

One of the best tips on how to deal with rehoming a dog is to write him or her a letter. You need to process the pain of giving a dog away, or it will eat you alive. Face those ugly feelings of shame and guilt – don’t push them down, or they will overwhelm you in the future. Allow yourself to grieve your loss and work through the guilt you feel about adopting your dog to a new home. Since then, I adopted two new dogs: Tiffy (the wee white one in the picture) and Georgie (a the black and white terrier you’ll meet later). I wrote it because I had to rehome a dog called Jazz – she was a 77 pound black Lab German Shepherd cross. It’s you who needs to deal with the guilt and grief rehoming your beloved furry friend.Īre you still struggling to make a decision? One of my most popular articles about dogs is How to Decide if You Should Give Your Dog Away. While you’re reading through my tips on how to deal with the guilt and grief of rehoming a dog, hold on to the idea that your dog is fine – and maybe even happier than ever! Perhaps he’s playing with other dogs in the yard, chasing squirrels, or curled up in front of a warm fireplace. We took our dog back to the SPCA, and both my husband and I wept like our hearts were breaking. Even though I may sound like I had no problem giving my dog Jazz away, I still feel terrible whenever I think about that day. The bad news is that the pain, guilt, and grief you feel about rehoming your dog won’t disappear overnight. Rehoming a dog is more painful for dog owners than the dogs themselves – though I have no doubt that our dogs miss us! I don’t think they dwell on their loss, and they definitely don’t have to learn how to deal with their adoption. Dogs adapt because they live in the moment, and they’re survivors. Rehomed and adopted dogs adjust quickly to their new environments. Dogs remember, but they don’t carry burdens or baggage. Dogs are survivors, they live in the moment, and they quickly adjust to new environments. Her previous owner was devastated that she had to give her dog away, and I was both happy and sad to tell her that Tiffy had completely made herself at home in our house within three days. Her name is Tiffy and she was three years old when we adopted her. We couldn’t handle the big dog, and adopted a little white toy Poodle Bichon cross. I know that many dogs quickly adjust to moving a new home because I adopted another dog several months after we rehomed our big black Lab German Shepherd cross.

Your dog is lovable and adaptable, and will adjust to a new home so quickly that you may even feel offended. But, it’s important to know that dogs are survivors. There are no “one size fits all” tips for dealing with the grief and guilt of rehoming your dog.
