How do I know if I should rehome my puppy?
The sudden loss of freedom and lifestyle restrictions of raising a young dog can trigger deep emotional distress and resentment, even when you are already attached. Constantly worrying about how the puppy impacts your life, your schedule, or other pets makes it difficult to see a winning scenario, leaving many torn between guilt and the desire to rehome while the dog is still young.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1having a roommate let the puppy out during the day
- 2rehoming the puppy back to the breeder
- 3relying on the older dog to defend herself and teach the puppy discipline
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m kind of stuck and wanted to get some advice on my 4.5 month old puppy.”source ↗
“I’m a fairly independent person and I think the loss of freedom is hitting me pretty hard, I know it will get better as she ages but I think a part of me will always resent how much my life needs to revolve around her despite how attached I’ve become.”source ↗
“I’m kind of at a loss and have been crying on and off all weekend, I don’t think there’s really a “winning” scenario. What would you do?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to tell if stray kittens need to be rescued
- 33How do I know if getting another pet is a mistake?
- 2How to bring an outdoor cat inside when family objects or you have pets
- 4Why do I resent my dog after having a baby?
- 4How to find a home for a found kitten
- 5Why are pet rescue adoption requirements so invasive?