[Ladygrey]

Hi there everyone 

Long story short, Its been a difficult decision to come to, as I used to think I was good with all dogs and could train them with love and kindness but I have come to a brick wall with Jim, I have let him down and he is letting my whole life down... I have to find Jim a home, he is driving me to a nervous wreck and I cannot cope

I know that the breeder said to advertise him but I dont know how to honestly create an advert, and then what if he gets passed around from person to person and doesnt find a good home 

I have googled and googled and for some reason just cannot find any Golden Retriever rescues, only labrador rescues, if anyone knew of a contact for me I would be very greatful

Thankyou in advance

Jess

[Caroline1]

I'm surprised the breeder is not willing to take him back. Sorry don't know of any dedicated retriever rescue but surely the lab ones can help.

I believe the best chance of a rehome is honesty so he is taken on by someone that can do right by him.

What are the issues with the dog?

[Caroline1]

Ah just saw your other thread has it all gone downhill again?

[doganjo]

The Breeder should take him back!  Failing that there is a list of the Breed Clubs on the Kennel club website (see below) - choose one  nearest to you - they almost all will have a rehoming coordinator, as most breed clubs have.  They are not always separate organisations.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/findaclub/breed/list.aspx?id=2048

[Ladygrey]

Yes in theory the breeder should take him back, but she refuses to and refuses to give my money back
so I cant exactly go and dump him on her door step...

Jim is still difficult and is not improving, he is a nightmare around the farm and he is not a good farm dog
not a single one of my fences can keep him in, strained stock wire is no match, he does not jump but he will bend and attack the wire, break the wire, squeeze through any gap or dig underneath, so therefore I have to put him in the house

When I put him in the house he has no manners and doesnt care a toot about anything, he will steal food off the table and counters, from your hand even, he will pick up and destroy anything other than food aswel, shoes, boots, clothing, carpet, kitchen cupboards the list goes on

So therefor I cannot leave him in the house, I am trying to keep him in the garden to no avail, I cannot have him with me full time, its impossible, so if I leave him for 5 secs he vanishes, three days ago he pushed through a stock wire and barbed wire fence and spent 20 mins chasing my ewes with lambs, he will kill a hen if it walks past him, I have no doubt that he is playing but this is too much now, he is driving me insane

I cant take him with me on a lead as he is too strong and he destroys my car....

The last two days he is now having to be kept on a chain when I am not able to watch him 24/7 (as he chews through rope) this isnt the life he needs, he needs better than this, he needs a home where he is the only dog, with a fenced in (solid fence not wire) garden away from livestock and he needs either a very dominant person who wont be upset by any of his rubbish or who can show him who is the boss, he is very very head strong and he dominates other dogs, he guards food and toys from other dogs aswell

Now how do I put an advert up for that kind of dog?? haha impossible really

Thankyou will contact the breed club

[SallyintNorth]

I'm sure you're right and the breed soc is the place to start.  From what you've said before, all Goldie people have said to you that yes, Goldies are like that!  So presumeably his behaviour won't phase a Goldie person.

they manage to find the right home for him - and that this experience, whilst it's bound to make you more cautious, doesn't dent your confidence irrevocably

[NicandChic]

Could try here https://www.facebook.com/groups/542166672527186/?ref=ts&fref=ts hope they can help!

[in the hills]

Sorry LK that things haven't worked out   

Seem to remember that Jim is only a young 'teenage' dog ..... hopefully the rescue will assess him and find a suitable home. He has probably missed out on some lessons as a youngster and now needs a firm hand to get him back in line. Male retrievers can be very headstrong and test boundaries and they are strong powerful dogs that take some handling physically if they get the idea that they are boss. Flat Coats can be just the same.

He probably needs constant, no- nonsense supervision.

Agree with others to try the breed society for help. 

[Old Shep]

How old is Jim?  He sounds like just a pup.  He will only know the manners that you have taught him, and if he still does not know his manners you need to teach him a different way.  Are you thinking he has been born bad?  Sorry but this country is full of dogs abandoned by their owners because they haven't bothered to put in the training. He is a young dog - train him, get help to train him,  or get the breeder to take him back.  Don't expect your money back - why would they refund you??? He is not in need of rescue. Dogs on deaths door in the pound are in need of rescue, not dogs who need training. Sorry to be quite terse and blunt, but when you spend time helping in rescue somehow you lose your tact and subtlety.....  If you take up a rescue space for him ,a pound dog will die - FACT.

[Kitchen Cottage]

 

Hi, so sorry you are going through this.  I had a problem about 10 years ago with a very dominant show cocker spaniel I had Paddy.  He had failed drug dog training and had 5 homes in a year.  He seemed untrainable and I DEFINITELY couldn't train him.

I send him here http://www.royvon.co.uk/ on my vets advice.  They were smaller then and only in Methyr Tydvil, it was basically doggy boot camp where they trained him all day every day and "reprogrammed" him.  It worked for him and was definitely worth it because I couldn't have rehomed him as he was.

It WAS expensive and he was eventually rehomed with a neighbour anyway (because he was a lapdog and likes to sit on a chair all day) but if you had the money and were willing to spend it I would certainly give them a call.  They were very helpful on the phone before I committed and very good at explaining their process.

Paddy is now 11 and lives in Devon (his owners having moved on retirement), without Royvon I would have had to put him to sleep.

[in the hills]

Obviously it's impossible to say without seeing him but the behaviour described seems to be the behaviour that many young male retrievers might show if they had been allowed to get 'out of hand' or however you might wish to describe it. I don't think from the brief description that it sounds like problematic 'dominant' behaviour that would warrant being PTS or making this dog unable to be rehomed or necessarily need 'boot camp'! 

'Love and kindness' are really important in training but not the only thing. I will be totally honest and say that I couldn't train my Flattie with just 'love and kindness'. Some young male retrievers simply need to know that what you say goes .... full stop. Several people have come to fuss my Flattie and said that they had to give up their young males because they couldn't handle them. They loved them but just couldn't control them. These problems are not that unusual for young males as they hit adolescence.

Old Shep, I know what you are saying but can also imagine how difficult day to day activities could be with an unruly dog and LG seems to be stuggling. 

I don't know anyone in your area LG but you could try a gundog trainer ..... even if your Jim is show/pet line and even if you have no intention of working him they would know how to get him under control around stock and how to get Jim to a good level of obedience. They would help you to gain respect from him.

[Kitchen Cottage]

In fairness ITH's.... I have spaniels and have had a sprollie.  My dogs have always been so keen to please they've trained themselves.

I can only go on my own experience.  I couldn't deal with Paddy (and I tried) and they could.

My blindies however (old abused and blinded) have to be retrained with only positive affirmation as they turn into gibbering wrecks with only a harsh word. 

That doesn't mean it takes 2 months for Luca to learn that "out" means leave the sitting room and have his actually comply....

[in the hills]

Totally agree KC.  'Some' dogs can be trained with 'only positive affirmation' and a more harsh approach would cause more problems than it cured. I have a young working lab here, nothing bad has ever happened to her, but I don't even need to use a 'harsh' word when training her .... in fact I have to think long and hard about her training so that she hardly ever goes wrong and all is positive. She is 'upset' by cross words. Her breeding is such that she is very biddable .... possibly too biddable. Very eager to please.

Just saying that Jim may simply be a young dog that needs strong handling and rules. My Flattie would have behaved in similar ways to Jim and my young lab would still take food off the counters if I didn't keep an eye on her and since she is very greedy would possibly take food from your hand/ off your plate if she didn't know she would be in trouble for it.

I haven't looked at the site you posted and if it worked for you and Paddy that is great. You said that it was 'expensive' and thought that a gundog trainer may be less expensive and able to deal effectively with Jim's behaviour (if it is just headstrong young dog antics). My father trained gundogs but also trained other breeds where people were experiencing 'obedience' issues. Usually it is a stage in growing up and sorted fairly easily over a few months with a consistent approach .... of course it could be something more serious but good handlers/trainers would spot a real problem fairly quickly. 

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Not sure if this will be any help at all but it does cover your area.
They also have a contact telephone number listed (for the Berkshire area) for one of their coordinators. Maybe close enough to you for them to be able to come out and assess Jim for you in conjunction with your thoughts about an appropriate new home for him? And it talks about 'rehoming' dogs as well as those who might need 'Rescue'.

http://www.goldenretrievers.co.uk/application/rescue/?iClubId=1

Wishing you all the best.

[Jukes Mum]

Do you think he could be trained as a gundog? He sounds driven and maybe a career is what the boy needs. There is a group on Facebook for Gundogs for Sale and obviously you can visit potential homes from him and make sure you are happy with his new home.
Not that my opinion counts for anything, but I think you are doing the right thing. It sounds as though neither you, or Jim, or indeed Tully, are happy and dogs are supposed to be a pleasure. Someone will get great pleasure out of Jim. You have no need to feel bad that it is not you x
I can understand Old Sheps frustration re a rescue centre, but you should be able to rehome him privately, or through organisations such as mentioned by Oops.