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Nobody wants to rehome their dog, but I wonder what you think. A short history: We got Diesel at 11 months, directly from the previous owner He was kept in a pantry 7-8 hours a day with another older dog He hadn't had much training, but did have a 2 hour session with a gun dog trainer to improve street walking with a figure of 8 loop He's our first dog (I realise how silly we were) When we first got him, he would pace for hours unless occupied with play, training or a chew We would spend 16 hours a day occupying him for the first month He was also nervous of the sound of planes, trains and would jump at cars and people while walking He was given a clean bill of health from the vet At first we worked with a trainer for two months, to get him give him a recall so he could run outside and to relax at home We worked on the sounds one by one and he began to relax at home but was still nervous street walking We changed to a behaviorist for 8 months, he was put on anti-anxiety medication He would get 1 hour running a day, two 30 minute walks, plays sheep ball, fetch, left and right, jogging together and tons of other tricks We play sniffing games, Kongs, snuffle mats, Nina Otteson puzzles and other games But he still requires attention when we're at home and can't be left at home unless crated (which means we can only leave the house for 3-4 hours). On a good day it's 3-4 hours on a bad one it's 12 hours. And we have to keep an eye out in parks for kids, people on bicycles and walking on paths around the park. He has continued to lunge while street walking and has nipped people on the street or in parks but not broken skin This weekend he bit my partners mum on the leg and punctured the skin It's been 10 months and we were going to board him for a bit so we could have a break. But with the bite, we're thinking whether boarding won't help him (possibly make it worse) and we should find him a quieter home. What do you think?

This is a question that occurred to me while reading the "AKC show bred puppies for $1,500.00" thread. I suspect the answer is “just fine.” I often experience a twinge of annoyance at the term “forever home.” It strikes me as being a little on the Disney side. (All families are happy ones, there is no divorce, and when there is, the children trick their parents into falling in love again.) Divorce happens. Sometimes there is a very good reason for it. The same is true of rehoming a dog. Sometimes it’s better for all concerned. Sometimes it is unavoidable. In my many years of Collie rescue I never saw a single dog that had much more than a short blip of depression/confusion with going to a new home. Most had no reaction at all, except “Hey! Check it out! This person lets me get up on the sofa!” I would imagine that a pup that has been well and truly started on stock will form a bond with its handler/owner. So what does the dog feel when sold to someone? Knowing what little I do know about working Border Collies, I expect the dog’s internal dialog runs like this: “Oh, phew! He/She has sheep (or cattle). Cool. What’s for supper?” But I wonder… Is a dog that is being retained for starting on stock, with the intention of selling it when it proves out, treated any different that dogs which will be kept? If so, how?

Members, thanks to all for your advice. I’m hoping some owners more experienced than me can offer perspective on the best life for my sweet BC Winnie, 5-7 y.o., adopted 7 months ago. I love her dearly, but I fear her lifespan will be very short if she continues to live with me in a busy suburb with lots of car traffic. I need some perspective on whether to rehome her to give her a better life. Or whether I should keep trying and give her more time. She is my second BC, third rescue dog, fifth dog I have owned, first I have ever considered giving up. She came to me in recovery from heartworm disease, and very emotionally shut down. After 7 months, Winnie has blossomed into a very affectionate and loving companion. She gets along well with all dogs, loves every human she meets, and isn’t in the least fazed by other dogs barking/lunging/acting unpredictable, and is a pretty good (not always perfect) leash walker. Her obedience and recall are very good indoors or small enclosed areas, like a tennis court sized space. BUT, despite months of private (positive) training and follow up by me, she cannot be trusted off leash, has low impulse control and door dashes unpredictably – front doors, car doors, gates –she will exploit any small gap and then just run away until a Good Samaritan finds her. She has no typical BC herding drive, or focus on her human companion when outdoors, or interest in toys -- so I can’t get her to return by offering the chance to play tug, retrieve Frisbees or tennis balls. Instead, she has an overwhelming obsession with car traffic. When we go to the dog park, she ignores the other dogs and sits by the fence fixated by passing cars. If she dashes out the door, she will sometimes travel to a nearby street, lie down a few inches from traffic, and give it the “collie eye.” I found her like this a couple of times, but it was only luck that she didn’t decide to go into traffic. At home, she will for hours sit by the fence and just “listen” to traffic passing on the busy street close to my house. This is such a powerful drive that I don’t think I can extinguish it. I worry every day that this could be the day she bolts and is killed in traffic. I am not hypervigilant enough to prevent the “next time” chance when I fail to close a door/gate etc. fast enough. She is presently living a very restricted life to prevent her from bolting. She has to be leashed at all times outdoors; she can’t loaf around the house or backyard when I leave but has to be crated so she can’t door dash when I come home. There are no large fenced athletic grounds nearby that allow dogs or that I could take her to for better training off leash. She can’t run off leash in a nearby wooded park; thus she can’t get enough exercise to keep her weight down, and she needs more exercise to build up her muscles to counteract severe hip dysplasia. Please, I would appreciate compassionate yet no nonsense feedback. My heart is breaking as I write this, but I lie awake at night and worry about this constantly.

After much thought, my wife and I have made the hard decision to rehome one of our two BCs: Cocoa, a 2.5 year old red female, 51lbs, spayed, and up to date on her shots. Cocoa is so sweet, full of love and excitement. She loves people of all ages (she has been great with our son, from birth to the toddler he is now), and has just enough "puppy" left in her to be fun and trainable. Unfortunately, although we purchased her as a companion to our 4yo male, Toby, she just isn't good with other dogs, not even him. While it appears to be aggression, we believe it's mostly fear. Basically, she growls and barks at other dogs from a distance, and she may nip at them if they get too close, especially big black dogs. Obviously her behavior is not terribly uncommon, and is far from severe. If we weren't a family of two working parents with a 2 year old son and another son due in two months, we'd definitely do what we could to train this problem out of her. Overwhelmed, as you can imagine, it's just not in our capacity to address the problems properly right now, and it just isn't fair to her to have to live with this correctable problem. Cocoa is an ideal family dog. She was an "indoor" dog with us, but as a purebred from a working line, she is intelligent and loves being outside too. Cocoa would do best in a family where she was either the only dog who didn't get taken to "dog-rich" environments often OR with an owner with the time, resources and patience to work this problem out of her so she could live a full life! We live in Colorado Springs, and we'd be happy to work out specifics with any interested party.