Adult working dog rescued from shelter found a loving home — but after a few walks together, her owner feared adopting her was a mistake
When a person rescued an adult working dog from a shelter, they were confident the dog would be happy finding a safe, new, loving home. A few weeks later, the owner had a heartbreaking realization that forced them to reconsider their adoption. The adult working dog was healthy, but one concerning reality kept the owner from feeling fulfilled. In a viral Reddit post under u/redqueen_rising, the person opened up about having qualms about adopting the rescue dog after they failed to accomplish one simple task.
“Recently rescued an adult working dog from a pound, and not sure if I made a mistake,” wrote the dog owner in a Reddit post with 173 votes. Explaining her past, the owner said the dog previously belonged to a farmer who had dumped her because of her poor herding skills. She “got too distracted by the workers,” the post noted. After spending a few weeks with the rescue dog, the owner quickly developed a loving bond with her. “She is the most beautiful girl…I can tell she loves me, and she seems happy, but I worry I’m not giving her enough.”
The dog owner acknowledged the simple luxuries, from a decent-sized garden space to daily walks lasting about 2 hours, and a comfortable home with a caring family. Somehow, they still felt it was not enough for the working dog and pondered whether adopting her was a mistake. “She’s meant to be on a farm,” they noted, despite doing training activities every day with her. The owner admitted that while the rescue pup enjoyed the frequent walks, she refused to run at all. “She will run, but only if I run, and I’m not a runner. I can go for about 30 seconds,” they mused, adding that the dog is almost always walking but never running.
When off-leash, all the dog does is sniff everything while following the owner. Moreover, the dog never learned how to play, which only adds to the lack of high-intensity exercise. The owner worried the dog was not living a healthy life, hence, causing the running lags. “Should I try to [sic] find her another home? It breaks my heart thinking about it. And think she’d really miss me/struggle to be moved again. But all I want is what’s best for her,” the post concluded, with the pet owner turning to the internet for help.
People were kind and sensible towards the owner’s doubts. “Honestly, you seem like you’re doing a really good job! She sounds like a very happy dog,” wrote u/Spirited_Gain6581, and u/Hour-Marketing8609 reassured, “She has a great life with you. Don't second-guess it.” “Sounds like she wasn't too fond of the working life, and you might be the ideal home!” noted u/Electronic_Cream_780. A report by Purina reported that not all working breeds do a great job in guarding, as the manner in which they use their instincts often varies.