sport with them, show them, breed them. Rehoming a dog is ok if it is better for all three parties involved: the old owner, the new owner and the dog, and probably not in that order. If you can pass that test, then why even come on the internet and ask if it is a good idea?

ETA: I did not say re-homing was shallow. I said most of the reasons to re-home dogs are shallow.

[shepherdmom]

Originally Posted by selzer

It is all just semantics. There is a big difference between a heart dog, and a dog you love. Unless you have had that special relationship, you cannot possibly understand the difference and why some of us are freaking out over the idea of rehoming a heart dog because you grew out of her. A heart dog is a two way street, and the one that initiates and draws the heavier load is the dog. The dog connects with the owner, chooses the owner, understands the owner, loves the owner with a raw, deep canine loyalty/love/understanding/bond, that makes rehoming this dog a crime.

These are the dogs that we hear about that lay on their owner's grave. We are not talking about whether the dog will be fed orijen, taken to doggy parks, dressed in cutesy tu tus. That has nothing to do with it at all. When there is that deep connection between the dog and the owner, that maybe happens once in a lifetime, and if you are lucky you can maybe experience something close again. Maybe, you just don't consider giving that dog to your sister or your best friend, or even your mother.

Maybe you get another dog to go running with, or to do sport with or to whatever. A heart-dog is NEVER too much hassel, too much training, too much work, too much anything other than grief at the passing.

Every dog you love and train and care for is not a heart dog. You cannot buy a heart dog, you cannot make a dog a heart dog. You can have a devoted, loyal, sweet, obedient, beautiful, awesome in every way dog that you love to pieces that isn't a heart dog.

Most of the reasons people will rehome a dog, including this one, seem pretty shallow to me. But I generally think that if someone is considering rehoming the dog, the bond (normal bond can happen without it being a heart dog) isn't really all that great, and rehoming the dog is probably the best bet if it is gone about responsibly.

You said this so beautifully you made me cry. I would give everything to have one more day with my ♥ dog and someone is talking about throwing his away. That just makes me sick!

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by selzer

Mrs. K, I really have no clue what you are talking about. I have never considered rehoming any of my breeding bitches. Sorry. I have several bitches here that I have dropped from my program, never bred and am keeping and working with just the same. I only rehomed a dog after having used him once for breeding, partly because he did not produce the type of dog I wanted to produce. And even then, I kept him and worked him for a year, and only sold him when someone came to me looking for a dog with all the qualifications he had. I never replaced him either. I currently don't have a dog.

But whatever, you are comparing apples to oranges, as usual.

But let's talk about you, for a moment. Before you ever got the Mal, your marriage was on the rocks and your husband's job was uncertain, and you weren't communicating with him about bringing yet another bitch into your situation.

We, many of us advised against it. But you strode forward and brought in yet another dog. So now you have gotten rid of the Malinois, and now are whining about getting rid of Indra. Talk about revolving doors. I guess I should be happy they are going to new homes and not being put down, but still. I really don't care if you have dogs because you work with them, do sport with them, show them, breed them. Rehoming a dog is ok if it is better for all three parties involved: the old owner, the new owner and the dog, and probably not in that order. If you can pass that test, then why even come on the internet and ask if it is a good idea?

ETA: I did not say re-homing was shallow. I said most of the reasons to re-home dogs are shallow.

I tried to reply to what you replied to...I typed erased typed, then I went to another thread. You said it so much better then I typed erased and typed

[GusGus]

I am sorry I only read to page 9..but here is my 2 cents:

I got my boy from a BYB and he is my first dog. I didn't know much about GSD's or the breeding. So I bought him and now I am learning all the sports and fun things to get involved in. He's even having some difficulty with things like recall. I think it would be really fun to get him into SCH later on.

I didn't do my research and now who knows how well he will do at anything, but my fiancé just got a puppy and he is learning better and more obedient faster than my boy was doing these things. It stinks to see that, I know. But personally if he doesn't work out doing anything but being a best friend..he will always be my best friend.

If you don't want to invest any more time/money into your dog..don't. Do what is going to be best for the dog.

I am completely content with taking my dog for walks and watching movies with him. If you dont want that, just make sure your dog goes to a perfect home where he can be loved no matter what.

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by selzer

A heart dog is a two way street, and the one that initiates and draws the heavier load is the dog. The dog connects with the owner, chooses the owner, understands the owner, loves the owner with a raw, deep canine loyalty/love/understanding/bond, that makes rehoming this dog a crime.

.

I truly think that I'm blessed enough to have two of them at the same time. My Golden and my GSD are exactly as you describe. They are with me all the time and I can feel the love. My oldest girl, not so much. She's very independent and I think she would do fine without me, no I know she would, but I love her and would do anything for her

[mycobraracr]

Again I feel I must clear things up.

1) Heidi and Mina don't get along. They also don't spend any time together. They are working dogs. They aren't just running around the house free. Yes, I brought Heidi in but after seeing that Heidi and Mina didn't get along my gf and I (we live together) decided she would handle Heidi since she has been wanting to get into the sport and her pitbull is not aloud to at this club. So Heidi is HER dog. Not mine! I'm still doing helper/decoy work on the dog. So the fact they don't get along doesn't matter!

2) Maybe I haven't found my heart dog. All I know is that I have NEVER had a dog like Mina! I have loved every dog I have had, but not like her. I have never had this type of bond with a dog. It's probably due to the fact that we have trained 30 plus hours a week since the day I got her and been doing protection sports since she was 12 weeks. You can learn a lot about a dog in that amount of time.

3) I'm having trouble understanding how POSSIBLY placing a highly trained very well behaved dog in a home that would love her as a pet. Her biggest concern would be where they were going camping or hiking for the day is an awful thing. I also am not understanding how all the dogs in shelters or on CL is my fault.

4) All I said was that I was THINKING about it. Not that it was going to happen. I have been told she will never be able to compete. Not that she will score low, but never. There is a big difference. I have been talking to my old club and trainer as well as this is a huge decision for me. I am trying to look at all angles and decide what is the best option. I am a one dog handler. I will not let her sit in the house and go crazy because she used to being worked and getting out. If I brought another dog in, she would hardly leave the house as I don't have the time for that. So instead of hoarding every dog I come accross I would rather see her happy.

5) This is the most important! Stop judging me and each other. I'm sorry I started this thread. I don't want to see people get banned or lose a friendship online or not over somthing like this. I was just trying to get it out of my head. While many of you where judging me I was actually out working my dog. Not online talking about it.

[marshies]

Originally Posted by mycobraracr

Again I feel I must clear things up.

1) Heidi and Mina don't get along. They also don't spend any time together. They are working dogs. They aren't just running around the house free. Yes, I brought Heidi in but after seeing that Heidi and Mina didn't get along my gf and I (we live together) decided she would handle Heidi since she has been wanting to get into the sport and her pitbull is not aloud to at this club. So Heidi is HER dog. Not mine! I'm still doing helper/decoy work on the dog. So the fact they don't get along doesn't matter!

2) Maybe I haven't found my heart dog. All I know is that I have NEVER had a dog like Mina! I have loved every dog I have had, but not like her. I have never had this type of bond with a dog. It's probably due to the fact that we have trained 30 plus hours a week since the day I got her and been doing protection sports since she was 12 weeks. You can learn a lot about a dog in that amount of time.

3) I'm having trouble understanding how POSSIBLY placing a highly trained very well behaved dog in a home that would love her as a pet. Her biggest concern would be where they were going camping or hiking for the day is an awful thing. I also am not understanding how all the dogs in shelters or on CL is my fault.

4) All I said was that I was THINKING about it. Not that it was going to happen. I have been told she will never be able to compete. Not that she will score low, but never. There is a big difference. I have been talking to my old club and trainer as well as this is a huge decision for me. I am trying to look at all angles and decide what is the best option. I am a one dog handler. I will not let her sit in the house and go crazy because she used to being worked and getting out. If I brought another dog in, she would hardly leave the house as I don't have the time for that. So instead of hoarding every dog I come accross I would rather see her happy.

5) This is the most important! Stop judging me and each other. I'm sorry I started this thread. I don't want to see people get banned or lose a friendship online or not over somthing like this. I was just trying to get it out of my head. While many of you where judging me I was actually out working my dog. Not online talking about it.

Good luck on whatever you choose!