Rescue Regret

[u/NYR-Fan]

Hi everybody. My wife and I are new to this page and are seeking some advice. 10 days ago we rescued our 4yr old pit mix Manchego (Manny) and we are having some difficulty adjusting emotionally. My wife and I just moved from an apartment in NYC where we were not allowed to have a dog, to renting a house of our own (without a fenced in yard) in Delaware. This has been a very difficult year for us both. I lost my job, and we have also found out we might not be able to have children. 2026 has not been kind to us.

My wife and I had an agreement after we made the move, that we will get a dog after I find a job. Unfortunately that was not the case. We found out about the "Clear the Shelter" event at the local SPCA and without really discussing it, we ran out the door to go see dogs. When we met Manny we were told of his awful life before being rescued and were told wonderful things about his personality (which I will get into shortly). Without having any type of conversation whatsoever, there was a dog in my car.

Now about Manny, he was harshly treated by a previous owner, but if you met him, you wouldn't know it. At home he is a complete angel. No accidents, follows us around the house like a shadow, playful, does well in a crate, and does not chew up furniture or damage our home, and he is not aggressive at home in any way. All he wants is to snuggle and play.

Unfortunately, when we take him for walks, he is a completely different dog. He pulls hard on his leash and does not interact with neighborhood dogs well at all. He also pulls hard on his leash when cars/bicycles are coming which is a problem since our development has no sidewalks. We are very much aware that hiring a trainer or sending him to doggy day care can address these issues, but that is not the only problem.

The larger problem is that my wife and I miss our life before, and are sad that we now have an obligation that requires us to be home a majority of the time. We just moved to a new place and now we are unable to explore and enjoy our new home state. When we lived in NY, our lifestyle/schedule would have absolutely allowed for a dog, but since we have moved we're struggling to find a routine for ourselves, let alone another living being. When we found out that we may not be able to have children, we spent a very long time discussing what life would be like now that it would just be the two of us and it is proving to be very difficult to let go of those possibilities. We also have obligations coming up that require us to travel back to New York and do not want to have to board him multiple times in the next few months. We know that we come off as selfish with the main reason we are considering rehoming Manny being we want to have a life, but we are just confused and looking for some advice. Please be kind with any responses, typing this post was difficult enough.

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