A sad Dippy update

[Rana]

Hi all

Some of you may have been following the AAD rehoming of Dippy the border collie.

He came to me last Saturday, and he is fab! Very quiet, calm, just likes to sit/lie next to you, or play with a ball.

Sadly he didn't get on with the existing residents (namely Poppy and 2 stroppy cats), so we made the tough decision to take him back to Cayla We took him back on Saturday

It was a horrible decision to make, I so wanted to give him a good home I was in pieces when I emailed Cayla to tell her. In fact, I'd almost decided to give her the other animals as well, and take up knitting

Poppy really does rule the roost - she spent 2 days trying to intimidate him (which he was cool about - he just ignored her), then 3 days sulking and being very depressed. By Friday night she was trying to take chunks out of him, even when he was minding his own business. She just wouldn't interact, not even out on a walk. Very strange as she normally loves to play and walk with other dogs.

And the cats just refused to come out from under the bed - they're used to dogs, but I think he was just too big for them to cope with. It wasn't really fair on them, I was hoping they'd take to him in the same way they did Poppy - a day or 2 of stropping and puff balling, then back to normal. But they just weren't coping at all well.

I feel terrible - like I've let him down, and Cayla, and that was the last thing I wanted to do But ultimately, I had to put the others first, and I think it will work out better for Dippy in the long run - he will find a better home with a bigger house and a nicer garden.

So if anyone's thinking about rehoming a collie, he is brilliant, excellent recall, polite and clean in the house, has some training (sit/down/in yer bed etc) and will fetch a ball for hours on end

 

[mollichop]

Oh Rana, i'm sorry to read this, such a shame but you mustn't beat yourself up about him going back, sounds like you gave him a chance and as you say you have your existing animals to consider.

It took a while for mine to adjust when Pads and Hector were added to the mix but did accept each other in the end. For a while though I thought i'd made the biggest mistake.

It may have settled down in time, but i'm sure he will find a great home elsewhere. How are Poppy and the cats now? has normal service been resumed?

 

[MardyMare]

Dont feel bad its for the good of all of them. I have 2 dogs that wont get on and a third who gets on with both but its a nightmare having to keep 2 of them separated all the time as they try rip each other part but I cannot bear to part with either of them. I have tried all the advice given and bar getting a professional in not sure what else to do so I totally understand. x

 

[Rana]

Thanks both I did think about keeping them separated permanently, but we have a tiny house and it just wasn't practical

Poppy is now back to her normal self, and big bruiser cat too. Little feeble princess cat is still being princess-ish though, looking round with *that* look on her face. I think she'll get over it - it took her 24 hours to come out from under the bed after Dippy left, but she seems fairly normal now, just wary.

I knew it would take time for them to adjust to each other, and if I'd seen any signs of improvement, I would have tried for longer. But with things getting worse rather than better, I thought it was best to call it a day before any injuries, and before Dippy or I got too attached to each other

 

[2Greys]

That's a shame, but you can't always tell how these things will work out so you shouldn't feel bad. It sounds like you've done the right thing by all pets to ensure their well being even if its been hard on you.