Rehoming Megan has gone terribly wrong, advice please

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filly190

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As per my post yesterday, I bathed Megan, got all her stuff together and Russel had arranged to come between 8 - 8.30.

We sat and waited which was terrible and at 9pm still no sign of him. I tried his mobile but it was switched off. I get pacing and crying and by 10.30pm knew by then he was'nt coming.

I got up this morning (Sunday) to do the horses and walk Megan and found a note attached to my gate. It had rained a lot in the night and the note was dry. It was a scribble saying that he had second thoughts, had come to the gate the night before and that Megan had not recognised him or made a fuss.

Now I had Megan in the house with me from 7.30 onwards as I wanted her nice and clean and the note would not have survived the rain. So I think he fibbed about coming last night as I was window watching and pacing. He put his telephone land line number on the note and asked me to ring him. I tried the number and he had missed a digit!!

I could have tried to get in touch through mutual friends, but decided against it.

Now I am back to square one and worried sick. My family and friends are rallying around and when I move to my new house on Friday one friend has offered to fence the garden immediately. Its long and thin with only 2.6" old wooden boards which she could easily jump.

I wont have many pennies, so firstly what is the cheapest way of effectively dog proofing a long thin garden?

My mum has suggested asking the next door neighbour to do a dog walking service, she is apparently off work sick for a long time suffering from a nervous break down. She has a dog and walks all the time, but her dog is frightend of others. Behind the house is an 8 mile bridle path, so distance to good walking is not a problem.

I had also thought, and what do you think - when the weather cools down, I am a rep and have a people carrier, do you think in more dog friendly weather I could take her out and about with me, and keep stopping for breaks and walks? The longest I am at one place is an hour.

Any other ideas and suggestions would be greatly received, after this huge let-down I dont really know what else to do.
 
What an odd way to behave. I'm a great believer in fate and it seems this man was not meant to have her, and thank god he didn't take her if his mind is that easily changed.

If you can't afford to fence all the garden to start with why not fence it halfway with 6 ft panels, which I think is the cheapest way, then just extend the fence when you can afford it. You could put a gate in to allow you into the second half.

Lots of people do take dogs out with them to work - our local RSPCA inspector has her dog in the van with her all the time and I often see her hopping over stiles to run the dog in between calls. I would worry a bit about her security if she was left in the car as people aren't past nicking dogs from cars but you could take extra care there too, There will be ways to make her happy and you're obviously putting some thought into options. A combination of dog walker/house sitter and taking her with you perhaps?

I do hope you manage to work it out. xx
 
I'm sure there will come a time when you will thank him for not turning up; it wasn't meant to be and she was meant to stay with you!
If all you are really worried about is leaving her at home for any length of time, then the idea of taking her travelling with you is a good one (good security too I would imagine, you might know she's as soft as butter but others won't!) As long as you can give her comfort breaks say when you come back to the car, then she won't come to any harm and she will love to be with you so much more, you will get an even stronger bond. A friend does the same with her lurcher; he's only a young dog but is perfectly happy to curl up asleep and wait for her to come back (she sneaked a look at him from an office window and he was spark out on the back seat even though there were lads playing football near the car!)
I know how much you were dreading her going, perhaps this would be the best solution all round.

As for fencing, if what is there is sound, what about as a quick and cheapish solution, putting some mesh/chicken wire/chain link or even trellis, on top of it to give you more height? An alternative could be to make a small piece of the garden near the house into a dog safe pen which she could have free rein to when you're not there or can't be out in the main part of the garden with her (I take it, she wouldn't jump out if you were with her?)
I do hope you can work around this and stay together. Good luck.
 
Can I just add, if she isn't already, I'd recommend having her chipped, possibly tattooed and always wearing a collar and name tag, just as a further safety net while she is travelling with you. It will also help if you are new to your neighbourhood if by any chance she does escape at any time.
 
Okay well in light of what has happened and the fact that I am a firm believer in fate - this all happened for a reason! You definitely have to keep her now I think.

Can you get some 6ft fence panels? Can you put a dog flap in your back door? Will Megan be happy to be left alone for the length of time you are at work under these conditions? If so then wonderful - she will be able to go outside whenever she chooses to. Alternatively you could either use the neighbour, or find a dog-walking service for her.

Best of luck - I know exactly what you have just gone through as the same happened to me when I was rehoming one of our dogs before we moved out here. In my case, the woman apparently "forgot" to come and see her; phoned me about 3 hours after the time she was supposed to be at my house and actually expected me to allow her to come the following day to meet my dog....no way! I found the best possible home for her a few days later.
smile.gif
 
The fencing is weak, wooden and old one side and the other is mesh with lots of overgrowth which she could easily knock down and jump.

I have just had an email from my friend and they have a load of rounded fencing posts going spare and suggested that with them, strong mesh and a top rail it would be cheaper than wood. I have trawling the internet looking at wooden fencing panels and they are expensive, to just buy the materials for the garden would be aprox £1500!! and then labour, concrete and under boards another expense.

If the mesh can be secured into the ground and staked they said this could work.

Thanks everyone for your support, it has been a terrible time and this has been the straw that broke the camels back, I was so organised and coping (trying to be brave) until now.

I could'nt leave her for such long hours, I would have to take her with me (but not during this hot weather) and organise neighbours, dog walker etc etc.

Short term, the garden is going to take some doing, the old owner kindly pulled down a green house and has left me with glass all over, which until the deal goes through this Friday (exchange and complete same day horror in the chain) I dare not spend time on the property just in case it goes wrong.

So getting back to short term - the weather is simply too hot to take a dog out in a car all day and leave her for an hour at a time. As yet I have only briefly met the neighbours and getting to know them enough to ask for help is a while away.

I have from Wednesday this week off to the following Wednesday, then its back to work. Not a lot of time to sort things out. Perhaps I should not have put all my eggs in one basket, but this the Megan rehoming has been happening for the past three weeks and I was certain of Russel - still you live and learn.

Yes you are all right and fate has had its hand. I love her dearly and feel glad to keep her. Where theres a will theres a way.

Any ideas for short term? Or avenues, places I could try to find a dog walker.
 
I would try the dog walking service, perhaps contact the local vet. OR what about one of those big dog pens about £300 I think for short term/when you're not there?
tbh I couldn't imagine rehmoing my dog, but have to leave her for uni and can only imagine how hard it will be, although she is well and happy with family.
What about a companion?
 
Would one of these be of any use to you for the short term?

http://www.petplaypads.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3_35

Or perhaps you could build this with chain link fencing for much cheaper? Look in the local papers to see if there is a dog-walking service in your area. Fingers crossed that this all comes together for you.....have to say the neighbour sounds like your best bet here (if she is nice). She would likely enjoy earning a few pennies each day to take Megan out for a couple of walks.
 
A woman who used to work with my OH kept her dogs in the car while she was in work - she had the windows tinted so it didnt get hot in the car.

The problem with the fencing is unless its done propely she could get over or under it I presume? Otherwise Id suggest if you have hard standing, I work for a company that sells metal fence panels (the mesh type) which can be put into a rubber foot and coupled together to make a pen the sides of which are 2M high so she wouldnt jump out - the panels are 3.5m long so the pen (with 4 sides) would obv be 3.5m squared
If you want any details PM me as you may be able to pick up some cheap fencing that would do for now. the sets are only about £20 each. It might be totally unsuitable but we have had many people come in to buy the panels for use in dog runs etc.
xx
 
Have you thought about a freedom fence? Your dog wears a collar which warns her where the boundary is and, after proper training which does not take long, she WILL not cross it. I would suggest if you are away for long periods of time you have slightly more secure fencing for her and for you peace of mind but these "fences" are much cheaper than convential Rottie proof fencing. I feel for you because I have two Rotties and know how I would feel if I were in your postion.
 
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Any ideas for short term? Or avenues, places I could try to find a dog walker.

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Even though you're not moving until Friday could you pop down and put a card in the local shop asking about dog walking or house sitting, or there are pet sitting services advertised in our yellow pages but not sure about where you are, or there are often dog walkers advertised at the vets or they may know of someone reliable.

Fencing is not cheap I know. It cost me £3,000 to fence in my last garden! Not sure mesh is the answer as it's not that cheap and won't last very long at all. Any chance you could put up a shorter fence yourself, say 5 panels long, just as a temporary measure, or get the friend in your orginal post to do it? You should be able to do a 6 foot, 5 panel by 4 panel fence with posts and concrete for about £350 if you have the time or some sympathetic friends. Then you can move the end panels down when you can afford it. How big is the garden?
 
I dont know the measurements of the garden, so I will try and guess. Its a long thin plot of about quarter acre. I think your idea is really good, doing it in stages. My dad has estimated about the £3k mark to do it well and make sure it lasts. My friend is a joiner and says the price of wooden fencing has gone through the roof, when he quotes for jobs they are putting in a disclaimer to say the price may increase at any time.

I understand that shelling out for a quick fix which does not last long term can be money wasted. I need to get there as I havent been to see the house for weeks and get an action plan together double quick. I do have a budget of money I can spend on the garden, but it does not stretch to £3k.

Your idea of doing a large pen is good. I am going to try very hard not to have Megan left for hours and am going to put some cards etc up locally to see what comes of it. Down the road is a big vets and it may be worth a card in there and a visit to see them.

Thanks so much everyone.
 
I take my dog to work every day. I have a landrover Discovery with a dog guard in and I leave the back door open (taken the fuse out for the internal lights).

I'm lucky though as I'm allowed to let him out and he can come into the office too.

Your only worry is weather really, but I agree with the tinted windows or you cut put a sheet up at the window if you can't afford tinting.

I'm sure it will all work out so don't worry too much
 
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