# So, I think I've figured it out...



## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

Kuso is about 7 months old now, maybe a little older. At 7 months old, both Amaya and Ryou weighed about the same as they do now, with only a few pounds difference (Ryou more so than Amaya). Right now, Kuso only weighs about 45 lbs. Now, I'm pretty darned sure that he has Rottweiler in him, but at 7 months old, and if he was Rottie x Aussie, he'd weigh a TON more, because Aussies be about 50-65 lbs, and Rotties should be about 95-130 lbs. So, I would think Kuso would be a LOT more than 45 lbs right now if he is a Rottie x Aussie mix. Anyways, so it's been bugging me to no end.

The other night, I was looking at pictures of border collies, and I found one that was almost shocking in comparison to Kuso. It had the EXACT same coat, the same tail (curve), and their average weight is about 30-45 lbs. 

So, I think that he is rottie x bc. He's got the shape and color of a rottie, the size and coat of a bc. XD And a mixture of their personalities. haha.

*sigh* Alas, though, I've decided that I'm not the perfect mama for him. :frown: I just get so frustrated by his stubbornness, and frustration is definitely not the way to handle any dog-related situation, and I'm not used to--nor ready--to own a dog that wishes to be dominant, and is really sneaky about his way of going around gaining dominance. Not only that, but with all the stress I'm going through right now, it just tacks on more to the frustration aspect... So I'm going to search for a new home for him. I am not doing this for myself, and it wasn't an easy decision. It's not because of the divorce, nor because of money. It's just because I simply don't get along with him, and I feel he doesn't deserve that. I'm definitely going to take my time searching, though, and I'm going to write up a full contract and find out how to make it binding and legal, and it's definitely going to include a food clause as well biggrin. I definitely want to find him the RIGHT home this time. I feel terrible that I didn't provide that for him... :frown:


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Border collies are normaly very intelligent and not that stubborn, however you want to rehome him make sure you have your mixes correct, Good luck!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

is this the dog you've had troubles with since getting him?


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

sorry to hear things are not working out with you and the pup! Good Luck finding him a wonderful home. :smile:


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

As much as I love dogs, in decades of living with them and working with them I've come to realize that I don't actually "love" every dog. Just like with people, there are personalities that just don't mesh, no matter how much you want them too. Certain breeds and people just don't live together well. Anyone who says they "love all dogs" just hasn't lived with enough! I will never be a labrador person which I found out AFTER adopting an adorable little lab puppy. There are a lot of people who could not possibly live with my Chows. 

There are owners out there that are meant for Kuso. Don't beat yourself up over it and just go find the right owner for him. And don't hesitate to get another pup someday, but get a breed you know you are comfortable raising.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Chowder said it perfectly. But there are even individuals from a breed that you like the most that you still won't bond well with, of course unless you raise it from a young puppy. I know this from doing foster work. I'm a Dane girl through and through but a few of the fosters that we had stay with us I just didn't bond well with, but they were Danes nonetheless. They were sweethearts but just not the right fit.

I've come to realize that adopting an adult dog is difficult because you have to find just the right dog to make the right fit. So many people jump into adopting dogs that need homes but then come to realize that it's not the best fit and the dog eventually gets rehomed. This is why with the Dane rescue the adoption process takes a few weeks to a month but returned dogs stays low and they stay in their forever home. 

Even within our own pack Im more attached to some of our girls than others, and it's because they're all individuals with different personalities.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I have to say that every breed definitely has its differences within itself, I have not bonded with our latest rescue Kenzie, but my husband has and he loves her and visa versa. We had put her on the Bull terrier website to be adopted out and I had recieved a few applications for her, after much consideration we had decided to keep her as 1. the above reason 2. she is a guarder, and will be aggressive towards other people on leash 3. It would be irresponsible of me to pass her issues off on someone else to deal with. So my husband is very happy and all is well as of right now in the household.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I'm sorry things with Kuso did not work out. I know you have put a lot of work and effort into making it work, and sometimes- rehoming is simply the best thing for everyone involved. Person, dog, new owner... 
I learned this with Chesney. There she was, this sweet, adorable puppy... that for whatever reason, I just resented more and more every day because no matter how much we tried, she did NOT feel like "my" dog and I did not love her like I do my own. We too struggled with the decision, but after 4 months of feeling like rehoming made me a terrible owner, so we just kept her because really we could afford her did not "have" to let her go... we did rehome her. There is more peace in my home, Annie is happier, I'm happier, my husband is happier, and she is the light of her new owner's life. Do I regret getting her? No. How else would she have found her way from Craigslist in Las Vegas, Nevada to her new owner in Park City, Utah? 

Rehoming is difficult when you actually care about your dogs- there is no doubt about that. But sometimes, it's just not a fit. You know it. Kuso knows it. He'll be happier in a more compatible home, and you will have done right by him.
*
Do not think of yourself as a failure or let down to Kuso... think of yourself as a necessary stepping stone from where he was, to where he needs to be, wherever that home may be. *


ETA: I will admit, I was mortified to come on here and admit the rehoming of some of my dogs. I thought, "oh my gosh, all these wonderful pet owners, and here I am, letting mine go to new homes, they are just going to think I am a terrible, terrible person!" I was so relieved when that was not the case. Only YOU know your situation. YOU know your dog's needs. YOU know if he'd be more suitable for a different home. We know you tried to work it out, sometimes... it's jsut not going to mesh no matter what you do.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

whiteleo said:


> Border collies are normaly very intelligent and not that stubborn, however you want to rehome him make sure you have your mixes correct, Good luck!


Oh, I'm not going to say for sure that he's border collie x rottie, because I know that I may be wrong. I will go with what I know, though, and tell the possible new owners everything that I possibly can about him, personality and history wise, and just what I THINK he could me a mixture of. For all I know, he could be, like, fifteen different breeds of dog, and possibly not even rottie (but this I highly doubt).




magicre said:


> is this the dog you've had troubles with since getting him?


Yeah, it is.




chowder said:


> As much as I love dogs, in decades of living with them and working with them I've come to realize that I don't actually "love" every dog. Just like with people, there are personalities that just don't mesh, no matter how much you want them too. Certain breeds and people just don't live together well. Anyone who says they "love all dogs" just hasn't lived with enough! I will never be a labrador person which I found out AFTER adopting an adorable little lab puppy. There are a lot of people who could not possibly live with my Chows.
> 
> There are owners out there that are meant for Kuso. Don't beat yourself up over it and just go find the right owner for him. And don't hesitate to get another pup someday, but get a breed you know you are comfortable raising.


I do love Kuso. He's a great dog, he really is. There are just certain things about him that I hate. I was never a big Rottweiler person to begin with, either. I knew that their personalities weren't really fitting for mine, because I'm a very easy going, fun-loving, spirited person, and that's exactly how the Sibes are.

I know that in the future I'll definitely get another dog. I don't know when, but I know it's not going to be the near, foreseeable future, considering it wouldn't be fair to bring a new dog into my current situation (with the divorce and all), and my parents would KILL me. I'll either go with the breed I know is tried and true, the Siberian Husky, or I'll take my time, sift through possible breeds, go to rescues/shelters, and I'll DEFINITELY spend time with the dogs I quite possibly want to get, and if I have ANY misgivings, it won't be the dog for me.





CorgiPaws said:


> I learned this with Chesney. There she was, this sweet, adorable puppy... that for whatever reason, I just resented more and more every day because no matter how much we tried, she did NOT feel like "my" dog and I did not love her like I do my own. We too struggled with the decision, but after 4 months of feeling like rehoming made me a terrible owner, so we just kept her because really we could afford her did not "have" to let her go... we did rehome her.


That is EXACTLY where I'm at right now. It was actually you who gave me hope for a better future for Kuso, because after I read your story, I started thinking about how much happier Kuso would be with someone else. I mean, he is happy here, but not as happy as he could be. You made me realize that it would make me MORE selfish to try and keep Kuso to prove that I'm not the kind of person to just abandon my animals, that it would be better for him. So, I really want to thank you for that.





CorgiPaws said:


> *
> Do not think of yourself as a failure or let down to Kuso... think of yourself as a necessary stepping stone from where he was, to where he needs to be, wherever that home may be. *


Perhaps I'm just the foster parent who's been working with him all of this time to get to know everything about him, and train some of the stubbornness out of him. I can tell you now that Kuso is a WHOLE different dog than when I first met him. But now that I've done my work, it's time to find that perfect place for Kuso.



You know, all of your words have made me realize that there is one good thing about adopting dogs, even if you don't know if they'll fit into your life. It IS just like fostering a dog, if you're absolutely willing to take the time it takes to find the perfect fitting family for them later on. I mean, Kuso could have been kept in that kennel for a couple more months (which I doubt, because he was a smaller puppy), unable to run freely for more than a few minutes a day. Or perhaps he would have been adopted by a family that would have left him chained up in the backyard and wouldn't have done the right thing by him? I'll just think of it that way, that I fostered him here in a home, with dogs and cats, and gave him the chance for a new, better life. He's still got 10-15 years ahead of him to be full of absolute joy.

And he really isn't a bad dog at all. He listens for the most part, he's extremely intelligent, picks up commands like NOTHING. He's VERY happy-go-lucky. He is protective of his surroundings (started barking and growling at Adam one morning after he got up to leave, and started barking and growling once at 3:00 in the morning when I had the front door open still without realizing it. Never knew whether anyone was out there or not, but definitely felt safer with Kuso there). He does have a LOT of redeeming factors to him. The protective aspect of him, I'll for sure miss, especially being a single woman, living alone...but with those protective genes come the ones that I don't like, so I'll definitely avoid it in the future. He loves people, loves attention, never refuses food, etc., etc.



Again, thank you guys for all of your support. I don't think I'll find Kuso a home anytime REAL soon, but I'll definitely be looking. Any suggestions on where I should start? Like, sites (other than CraigsList, because I'm kinda shifty about posting ads there about him) and whatnot.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Talk to some of the rescue groups in your area. The place that I got Rocky from has a page on it's site where owners can post their own animals that are not actually being fostered, but have a home and need a new home. The rescue groups also gets many more people applying then they have dogs for, so they will have a lot of people on file and might be able to put you in touch with someone. At least, that is how it is here.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

chowder said:


> Talk to some of the rescue groups in your area. The place that I got Rocky from has a page on it's site where owners can post their own animals that are not actually being fostered, but have a home and need a new home. The rescue groups also gets many more people applying then they have dogs for, so they will have a lot of people on file and might be able to put you in touch with someone. At least, that is how it is here.


Actually, I think I may just get in contact with ABC Rescue. It's a local Australian Shepherd/Border Collie rescue that I know for sure has listings on its site that aren't their own. Thank you soooooo much for the great idea!!! XD


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