Difficult decision to make
 We always figured we were offering our dog quite a good life. As we have our office in-house he is rarely longer than a few hours alone. Most of the day we are with him all day long. Our garden is relatively small so in our house & the garden he does not have that much space to move around but we walk him at least 3 or 4 times a day (of which 2 are long walks). We also have several play sessions a day (hide/seek, fetch a ball etc) and he has toys and bones to chew on. So far so good, sometimes he can be a little anxious but he seems rather happy with us  And we are VERY happy with having him around!!Now we took him with us to my parents house last week. They live in a small town (3 hours away from us), have quite a big house, a big garden and their own dog (an Airedale Terrier). Our sheepie turned into another dog with them, he became big buddies with my parents dog and together they played, chased cats, barked at other dogs ect. He seemed so much happier there. Quite a different dog than as we know him. We discussed it with my parents, their 2nd dog died last year and they would be willing to take our sheepie in, also for their Terrier to have another dog to play with. And of course because they completely fell in love with our Sheepie  Which would make us very sad cause we are very happy with him, but of course we want the best for him. Any thoughts on this? Should we rather leave him with my parents??? Or is the life we can give him good enough? |
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| You are home most of the day with your dog. You take care of him, play with him, take him for walks. You love him. It sounds like his life is good. If you want him to have doggie playmates, you could find a dog park and take him there several times a week to play. And you can take him to your parents to enjoy a good romp with his Airedale cousin. |
| Daily running and bouncing isn't necessary, but I'd suggest visiting the folks often and taking the fur ball along. All pups are active......what excitement...but also have a lot of down time, even in packs. You are the pack. Also, you have built in baby sitters!! You need not fret if you want to go away for a day or two. Plus without furball would you be taking 4 walks a day? Furball is good for your health too. |
| Just go visit a lot! He'll get fun times with the other dog, and your parents will have a good time seeing him, and you won't have to give up your dog |
I agree with Susan above, if you are loving your sheepie, I don't think you need to give him up to your parents! You can visit more often. But I notice despite all the attention and activity he gets with you, you don't mention playdates with other dogs (besides your parents). Are there any dog parks nearer to you? Friends or neighbours with dogs? For the first 2 years of Mady's life, she was an only dog, but she got almost daily time to run and play with other dogs and she has some close dog friends. Maybe see if there are any organized dog social events or activities or doggy daycares in your town. Many of the dog park regulars have also become good friends of ours even without the dogs!  Your dog is loved by you, he gets lots of attention and exercise, and you get lots of love and exercise! Now you just have to look at including dog socialization into your lives as well. |
I agree, visit a lot!!! Dog Parks are great as well. Maybe on some of your walks you might meet some people who have friendly dogs and you can arrange playdates. My Oliver now has a new OES friend, who was a rescue a few weeks ago. He is in a FANTASTIC home and we have all become friends. OR you could always get another one!    |
| It is up to you but if as you say you love,look after,walk,feed and are prepared for the work that gotes with a sheepie thaen you should keep him-you are his "mum+dad". You can visit "nan+grandad" for fun times when you want to. I agree,you do not have to run around all the time.x |
| We have 2 dogs who live in the city and are different dogs in the country when we go visit my mum or grandparents. It's doggy heaven out there for sure, on the water and lots of wide open spaces and other dogs to run around with. Ru is a water dog and Leonard is a wanabe water dog so we go visit tons in the summer. My dogs are happy to be wherever I am. We left them with my Mum when we were going to a friend's wedding and Ru got anxious and took off looking for me and was lost for hours, he was hiding in the long grass/bush until he heard me frantically calling him. I found it proof that as much as he loves visits to the country he is more attached to his people than a fun place and a pack of playful dogs. They do get excited for every trip out to the country but we tide the. Over with doggy park trips and lots of playing! |
| Unless you feel you cannot take care of the dog, or if you are not home for extended period of time or just for whatever reason, feel you cannot keep the dog home with you, I would agree. Visits and play dates are great and you can keep your pup with you as his family and visit alot. Your pup may enjoy his visits and romps with the other dog but I think he really wants to be home with you and his family he has grown to know as his "family" and I think he would truly miss his home and you. Plus, visits are fun for him now but if he lived there, it wouldn't be as much fun! |
| You are being too hard on yourself. It is obvious you love you pup. We live in a town and Summer loves free running but she doesnt get a lot of it! When we go away to seaside she loves it, but I am sure she loves us more! |
KTB wrote: You are being too hard on yourself. It is obvious you love you pup. We live in a town and Summer loves free running but she doesnt get a lot of it! When we go away to seaside she loves it, but I am sure she loves us more! That was my thought too.It is Natural for dogs to alternate between running and resting.  How much fun - That's up to you and how your dog endures it. (If you can put it that way in english?)  You should ask him......see how long time he needs to calm down after playtime! |
Ashley wrote: Unless you feel you cannot take care of the dog, or if you are not home for extended period of time or just for whatever reason, feel you cannot keep the dog home with you, I would agree. Visits and play dates are great and you can keep your pup with you as his family and visit alot. Your pup may enjoy his visits and romps with the other dog but I think he really wants to be home with you and his family he has grown to know as his "family" and I think he would truly miss his home and you. Plus, visits are fun for him now but if he lived there, it wouldn't be as much fun! Well said Ashley! I feel the same. Going to an amusement park is fun, but everyday would be just the same. Your pup would miss his home and family. |
| Another thing to consider is that having an Old English Sheepdog was your choice rather than your parents. Their hearts may hurt from the loss of their previous dog but unless it was an OES, they probably don't know what they'd be getting into by taking one on full-time. A 7 month old OES can be a handful! He does need lots of exercise and training but as far as being unhappy as an only dog, probably not. It's like growing up as kids and going to grandma's house to play with the cousins. It may be fun at the time but not something you'd want to put up with full-time. Finding a regular playmate nearby sounds like a great plan. |
| Cannot say anymore than what the others have said. Keep your sheepie. |
| I agree! Keep him, he is bonded to you and it's obvious that you love him. My first OES spent most of his life working with me and we also had a small yard, which worried me, but he lived a good, full, and happy 14 years. They are social dogs, they love to be around people and most of all YOU...although they are active they are happiest when by your side. It sounds as if you are giving him a wonderful life....and you can always arrange for play dates and park visits |
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