pet sitting a pet we rehomed. very emotional .

[silverfz]

We have to rehome our last dog after we had him for 5 yrs . We got him from a per store and he was 8 weeks. He has been isolation due to kennel cough for 3 weeks. He has extreme kid and stranger aggression. He has bit people before at day care.a anyway out friends took him. He Ofcourse cannot be boarded and we per sit him often.
Everytime he comes we all get emotional. He is just not a good fit for us. He is in a family with no kids and spends his days with 3 other dogs . They do not take there dogs for vacation..

We took him camping and he went nutz and last week we had a party and he has to be locked in a room.
Btw he weighs 11 lbs and is a miniature dachshund. First dog but we spent a year and few thousand on training.every Friday night the whole family took him training for a year .

So we pet sit him and each time he leaves everyone is heart broken ,the kids want him back. The owners know if they do not want him .we will take him. Still tomorrow he is leaving and we are all a bit sad.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Labradorks]

Not sure what kind of advice to give. You know he is not a good fit for you. I think that you are lucky that you get to see him and spend time with him and check in on him. It's normal that giving him back would be bitter-sweet, but do you think he is not in a good place? I guess I am unclear what the issue is. What options do you have? You could ask for him back but it sounds like you know that is not a good idea and the owners probably aren't OK with it. Or you could stop dog-sitting him and never see him again and avoid the hurt that comes with sending him back. But, did you give him to the family with the understanding that since he cannot be boarded, you would watch him if they go away?

The aggression is probably hereditary as petstore dogs are very poorly bred. Kennel cough typically does not require three weeks of isolation, but I suppose it's possible. It would not make a normal dog aggressive. Pet stores should be avoided at all costs and in many states they no longer exist for very good reason. Most petstore dogs come from puppymills.

I think the new owners are smart for not taking him on vacation. If you take a dog into public with a known bite history and the dog bites, you could be in serious trouble and in many cases the dog, as a repeat offender, will be euthanized by the county or state. If the dog bites, he must sit in the shelter for so long either way in quarantine. Keeping the dog away from people is best for both the dog and the general public. If I had a dog with aggression, he'd never leave my property except to go to the vet or a trainer. I would not put my dog or other people in harm's way.

[Rosy]

I agree with the post of Labradorks.

[Snowshoe]

My advice? You are exceptionnally kind to take the dog back even temporarily when the danger to your kids is there and you have to take such precautions with him. I understand how you can love him anyway, bad fit for you and all. Knowing you will have to give him back and your heart will break again as it did the first time you rehomed him must take incredible strength and really hurt. I'm sorry. My advice is you are doing the best you can, more than many others would do, and you should keep doing it, the giving him back part. Unless it's too hard on your kids or the exceptional accommodations you make in your household prove overwhelming.

ETA: Now that I read this over I should clarify my last sentence. I meant if it was too hard maybe you should think about not sitting him. Sorry to say.

[Doreen Davis]

I don't think taking him back is an option. Try and enjoy him (with precautions) when you have him but be happy when he goes back to a home he (I think) is thriving in. The other option is to tell your friends that it's too painful to pet sit him and perhaps they can have a pet sitter in their home.

[Mollysmomma]

I'm sorry you ended up with a dog who had issues like that, & it must have been very hard to reach the conclusion to rehome him. But you did, & it sounds like his current home works out very well for him, so perhaps try to be happy for him. If he really is so kid and stranger aggressive, I'm surprised your kids (or you) would really want him back. If the dog seems to be doing fine in his new home, I'd tell them it is too emotional for you that he comes & then goes, & let them find a petsitter that the dog can get along with.

[Tanya]

I think you should seriously consider not dog sitting if it causes such pain.

But, if you DO dog sit again, please don't take him camping or to family gathering or host a family gathering (or if you do, crate him away in a quiet stop the entire time). Not sure why, if you know he has such major issues, he was brought to a birthday party. I'd say he is better off even if it is a very long period alone, to stay alone VS being brought with you. If you have plans to leave the home overnight and that cannot be helped, either find a dog walker to come in and care for him or do not take him.

[silverfz]

Thanks everyone . He is not aggressive to my kids or my family. Even friendly with all the kids in the family. He is aggresive to new kids and strangers . Again not all adults ,just certain ones. He is on the other hand cannot be near new kids or go camping or boarded . He has food aggression.

I think he happy , plays all day with the dogs and his owner at least the wife loves him alot.

Thanks once again,I think I am doing the right for my kids and my friends and neighbors kids who hangout at our pool all summer.