Not feeling good

cavework

The OP decided to give a rescue dog a home , perhaps not fully appreciating
the effects this could have on their living situation.
Surely the rescue centre came out and did a home visit before the dog was placed?
If not then they did not do their job properly. Also when you have a home visit they should check that the property has adequate fencing to stop the dog escaping.. especially any dog crossed with a collie.. they are the best escape artists .. I have owned a border collie in the past

Sally_A

But why are so many children scared of dogs?? This is what bugs me, an excitable puppy bounds up......ooh,it's going to savage my child. Dog is dragged away, child is dragged away....the kiddie will be scared of dogs, and the dog doesn't know what the hell it has done wrong!!

catkins

Sally_A wrote: »

But why are so many children scared of dogs?? This is what bugs me, an excitable puppy bounds up......ooh,it's going to savage my child. Dog is dragged away, child is dragged away....the kiddie will be scared of dogs, and the dog doesn't know what the hell it has done wrong!!

I do think a lot of parents make children scared of dogs. Either one of them has a fear and passes it on or maybe they just read stories of dogs biting children.

I have quite a large dog but he is very gentle and in fact loves children. Ok I know parents don't know that but often they cross the road when they see me or roughly push their child to the other side of them away from me.

If a see someone with a child or children and I don't know them I move my dog to the side of me away from them not because I don't trust him (although I would never trust any dog 100%) but in case they are scared. If they stop to speak and maybe want to stroke my dog I make him sit so he does not seem so big to them.

Recently a woman with a young boy were walking towards me. The boy started dragging behind and almost crying. The woman, who turned out to be his grandmother, was saying "there's nothing to be scared of". I stopped walking and made my dog sit down. She told me the boy was scared of dogs but she didn't know why. I then got my dog to lay down and the boy was just watching. He walked closer to my dog but would not touch him. The woman thanked me

aliasojo

cavework wrote: »

Beaten children ..?

Yes. Just pointing out how other things are irrelevant.

PixieDust

I think the OP did the right thing. Not all pet/owner matches are made in heaven.

A case in point....we have recently re-homed an eleven month old male ferret to add to our group. He's bonkers, as any self-respecting ferret should be. He's soft as putty, mad as a box of frogs. Cuddly, affectionate....absolutely perfect for us. We've had a few "chancing his arm" pseudo nips which we quickly put right, but to date he has not bitten any of us. Within 24 hours we knew he was a perfect fit, and I ordered his nameplate for the court. We can't imagine our ferret family without him.

When we met him at the rescue centre we were told that he had been re-homed the previous week but he had been returned within two days. TWO DAYS!!! Apparently he was mean and vicious. Attacking them, and not only nipping but properly biting and hanging on.

The difference between us and the first owner is that we have experience with the antics of an adolescent male ferret, and we know how to correct it.

The original owners weren't bad people, nor were they "not ferret people". They, and the animal, were simply a bad match. I believe they have now successfully re-homed a different ferret with no problem.

You can do all the research in the world, and STILL find yourself with a match that just doesn't work. I am saddened and disappointed with some of the responses on this thread, and I have reported coinxoperated because I do not feel that the type of personal comments you have made towards the OP are acceptable.

zaksmum

I actually heard a woman say to her little boy, who was playing up, "That dog will bite you if you don't behave!" pointing at my dog who was on her lead half asleep as usual.

The child took one look at my dozy old dog and screamed in terror, frightening the life out of the poor dog...some people really do make me despair!

purple.sarah

Two weeks is not giving him a chance at all. There is an adjustment period when you adopt a dog. He is very young and collies/collie crosses are energetic breeds. He doesn't sound aggressive at all, just over excited. Jumping up and nipping are puppy behaviours he can be trained out of but training takes time and commitment, it takes longer than two weeks! Please don't get another dog if you are not prepared to do this.

purple.sarah

Sally_A wrote: »

But why are so many children scared of dogs?? This is what bugs me, an excitable puppy bounds up......ooh,it's going to savage my child. Dog is dragged away, child is dragged away....the kiddie will be scared of dogs, and the dog doesn't know what the hell it has done wrong!!

I agree that it's a shame when people pass their irrational fear of dogs onto their children. I've had parents panic when our dogs (who are good with children) walk past calmly on the lead! However a puppy shouldn't be allowed to just bound up to a child. Some kids have fears, some have allergies and an excitable puppy could accidentally knock a little kid over. Keeping our dogs under control sets a good example of responsible dog ownership.

calicocat

Sally_A wrote: »

But why are so many children scared of dogs?? This is what bugs me, an excitable puppy bounds up......ooh,it's going to savage my child. Dog is dragged away, child is dragged away....the kiddie will be scared of dogs, and the dog doesn't know what the hell it has done wrong!!

As a child I was terrified of dogs , absolutely no clue why , nothing happened to me with a dog , my parents ignored my irrational fear , I think it was the barking. When visiting my uncles farm I wouldn't get out of the car unless they were put into the house and couldn't bound up to me.

It really was odd as no-one could see any reason for it at all.

Then I went to work in a kennel (pretty bonkers of me really) ,and also decided the only way to sort it was to get a dog of my own.

25yrs later and now I have to stop myself going up to any dog to say hello and have had several of my own.

It was quite funny when at the kennels , there was a rotti that I avoided and the other girls walked him as I was scared of him (very boisterous lunnie he was ). The owners came to collect him and there was nobody but me around to get him. I thought about ringing the owner to come down from the house,but didn't want to look stupid ,so went to get him myself. My heart was in my throat,he immediately pinned me up against the kennel wall when I went in to get him................and licked me all over. I had spent a week avoiding a lovely big lunnie for nothing.

moomin5

I think OP did right thing if they didn't feel confident in managing the behaviour & felt this wasn't the ideal dog for them. I agree it takes longer than 2 weeks for a dog to settle in, but sometimes things come to light early on that you weren't aware of prior to adoption and perhaps wouldn't have selected that dog had you known. Sounds like the dog will get the training they need in foster and a more suitable home next time.

Dogs in foster homes often have a clearer assessment of what there like to live with and its better to be able to choose what you feel capable of taking on before dog is home.