Someone I know has a rescue dog - castrated male, traditional gundog breed around 8 years old I believe.
She has had nothing but problems with it but will not discipline it. I don't think he gets an awful lot of attention / excercise all day as she is at work 8.30 - 5 with 45 minutes travelling either side and her husband does not like the dog.
It is getting her up at night with whining and she goes and sleeps downstairs on the sofa with it.
It has been to the vets several times already as it is scratching a lot due to anxiety. She is giving it all sorts of lotions and potions and is now going to try somethng called a 'thunder suit' - not something I am familiar with but apparently can somehow help to reduce anxiety??
She has not told the rescue centre (sml independant i think) of any problems as does not want to have to give the dog up.

What would you do in my situation? I don't really want to get involved but hate the thought of an obviously unhappy dog.

I'm not sure there is anything you can do.  Despite your best intentions I doubt she'd listen as the best advice might be to give the dog back to the rescue centre.  They are on a hiding to nothing if the husband is disinterested or unhelpful - is he home during the day?

If he works too then what on earth were the rescue centre thinking; homing a needy dog to a couple who work all day!!

What breed is he?  The scratching might be allergies rather than anxiety and they'll need 100% commitment to sort that out and a fair bit of cash as it's likely to be excluded as a pre existing condition.  I wouldn't put any clothing on a dog that is left at home alone so a thunder suit won't help and may even frighten him still further.  The poor lad needs plenty of exercise, good company and gentle support and training.  He won't need discipline as such but will need a good management programme with kind and consistent boundaries and house rules.  The feast or famine approach, offered by working owners, will simply exacerbate his problems.

I feel very sorry for the dog and I hope you can persuade them to act in his best interests but I fear they aren't the ones to help him

I know it is not your fault, so luckily my wrath is not aimed at yourself as you are just a concerned friend. :-)

The only advice I can give you is if I were a friend of this person I would be calling the rescue, the dog needs re-homing, it's needs are not being met at all. :-(

Why on earth did this person get a dog? A rescue dog at that which has lost it's previous owner, and is feeling unsure and needing attention just like a puppy would coming into a new home.

The husband does not like the dog............ great poor thing, not off to a good start is it? :-(

Your friend works 8.30-5pm, with 45 mins travelling time, in the morning your friend will be getting ready for work herself, having breakfast/shower/any early morning housework? Where does the dog get attention then?

Then when back from work between 5-6pm, it will be dinner/housework, attention to hubby and other social activities, a walk is probably the only time the dog gets to have any fun. I suppose your friend thinks a dog being in the same room is socialising with it.

Then she is off to bed and the dog is whining, I'd whine too, it has only had a few hours of someone being in the same house and it knows when she gets up in the morning it will be alone again, and not be getting enough exercise or time given to it.

The only question being asked is how to stop the dog whining, and being anxious and the possibility of a thunder suit, that won't sort out it's problems will it?

This dog needs a new home, I don't know how your friend ever got the dog in the first place, do the dog a favour and tell your friend she would be better getting a stuffed animal.

I know I'm being very tongue in cheek, but the dog deserves someone who can give it time and lots of exercise being a gundog.

I'm glad that you care enough to see what we think, but I honestly would be on to the rescue and asking them to call in for a follow up visit. :-)

The rescue centre may well not listen. How did they come to rehome to a family where the husband doesn't like dogs and seemingly both at work all day. It does not bode well for the rescue centre or the poor dog. I contacted the Guide Dogs Association when someone near here had lost his guide dog and had applied for another. The previous dog was kept in a very small area, not allowed in the proper garden as the wife & daughters didn't like dogs and refused to clear up after him. The dog was not in the living area with the family as they didn't like dogs and the blind person has no real need of a guide dog now so the new one won't even be out working much. I was told that there was no evidence of what I was saying when the GDBA did their home visits and no-one else had complained. I told them to try visiting without making an appointment first, then they would see how the dog was living. They ignored me and placed a replacement dog there: another to be disliked by the wife & daughters and shut away from everyone most of the time. Not any better off than the poor rehomed dog that you posted about. Just written this to illustrate that these organisations usually won't listen to members of the public who try to give advice with the best of intentions. I do hope you can persuade your friend to take him back.

Gem1802, you're a concerned friend - well done. You know your aquaintance and if you think she is not going to want to give the dog up, maybe you could help her think of something else. Could she place her dog with a sitter while she is out? Or at least, pay someone to call in and take it for a walk during the day? These strategies can work well. You could probably google for contacts in your area, or try the free papers, then try and talk it over with her.

Of course she may be regretting rescuing this dog if it was done on impulse, and she might think she has bitten off more than she can chew. In that case she may be amenable to taking it back to the rescue centre.

But try to have a chat, armed with a few ideas for her to try. Good luck.

Just to confirm this is a work acquaintance and not someone i know very well or for very long. She used to have a Spaniel and wanted one again but despite me trying to put her off with how much exercise it would need and lack of contact etc etc I came in after a long weekend to be told that she had a dog.
Now perhaps the rescue didn't check her out very well? They got the dog after it was castrated - probably about 2 days later.
It was clear from the start that her husband was not too keen. He is retired and home all day.
She won't let it off the lead as she is too scared that it will go off after a scent and she doesn't walk with any other dogs.

I'm sure the dog is fine, it is not being mistreated but maybe deserves a bit more?
I will try and suggest a dog walker to come in and take it out during the day?

I want to ring the rescue centre and tell them but perhaps hey won't care? 

>It was clear from the start that her husband was not too keen. He is retired and home all day.

Oh I see. I guess the rescue centre would think as there was someone in during the day that things would go OK, particularly if they'd had a Spaniel before so would come across as experienced dog owners. And the dog would have plenty of contact with the husband if he's home all day. Maybe they will settle down together?

I think my suggestion of a dog walker could be a bit wide of the mark if there's someone in all day. Perhaps your work acquaintance and her husband should sit down together and have a proper chat about what they really want.  It sounds like it would be difficult for you to advise under the circumstances of not really knowing them that well. Oh dear!

I will try and suggest a dog walker to come in and take it out during the day?

At least the husband is home so the dog is not left alone then, but why does the husband not walk the dog, does he have a mobility problem?

The dog is probably going up the wall if he has no mental stimulation, could you suggest the husband playing even a simple game of fetch and retrieve with a ball/dummy in the garden a few times a day to occupy the dog a little, the husband is ideal to do little training games with the dog it could be fun for them both and help them to bond, it would also distract the dog from any anxiety, it could be the dog is picking up on the husband not really wanting him there.

If worried about recall the hubby can work on that during the day, maybe also learn clicker or whistle control if willing.

It's all well and good getting a dog and the husband not being keen, but as he is the one home with him all day and as they now have him, he should work with your 'friend' and the dog, the dog is now family if staying and your friend needs to get him to throw himself into dog ownership.

Could you also suggest training classes these too would help them bond with the dog.

Blessing is at least he is castrated, she won't be worried about him getting up to no good if he ever does get a chance to get off that lead. :-) I would also suggest a longline to help with training him recall and other commands at least it will give him a little more freedom.

but why does the husband not walk the dog, does he have a mobility problem?

I don't believe so - I get the impression that he wants nothing to do with it??

I am going to try and talk to her today and see what she thinks of some of the ideas like a dog walker during the day or even some training classes with other dogs. She is physically unfit herself so can't imagine the walks she gives it being overly motivating or stimulating. I will suggest some games to play to use his brain. I will report back....

Theres nothing you can do OP except accept its probably your average pet owners dog living with its lot best it can.

what on earth were the rescue centre thinking; homing a needy dog to a couple who work all day!

I can only go off what I read on forums but that feedback is that all rescues have been full with waiting lists for years, if thats true for every dog kept in theres a dozen kept out, if they wait for what 'they' consider a suitable owner they would simply be holding each dog for months or years so more unwanted dogs unable to get into what are supposed to be overflowing, always full, rescues.

You are right my advice and trying to help has fallen on deaf ears.....
Has ordered the 'thunder jacket' and apparently if it dosen't work it can go back.

> Has ordered the 'thunder jacket' and apparently if it dosen't work it can go back.

The dog or the jacket?  Sounds like they are treating both as commodities...  Poor dog