Breeding English Bulldogs since 2009
01/20/2025
Re homing an Adult dog:
I wanted to create a post for pet buyers wondering why a breeder may be rehoming an adult dog. Most of us at some point have seen the sad humane society posts, we have heard about puppy mills, pet hoarding and we have also heard about breeders who “dump” their dogs as soon as those dogs can no longer make money.
And while those things absolutely do happen, when reputable breeders are choosing to occasionally re-home an adult dog- they are not doing so for any of those reasons. Most breeders take weeks, sometimes months to make the decision to occasionally re-home. We often cry when we eventually find the dogs a new home but smile on the inside knowing we have taken the time to screen potential homes- going through adoption forms, phone interviews some even conducting home checks and checking references. We try to choose the very best match for the dog’s personality and the new family's lifestyle and are prepared to take the dog back- at any point in their lives should something change.
Like pet homes, our dogs are a part of our family. But in order for us to continue to breed- and believe you will find breeders in this group who have been breeding 10 years, 15 years, even more than 20 years, we can’t keep all of the dogs- because we know that our dogs deserve to be spoiled and loved, deserve to eat premium foods, get groomed regularly, require proper vet care and need one on one attention- and we know when we occasionally make the decision to rehome a dog we are doing so knowing these things and knowing that while our love may be boundless our ability to care properly for our dogs is limited. We make the decision to re-home a dog for many reasons. Sometimes a dog is “retiring” from our breeding home and is still young and many years of love to give their new families. Other times a dog didn’t quite meet the confirmation standards we are hoping to breed for or personality doesn’t jive with the other dogs in the home and would be a better match in a one or two dog home. The dogs that are being rehomed aren’t typically “bad” dogs- in fact, some of our best dogs end up in loving forever pet homes because we know that they will transition easier than others.
But don’t be sad for these dogs- because I can tell you we have had some of them go on to do amazing things and I am sure other breeders can tell you similar stories. We have had retired adults go on to be therapy dogs, emotional support dogs, companions to the retired couples and companions to busier people who appreciated all the time, training and love these dogs had before going to them. We get Christmas cards from families who realize the blessing these dogs are for them and we sometimes get surprised with visits. In short- when you see a breeder re homing a dog- know that a good breeder is not making the decision lightly and is trying to make the best choice for the dogs.
-Copied from a breeder friend ❤️
