Expert: Have4Paws - 8/22/2011

Question
Hi! Is it a good idea to adopt my sister in law's 7y.o. beagle when she wants to have it put to sleep just because she is sick of him? She has not trained him at all, so he's not house trained, barks a lot while he's outside, and has scratched her back door to bits because he wants in. He is also very overweight because this was her way of keeping him quiet, he only has a small backyard, and she says he's too annoying to walk. She says the vet told her he has arthiritis as well, and now he limps.

I offered to take him a few years ago, but then she changed her mind because her son was in tears over losing his dog. Now she has convinced him to have Darwin put to sleep, but by now we already have another dog.

We have a 4 y.o. bull-arab (Leroy), who was already house trained when we adopted him. I trained him in other house/garden/social aspects, and he is much loved and spoiled in the right ways. I was sick and worked from home for a long time, so I had ample time to devote to training him with patience and kindness. My worry about adopting Darwin the beagle is that I have less time to devote to that now, and that Leroy (bull-arab) will have trouble sharing the attention (due to having to concentrate heavily on training the beagle). Also, we live on a big open property with no real secure fencing, and the beagle has a habit of taking off in a real hurry when their gate is open for a moment. We live along a highway and he could easily get hit by a car here.

We have adopted all the dogs we've owned (also a cat and cockatoo) from people who "just didn't want them anymore" (including bull-arab Leroy). We've had ones that we brought back to good health and they had a great life with us (eventually died of old age). We've also has ones that were very sick (one ex-owner did not tell us, we found out soon after he was left with us), and because they couldn't be brought back to health the emotional pain it caused me was more than I could bear, and the vet costs sent us into debt.

Also, those were always outside dogs, though, because they already had been for 7-10 yrs before they came to us, and were happier outside. Our current dog spends everynight and big parts of the day inside though, and I would only want fair treatment for both. This means the beagle would have to be well house trained too, and come in with our current one. (I'm told he wees everywhere, rips furniture and wrecks doors, which is why she keeps him out)


I'm realy unsure this time about taking another's "unwanted worn out pet" because it has hurt and cost me so much in the past, but I also can't bear hearing that he'll be put to sleep just because they "just are over him" (her words). It's a life she talking about!

Can you give me advice on what to do? About adopting him, or perhaps about finding another solution for this poor dear beagle?

Answer
Wow, what a dilemma you are in!  Are there any rescues who will take him? Have you or she tried to find another home for him?

It is as you said absolutely cruel for her to put him down because she can't handle him, our dogs are only a reflection of what we have or have not taught them. From what you say this is a person who shouldn't have any dog period!

I don't blame you for being wary of what lies ahead however I feel like the things you are describing are ALL things that are fixable with time and devotion, he is not at fault for any of these things. If you can rehabilitate him then PLEASE DO SO!!! He is a beagle though so being an outside dog with no perimeters (like a fence) will be dangerous for him and as you said possibly certain death. Can he not be an inside dog only unless you are walking him? The housetraining and chewing etc can all be worked through. You can either work on it yourself and/or get a trainer to help you but this dog deserves to live the life he could have had he been trained properly!