What to Do When Rehoming Your Dog?

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Everybody knows that a dog should be for life, so it’s essential that you take all of your new responsibilities and a dog’s needs into account before going out and buying/adopting your new friend. However, on some occasions people realise that they aren’t well equipped enough to take care of a special needs dog, or that they won’t be able to take their dog with them when moving house, for example. In these kinds of cases, it’s acceptable to rehome your dog. You just need to remember that it’s your responsibility to find a suitable home for your dog, where they’ll be happy and healthy. Here’s what to do:

Your Dog’s Needs

Once you know it isn’t possible for you to take care of your dog anymore, the most important thing to do is reassess their needs. You should begin writing a list of all of your dog’s requirements, whether they’re standard requirements for a dog, or special requirements. Go through your list and work out what can’t be compromised on, for example; metacam oral suspension for dogs medication to help a musculoskeletal disorder. You can then write an advert with these top needs at the forefront of it.

Prepare Your Dog

You’ll also want to tell your dog’s potential new owners all about his good traits, so they can assess whether your dog is really what they’re looking for. You need to make sure that you’re ready to hand over your dog by getting them checked over at the vets and freshly groomed.

Advertise

You can advertise in any way you like, but the best way to do so is to talk to people you know first; friends, family, neighbors - anyone you trust who can spread the word. You could also put up flyers or adverts on pet re homing sites.

Interview Potential Owners

By speaking to people over the phone first, you can eliminate anybody you think won’t be a good match for your dog. Once you’ve found a few potential owners, you should arrange to meet them with your dog; a park or a similar location is best. If the potential owner has children, ask them to bring them along so they can meet the dog and see how they interact. If you like them, you could then consider a meeting in the potential owner’s home to see how your dog likes the environment.

The most important thing to remember is to go with your gut, and not to rush the rehoming of your dog. You should never give your dog away for free either! Always think of a reasonable price and stick to it.

Easing Your Dog Into The Move

If you feel you need to ease your dog into the move, you should invite the new owners to come and interact with the dog for a while before saying good-bye for good. However, you shouldn’t make too many visits to the adopters home, as this can actually make it more traumatic for your dog when you leave them for good.

Rehoming your dog will take time, energy, and money - but it’s something you should have considered when you bought the dog. Improving their quality of life is your responsibility, so make sure you re home them with care!

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