really upset - please dont judge

Im really upset and scared to even post about this incase anyone judges me about it but i really think Im going to have to get my dog rehomed :-( im so sad and when we bought him we really did think he was a dog for life. He is a lovely dog and alfie loves him to bits but theres been a few changes in circumstances and i just dont think i can give him the attention that he needs of deserves. At xmas last yr i had no intention of having another baby, and thought it was going to be just me, gav and alfie forever! we only have a 2 bedroom house and hes a choc lab who weighs 3.5 stone and hes really lively and he just booms all around the place - he never stops really. hes constantly knocking alfie off his feet, and im really worried what hes going to be like when the baby gets here. we can lock him in the ktichen behind the baby gate but i feel rotten for it. and when he is locked in there he chews everything even with toys. hes big enough to get onto the kitchen benches and he steals food out of the breadbin, hes managed to chew the door on my new fridge freezer which i only got an xmas. hes destroyed all of my furniture...alfies toys, garden furniture. hes managed to chew my maternity notes, and hes put a huge hole in my settee. I know half the time is that hes bored, and if i got another dog he would love ti as he loves company but its totally not appropriate for me to get another dog when i cant look after the one ive got...financially ive just obv lost my job couldnt afford 2 dogs.

hes a dads boy and doesnt listen to a word i say :-( he actually has my life and im so stressed atm what with being preggers, my grandad being so poorly and losing my job i just have nothing in my left to fight with him.

has anyone ever rehomed their dog before? i hate the thought of him not having a loving home but if he goes to somebody who can devote the time and attention he needs he would be soo much happier

No-one is going to judge you. If you feel you can't cope with him and his not right for you then it would be best for everyone to rehome him. I've no idea how you go about it but I'm sure there's a way you can make sure he goes to a nice family

I have never re-homed a dog before but , I do know choc labs are very boystrous ... It sounds like you are doing the right thing and that maybe you should look to re housing him with an older family rather than one with young children ..

Thanks girls. i jsut feel like im always shouting at him, or getting pissed off at him all the time and its stressing me out. i feel so sorry for him x

Awww Hun I'm so sorry that's a really difficult decision to make
How old is he? I will ask my oh where he advertised the puppies there were ads for older dogs there as well so might be worth a try, or maybe speak to your vets?
I'd definatly try to find an owner yourself first if you can before thinking of RSPCA or similar. His behaviour is normal and can be changed but it does take a lot of training and discipline! I know how hard it is.
Hugs Hun xxxx

My bro and sil had same thing with their dog.

They found a grp online for the dog breed and found new owners through that way.

We were looking to get a dog and I would gladly of taken him but, we have had to put the idea on hold as we just got some news of our own which throws the idea out the window

I hope its good news Rachel

ive sent a message to this fb group called labrador angels who take them in and foater them until they can find adoptive homes :-(

Aww Ames...don't feel bad. Your not doing it cos your being selfish...your doing it cos you care. People circumstances change all the time you just never know what's round the corner. I found it hard with Harry and he was an old dog but still felt bad when Oliver was born
cos we just didnt have the time to devote to him Do you know any friends or family that'd be interested?

Amy I once had to re home my dog. She was an Airedale Terrier and when we bought her I lived in a cottage with 4 acres of land up a deserted lane. We bought her as we could give her a perfect life. I used to open the doors in the morning and Lucy would leg it down the field and and come back when was knackered. BUT we got divorced and had to sell that house and I got custody of two kids, two dogs and cat! I bought a lovely house but it only had a normal garden and I had to work ft so this poor dog was locked in all day.

I talked to my vet who told me about a couple who's recently lost their Airedale and they were looking to adopt. They rang me that night and by mad coincidence they lived over the road from me. They were retired, childless and gave Lucy a wonderful home. I cried buckets because I genuinely loved that dog. But she had a fantastic life and even had a doggy passport as the couple had a house in Fance.

So although it's hard sometimes you need to do what's best for you and what's best for the dog.

Hope you find him a lovely home.

I applaud you for doing this and thinking about what's best for everyone.

Sending hugs xx

Hope it's good news too Rach

ooooooh Rach teasing us....

Amy no one is going to judge you, circumstances change, you would be a bad person if you kept him and he didn't have as happy a life as he could have with someone else... do you think his behaviour is something that could change as his hormones (after the chop) calm down a bit?

What does Gav think?

Thanks for being so supportive.

Zee - Gav is in two minds.He doesnt really see what i see because hes at work 7-6 for 6 days of the week so its me in the house with him. Tonight i came in and hes managed to get into the crisp cupboard (had a child lock on?!) and hes ate a family size bag of walkers crips...10 bags!!

Jade - it might possibly calm him down a bit but the vet said labs dont tend to calm down util theyre around2...which would be find if i didnt have a newborn on the way in a few months time :-(

dont feel bad amy, we got a springer spaniel last year thinking it would be a good idea then i fell pregnant and he started wrecking the house all the time so was locked in his cage all the time and it wasnt fair, we had to move in to a private rent house, so felt that we could take him with us as he would destroy it, in the end the man that we got him from took him back and is now getting on great,

it was the best decision in the long run for him and us as he wasnt getting enough attention, if you feel it is right then dont feel bad about it,

it will be more you than gav that is looking after him anyway cos you will be at home all day x

Ames, we all know you love that dog but if it's best for yogi then you have to let him go. People circumstances change and nobody would judge you for it. Your going to have enough to deal with, with Alfie and a newborn nevermind throwing a boisterous dog into the mix.

When we picked up my FIL dog (black lab) she advised us agaisnt getting a brown one because apparently theres something in their breeding that makes them wild! I don't know how true that is though, only have her word for it. We rehomed my fathers dog through preloved x