Murray Behavior during Re-homing

Here at the Australian Murray River Retriever Pets Association Inc and Re-homing we have had the pleasure of helping many Murray's find their new home. Here are just a few that we have had the pleasure of rehoming,

The process is both sad and rewarding. So what happens when you re-home your Murray?

First of all, the owner will make contact with us usually via Facebook or phone to let us know their Murray needs to be re-homed. We discuss the re-homing options we have available and work with the owner right through the re-homing procedure to ensure piece of mind for all. We don't take over or force the owner to surrender the Murray to us, we only take surrenders where there are no other options available.

We then arrange pick up of the Murray if the re-home is urgent. Sometimes the Murray has got into strife and needs to be re-homed as soon as possible. In the past we have had owners contact us if their Murray has taking a liking for chasing livestock on neighboring properties or decided to harass the family chooks. Not all Murrays are suitable for rural areas where they are tempted by livestock, they are hunters and some have a very strong drive for prey. In these cases, the Murray is re-homed to an urban environment where they can no longer be tempted by livestock and become a family pet. Some Murrays may become overly protective and jealous of a new family edition and become a bite risk to the child or other family members. In this scenario, we aim to find a rural environment for the Murray where they have plenty of room to run around and just be a dog. Every situation is different.

Each re-home is temperament tested to ensure the best fit for their new home. When a Murray is surrendered to us, sometimes this adjustment can be quite stressful for them. Previously calm and beautifully natured Murrays can suddenly become very scared. They can temporarily display some fearful or aggressive behaviors such as growling, showing their teeth, fighting, lunging, crying, chewing, pacing and other signs of distress. This DOES NOT mean the dog is aggressive or dangerous. It just means the dog needs time to decompress and adjust. We DO NOT use harsh behavioral adjustments with these Murrays like muzzles or dominance training techniques, we give them their space with lots of love and positive reinforcements. We give the Murray time to adjust before labeling them negatively. One Murray we re-homed became very scared, he would not let anyone near him without growling, showing his teeth and backing away. The solution was simple, we respected the dog and let him have his space until he was ready to accept new people and other animals to his pack. The result was a beautifully natured loving Murray who became part of a loving family in Gippsland VIC where he lived with a massive pet pig, horses, cats, a cocky and other animals. He didn't need to be dominated or muzzled, he just needed time and lots of love to earn his trust. This transition for him was supported by using an Adaptil collar for several weeks which helped to reduce his anxiety. These collars continuously release pheromones all the time it's in contact with the dog, this has a calming effect and helps them adjust.

Some owners needing to re-home prefer to keep the Murray with them until a new owner is found. These re-homes still need to comply with our strict re-homing policy in that they must be de-sexed and all vet work up to date including vaccinations etc. Prospective new owners once screened are invited to meet the Murray and the original owners to ensure best fit and to give the original owner the power to help decide where their Murray goes.

After the Murray is behaviorally assessed and given time to decompress, all vet work is done. This includes de-sexing as per our strict re-homing policy, all vaccinations, worming, flea treatments and grooming are done and a full health check is done by the vet. All paperwork for lifetime club membership, lineage and history are done through our Association. We don't always know the lineage, but if we do, this is supplied. A contract is also written up which protects the Murray for its life and especially if things don't work out with the new home or the new owners find themselves unable to care for the Murray at anytime in the future. This contract is drawn up with the original owner to ensure their wishes are respected and they are part of the process. Some owners do not want to be a part of this as it is very upsetting for them, in these circumstances, we do all the work for them.

Next we take applications from interested members who would like to give the Murray a new home. All applications are thoroughly screened to ensure only the best fit for the dog and the new owners. A meet and greet is then conducted, and if the Murray and the new family are a good fit, a trial is done. The Murray goes to the new home and after a week or two, the new family advises if things are working out or not. So far, we have never sent a Murray to a trial home that has not worked out. They they always stayed!

We like to keep in contact with the new home and receive regular updates.

If you are ever in the situation where you need to re-home your Murray, please get in touch with us by phoning Teresa on 0447 561 946, or message the admins on the Facebook page or email us at theaustralianmrrpetsassociation@mail.com. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential.