While I know the original poster has (sadly) left the forum I would like to say this:
- it is an impossible situation to decide you have to rehome a beloved pet. Not everyone is responsible but at the same time not everyone looking to give up their pet is irresponsible.
- not everyone is privy to the agreement made between a breeder and an owner or whether it’s in the best interest of a dog to return to its breeder, in many case years later. In some cases it is just not in the best interest of the dog to return to its breeder due to reasons we may not know or for those in the industry know but don’t openly speak about. Sometimes people can find out practices after the fact that you would not want your dog returned into.
Oakley is now 8 years old and as many know I have been a member of this forum since the anticipation of his birth arrival. It has been a hell of a journey...a ton of medical expenses and a lot of difficulty. Oakley has separation anxiety and confinement anxiety (legit no closed doors in my home)...he is not dog friendly despite being raised differently, he is not good with strangers to the point I cant have people in my home, and he is food possessive. I have spent upwards of 15k for his care and have literally become an island at the age of 30...so that I could manage to keep him happy. We’ve had several incidents that I’ve worried would bankrupt me if taken to court and I’ve spent thousands seeing the best behaviorist in the country to little avail...the last year I have realized a career opportunity that would make keeping him near impossible and is a career I need to do sooner rather than later due to age limitations. More than a career it’s a dream for me and a service to our country...rehoming a dog like him is highly unlikely...although he’s a Peach if he gets all his “needs” met. I have always been ‘prepared’ to live this life without the husband, kids, or career I wanted as I knew I’d be late 30’s before Oakley passed...but it’s hit me hard lately that I can’t be 80 years old sitting in a rocking chair on my porch looking back at my life and be happy with myself over having given up everything to keep him until the end. The frank reality is that his life is a small portion of my overall life but the ramifications will far outlive him. It sounds harsh and I don’t mean it to be anything other than the reality of the numbers. I’ve been bogged down in these thoughts and it’s an awful place to be. A place I could never have imagined even a year ago. It’s so easy to judge until your faced with the weight of a decision like giving up your dog (at least for me).
All of this to say that I love Oakley more than anything and strongly believe I’ve done more for him than anyone else would. I’ve given up a lot. I’ve been guilty of judging people over giving up their pets or putting them down in situations...and I very often feel judged when I speak out about my more recent thoughts and upcoming decisions. It’s hard...and no one will be less forgiving of myself than myself.
I hope that everyone takes a little more time to realize the uniquesness or ones situation and to evaluate the person making the decision; if they’re legit then likely they know the best for their dog...even if it’s not the popular outcome.
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