Is it so wrong to have a desire to re-home a dog?

What are you looking for with this post? External validation for a decision you've already made? Someone to disagree so you can argue with them and prove you're right?

I'm not going to pat you on the back and tell you you're doing a good thing, because you're not. IMO, rehoming a dog is always a "TERRIBLE" thing - however, sometimes it is necessary. It's never a "good" thing to do - and only you can make the decision on whether it is the right thing to do.

Every time you re-home a dog you are contributing to the over-population problem.

Yes, I said it. Every time a dog needs to find a new home, that's a home that could have been used for another dog in need. It's something to think about. You may be able to find the greatest home in the world for your dog, but that home could also be used for Stormyknight's shelter's Aussies that have never had a "home" and might be put down if they don't get adopted in time.

Not that it necessarily means you shouldn't re-home your dog. Ideally, you would stop being lazy and put some serious time and effort into training both your Aussie and your husband so that rehoming is not necessary. If you are willing to put so much effort into your Husky, why not with the dog that you've already committed to? Dogs aren't cars that you can sell back to the dealer to make room for your "dream model."

Do what you feel you have to do. But coming to a dog and rescue-loving forum to ask for support for giving up a dog that you were admittedly too lazy to help is simply, for lack of better words, not cool.

Personally I think you are giving up WAY TOO SOON with your Aussie. He is really still a baby and has a lot of learning and maturing still to do. He probably needs more puppy manners around the 'old man', but if Timbre isn't setting the rules, maybe he is not as bothered about it as your DH is. I'm not sure what you mean by "trys to herd the old man" - is he nipping or just following him around? How does Timbre react? I think you are making a mistake giving up what could potenionally be a wonderful dog. I don't read anything that suggests he has problems, other than he is still very young and needs more training. With the new pup you have the perfect opportunity to train them together!

Having said that - if you cannot give Ty the time, training or love he needs and deserves, then do try and find someone that will. Aussies are very special dogs.

This is a tough one. I have to say I think my advice is - don't post this question on this forum! Half-kidding, but consider your audience. I'm assuming you already know that we are, by and large, a group that feels very seriously that adopting/buying a dog is a serious, lifetime commitment, and that rehoming is generally a worst case scenario. I would expect some generous souls to take a sympathetic stance because you're 'one of us,' so to speak, but others will have a harder time not telling you what we really feel... and you will get offended... and we will point out that you asked for our opinions. [&:] To be perfectly honest I'm stuck on the part where you bought a 7 wk old Husky in poor condition from a puppy miller at a flea market. Please do not support such people again in the future.

It was SO irrisponsible to buy the dog with absolutely no information on your part, but now that you have screwed up, either see a behaviorist, or rescue. You shouldn't be so miserable over a DOG.  Train him...he IS able to listen to you.

I could waver on this one.

If you find a responsible home for which he is a great fit, then it's alright wiht me.  But then this comes from a few years showing and breeding and placing puppies on pet contracts and adults on contracts as well. 

Sometimes another man's 'garbage' is another's 'treasure!'

I had a grooming client who got a corgi.  the dog did not fit in their family at all. He was harrasing the other smaller dogs and the owners are a bit too slow to keep up with a herding dog.   They rehomed him with my friend who was looking for an agility dog.  The dog and his new human could not be happier.

I think this is what you might be looking for, a performance home with a spay/neuter contract and that the dog must be returned to you for rehoming if necessary.
Sometimes youc an worth with a rescue where you keep the dog until someone comes up who seems like a good fit.

Good luck with your decision.  I certainly don't fault you for thinking of his best interest.  I certainly wouldn't want to stay in a place where the others around me don't like me, ya know?

He's only my 2nd dog ever, he's not very old, and he would be a FABULOUS partner for someone that wanted a companion dog. 

My [sm=2cents.gif] is regardless of how you got them you picked very difficult breeds as your first dogs.  And, you've expected things that you hadn't even done your research about.  You didn't know ahead of time if this was the dog for you.  I think you made a very immature decision to get a dog that was sort of settling instead of waiting to get what you really wanted.  And, then also continued to be immature by being lazy with training.  That's not the dogs fault.  Your husband should have issue with you not the dog.  And, what's wrong with him being involved with training? 

All that said, sorry if it was harsh---I think rehoming the dog would be best.  It's only fair for him to have a family that loves him.  He's only gonna live once and it might as well be with as much love as possible. 

In fact, my dog was very difficult in the beginning and I thought about giving her to rescue or rehoming her.  But, in the end, I loved her so much that I felt that nobody would do better by her.  And, decided that if in the end I couldn't keep her I would have her euthanized myself.  At least I wouldn't wonder and worry about what became of her.  But, my dogs situation was different that yours.  But, the point is, I loved her more than I felt anyone else could possibly.

And, you don't feel that way about Ty.  So, it's fair to him to find him that special someone.  I'm sure they are out there. 

And, in the future, think long and hard and be ready to commit and give it your all for the life of the dog. And, if that means waiting to get another dog then so be it.[]

If you absolutely cannot meet those dogs needs or care for that dog properly, then placing him into a home that fits his needs is better. However, (with me working with a shelter), if you can't or are not ready to care for a life, then you should not take on that responsibility.

Bottom line is hubby will never like the Aussie ever. At that point its time to get the Aussie a new forever loving home and that he is loved by all the family members. Good luck

first off, a one year old PUPPY is going to act a fool off leash, that's what PUPPIES do.

i would rather see it rehomed than dumped at a shelter and if your husband has such a hatred for this dog i think its highly possible he may abuse it, although i doubt you would dare say so if he did.

rehome the dog, to a home more understanding and considerate of its needs. i hope things work out for the dog and that the husky doesn't face the same fate when you realize how difficult they can be too.

I think you asked the wrong question in the wrong place!

I agree with the majority in that you should try and rehome the dog; NEVER ever give the dog away as this would be placing the dog in grave danger.  There are people out there perusing the classifieds waiting for a dog that they can obtain for free, these callous individuals run dog fighting rings and once they have a dog that they have obtained for free in their hands they will use that dog as bait, a pawn to train their fighting dog to attack, these poor dogs are tied and literally thrown at these fighting dogs and die a very slow and agonizing death; there is also the risk that dogs obtained for free will end up in a lab. 
 
Please whatever you do never advertise this poor aussie as "free to good home." 
 
It is rather sad that you have never allowed yourself to bond with him; it's almost as if he was just there to feel the gab whilst you waited to find your "dream" dog and now
that you have you no longer wish to have the aussie around; I sincerely hope that you will be putting in more time with the husky.  I do have to say that it is really disappointing to hear that your husband "hates" the aussie.  It speaks volumes about the type of person he is.  I don't think that poor aussie has done anything to warrant that hatred.  
 
At the end of the day, he is better off where he will be appreciated and loved, that is the very least that you can
do for him. 

ORIGINAL: mmthomason

Personally I would take Jean up on her offer & pay for the flight out to Alaska.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I really would take him if they'd fly him up here.

I really appreciate all the honest replies, even the "harsh" ones.  I love Ty, I really do.  As I said earlier, I've really been working hard with him these past few months, and he's wonderful!  I had a real heart to heart with my husband and asked him what it would take for him to really like Ty.  He said he just doesn't.  When we got Ty, I fell in love, but hubby never seemed to bond with him.  He didn't pick him up, or play with him, or talk to him.  As a result, he just doesn't like him.  Ty has a bit of an ADD personality, and that drives hubby nuts, because the old man doesn't.  I am miserable at home, because DH is always make snide, backhanded comments about how much he 'hates' the dog, and that's not fair to Ty.  I want to find him a great home with a family that will LOVE him unconditionally, not merely tolerate his presence.  I can't help the way hubby feels, and I'm not going to end up in divorce over a dog.
 
Don't worry about the pup though, he LOVES her.  He picks her up, plays with her, talks to her ... he's firmly bonded with the pup.  I am FULLY aware of all the difficulties of the husky breen and am fully prepared to deal with them.
 
That being said, I do NOT believe it was immature of me to rescue Ty.  He was in an awful situation where the kids in the house BURNED off his whiskers.[>:]  I did let his training slide early on, that WAS immature.  Now, however, we'ver worked really hard on his commands, and he's very smart and willing.  I started this thread because I threw out a post on another board that had matched dogs and owners up before asking if anyone was interested in an Aussie.  They all ganged up and jumped on my butt so hard, I feel like a ton of bricks landed on my head.  They said I was a stupid, moron, a$$hole and that I sucked.  I have NEVER been told that in my life.  I am a responsible dog owner that feeds high quality holistic food (thanks to this board), the dogs live in the house, and they get lots of love and attention.  My dogs are healthy, happy, and beautiful.  As I said, Ty is only the 2nd dog I've ever had, and I did NOT want to re-home him, but my husband is just miserable for NO particular reason.  He can't even pinpoint the exact thing about Ty that drives him crazy, it's just the overall package.
 
Jeano, thanks for the offer.  I wish we could afford it, I'm sure it's fairly costly.  I don't know what I was looking for.  Validation that I'm not a sucky moronic a$$hole?  That sometimes even with the BEST of intentions, things don't work out?  I've given it time, DH wanted to get "rid" of Ty 3 months ago, but I made a deal that I would REALLY ramp up the training, and give him more time to mature.  He agreed, and he still just doesn't want him around.  Anyway, husky has a definite home for life, no matter what.  And there will be no other dogs until Timbre passes in at least 30 more years.[]  At that point, we'll see about another pound puppy.

ORIGINAL: TimTy
I am a responsible dog owner

 
Let me see.  You rescued a dog you shouldn't have rescued.  You didn't train that dog.  You bought a dog from an irresponsible breeder.  So as not to risk Gina's wrath AGAIN, let me just say that you and I clearly have vastly different ideas about what constitutes a responsible owner.

ORIGINAL: probe1957

ORIGINAL: TimTy
I am a responsible dog owner

Let me see.  You rescued a dog you shouldn't have rescued.  You didn't train that dog.  You bought a dog from an irresponsible breeder.  So as not to risk Gina's wrath AGAIN, let me just say that you and I clearly have vastly different ideas about what constitutes a responsible owner.

My thoughts exactly.

It is important that you realize that the problem is NOT the aussie, the problem is you.  You have taken a high energy, high mental stimulation herding breed and failed to properly train him and meet his needs, and then get all bothered when he *gasp* does what he was bred to do.  Getting upset about an aussie herding is like being bothered by a lab bringing you things.  You have failed this dog plain and simple.  Be sure to not fail him again--take your time, interview potential adopter, make a REAL effort to get him placed with someone that will give him what he needs.

I guess the whole "he's only my second dog" thing really doesn't wash (with me at least), considering my first dog was a one year old abandoned pit bull who was afraid of people, had been an outside dog and was not even housebroken, had zero training, had seperation anxiety,  was (and sometimes still is) stubborn as a mule, and had (has) high energy needs.  And DH and I knew nothing about dogs when we got her.  Two years later she is still with us and I couldn't imagine our family without her.

I worry very much for the husky pup.  You say that it is your dream dog and you are fully prepared.  Really?  What are you going to do when the pup hits adolencance and starts ignoring you off leash?  Starts pulling on the leash?  When you tell her to "sit" and she acts like she's never heard the command before?  When you tell her to "down" in order to get her food and she not only refuses to down, but looks at you and barks?  When she starts pouncing on and playing rough with the older dog?  When you call her to you, she looks at you, and goes the other direction?  When she challenges your authority?  When her exercise and mental stimulation needs increase?  When she begins teething and chews your favorite shoes?  When the new pup devolopes and "ADD" personality that you guys have such an issue with-I think pretty much all dogs go through that?  If you are not into stubborn dogs that need a lot of training you really picked the wrong breed.  My lab, who is of a breed known for their trainablility is going through the adolesant phase and it is no picnic.  7 week old puppies are easy to love, it's the older dogs that are the problem.