Hi, intro & help needed.

Hi all,
I am in urgent need of some help. I rescued my lovely staffy Boris 3 years ago and have spent those years trying to rehabilitate him after his bad start. Unfortunately he is left with permanent and complex behavioral issues. I have recently had a baby and am unable to give Boris the home he needs. I don't want to put Boris in rescue kennels and I am worried about where he will end up. He needs a specific type of home or else he will end up in trouble. I have tried the staffy rescues in Scotland and they haven't helped. I really need any rehoming advice I can get. Boris deserves a good home as he is a fantastic companion.

Thanks for your help.
Francesca

Also I've made a little blog for him borisdog wordpress

I'm in edinburgh

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Hi and welcome from me and mine

I guess my first question is why you feel you can no longer give Boris the home he needs? It sounds such a sad thing for him to leave his home and I would be looking to see how you can make things work for you all with him staying with you.

If you really really can't keep him, I personally would keep trying rescue centres. It sounds to me like he is the sort of dog who (even more than every other dog) needs the safety net that a reputable rescue organisation can provide. Did you get him from a rescue, if so can they not help? I know the rescue I volunteer for will always take a dog back and many even have it as part of the adoption conditions.

such a shame hope you get the result you want

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx

I echo what Liz has said. Is there anything you could change at home to enable you to keep him?

Hi,
I think I keep deleting my reply... if not then I apologize for posting 3 versions of the same thing!

I have done my upmost to keep Boris with me and since the beginning adjusted my life to suit his personality. Unfortunately he needs a child free home, no or very few guests, no unknown or challenging dogs and his own space. I could give him that before but am unable to do it with a baby.
I don't want this situation to become problematic so need to find him somewhere suitablebefore my baby can walk.
I have done lots of positive behavioral work with a professional which has been ongoing over the years since I rescued him.
I rescued him from a family members ex boyfriend where he was being abused. He is nervous aggressive but he is an angel in the right environment.

I am still trying to contact suitable rescues but any more advice would be appreciated. I couldn't and wouldn't put him in a rescue kennels. And if he goes to the wrong home then he will end up in trouble.

Thanks

have you thought of fostering him on a temporary basis till a shelter place is found he will get matched with a suitable owner .

I really want to know he is in a safe and suitable home and I worry that if he goes to a foster and then a forever home, I may not be in the loop about where he is and how suitable that place is for him.

The least I can do is make sure he is settled somewhere and that his new owners really understand the type of life he needs.

I do trust the rescues but Boris has such complex issues that if his behaviour is slightly misunderstood it could lead to him becoming nervous and aggressive :-(

His outward behaviour often gets ignored or misinterpreted by people, he has very subtle warning signs. But they are there and if missed then this can lead to problems.

He does connect very well with people who understand and respect him and his space.

i'm afraid that if he goes to a rescue you'll have absolutely no say at all as to where he is rehomed. that will be entirely down to them.

what i don't really understand is why you haven't been able to change his behaviour? 95% of the time, with the right training, you can turn a fear-aggressive dog around. have you been avoiding putting him in situations that may make him uncomfortable, or trying to reassure him? a lot depends on the sort of professional help you've had & whether they're used to fear based aggression.

to be honest, if he has aggression problems most rescue centres wouldn't take him anyway.

Liz - can you suggest any way of rehabilitating him?

Boris needs a stress free environment which Ive successfully been providing him but having a baby means I can't provide that environment so no I haven't put him in uncomfortable situations and I have done a lot of positive reassurance.
I specifically don't put him in environments that will be stressful for him.

Around the first three months of a dogs life has a massive effect on their overall and lasting characteristics. Boris had an unstable and abusive home to begin with. This has left him with long term issues that need to be managed and are not entirely fixable.

That is why he needs a home with someone who is willing to adjust their life for his needs and not just expecting him to change through training.

I'm really looking for help on how to rehome a dog with behavioral issues
I would never put him in a rescue kennel.

Thanks

Thanks

Frakini wrote:Boris needs a stress free environment which Ive successfully been providing him but having a baby means I can't provide that environment so no I haven't put him in uncomfortable situations and I have done a lot of positive reassurance.
I specifically don't put him in environments that will be stressful for him.

you honestly haven't been helping him - you've reinforced his problems. i'm not having a go or anything, but with time and effort you could well rehabilitate him. the first 3 months are NOT the be all and end all.

Frakini wrote:
I'm really looking for help on how to rehome a dog with behavioral issues  
I would never put him in a rescue kennel.

unless you KNOW someone who can do this, then i can't see how you can move forward. you only have two options, rescues (kennels or fostering) and private rehoming. either way, you'll have no control over what happens to him in the future.

i honestly don't know what else to say - you've obviously made up your mind that you can't do anything other than rehome him, but you won't put him in rescue.

Many dogs can be rehabilitated but not all. I had a lad for 5 years who made huge progress but was never 'cured' and never would have been had he lived longer. Rachel's dog, Bug, is probably always going to be work in progress. I think you've misread Frakini's post, she's had him 3 years, not 3 months and by the sounds of it has done everything possible in that time.

There are dogs who, for whatever reason, can't learn to cope with stress. It can be due to the extent of their former experiences or due to physical issues that are sometimes very hard to get to the bottom of. While there is a lot of benefit to most nervous dogs of careful desensitising to stressful situation, for some a strategy of management only is actually in their best interests.

I think you also have to be realistic about what each person can achieve. Rehabilitating a severely challenged dog is a massive commitment and it is not feasible for many people to put their lives on hold. That fact that Frakini has tried for 3 years is a great testament to her.

In other words, cut her some slack. This must be such a hard situation.

So back to the question, what options you might have for Boris. Have you talked to your trainer? Not only will they know Boris, they may also have contacts who could help you. It is also worth talking to them about rescue kennels. Although no kennel is ever ideal, some of them are maybe better than you think. I volunteer at a home where they are generally very switched onto behaviour and spend time training the dogs where needed. We've had some very difficult dogs in over the couple of years I've been going there. However, from what you say of Boris it may well be that it would be more than he could reasonably cope with.

I'd love to have an answer for you, I really would. If I have a flash of inspiration I'll let you know.

I'm sorry, but my point is there doesn't seem to have been any attempt to rehabilitate (I apologise if I am wrong), just removing him from stress.

but if Boris cannot go to a rescue kennel and there's nobody who can take him I don't see how anyone CAN help.

I'd love to 'cut her some slack ' but where is that going to get anyone? I just told it like it seemed to me. if I've offended I am truly sorry, but what other options are there?

gillybrent wrote:I'm sorry, but my point is there doesn't seem to have been any attempt to rehabilitate (I apologise if I am wrong), just removing him from stress.

I think you might have missed this bit, 'I have done lots of positive behavioral work with a professional which has been ongoing over the years since I rescued him.

Hi from Una and me, Boris is such a handsome lad. I'm sorry about your situation, I can only guess how you're feeling just now wanting to get a home where you know Boris' needs will be met x

Hi ya, welcome to the forum from Flo and me

Really sorry to read that you can't look after your little fella any more. I'm not sure what to suggest if you can't find a local friend or family to take him on. I'll have a think and post if I come up with anything.

Welcome from me and Rio, and I am so sorry that you're in a situation where you're unable to keep Boris, I know you don't want to give him up and from what you've said you've given him a very good home and have done your best with his behaviour.

I'm not experienced in rehoming or kennels so wouldn't know what to advise, is there any friend or friend of a friend who could have him or foster him until the right home is found?

Can you explain some of his challenging behaviours? It might help give us an idea of what to suggest perhaps

Hiya from me and Vinnie, I do hope things are done for the best for Boris