how do you know a good home from a bad one?

[phishisgroovin]

how can you guys tell who to give your dog to?

I was just informed my wife cannot handle the new lab we got a little before thanksgiving.
Wife fell the day after t-day and shattered her wrist, cant hold the dog back or walk her.

i want to find her a loving home that will train her, but treat her as their kid, not chain her up or kennel her outside.

[pens fan]

Finding a home is like looking for a house. What is the neighborhood like? Hoe is the educational system? Hospitals nearby?
With a pup, Things usually work out and you can tell by the exuberance of the prospective owner. People who don't have a sense of humor, are cynical, strangelt terse in conversation, i worry about.
Talking to a breeder about placement will help you. I just tried today placing a female Boykin outside of Atlanta. I know people looking for certain criteria. Most breeders are decent, caring people who want the best for dogs and will usually try to find homes for any dog. There are people on this site, not necesarily kennels, that breed and are respected small time breeders who might know someone looking for what you have.
To me, it sounds lime the lab has a discipline issue on a leash. Simple training can cure this. If the wife put her foot down, then you have your final.answer, i guess.
Dont expect to get your money back. You might try to get something back, but a high price will repel possible owners.

Find out all you can about anyone interested. Let them talk all they want. You will.learn alot from them just listening. Then.ask the important questions...will they train the dog? Do they live in an apartment and keep the dog kennelled all day while at work? Do they work long hours? Have kids? Hunt? Are they themselves educated in the breed?
If it doesn't feel right, then it most likely isn't.
Good luck!

[washelkhunter]

My, My God! It's all clear to me now.

[Hawgdawg]

I would of started in this forums classified or dog page.

Post all the dog's stats. Pictures included. If the dog is worthy, charge for it. Cuts out the meat eaters.

Your status says you live in the Heart of Gheeto Kent....Bodia?

 so anywhere, where it can stretch it's legs once in awhile off leash would be cool.  I would ask for references and do a home inspection before sending it off. Been a Lab man most of my life and I know what it takes to train, own and care for such a great animal. Good Luck!

[phishisgroovin]

yeah, wife put her foot down.
i wanted to train her with obedience school but my truck driving job doesnt allow me to have a life other than at work.

THE BREED IS 98% lab 2% rotweiler (we think?)
very bright and loving girl, just need to find her someone that will train her without leaving her outside.
no apartment dweller will take her nor baggy pants saggers (punks).

i prefer to let her go to someone with other labs, but she is calmer when she is by herself. otherwise play play play.

[wildweeds]

I have a way to subdue the wildest of dogs,it's called the "Schwerts".I've seen 70 year old ladies use it on wound fiddlestring tight irish setters that would rip your arm out of the socket.

1. attach a carabiner through center ring of collar,
2. attach leash,lead,rope to the centerring of collar.
3.Run rope under dog behind front legs and back up through the carabiner,it creates a slipknot/noose.

There is a nerve behind the armpit that renders the dog motionless,the wildest of dogs can be held at bay with but just a finger and a thumb holding the rope.Used it,seen it used and learned it from a cool old guy who was a pro trainer from the 60's till his death about 6 years ago.Try it,it works,the dog does itself in with this rigging,You don't have to pull on it very hard at all to get submission.Far superior to Rick Smiths Half hitch which never stays in the right spot and pinches the nerves in the rear,the front still works and the dog will drag the rear with it's front.Cause discomfort in the front and they stop every time.A very effective way to teach "Heel" and not to pull while walking.

yeah, wife put her foot down.
i wanted to train her with obedience school but my truck driving job doesnt allow me to have a life other than at work.

THE BREED IS 98% lab 2% rotweiler (we think?)
very bright and loving girl, just need to find her someone that will train her without leaving her outside.
no apartment dweller will take her nor baggy pants saggers (punks).

i prefer to let her go to someone with other labs, but she is calmer when she is by herself. otherwise play play play.

[KFhunter]

Am I weird?

I won't subject myself and family to "vetting" as far as dog ownership goes,  not sure how I feel about that other than it's intrusive.

Some of these adoption places want rights to your first born to place a dog.  The most I'd do is give you the number to my vet where you can ask if there's ever been signs of abuse and if I keep the pets UTD on shots and whatnot.

I won't invite some random "social worker" to judge me if I'm fit for pet ownership or not. 


I dunno,  do you all go through this for a hunting dog?

[REHJWA]

I to don't think a home visit is required. Follow you instincts and let the pup judge the person. A dog is a better judge of a person's charter then we will ever be. You may want to ask for first refusal. If the dog does not fit with new perspective owner then at least the pup will have a chance and not get dropped at a pound or worse dumped of on some road....

[KFhunter]

How can a pup judge a person? Or a dog for that matter?

They're exceptional at reading body language we know that,  and they smell the environment you come from; but I don't get the whole thing about a dog being able to "judge" a person.
People tell me this all the time when their dogs come up to me and are friendly with me.

A pup is going to be friendly to a person if they're socialized properly, if they're abused they might even be mistrustful based on gender of a person of if you remind them of an abusive person.   Or if you're similar to a person they previously bonded with they'll be inclined to be more friendly.


I don't put a lot of faith in a dogs mind reading ability.  It's all posture, body language and scent and the dogs previous life experience, and their genetic predisposition.


 

[Hawgdawg]

I to don't think a home visit is required. Follow you instincts and let the pup judge the person. A dog is a better judge of a person's charter then we will ever be. You may want to ask for first refusal. If the dog does not fit with new perspective owner then at least the pup will have a chance and not get dropped at a pound or worse dumped of on some road....

You can tell a lot by a home visit. Just asking for it will have the bad apples decide they changed their mind. Ever here of a puppy mill/dog fights?

Some cultures consider dog another form of venison.

In the old day's I knew of guys who would get free dogs and cats and use them to train their hound dogs. A little bear, cat or raccoon scent and the race is on. The use to wear disguises to the humane society because most normal people didn't adopt 10 cats a month. 

Trust me, if you care that much about the animal do the leg work.

[Hawgdawg]

How can a pup judge a person? Or a dog for that matter?

They're exceptional at reading body language we know that,  and they smell the environment you come from; but I don't get the whole thing about a dog being able to "judge" a person.
People tell me this all the time when their dogs come up to me and are friendly with me.

A pup is going to be friendly to a person if they're socialized properly, if they're abused they might even be mistrustful based on gender of a person of if you remind them of an abusive person.   Or if you're similar to a person they previously bonded with they'll be inclined to be more friendly.


I don't put a lot of faith in a dogs mind reading ability.  It's all posture, body language and scent and the dogs previous life experience, and their genetic predisposition.

[deltaops]

uh nobody is coming to my house to do a visit to see if  I am worthy.

Before you have kids does the hospital come to your house to make sure you are worthy? Yeah I didn't think so.

[syoungs]

I rescued a black lab that was dumped a couple years back, fed him, got him healthy and housebroke, and then put an ad on a waterfowl website for a dog and asked a 100$ remhoming fee.

the current owner drove all the way from the seattle area to the tri cities to pick him up, and I let him keep the re-homing fee. just put that in the ad to weed out the ones who either couldnt afford a dog, or just had a inkling one day that they needed a lab and thought a free dog was a good idea.

we spent about a hour at a local park with him so they could get aquainted, within the first 5 minutes I could tell the dog was going to a good owner.

[Hawgdawg]

uh nobody is coming to my house to do a visit to see if  I am worthy.

Before you have kids does the hospital come to your house to make sure you are worthy? Yeah I didn't think so.

Not aimed towards you, but damn straight they should and even before they breed!

[jackelope]

We just adopted/rescued a little dog from a local rescue agency. Home visits are apparently a thing of the past. I did have to take pictures of our fenced yard however. We also had to prove that we owned our home. They do this to ensure, as much as they can anyway, that the person adopting the dog is not going to end up in an apartment where dogs are not allowed 6 months from now. Then the dog needs to find a new home again. Call me what you want, but I think there's enough strays and unwanted dogs in the world. A person should be able to prove they have a good home for a dog if they're going to take dog ownership on. Any deadbeat can take a dog, but who's to say that same dog won't end up abandoned, abused, homeless again 6 months from now??

[gaddy]

don't discount a dogs ability to judge people. iv'e had a few through the years & can tell you they can. every lab I've had has exhibited this trait. most reciently my gal exhibited a strong distrust of a cable-man. never seen her angry at anyone, loves kids. the most gentle thing. got her as a pup & she's seen nothing but love but she wanted to tear this guy a new ass.
first lab, ABBY, loved everyone, watched over my boys when they were young. nothing got by her. only happened a couple of times but she set herself between my boys & others with teeth drawn. set her self infront of the wife at times.
my boy brought home a friend once that my dog didn't like(out of all of them it picked this kid) told the son not to be around this guy & don't allow him at the house. that boy ended up in juvy.
every dog iv'e had has exhibited this trait & I will trust my dogs intuition.
Ill trust my dogs.

[phishisgroovin]

we are holding off on rehoming her.

im positive she will slow down soon and get lazy.

[Jonathan_S]

Phishis groovin this is not aimed at you.  I feel for you, a rambunctious dog and a adamant wife are a tough situation. 

This is more meant as irony towards so many different comments from well intended but what many may believe are over zealous dog lovers. 

Interesting way of looking at things...I need to give away a dog because I can't take care of it.  But since I really like the dog I'm only going to "give" it away for a price, not actually sell it, just making sure that the new "parents" have a financial commitment to raising the dog I can't/won't raise anymore.  Since I made a rash decision and acquired a dog I can't care for I will insist on a home visit where I will decide if you can do what I was unable to do.  After requesting 19 references and a DNA sample to test for the elusive dog lover chromosome I will evaluate your property and foretell the future in order to determine if you might one day move to a home and raise the pet I can't raise.   A color photo of the "rehomed" "parent's" fenced yard must be provided to prove that they have a twelve foot African game fence that will prevent the beloved rambunctious pet from doing what he does at my house now, which is run around like a wild beast.   If you believe in kenneling, dog parking or other "really mean" ways of raising your/my dog I might not want to give him to you for a price. Of course we'll seal this deal with a binding contract that allows me to step in at any time in the next ten years and intervene on behalf of your/my pet and rehome him in a more deserving familiy's dwelling, assuming of course they can meet the following criteria...  LOL http://hunting-washington.com/smf/Smileys/default/chuckle.gif

 

That's good stuff and wildly accurate.

There are people in my apartment complex who took in a dog that has been "rescued" six times prior because nobody was willing to really take care of him.  This friggin dog barks and howls constantly and chews like his teeth are growing too fast.  Well they've been served a notice and the "poor puppy" has to go but they're only going to give him to the "best home". 

Here's a question, if you have the "best home" why would you want a dog like that?