Rehoming Opions/Advice desparately needed
HI all~
Don't know if you remember me. I am Lisa, the owner of a brother/sister duo of Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Ginger and Lambeau. I've had these two since they were 8 weeks old. Last summer, over a year after we got them they attacked our Min Pin out of nowhere. He survived but suffered over 2 dozen punctures and received several stitches. For the last year, I have exhausted every possibilty that I can think of to try and make this situation work. I have spent several hundred dollars, probably more, in trainers, etc not to mention vet bills as these attacks have happened repeatedly over the last 11 months. I am completely devastated and my stress level is just through the roof. I have had both dogs spayed/neutered which has not made one bit of difference. The past few months my three dogs have been living completely separated but in the same house. It has been a lot of extra work but to me it was worth it b/c it meant I didn't have to re-home anyone. Today I made a mistake and my Min Pin paid the price and was attacked again. He is doing fine, a couple of punctures but no stitches. They also attacked our cat recently. I have cried my eyes out all day and I just don't think I have it in me to deal with this anymore. I have to find new homes for my babies. Rehoming my Min Pin is not an option. I rescued him 12 years ago from a horrible life and he will live the rest of his life with me. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying in any way that he is more important to me than the Corgis are. I apologize for being so long winded. Here is my question. Should I try to find a home that will take both of my Corgis or should I separate them? It breaks my heart to think of splitting them up-they are the best of friends. But I would hate for them to hurt another animal and when one attacks the other joins in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. Lisa
Don't know if you remember me. I am Lisa, the owner of a brother/sister duo of Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Ginger and Lambeau. I've had these two since they were 8 weeks old. Last summer, over a year after we got them they attacked our Min Pin out of nowhere. He survived but suffered over 2 dozen punctures and received several stitches. For the last year, I have exhausted every possibilty that I can think of to try and make this situation work. I have spent several hundred dollars, probably more, in trainers, etc not to mention vet bills as these attacks have happened repeatedly over the last 11 months. I am completely devastated and my stress level is just through the roof. I have had both dogs spayed/neutered which has not made one bit of difference. The past few months my three dogs have been living completely separated but in the same house. It has been a lot of extra work but to me it was worth it b/c it meant I didn't have to re-home anyone. Today I made a mistake and my Min Pin paid the price and was attacked again. He is doing fine, a couple of punctures but no stitches. They also attacked our cat recently. I have cried my eyes out all day and I just don't think I have it in me to deal with this anymore. I have to find new homes for my babies. Rehoming my Min Pin is not an option. I rescued him 12 years ago from a horrible life and he will live the rest of his life with me. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying in any way that he is more important to me than the Corgis are. I apologize for being so long winded. Here is my question. Should I try to find a home that will take both of my Corgis or should I separate them? It breaks my heart to think of splitting them up-they are the best of friends. But I would hate for them to hurt another animal and when one attacks the other joins in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. Lisa
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Wow, I am so sorry. I don't know your Corgis whole history, but I know some breeds will gang up on and attack another dog. My aunt has Jack Russells and will not have more than two because they are notorious for doing just what you described, and she said she's seen them pack up and kill another dog. And the breeder where we got Jack said that on very rare occasion, she has had to rehome a dog when the rest of her pack (she had about 7 adults when we met her) all decided that they did not like one, and she said in her experience once that happens, it is never truly rectified. I am sure there are others here who might say otherwise, but I'm just going by what I have heard/seen of the situation. Typically it is, as you describe, a few younger dogs going after one that is perceived as old or sick. It is the dark side of pack dynamics, and seems especially prevalent in breeds (like Corgis and terriers) that were kept as "varmint dogs" in addition to being workers and companions.
If it were me and I felt forced to rehome, I would probably want to break them up at this point. Or you may want to just try rehoming the one that appears to be the instigator; without a backup, the other Corgi might be fine.
Best of luck. Maybe try surrendering to a qualified Corgi rescuer who will be honest with future adopters about their special needs. Surrendering to the pound would be unfair to both the dogs, and to their future owners who would perhaps not be made aware of the potential.
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Permalink Reply by DR, Nala & Simon on
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A big hug for you. So sorry to hear your story. Hope you can find a home for the corgis. Yes, rehoming a senior dog is very difficult. My best wishes.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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I agree with Beth. You should not feel guilty, you have tried really hard to make this work and have nothing to be ashamed about. It just is not the right situation for anyone. You are in the Chicago area and should have no difficulty finding a good rescue organization so get going on it right away. Let me know if you need help and I will check with relatives that live in that area for groups but you should be able to go online..
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on
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Hi again~
Thank you for your responses. I didn't sleep well last night at all because of all of this. I just wanted to let you know that taking either or both of them to a shelter is absolutely not an option for me. I would never do that. I know this may sound strange but I don't want to take them to a rescue, either. I don't think I could live the rest of my life not knowing where they went or what happened to them. I'm planning on putting the word out to family and friends and seeing if I can find new homes that are somewhat local so that we can keep in touch and possibly even visit if the new owners were willing. I know you're probably thinking "hey-good luck, lady!" but this is just how I feel. Thank you again for your kind words and just for listening. I really , truly appreciate it.
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You have certainly done the best that is humanly possible by your dogs, IMO. If I may offer some advice, just be brutally honest with any potential adopters, so they know what to expect. Big hugs; I'm sure you feel bad, but dogs are animals with independent minds of their own and there is only so much one can do to change that.
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Permalink Reply by Jenn on
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Have you spoken to their breeder? Perhaps he/she could help you place them. They may have more connections and be able to help you find a home. That is how I am acquiring my new Corgi. His owner went back to the breeder, who contacted me because she knew I was looking for another Corgi, so I decided to give this two year old boy a shot. Pehaps they can help you.
Don't beat yourself up about it- it's a crazy hard decision, but it is probably best for all. You have done all you can. A new environment may be just what they need.
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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I would definitely suggest they go to separate homes. They have formed their own little "pack" and work off of each others predatory behaviors. I would highly suggest they not go to a home with small children or other animals. I would screen my potential adopters in depth. I would encourage the adoptive families to take the dogs to obedience classes. Sadly each time this situation occurs it further ingrains the behavior. Getting littermates rarely works out for the best. This is one of the reasons.
I wish you the very best of luck placing them in good homes. Yes it is a hard decision but I believe it to be the right one. It would be grand if your old boy could live the rest of his life without fear of attack. It will also be great if the corgis get the sort of homes that can curtail aggressive behaviors. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Lou Ann Lemaster on
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You reservations on taking them to a corgi rescue is understandable, yet, that would be the perfect place to take them. They are more familiar with the corgi breed, and can work on their aggression problems; retraining them or rehabbing them (whatever you want to call it). They are also would be able to evaluate potential owners for your dogs. If you think breeders ask a lot of questions before placing a dog with new owners.....try a rescue! I got a application to get a rescue before I got Duncan, and after reading it over, I felt I would be rejected....LOL!
But, I agree with the other on this site, your little Min-Pin is in danger with your corgis, and being brother and sister, they have kept the "family pack" behavior. They need to be separated so they don't feed off of each other's behavior. Please, thing about a corgi rescue again. I'm sure they will give you updates on their new homes if you ask, but I know a lot of rescues don't want you visiting the dogs after they go to a new home, it's too confusing for them.
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Permalink Reply by Kathryn Graham on
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Have you contacted your breeder? I signed a contract that if for any reason Madoc could no longer live with us that the breeder could have him back, and she would plan the re-homing. Many breeders stay interested in the whereabouts of their pups. It sounds like you've tried EVERYTHING, but it's just a heart-tugging situation and decision. I'll be thinking about you! Best wishes for an optimal solution for all of you.
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Sadly I am unable to locate my breeder. She was in South Dakota and we live in Chicago. Shortly after we adopted our puppies, her family was relocated to Washington so her number changed. We kept in touch for a short time through email and then I think she changed her internet provider or something and I haven't been able to find her. She used to have a website but that is gone as well. We had already had our puppies for a year when this behavior started. Previously all three dogs got along great and played together. We felt that the puppies actually brought our old guy back to life, so to speak. I just don't know what went wrong. It doesn't really matter because we don't live close enough for the breeder to be helpful for me anyway.
We made the trip to S.D. our family vacation that year. I have a son and daughter who were 4 and 7 at the time. This is just crushing them. There are so many memories...this is just so awful. I am so disappointed and sad with the way everything is turning out. i just keep hoping there's some stone I haven't turned over that will make everything okay.
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