Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It saddens me as well. I hope a rescue group will get this dog, foster her, and spend some quality time training her before offering her up for adoption. A few weeks of training could make a world of difference for this girl and give her a bright future.
It also suggests that this shelter needs to learn how to evaluate their dogs better and screen potential adopters more carefully. Failed adoptions are tough on everyone involved.
It also suggests that this shelter needs to learn how to evaluate their dogs better and screen potential adopters more carefully. Failed adoptions are tough on everyone involved.
So true! Our local SPCA doesn't screen the potential adopters well at all, in my opinion. I know of three dogs who were adopted to inappropriate, but very nice and well-intentioned, adopters within the last few months. In each of these cases, high-energy dogs (think Jack Russell and Jack-mixes) were adopted out to seniors who were not dog-savvy nor energetic enough to deal with these dogs. None of them had been socialized properly, nor housebroken, nor leash trained correctly. But they were adorable dogs to look at and they were part of the Seniors For Seniors program wherein a senior dog (any dog over 5) is free to a senior over 55. All of them were returned and one of them was adopted and returned at least four times that I know of.
I'm a senior with decades of dog ownership and training experience and I wouldn't take on any one of them. They were offered to me, individually, and I obviously declined. I'm really not in a position to take on a rehab project but I applaud those who do.
When I was looking for my current dog a few months ago, I called that SPCA and asked if the dogs were fostered out. No, unless they're dealing with a medical issue. It's a pity. This is a new, state-of-the-art facility and the dogs are well taken care of. But I wouldn't take on a dog from there without a clue about their background.
I found a great dog through a private rescue. She'd been pulled from a county shelter some distance from here and lived in a foster situation with other dogs for several months before I adopted her. The rescue had spent considerable time training her prior to offering her for adoption and it was well worth it. Now I can have the fun of fine-tuning her education, which is just the way I like it.
I see the dog in this thread has been returned again. There has to be the right home out there for her and I hope she finds it before it's too late.
Another update: adopted again today (#3) but returned same day. At this point the dog is single handedly funding the shelter.
It's an SPCA chapter
This is really bad screening of potential owners and really bad evaluation of the dog. They misrepresented the dog to you and they are probably still misrepresenting the dog to new adopters.
Every time the dog goes out and comes back, the dog will get worse. It sounded like a decent enough dog when you took it, just needing a strong hand and an experienced trainer with some time to train and exercise, but each time it goes out, it will learn more bad behavior and start to get neurotic.
It saddens me as well. I hope a rescue group will get this dog, foster her, and spend some quality time training her before offering her up for adoption. A few weeks of training could make a world of difference for this girl and give her a bright future.
I hope this happens as well, but it sounds like the shelter isn't really helping the dog find a good fit, sad for the dog.
Sometimes it's just not a good fit, and that's okay.
But I do caution you that there is an adjustment period when bringing home a new dog - especially a shelter dog. Given some time to settle in her new home, the leash pulling and separation anxiety could have eased.
I agree, but I might add...while practically every shelter tries to do the right things, they sometimes fail for the same reasons the sheltered pets often fail. Stress! Shelters are usually overwhelmed with pets needing to find homes, all while new animals needing shelter are being brought in. The shelter pets have horror stories we can't even begin to imagine. Couple that pet's anxiety with a building full of equally overstressed animals in a usually loud, loud environment. As most volunteers will tell you, "time is a luxury in short supply!" As a result, often the t's aren't crossed and the i's aren't dotted. That's not what volunteers want but it is what it is. They do the best they can with what they have in the time they have.
Bottom line if you are going to adopt a shelter dog, or recently have.....
Please give you, your family, and most importantly your new adoptee pet TIME to adjust to each other.
For you and your family, the happiness of a new pet can sometimes manifest into too much too soon for a creature that more times than not has been through a period of hopelessness. Time, Patience, and Love will bring the success that is needed.
Also if you adopt, show the volunteers your appreciation for all they do...thank them. It helps them continue their thoughtful work.
Dog was pending again yesterday but taken off and now "available".
This shelter is actually really good. Each dog has its own room and the rooms are solid to about 3' or 3.5', then glass or plexiglass above. Each room is very quiet and the whole building is actually pretty quiet except for the massive amount of volunteers talking! There is an outdoor fenced area facing woods to get the dog outside and in a more normal environment.
I'm guessing they are starting to read the previous adopters notes and are taking my feedback along with others seriously. But on the flip side, they keep making money off this dog.
This was our previous dog at around age 12. She lived another three years. We are trying to find something similar but also just as calm as she was (even when young). It's proving to be difficult. But we know what we want and what our lifestyle is like so we are being patient. We thought we found her with this dog I posted about but ended up not being the case.
........This was our previous dog at around age 12.........
I think there is quite a bit if smooth collie in there. Perhaps smooth collie is a breed for you to look at.
My experience with collies is that they have a lot of energy, but they are people oriented to a high degree. They tend to be "light" meaning, no pushing, no knocking people over, no pulling. They prefer light contact. They do need a lot of exercise and they do best when they have a job of some sort.
I think there is quite a bit if smooth collie in there. Perhaps smooth collie is a breed for you to look at.
My experience with collies is that they have a lot of energy, but they are people oriented to a high degree. They tend to be "light" meaning, no pushing, no knocking people over, no pulling. They prefer light contact. They do need a lot of exercise and they do best when they have a job of some sort.
DNA tests showed Rottweiler, GSD, and golden retriever. No collie.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
