10 Things to Try Before Rehoming Your Dog

The short answer

Most rehoming situations have at least one alternative the owner has not tried. Financial, behavioural, housing, and time-related issues all have real fixes in Canada that work for a meaningful share of cases. Try the 2 or 3 most relevant to your situation over the next 2 to 4 weeks. If they work, you keep your dog. If they do not, you will have a clearer conscience and a better-prepared dog for a thoughtful rehoming. Either outcome is better than rehoming without trying.

No shame about considering rehoming

Before the list, one thing. Thinking about rehoming does not make you a bad owner. Most owners think about it at least once, especially during life transitions: a new baby, a move, a job change, a health crisis, a relationship change. The dog who fit your life three years ago might not fit your life now, and pretending otherwise is what leads to neglect, resentment, and bad outcomes for everyone including the dog.

The goal of this guide is not to talk you out of rehoming. The goal is to make sure that if you do rehome, you do it after trying the interventions that actually fix the underlying issue. Many owners who pause to try two or three of these steps end up keeping their dog and being grateful they did. Others go through the process, confirm rehoming is still right, and proceed with a clearer conscience. Both outcomes are valid.

1. Get a full vet exam (when behaviour is the issue)

Roughly 80% of sudden behaviour changes have a medical root cause. Pain (especially joint pain in older dogs), thyroid disease, neurological issues, vision loss, hearing loss, dental abscess, urinary tract infection, and gastrointestinal pain all show up as behaviour change. A dog who suddenly starts snapping, hiding, house-soiling, or losing house-training is far more likely sick than bad.

Schedule a full physical exam before you decide a behaviour problem means rehoming. Most Canadian vets charge $80 to $200 for a senior panel exam with bloodwork. Tell the vet what behaviour has changed and when. Vets are trained to think medically before behaviourally and they will catch things a trainer cannot.

2. Hire a force-free trainer or veterinary behaviourist (when behaviour is the issue)

One consultation often solves what felt unsolvable. A force-free certified trainer typically charges $150 to $400 for an initial consultation plus a written behaviour plan. For severe cases (reactivity, separation anxiety, resource guarding, fear aggression), a veterinary behaviourist or a credentialed behaviour consultant is the right call.

Credentials to look for:

CCPDT-KA or CCPDT-KSA. Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. The most recognized force-free trainer certification across North America. Their directory lists credentialed Canadian trainers by city.
CDBC, ACDBC, or IAABC certification. International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. For severe behaviour cases. Higher credential than basic obedience training.
DACVB. Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Board-certified veterinary behaviourists. There are a handful in Canada, mostly attached to veterinary teaching hospitals. The highest credential for behaviour medicine.

Avoid anyone who uses prong collars, e-collars, alpha rolls, or dominance language. The evidence on force-free training is settled and the credentials above all require it.

3. Find a pet food bank (when food cost is the issue)

Food cost is one of the most common stated reasons for rehoming and one of the easiest to actually fix. Canada has more pet food assistance than most owners realize.

Parachute for Pets (Calgary). Calgary's primary pet-retention organization. Pet food, supplies, and short-term help for owners experiencing temporary hardship. Income-tested but the application is light.
Provincial SPCA pet pantries. The BC SPCA, Alberta SPCA, and several other provincial SPCAs run pet food assistance programs through their community outreach. Availability varies by branch. Call your nearest SPCA office and ask what they offer.
Human food banks with pet sections. Many local food banks now stock donated pet food. Ask when you book your food bank appointment.
Farley Foundation (Ontario). Subsidizes non-elective veterinary care for low-income Ontario pet owners through participating Ontario vet clinics. Different from food banks but the same population.

4. Low-cost spay/neuter and low-cost vet clinics (when ongoing vet cost is the issue)

Vet costs are the second-most-cited financial reason for rehoming. Lower-cost veterinary options exist across Canada but most owners do not know to ask.

Calgary Humane Society Patient Paws Program. Subsidized medical care for income-qualified Calgary pet owners. Treatable conditions, not lifetime chronic care.
BC SPCA Charitable Spay/Neuter Programs. Subsidized spay/neuter and basic medical for low-income BC owners.
Veterinary teaching hospitals. Atlantic Veterinary College (PEI), Ontario Veterinary College (Guelph), Western College of Veterinary Medicine (Saskatoon), Université de Montréal, and the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine all run clinics that sometimes offer reduced-cost care as part of clinical training. Wait lists are long but the work is high-quality and the price is often half commercial.
Payment plans through your existing vet. Petcard, PayBright, and CareCredit-equivalent financing are available through many Canadian clinics. Most clinics will set up a payment plan if you ask before treatment, not after the bill arrives.

5. Temporary foster (when the crisis is short-term)

For 2 to 12 week crises (eviction, surgery recovery, family medical emergency, escape from domestic violence), a temporary foster can preserve the relationship without forcing a permanent rehoming.

Crisis foster networks. Some rescues run formal foster-bridge programs for owners in temporary crisis. Availability varies hugely by city. Call your local rescue and ask.
Friends and family. Easier to ask than most owners expect. Frame it as a defined 4 to 8 week arrangement with a clear end date and an offer to pay for food and basic costs.
Commercial boarding. $30 to $50 per day at most Canadian boarding facilities. Two weeks costs $420 to $700. Far less than the lifetime emotional cost of an unnecessary rehoming.
Domestic violence pet safe-haven programs. Several Canadian DV shelters now partner with rescues to board pets while their owner escapes an abusive situation. Ask your local DV agency about pet provisions.

6. Pet-friendly housing search (when housing is the issue)

The housing market has more pet-friendly options than most renters realize, and several legal protections that landlords sometimes underplay.

Know your province's law. In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act makes most no-pet clauses unenforceable after move-in (with narrow exceptions for allergy, damage, or noise). In other provinces, no-pet clauses are enforceable but pet damage deposits are capped (typically half a month's rent in BC, varies elsewhere).
Negotiate with the landlord. A higher damage deposit ($300 to $500 above the standard), pet rent ($25 to $50 per month), references from a previous landlord, and a vet letter confirming the dog is healthy, trained, and vaccinated. These often unlock a no-pet listing.
Service animal / emotional support animal accommodation. If you have a documented medical or mental health condition, a human rights accommodation request overrides most no-pet clauses. Talk to your doctor and your provincial human rights commission.
Search filters. PadMapper, Rentals.ca, Kijiji, and Facebook Marketplace all have pet-friendly filters. The pet-friendly market is smaller but it exists. Expand the search radius before giving up.

7. Doggy daycare or a dog walker (when time is the issue)

Time-related rehoming is usually about exercise, mental stimulation, and bathroom breaks during the workday. All three have paid solutions that cost far less than the emotional cost of rehoming.

Doggy daycare. $20 to $40 per day. Handles exercise, socialization, and bathroom breaks in one. Most cities have a half-dozen options at varying price points.
Dog walker. $20 to $30 per midday walk. Handles the bathroom break and a moderate amount of exercise. Cheaper than daycare for dogs who do well alone most of the day.
Enrichment toys. Puzzle feeders, lick mats, snuffle mats, frozen Kongs. Handle mental stimulation when you are home but busy. $20 to $80 one-time cost per item, reused indefinitely.
Employer benefits. Some Canadian employers now offer pet care subsidies as a benefit. Check your benefits package before assuming it is not available.

8. Behavioural medication (when severe anxiety or reactivity is the issue)

Behavioural medication is not a moral failure or a shortcut. It is medicine, prescribed by veterinarians, that often makes the difference between a dog who cannot be managed in a typical home and a dog who lives a normal life. For severe cases combined with training, it is the standard of care.

Common prescriptions Canadian vets use:

Fluoxetine (generic Reconcile/Prozac). Daily SSRI for general anxiety, reactivity, compulsive behaviour.
Trazodone. Situational for vet visits, storm anxiety, fireworks, separation events.
Clomipramine. Daily TCA, often for separation anxiety and compulsive behaviour.
Gabapentin. For pain-related behaviour and some anxiety cases.
Sertraline. Daily SSRI, sometimes preferred over fluoxetine.

Most medications take 4 to 6 weeks to reach full effect. Side effects exist but are usually mild. Cost is $30 to $80 per month plus an initial vet consultation ($150 to $200). Always combine with training. Medication makes training possible. It does not replace it.

9. Behavioural board-and-train (when in-home training is not enough)

For severe cases that have not responded to weekly training, some force-free trainers offer board-and-train programs where the dog lives with the trainer for 2 to 4 weeks of intensive work. Cost is $2,000 to $5,000.

Critical: verify the methodology before booking. Reputable board-and-train programs are force-free, use no shock collars or compulsion, and provide detailed handoff training for the owner so the work transfers home. Avoid any program that uses aversive tools, promises a “quick fix,” or refuses to let you observe sessions.

This is a last-resort intervention but it is sometimes the right one. Compare $3,000 against the lifetime regret of rehoming a dog who could have been managed with intensive intervention.

10. Talk to a breed-specific or behavioural rescue

If you have tried the above and rehoming is starting to look inevitable, some rescues operate “behavioural surrender” or specialty-needs intake pipelines. They take the dog and place them with a foster who has specific experience with the dog's issue (reactive dogs, anxious dogs, special medical needs, breed-specific challenges).

You may not be the right home but the right home exists, and a specialty rescue is often the path to find it. This is different from a generic rehoming and it is sometimes the most ethical choice for a dog whose needs your household genuinely cannot meet. Breed-specific rescues are especially helpful for working breeds, sighthounds, and breeds with known health needs.

The decision matrix: which of these 10 applies to YOU

Pick the 2 or 3 most relevant to your situation. Trying all 10 is unrealistic. Trying the right 2 or 3 is enough to know.

Financial issue (food, vet, supplies): steps 3, 4, and 7.
Behavioural issue (reactivity, anxiety, house-training, aggression): steps 1, 2, 8, 9, 10.
Time issue (work hours, exercise, attention): step 7.
Housing issue (no-pet lease, move, downsizing): steps 5 (temporary) and 6.
Family transition (new baby, allergy diagnosis, relationship change): step 5 (temporary) plus our specific guides on new baby and dog and dog allergy.
Owner medical or end-of-life: step 5 (temporary) plus our death in the family guide. For senior owners specifically, ElderDog Canada is a national organization that helps older adults keep their dogs or arrange thoughtful transitions.

Set a 2 to 4 week trial window

Pick your 2 or 3 interventions. Commit to a specific timeline. Two to four weeks is enough for most interventions to show whether they are working. Trainer sessions over a month, medication starting to take effect, food bank access secured, housing application submitted, daycare trial week complete.

At the end of the window, check in honestly. Has your situation materially improved? Is the trajectory positive even if you are not there yet? Or has nothing changed and the underlying issue is the same?

If the answer is “improved or improving,” keep going. Most owners who get past the 2 to 4 week mark with a positive trajectory end up keeping their dog. If the answer after honest effort is “no material change,” you have done your due diligence and rehoming is now an informed decision rather than a default one.

The cost of trying first

A serious effort across 2 or 3 interventions typically costs:

Vet workup: $80 to $200
Force-free trainer consultation: $150 to $400
Two weeks of boarding while you handle housing: $420 to $700
Behavioural medication month 1: $30 to $80 plus $150 vet visit
Doggy daycare for a one-month trial: $400 to $800

A serious worst-case scenario total: around $1,500. For owners who qualify for income-tested programs (pet food banks, SPCA assistance), the actual cost is often a fraction of that.

Compare $1,500 against the lifetime regret of rehoming when an alternative would have worked. The math usually favours trying first.

If you have tried these and rehoming is still the right call

That is okay. A thoughtful rehoming, done well, is better for your dog than a stressful situation maintained out of guilt. Our submission flow walks you through it: vet records, adopter screening, safe meet-and-greets, and listing your dog alongside rescue listings in your city.

Start your rehoming listing →

One more thing

Trying these alternatives does not make you a bad owner if rehoming is ultimately the answer. It makes you a thoughtful one. The dogs who land in rehoming situations after their owner did the work (vet workup, trainer, medication trial, honest housing search) are healthier, better-prepared, and more likely to land in a forever home. The work transfers.

And if the work means you and your dog stay together? Even better. That is the goal of this guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal to think about rehoming my dog?

Yes. Most owners think about it at least once, especially during life transitions like a new baby, a move, a job change, or a health crisis. Thinking about it does not make you a bad owner. What matters is whether you have tried the alternatives that actually fix the underlying issue. Many owners who pause to try two or three of the 10 steps in this guide end up keeping their dog and being glad they did. Others go through the process and confirm that rehoming is still the right call, with a clearer conscience and a better-prepared dog. Both outcomes are valid.

How long should I try alternatives before deciding?

A focused 2 to 4 week window is usually enough to see whether an intervention is working. For training and behavioural issues, give a force-free trainer at least 3 sessions over a month. For medication, allow 4 to 6 weeks for full effect. For pet food bank or financial support, you can usually access help within a week of asking. If you have tried 2 or 3 relevant alternatives and your situation has not materially improved after a month, you have done your due diligence and rehoming is a more informed choice.

My dog has a behaviour problem. Is it really fixable?

Roughly 80% of sudden behaviour changes have a medical root cause. A vet exam should always come first. Pain, thyroid disease, neurological issues, vision loss, and hearing loss all show up as behaviour change. After a clean medical workup, a force-free certified trainer or veterinary behaviourist can address most remaining behaviour issues. Severe cases (reactivity, separation anxiety, resource guarding) often respond well to behaviour medication combined with training. The dogs that genuinely cannot be managed in a typical home are rare. Most behaviour-driven rehoming decisions are reversible with the right intervention.

How do pet food banks work in Canada?

Pet food banks distribute donated pet food (and sometimes litter, leashes, basic supplies) to owners experiencing temporary financial hardship. In Calgary, Parachute for Pets is the main pet-retention organization. Provincial SPCA branches in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and others run pet pantries or food assistance through their community programs. Many human food banks also stock pet food. You usually need to show proof of address and income, or sign a short self-declaration. Most programs are income-tested but they trust applicants and do not require extensive paperwork. The point is to keep families together through a hard stretch, not to gatekeep.

What is the cheapest way to handle a vet bill I cannot afford?

Several options. Calgary Humane Society's Patient Paws Program subsidizes vet care for income-qualified Calgary owners. BC SPCA runs charitable spay/neuter and medical assistance programs. Some clinics offer payment plans through PayBright, Petcard, or in-house financing. CareCredit is available in Canada through some clinics. For non-emergencies, university veterinary teaching hospitals (Atlantic Veterinary College in PEI, Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) sometimes offer reduced-cost care as part of clinical training. Always ask the clinic about a sliding scale before assuming the price is fixed.

Can I find a temporary foster instead of permanently rehoming?

Sometimes. Crisis foster arrangements exist for 2 to 12 week situations like eviction, surgery recovery, family medical emergencies, or domestic violence escape. Some rescues run formal foster-bridge programs. RedRover (US-based but accepts some Canadian cases), Safe Haven for Pets through provincial DV networks, and individual rescue groups occasionally take temporary cases. Friends and family are an easier ask than most owners expect. Commercial boarding ($30 to $50 per day) for 1 to 2 weeks while you find new housing is also an option. Temporary foster is harder to find than permanent rehoming because the dog moves twice, but for a genuinely short crisis it can prevent a permanent placement.

My landlord says no dogs. Is there anything I can do?

More than most renters realize. First, check whether the no-pet clause in your lease is actually enforceable in your province. In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act makes most no-pet clauses unenforceable after move-in (with limited exceptions). In BC, no-pet clauses are enforceable but pet damage deposits are capped. Second, negotiate. Offer a higher damage deposit, a pet rent ($25 to $50 per month), references from a previous landlord, and a vet letter confirming the dog is healthy, trained, and vaccinated. Third, if you have a documented medical or mental health condition, a service animal or emotional support animal accommodation request through human rights law overrides most no-pet clauses. Fourth, if all else fails, expand the search radius and use PadMapper or Rentals.ca filters for pet-friendly listings. The pet-friendly market is smaller but it exists.

I love my dog but I do not have time anymore. What helps?

Time-related rehoming is usually about exercise, mental stimulation, and bathroom breaks during the workday. Doggy daycare ($20 to $40 per day) handles all three. A dog walker for a midday walk ($20 to $30 per visit) handles the bathroom break and most of the exercise. Both are dramatically cheaper than the emotional cost of rehoming and they preserve the relationship. Some employers offer pet care subsidies as a benefit. Enrichment toys (puzzle feeders, lick mats, snuffle mats) handle mental stimulation when you are home but busy. If the time issue is a temporary work crunch (a project, a new job ramp), 3 to 6 months of daycare often gets you through.

Does behavioural medication actually work?

Yes, often dramatically. Fluoxetine (the generic version of Reconcile), trazodone, clomipramine, gabapentin, and sertraline are all prescribed by Canadian vets for canine anxiety, reactivity, and compulsive behaviour. Combined with training, behavioural medication is the standard of care for severe cases. Most medications take 4 to 6 weeks to reach full effect. Side effects exist but are usually mild and manageable. The cost is $30 to $80 per month plus an initial vet consultation ($150 to $200). For the right dog with the right diagnosis, medication is often what makes the difference between unmanageable and a normal life. It is not a moral failure or a shortcut. It is medicine.

When is rehoming actually the right call?

When you have tried the relevant alternatives in this guide for 2 to 4 weeks and your situation has not materially improved. When the dog is genuinely a poor fit for your household after honest effort (severe dog-cat aggression in a multi-pet home, a high-drive working dog in a tiny apartment, a dog who cannot tolerate young children after extensive desensitization). When your own life circumstances have changed in ways that no amount of intervention can fix (severe owner illness, permanent disability, family death). When keeping the dog would cause real harm to the dog or your family. In those cases, a thoughtful rehoming is the right call and there is no shame in it. The work you put in trying alternatives first makes the eventual rehoming smoother and the new home more likely to be a forever home.

What if I have already decided to rehome?

Then focus on doing it well. A thoughtful rehoming includes gathering vet records and microchip details, taking honest photos that show the dog as they are, writing a description that includes the real reason for rehoming and any behavioural notes a new owner needs, setting a fair rehoming fee ($100 to $500) to filter bad actors, screening adopters with specific questions, doing a meet-and-greet in a neutral location, and ideally checking the new home before handoff. Our submission flow walks you through this. If you have not already, also read our safety guide for what to watch for during the process.

Will trying these alternatives cost me a lot of money?

Less than most owners expect. A vet workup is $80 to $200. A single trainer consultation is $150 to $400. Two weeks of boarding while you handle a housing transition is $420 to $700. Behavioural medication is $30 to $80 per month. The total worst case for a serious attempt across three or four interventions is around $1,500. Many of the financial-help options (pet food banks, low-cost clinics, SPCA assistance programs) are free or sliding-scale for income-qualified owners. Compare the cost against the lifetime regret of rehoming when an alternative would have worked, and the math usually favours trying first.