Difficult decision - what do i do?

[Lisa_fmh]

I have 4 cavalier king charles spaniels, & one of them, Zara, who i have had since 2000, has started to be bullied by the others. She has some health problems like Epilepsy & dry eye which she has had a while but is controlled & i think that is the reason the others have started being nasty to her. It is not all the time but i don't like to leave them alone together which is becoming increasingly difficult. Its almost as if they don't want her as part of their 'pack' anymore.
Someone suggested trying to find Zara a home, but the way i look at it is who would want an unhealthy dog which costs about £8.00 a week just for her medications (could probably get it cheaper from other sources with a prescription but i have never gone down this way). She is only 8 so she has got a good few years in her yet & she is such a loving dog so would make someone else a lovely pet, but i just don't know what to do.
Just wanted someone else's opinion as to whether they think someone would be willing to take her on, with her problems & costs. I would never take her to the RSPCA, i would want to know where she is & that she is in a loving home.

 

[Tia]

An older, retired person may be interested in having her as their pet. If she is a good dog then they may not care about the £8 per week vet bills. Generally most dogs who are good, can be rehomed, the problem is finding that special person. Is there any way that you could managably keep them living separately within your home? Or is this not what you want?

 

[Lisa_fmh]

Thats a good idea, yes she is as good as gold & such a sweet dog, it wouldn't be impossible for me to keep them all, living seperately, but i feel she deserves better than that. Thanks

 

[Maesfen]

Are the ones doing the picking older or younger than her? Either way, they need a good sorting out before an accident happens to Zara. Is there just one dominant or do they all gang up? If it's just one, I'd be looking at either rehoming the ring leader not Zara, keeping that apart from everyone else or the four dogs in pairs or at worse, pts. You can't have a fighter in a pack; neither the other dogs or you get any pleasure or peace in their company and everyone becomes a bag of nerves which becomes a viscous circle and defeats the object of having dogs as pets.
Hope you get it sorted, it's very hard to think of much worse than having an old lady picked on, she doesn't deserve that.

 

[prose]

Get in touch with Cavalier rescue and get them to help out. Last year, my friend adopted an eight-year-old BT who had been kept her whole life in a cage (puppy mill rescue), so don't despair--there are plenty of breed enthusiasts out there very willing to adopt an older dog.

 

[Galupy]

How long has it been going on? Have you tried working with a behaviorist/trainer to see if the problem can be fixed? I wouldn't rush to rehome any of them without trying other options first, especially if they have lived together fine in the past.

 

[Tia]

I agree with Woof that this could be an option to try before doing anything drastic.

Woof; your signature is at least 1 picture too long for the size of signatures we are allowed on here.

 

[Acolyte]

As someone else has suggested, go to Cavalier rescue - or back to the breeder - if they are reputable/responsible then they will want to help you out with potential re-homing.

I must say that I find the idea of Zara being bullied rather odd - it is not usual cavalier behaviour at all, in any way - Mum has bred them for 25 years plus, has always had quite a few at a time, and I have never known of any which have been bullied by the others

 

[Galupy]

Oops, thanks Tia. How's that?