In a quandary about re-homing a dog - help please

Boxers

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A friend has today asked me if I will take her dog. I already have 2 large dogs. I used to have 3 dogs and found it too much really. Not that when one died I was pleased though, I was devastated to lose that boy.

So now I feel mean because I have said I can't have this little dog.

The owner has had a baby and is not coping well. She wants the dog to go to someone she knows and doesn't want to put her in rescue (which I fully understand).

I don't know what to do - my hubby and my kids really want this dog, but I know that at the end of the day it's me who cleans up in the house after the dogs/kids and it's usually me that poo picks the garden. Although my hubby walks the dogs every day and we walk as a family at the weekend.

Will one more make such a difference? She is quite young - only 2 yrs old - so would probably learn the 'rules' in this house quite quickly - but I just don't know.

I guess I need to sleep on it.

Incidentally she is the same breed as the boy I lost last year which makes me kind of want her.
 
Well im not one to say...how many is to many....cos I have literally hundreds...lol
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You sound like what this little dog is seeking in a loving home...if u feel u could cope...why not
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Sleep on it and see how you feel then. We have 4 (which is one too many IMO), but I cope fine walking 'the pack', it was just easier with 3.
 
We had our eldest put down last December, which left us with two younger dogs. Two was bliss! Then my husband brought home a puppy. I find that three is definitely a crowd, two will work together to wind up the third, whereas two were buddies. Having three dogs again drives me nuts, I find I get very little enjoyment from them, three is a pain in the backside.
 
I have 4 and TBH it's no different from when I had 3. They are off the lead most of the time on walks and so long as they are all well behaved then you should be fine.
Sleep on it and see how you feel.
Maybe you could offer a trial period with the owner to see if it could work?
 
I have 5 and don't find it any different to having 4,3 or 2 but then we've always had at least 4 dogs in the house whilst I've been alive. Mum has 6.

I agree with claire1976, give it a trial period see how you go.
 
A trial period sounds a good idea - but I would feel mean if it didn't work and I had to return her. By which time they would have got used to not having her and will find it harder to have her back (?)
 
Breed wise I would love to have her. We lost a very precious boy of this breed last December.

But will she fit in? We have 2 dogs who are entire and she is entire too so would have to be spayed. On the whol my 2 like bitches, but try to fight boys. Not that we meet many other dogs because we live very rurally!
 
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have 5 and don't find it any different to having 4,3 or 2

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do they all live indoors?

This is one thing I'm concerned about - just having 3 wiggly bodies in the house and getting under our feet.
 
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Two was bliss

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Yes, when we had 2 it was fine and then we got a GSD puppy and all hell let loose!

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three is definitely a crowd

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The younger 2 started to pick on the older one and I felt sorry that he was kind of pushed out sometimes

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three dogs again drives me nuts, I find I get very little enjoyment from them, three is a pain in the backside.

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Exactly how I feel.

I think I know the answer now and will not be getting this girl - even though a little bit of me would like to have her - a bigger bit of me doesn't want another (3rd) dog.
 
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have 5 and don't find it any different to having 4,3 or 2

[/ QUOTE ]

do they all live indoors?

This is one thing I'm concerned about - just having 3 wiggly bodies in the house and getting under our feet.

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Yes all 11 of them - I still live at home you see so my 5 and mum's 6 have to live together. My 3 JRs have run of the house because they aren't much trouble and then the other 8 have the utility room and the conservatory - they take it in turns to come in, even the 2 pups. It's honestly not as chaotic as it sounds, and we only have that many because we show the HWV.

The 3 JRs were my first dogs, started with Millie and bred Mouse, who I sold but came back, then Jimmy from Millie's second litter. Then I started agility with Mouse and Stanley (HWV) so mum signed him into my name, then I got Bridget (HWV pup) who we weren't s'posed to keep but she's a bit of a miracle - we thought she wasn't going to make it as she was born VERY small!

Mum shows so that keeps our breed line going.

I wont have any more now, 5s plenty but they aren't any trouble.
 
2 of ours live outside - in a large heated shed with a dog flap onto the garden. They prefer to be out so that's not a problem. My other 2 live in, well in at night and our during the day. This is only because the old Dobie just spends all night barking in the shed and she hates the cold.
 
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