No time for Fido?

[IRescue452]

Today I read a pretty typical ad on my local craigslist. Rottweiler free to a good home. They claim its a good dog they've had for 5 years, since it was a puppy, and just don't have time to give it proper attention and exercise. It makes me wonder how much the dog cares. Do you think a dog would rather stay with the only family its known since it was a infant and just be a pet with its exercise needs being a little neglected, or do you think the dog would want to be uprooted to a home with strangers it never bonded with in hope it might get a little more of its exercise needs met?

Of course there are other factors in how well this dog was kept. Its 5 and unfixed. Its being given away for free. Its been with them 5 years and they are just going to give it up like a piece of property so obviously they don't love it that much. But I'm just wondering if they really were this dog's family for its entire life and if they were bonded with the dog why do they automatically assume the dog would choose to leave just because it doesn't get a lot of attention focused on its exercise needs.

Thoughts?

I don't always have time or the physical strength to exercise Autumn even though I try to keep her mind stimulated with hide the toy games and such. I know from going to college that she gets depressed when I'm away for long times. I'd never give her away. I think she'd rather hang out and play tug the rope toy indoors with me than go to strangers for something so petty as they can give her more walks than I can. That alone is just a poor excuse to uproot a dog from its home.

[dab_20]

I personally think most people who just give away dogs don't do it for feeling bad for the dog because it's exercise needs aren't being met. Chances are the dog is being destructive and has behavioral problems because of it. They may not have time to work with the dog and feel this is the only solution. Some people view their animals as just pets more than family, like us here at PT. I really don't understand how people can detach themselves from their animals like that. Just the thought of having to give away my dogs makes me sick.

Unfortunately humans are selfish creatures. Some more so than others.

[chocolatepuppy]

I too believe in many cases, it's just an excuse. I can remember working a lot of overtime and feeling quilty that the dogs weren't getting enough exercise/quality time. I did the best I could. I'll never believe they'd be happier rehomed. There may be cases where a persons circumstances have changed and the dog really isn't getting enough exercise and/or attention. Then maybe it could be for the best, especially if the dog is younger. I just feel a lot of people don't try hard enough to keep their dogs. Maybe they don't feel the way some of us feel about our dogs.

[Vette]

Its not something i could do an i always feel sad when i see ads like those but dont mind it really. i feel that if the right person comes along an takes the dog then its life will be changed for the better an kept so busy an happy that the dog wont grief for its previous owner/s much or at all.

beats living a life of living on a chain or in a cage.
or in pain due owner/s not being able to afford surgery an what nots.

[robinh]

Last week I saw an ad on Craigslist for a dachshund. The guy said his landlord wouldn't let him bring the dog inside and he would be outside this winter in Iowa if he couldn't find a new home. I simply could not keep quiet and when I told my SO about it, his first reaction was call the guy. I called and talked to him, got some of the story and to make a long story short, Dick drove an hour the next morning to pick up Shamus (yeah, I know nice Irish name for a German dog). We were going to foster him until we found him a new loving home. Well, we've had him in the house for almost a week and we are officially "foster failures". We now have 3 dachshunds, a bichon and a yorkie. We are completely crazy.

How could someone give up such a WONDERFUL dog is beyond me. I would have found a home that would let me keep my dog - I'd have slept in my car with the dog. I'll never leave my dogs.