Pollux needs a new home (Florida - USA)

[draggar]

My wife and I have come to the very difficult decision that we need to re-home Pollux. While we love having him here, my wife needs to make room for Kiri's replacement as a service dog (Kiri is going to be 5 later this year and it takes about 2 years to train a service dog) plus we are expecting a GSD litter in about 7 weeks plus a possible vlcak litter this winter. Unfortunately we won't have the time or energy for him.

He is intact and we have his FCI papers and he is UKC registered (I think he is - we did show him in a UKC show cluster this weekend).

If you know someone who would like to adopt him please shoot me or my wife (Luna's Mom) a PM.

[tupacs2legs]

poor Pollux

why have so many puppies? why not concentrate on the dogs u already have?

[draggar]

We're looking for a very good home for him, we're not just going to hand him off to anyone. This is also part of the reason why he's here - him being with us for the time we had him was beneficial to him.

As for the litters - the GSD litter is to see if we can get a puppy to replace Kiri as Sara's backup service dog (or the primary, that depends a lot on Luna, too, who is doing well with her SD training). We're also hoping to get 1-2 more puppies out of that litter for my wife's service dog organization.

The vlcak liter is not etched in stone yet, its just a possibility. We still have a lot of time to see how Luna develops and we want to work with our breeder to find the best possible mate for her if one is available.

Pollux washed out of the SD training due to his unpredictability. Most of the time he did great in his training but unfortunately most of the time can't cut it when someone is relying on him for mobility.

We are hoping to find someone local (south Florida) so he's still around for the occasional playdate with Luna and some competition in the show ring (he's stunning now - I'm sure the next UKC cluster he'll beat Luna).

[Rona]

Have you already contacted Pollux's breeder? Most reliable breeders get involved in the re-homing of 'their' pups. Crying Wolf is a big kennel exporting pups to many destinations, so Edit probably has good contacts in various parts of the world. I'd start by contacting her and seeking her advice.

[yukidomari]

Isn't your friend Ms. Mullaly (sp?) Pollux's co owner? Won't she take him back? What is Pollux 'unpredictable' about?

[Vaiva]

Poor Polux... Sorry, but I don't understand this kind of possition. Well, sometimes dogs grow up different when we expect them to, but is it really a reason to get rid of him?... Dogs should be family members, especially if they are as social as CzW are...

Originally Posted by yukidomari

What is Pollux 'unpredictable' about?

I know Draggar's already talked about this, but I just want to point out that while it's very sad that something as "small" as a dog being skittish or reserved on a leash can be a problem, with something as important as actual work for a dog, it's enough to wash a dog out of a program entirely. Of course you only hear stories of fantastic dogs helping the blind, disabled, etc, that have perfect temperaments and all that, but what you DON'T typically see are the number of dogs that wash out of those programs at various stages. Once it's known that a dog won't be able to be used as a reliable service dog, larger organizations have rescue systems in place with waiting lists a mile long to adopt the dogs that don't make it. This case is similar, only it's just one family doing the work, so they don't have a network already in place with homes lined up around the corner. It takes a really strong character in a dog to be able to work all day long and take everything in stride, and while I'm sure Pollux will make a fantastic pet, he obviously would be miserable if he were asked to work all day.

I'm sorry you guys are having to rehome Pollux, and I wish there were a way I could help! If situations were different here, and I lived closer, I would snatch him up in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, it's just impossible for us to take on another dog right now. Good luck finding him a good home!

[Tazer]

Hope Pollux finds a new home soon. *Sighs* if only I lived closer.

[Tazer]

Ref service dogs

It depends on what exactly the dog is being trained to do and how much the dog is relied on.

For example Nyle my own service dog was originaly matched to someone else. On the initial meeting however, it was decided that he wasn't suitable for that person the main reason being hiw querks.

For a man with set ideas as to what his dog should/shouldn't do, a dog with a strong left hand preference, a dislike of right turns, a temperament which is on the nervous side and the odd psycho motor seizure, wasn't going to work.

So they offered him to me instead, clearly explaining what his issues were, though the seizures were something that appeared after I got him. Whilst he's not my first dog, he's my first service dog, obviously they thought I could handle him.

He has improved given time and encouragement but no, he isn't always the easiest dog to work with. However, I knew this when I took him on.

Perhaps Pollux could still be a service dog, just to someone who is 'less disabled' and or can/is prepared to work with/tolerate the querks for want of a better word.

[draggar]

Pollux could make a good emotional support dog (in a nutshell they just need to be a loving and good dog - he's got the loving part down! ).