Rehoming a miniature smooth – Dexters’ Story.
Rehoming any dachshund can involve many twists and turns. some of our adopters find the first few weeks difficult as the new addition settles into their potential forever home.
Occasionally, after rehoming a dachshund, for all sorts of reasons, the dog does not meet the expectations of the family. What we’ve found though, is that with time and patience amazing results can be achieved and wonderful relationships developed.
This is how Dexter found his happy place after a difficult start.
Dexter is a miniature smooth who was rehomed initially at 6 months old due to serious separation anxiety. His new home was lovely, and his issues began to settle down after some hard work.
When a new baby arrived on the scene, however, Dexter’s anxiety returned and became more exaggerated as he began to show signs of aggression towards children and other dogs. It was clear he would have to move again, and his owners had to make the sad decision to surrender him back to the charity.
Whenever we rehome a dachshund, we make sure to match the needs of the dog with the environment of the new home. In Dexters’ case, this meant that his potential new home would have to be free from young children and other pets. This limited his options but eventually, a lovely couple was found.
The adoption had to be completed quickly as things were becoming increasingly difficult for everyone. Dexter was handed over to his new owners and their home check was completed at the same time, not the usual practice but this was an emergency.
Despite being made aware of Dexter’s history his new owners still faced some surprises.
They did not expect him to take a dislike to the man of the house, John (although we knew from his previous owners that Dexter was more used to female company!). They also believed, quite naturally, that walking Dexter was the natural thing to do, ensuring he was being exercised.
It was becoming a struggle and things weren’t really going to plan.
Their Dachshund Rescue coordinator recognised help was needed and so our behaviour trainer was asked to support the family.
She advised that they stop the walks and allow Dexter time to get used to his new home environment and to accept all that this involved, before bringing in any further factors. The support continued and hard work and dedication were required.
After 9 months there was great progress, and it was recognised that much of Dexter’s aggression came from being a scared little boy. His behaviour is still not perfect, but reassurance and love have been the key to helping Dexter gain confidence and to alleviate his fears.
There have been many difficulties with Dexter, but his new owners accept him for who he is and at no point would even consider giving him up. It is clear this dachshund has found his forever home and some very patient and understanding parents 💜💜💜
If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of needing to rehome your dog, for whatever reason, feel free to reach out to your local Dachshund Rescue coordinator. We have a UK-wide team. You’ll find their contact details here
