04/05/2026
Greeting everyone on this bank holiday with a disappointing and difficult post.
Iāll skip the backstory on Finn because, at this point, we all know the rollercoaster his life has been.
After 18 months of living with our family and being wonderfully cared for, Finn attacked my husband. After a day of lounging in the sun and following him around the garden during maintenance work, Finn was asleep when my husband leaned over him to put something in the recycling. Finn launched into the air and attacked him. I say "attacked," not "bit," because of the number of tear marks all over his clothes.
We all knew Finnās extensive biting history, but for 18 months, he has never showed me any aggression; we have the most beautiful bond. Unfortunately, Finn is the type of dog to bond closely to one person and one person onlyāwhich isn't surprising considering the number of homes he has been through.
He has, however, frequently requested and received affection from my husband. Heās been walked, fed, showered, and dried by him with no issues. While he has never adored him the way he adores me, he has shown him the level of respect required in our home by our dogs.
(I am not debating this topic: we have multiple dogs, most with bite histories and all of whom arrived with severe behavioral issues. Our dogs are better cared for and more content than any dogs I have ever met. Given the level of respect, trust, and care they receive, the absolute same in return is a must. Some people are okay living with dogs that show aggression and bite them and just live around it; that is not something that's taken lightly or tolerated in our home, nor is it something any of our dogs do after rehabilitation.)
While Finn has always been wonderful with me, my family must also feel and be safe in their home. This is non-negotiable. Finn has continued to show aggression toward my husband following this incident. If this were me 10 years ago, living alone with my 50 billion dogs, things would be differentābut I now have a family to consider and prioritise.
Caroline and I have had hours of extremely emotional conversations over the past week, and here is where we are:
Option 1: Finn returns to Chester kennels and lives in a concrete square for the next 10 years.
Option 2: We allow more kind-hearted people with good intentions to adopt Finn, only to get bitten, causing Finn to continue bouncing from home to home.
Option 3: Finn is euthanised.
Option 4: I continue to work on this, and if Finnās behavior does not improve, he moves permanently into a boarding room and is no longer integrated with our family. This would be an extreme financial pressure on Kelpie Welfare and will not be possible without continuous, frequent, large donations. It is not a cost I can absorb, as this is my sole income.
(Finn cannot live inside with a family. It is absolutely not an option. He needs his own space and significant time alone between walks and fuss. While he is amazing with other dogs, he does not like to continuously and closely share his space with them.)
Finn is an extremely complex dog, and we all know this. However, for him to do this after this long is very concerning; it's a reminder of just how unstable his brain is.
Finn also displayed a level of aggression I have never seen before in any dog when I took him to the vets recently. This showed me how violent he can be and the behavior many other have described to meāsomething I hadnāt seen in him before.
This post sounds cold and blunt, but it is the harsh truth of where we are. He has had endless resources and options afforded to him, yet five years later, he is still biting, even with the level of experience I have.
I absolutely adore this dog and he utilises more effort and time than my other 7 put together. I'm continuously finding activities for him to do and frequently on here requesting financial support for the funds he needs, most recently his running activities. All of this costs money and either me or KW are continuously using time and funds for him which is absolutely fine and is absolutely worth it providing he is a safe member of our household.
I am absolutely able to manage Finn and he is wonderful for and with me, my husband is not and this is his home too.
The hardest pill to swallow here is that Finn does not behave like this with or for me. I can approach him when he is fast asleep with no issues, he can be handled in any way by me and any husbandry carried out. He is a completely different dog with me, unfortunately my husband does not have the same level of experience or skill or patience, and this is his home too, he needs to be able to walk around freely and safely š
Any negative comments or opinions will, quite frankly, be ignored and disregarded.
Finn has been available for hundreds of people to help for years. People have either chosen not toāwhich is understandable because they know their limitsāor they have tried and had to move him on. So please, out of respect for myself and KW, keep the "behind the screen" comments to yourself. Think before you pass judgment on a situation you aren't in and a dog you aren't sharing your home with.
And please, if anyone knows farmers breeding and selling Kelpies to pet homes, beg them to stop. Just last week, my vet told me how many Kelpies she is having to euthanise due to biting. I know a portion of "watered down" Kelpies make great pets, but the highly driven, highly strung dogs from working lines are strugglingāand they are dying.
Sincerely,
A very tired, emotional, and deflated Sophie.
