What Would You Do?

[KitKat]

Please note this isn't an overly serious poll - but i am curious to hear what people would do. What got me thinking about it was that i've been dealing with a dog that isn't mine somewhat regularly lately and i jokingly said i'd give up one of mine (the troublesome one) to take the other dog in if given the chance (not a huge likelyhood at this stage).

One of my lads has cost me a lot of money and caused a lot of trouble over the years due to damage caused, health etc and still appears to be allergic to our grass or dirt or something - but i seem to mostly have that under control at the moment! He's known as my troublesome poppet as opposed to the good poppet - who is perfect in nearly every way, which just leaves the other one looking worse then he honestly is!

But anyway - back to the poll...the situation today just had me rather curious on what people would do!

[cowanbree]

As a breeder I have had more dogs than most pet people and have come to realise that if you don't bond with a dog you are not doing that dog any favours keeping it. One of my very first shelties was like that. She was a lovely dog and would have been adored in any home but for some unknown reason we just never clicked. She stayed here for 16yrs and was a loved member of the family but if I ever strike that again I will rehome the dog.

[Golden Rules]

It was hard but I have had a dog I didn't bond with, she ended up going to another breeder where she is now a show and breeding dog, and living with others of her own breed. She's happy so I'm happy

[noisymina]

I can't answer that, KitKat becasue it would depend on the ways in which the dog was "troublesome".

Our Weimaraner was a right royal PIA in some ways. Even with 5 acres to run on, she'd find some way to get through DOG-PROOF fences. The vet recommended an electric fence as the ONLY way to keep her in!

She was also a totally hopeless watch dog.

And no, I didn't particularly "bond" with her.

We kept her for about 15 years! Now that is dedication.

She was easy to wash, easy to live with - when we didn't have to retrieve her from the neighbour's property 'cos she couldn't get back through the fence - and was good with the kids. She also chased off the possums - which was a plus.

I think a dog would have to be pretty bad before we gave up our commitment. Mostly, I think, it would be a safety issue that would make me draw the line. Health issues I would deal with - unless the dog was suffreing, in which case I would do what needed to be done.

[Staranais]

Depends what you mean by "bond", I guess. I am very fond of my current girl, and she appears to like me, but I guess I haven't bonded with her in the sense of meshing with her perfectly yet. But she's a good working dog & a good work partner, so I'll be keeping her. Hopefully we'll bond further as we get to know each other more.

If I actively disliked a dog, that would be another matter, and I guess I'd try to rehome the dog to somewhere more suitable if I got a chance.

[SpikesPuppy]

I would rehome, no question if I didn't bond with a dog (assuming there were no issues and it was just a personality clash). And I told my puppy buyers this- if they didn't click they could return the dog to me at any time. I believe a dog should be fun and your best friend- not a chore or burden!!! That's not to say you shouldn't take steps to bond but sometimes you are just wrong for eachother and the dog would be much happier elsewhere.

I would also 'swap' a dog in the right circumstance.

[Janba]

I had a dog that it took me about 2 years to bond with. We had major personality clashes and he was very fear aggressive. Returning him to the breeder was never an option and I couldn't have rehomed him with his aggression issues. I did eventually bond with him and he turned out to be a top dog. He was absolutlely brilliant with kids and with frail people - so did nursing home visits etc. I still feel bad about putting him down at 13 because of senilty not health issues it.

I don't know if I would go through that again - living for 2 years with a dog you didn't like but I don't regret keeping Boot.

On a different note I have a dog here now that I really should rehome as I do nothing with him and he would be really happy with a family who took him to the beach etc or someone who gave him a lot of one on one time but he is such a nice dog that I can't part with him.

[Bjelkier]

If the dog was brought into the house as a breeding dog with lines I really wanted I would try to bond.

Should it not work I would more then likely breed with said dog and then find them a nice home.

[Tilly]

We currently have 2 dogs ... one I don't have a good bond with (our older GSD boy) and the new GSD boy who I have a good bond with.

I think part of the problem is that when we got our now older GSD dog as a pup we also had a rottie - the rottie was my heart dog and while I cared for the GSD ... he spent a lot of time with my brother and bonded strongly with him. Then when we lost the rottie it took me a long time recover.

I still cared for, play with and spent time with the now older GSD but he always remained my brothers dog - I just never felt a strong connection with him. By the time we got our youngest I was still missing our rottie but I was at a better stage - so I have been able to bond better with him ... and it helps that he is a bit of a mummy's boy

[Miss B]

I had a dog that it took me about 2 years to bond with.

I have a dog who I had a lot of difficulty bonding with (and seriously considered rehoming on more than one occasion), however now at almost 2 years of age I am starting to get more attached to him. We've got a ways to go yet, but I am finding the thought of parting with him more and more difficult as time goes on.

[halfthewords]

My strongest bond is with my first rescue dog, Carl. He was extremely fear-aggressive when I met him, yet for some reason attached himself to me the first time I met him at work. That was three years ago and we've been inseparable since. He won't have bar of anybody else. While I am very flattered, it makes doing anything without 'velcro' dog quite hard.

One of our Min Pins was bonded strongly to my mother until the above dog joined our pack. Since then, she is the third member of 'my' pack. She will go to other family members for cuddles occasionally, but she is always on alert for my voice. She's such a headstrong little thing, too!

The other two have their own 'people.' Cleo lives for my sister, and Jag loves everyone but he sleeps in my mum's room and spends most of his time being her shadow.

[Fordogs]

I have a 6 year old female, she drives me potty, she bounces of walls when kenneled (which is only at night) and barks constantly. She was debarked 2 years ago (not that it made a huge difference).

She is also dog aggressive and that is the real reason that I haven't re homed her but she loves people and is so good with children, in all reality she is simply a happy dog and likes to let everyone know it.

I have run on one of her daughters who at 6 months was becoming just like mum so I re homed her and the new owners say she is the perfect pet and is doing really well in OB. * Go Figure *

[rastus_froggy]

I have never been in that situation and can't even imagine what it would be like.

All my recent dogs (the ones in the last 10 years) have come to me when they were a minimum of 18 months old and I have seen them then felt some sort of automatic connection with them which has resulted in me adopting them. I can walk through the pound and see lots of beautiful and amazing dogs yet can easily walk away knowing that none of them were "meant" to be with me, sometimes there is just something about a dog that clicks with me.

I guess that is a risk of taking on a puppy, it's personality isn't fully visible - if you get what I mean.

[ravenau1]

Any suggestions on how to help form a bond with a puppy or dog if you don't feel one?

[Bubitty]

I got a puppy that I didn't really bond with. I returned him after two days back to my breeder. I felt very guilty and bad about it for long time but when I got Bitty I realised I had done the right thing.

Pup moved on and went to a home with three little boys who adored him. We bought Bitty from the same breeder two years later and there is no question that she is the right dog for me. She is completely different to Bubby who I have always deemed to be my perfect boy but she is just irresistible and has a personality which just shines! Not only do I adore her but the rest of our family is head over heels for her as well.

Whilst I do think I returned the pup in haste and I was a different person back then to the person who raised Bitty, having Bitty makes me wonder if some things are just meant to be.

[Guest Tess32]

I'd rehome the dog probably.

I never bonded with one of my Collies (who now lives with my mum) and you could even say I dislike her, she annoys the crap out of me. Why keep her when she's a perfectly lovely dog who others would love?

[redblazebordeaux]

I was in the same boat previously, they were 2 beautiful dogs and honestly they were great, but we just didn't bond. They were very friendly, easy going and you wouldn't be able to find a fault with them and plus they were healthy purebreed dogs that i originally brought for my daughter. After 5 years of being more like strangers as I just didn't feel the bond i actually advertised them and I had plenty of people interested but i wanted to make sure they were going to the right home with someone who will love them. I even went to people houses and asked them so many questions until i felt comfortable. My dogs were eventually rehomed to a beautiful lady who loves dogs more than humans and we get in contact every week and i visit her now and than and get lots of photo's.

At the end, my dogs are more spoilt than what they were when they were with me. The two dogs actually have their own bedroom (yes bedroom in the house) with pics of them and they get treated like a baby. So i was glad they are with someone else that truely bonds well with them and I don't regret it. The honest truth is i never bonded with those dogs when i first got them as they were for my daughter who use to be scared of animals, especially dogs and i'm now happy that they are with someone that treats them better... By the way they were purebreed Shih Tzu.

[dasha]

I am in the same prediciament ATM. I have a 51/2 month old BC pup that I am having trouble bonding with. Even when she is with me in body-her mind is not. But she is so happy to see the other dogs and people but I do not get the same enthusiasm or interaction from her.

I have also been offered another dog from someone.She is a lovely engaging dog even though she doesn't really know me yet, she still looks at me when I call her name and at least acknowledges me with a tail wag and a look.

As I bought my dog for a specific purpose (sheepdog trialling) which requires a strong working realtionship, I am 95% sure I will rehome my pup and take the other one on offer. There is nothing wrong with the natural working instincts in my pup but it is simply her lack of human bonding that makes me think we are not made for each other. The fact I get so frustrated with her also make me feel bad for her that she won't end up getting the same love and attention she deserves so she would be better off somewhere else.

I think if the other dog on offer could make you happier or progress you further in what you want to do, then you should take the opportunity and get the other dog.

[newfsie]

We had a working kelpie called Nugget. he was a good little work dog and never really did anything wrong. but he never really bonded with either of us. he belonged more to our other dogs. he was very obedient and did all that was asked. but he only came for a cuddle/pet occasionally. We did not train him and I think it was his original upbringing that caused this. We had him as a very polite inside dog and he adored our newfies. we always made the joke that he was our newfie's dog. we used to say Zack is Mike's dog, Abbey mine and Nugget belonged to Abbey and Zack. he led a good life and mourned both Abbey and Zack when they passed. But got on well with the next pack. he was an adorable senior to our newfie Pup, Katy and only passed away this year at sixteen. Still missed, but I was not devastated as I was with my other dogs...........I would never have passed him on. Once I commit to a dog it is for life.

add on........If however Nugget had met one of our friends and bonded with that person and they would have wanted him and I knew them well enough to feel it was for his benifit, i might have considered it. But I would have had to know the person really well.

Edited November 26, 2010 by newfsie

[:ange:]

I love both of my dogs but I have a totally different connection with my youngest. Ruby is our bitchy and she adores my OH and he adores her. I love her.. but she just doesn't connect with me the same as they do. I would never give her up as my OH adores her. Max who is 18 months is my heart dog.. I can't explain why I have stronger feelings for Max. He is also a one person dog.. he will only respond to me. My heart dog.