me and my husband have been thinking about getting a dog and like the idea of re homing a dog from a rescue center. does anyone have experience of doing this and what are the pitfalls and things to watch out for.
we both had dogs in the family when we were kids but neither of us has owned a dog as adults. we have two cats and two children and feel we have the time and love to give a dog a home.
any advice will be appreciated. :)
Our daughter is on her 4Th rescue dog, all have been wonderful, this latest one is an American yellow lab Yale. all about 3 plus, all he wants to do is sit on your lap and give/want lots of of loving. They have had him just over a year, and they have 4 children, 12, 9, 7 and 5....
We also had a rescue dog a blonde Afghan, Sheba she was gorgeous....
qahtan
We have 2 rescues and have hadmay in the past along with my pedigree labs (6 dogs in all). I love my rescue doggies and can highly recomend greyhound/whippets/lurchers they have wonderful temprements and love a cuddle ! Staffies are very much a one person dog.Take your time and dont jump at the first one you see, i find the one your ment to have will find you :D
Thats exactly my philosophy Dawn. I have considered an ex racing dog but am not sure how they are with cats? You are quite local to me I believe, did you get your rescue dogs from rspca or dorset dogs? there is also waggy tails and happy dogs nearby.
My two boys came from Pound puppy rescue in Poole :D
There is a lovely lab free to a good home in the freeads this week local.
Margaret green foundation is a nice rescue site to.
What ages are your children Sarah and how do they feel about it? I only ask because there are so many factors involved.
we rehomed a bishon frise in march called ollie
my only condition when i was asked by other half was as long as he isnt white, fluffy and camp looking - guess what he is white and fluffy and but definately not camp looking lol
long story short his owner took ill and his wife couldnt look after him, the man then died so we took him on and havent looked back.
treated like one of the family - o/h and him race to see who will get to bed 1st - ollie usually wins by getting there long before her lol
got a couple of excellent neighburs who come in during the day when we are out working to let him out/take him for a walk
nothing beats an ollie welcome at the end of the day - all over you, he has a thing about licking ears though lol
well worth taking on a dog looking for a home, specially with all the effection you get from them
We have friends who adopted two former racing grayhounds. Their temperment was fine but they had to learn how to play since they'd always worked. My thinking was their size was a problem- when these dogs lay down they sprawl and take up half the floor space in a room which can be a safety risk. Also they needed lots of running room outside as you can imagine.
We've had 3 dogs while raising our children. The only fiasco was a thoroughbred Dalmatian who was dumb as a doorpost, deaf in one ear, unable to be house broken and was purchased from a breeder. Big mistake.
The other two were free from the pound as strays and were excellent doggies. They were not pups, more like a one year olds. One was part border collie- very smart and learned to ring a bell to go out and come in. Great with the children. One was part whippet and part black lab- at least that was the vet's guess. Loved to play ball and frisbee. Both very sweet dogs and both came housebroken!
I'd recommend getting a dog that approaches you wagging its tail, not one that hangs back in a corner. Enjoy the search!
http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/
The Dog's Trust will give you all the advice you need. :)
thanks for all the stories and advice guys.
Quote from: grawrc on November 09, 2009, 21:19:12
What ages are your children Sarah and how do they feel about it? I only ask because there are so many factors involved.
the children are ten and eight and are both keen on the idea but it is definitely me that has wanted a dog most and I am taking everything into consideration (i think). there are the cats to consider too. it will be me doing the walking and feeding and maintenance but everyone else is happy and keen to adopt. we live five minutes from the beach and have a large garden and house. I work from home so will be in most of the time. I feel excited by the prospect but also a little tentative as i have never had to train a dog before. but i'm relatively intelligent i think i can do it. hope so!
Quote from: flowerofshona2007 on November 09, 2009, 20:32:49
My two boys came from Pound puppy rescue in Poole :D
There is a lovely lab free to a good home in the freeads this week local.
Margaret green foundation is a nice rescue site to.
thanks I will check those sites out aswell.
do you all insure your dogs?
I think your children are probably at an ideal age for introducing a dog to the family. Old enough to know when to leave it alone but also able to take part in its training and exercising. Having said that, a dog will soon decide who is the pack leader and from what you are saying that is likely to be you. (The hell scenario is when the dog thinks s/he is in charge).
Yes I insure my cocker spaniel. If they develop some long-term health problem or need a big op for any reason it's much less of a worry with insurance. Also you are covered for damage they might cause to others. Having said that I've paid insurance for the last 35 years and never claimed but then that's what it's about really I suppose! ::) :-\ I've been lucky. Read the small print carefully to see which insurance gives the best cover.
As to breed, I think it's a matter of preference: most loved and well-trained and exercised dogs make wonderful faithful companions. My own preference is for dogs like my cockers, labradors and retrievers, although I've always had a secret yen for a boxer.
If you are rehoming a dog, try to spend some time with it before deciding and ask for a full history so that you are aware of any potential problems.
Sounds like it will be one lucky dog!
Thanks Anne. :)
What you have to keep in mind is.Why is the dog in there in the first place. When we went to look at the dogs in the dogs home in Birmingham we were surprised at the number of Staffs in there. Also lots of big dogs that looked very intimidating. We ended up going to wythall animal sanctuary and came away with Bruno who was an Ormskirk terrier otherwise known as a Lancashire heeler, We were not given any info about him only that he had come from the animal hospital.He turned out to be a constant barker although a lovely dispositioned dog. My son came down from Durham, fell in love with him and off he went. They have a lovely big garden and 2 kids who love him to bits.Hes been there for 5 years now and still barking. ;D
Definitely find out why the dog is in the home before you have it.
Good luck anyway and I hope you find a nice dog that needs a home.I have posted a pic underneath of Bruno in his own chair ;D
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/Copy3ofCIMG0293.jpg)
Quote from: shirlton on November 10, 2009, 09:08:57
What you have to keep in mind is.Why is the dog in there in the first place.
This is a very good point.
My son had a beautiful collie x but when his marriage broke up and he had to find somewhere else to live, he couldn't take her with him. She had to be rehomed through no fault of her own. I'm sure there are many dogs in this situation.
Good luck with whatever you decide - and don't forget to show us a photo of your new dog!
Lovely dog Shirl. ;D
My collie Jill is a rescue and her elderly owner had to go into a home.She is a lovely Girl.
My tuppence worth......avoid terriers around young children.My West Highland is not good around kids.Also the West Highland Rescue heve to re home for this reason many times.
We are on rescue dog no.4. All have been great companions and got on well with cats and children. We have had a retriever, Shoebury Special ;D, German shepherd and now have Molly the collie. Loads of love and a firm hand are requirements I'd say.
Best of luck with whatever you choose, and insurance is a must.
Had a dally, lovely dog but daft as a brush. Hve now got 2 rescue greyhounds there great dogs, sleep all day and they don't need a lot of exercise, two walks a day. Some are not cat or small dog friendly though, but a good rescue greyhound centre won't palm you of with just anything. Also whippets and lurchers make good pets and are more cat friendly.
Check out www.tiagreyhound.org.uk for a bit of info, there in Yorkshire but there's lots of rescue places around the country.
Our Tim - rather old now, but still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - was a rescue. And yes - they do find you, not you them. You'll know when you meet. (In our case, we both went round independently and - again. quite independently - kept coming back to him.)
But yes, there's always a reason for the dog being there. And they don't always tell you, but you can suss it out. We think Tim was too bright for his first family and they couldn't cope with him. (He's even more dogged now he's old!!) He really needed a firm hand, but he's turned out to be a gorgeous dog.
Have fun - but don't rush into it. Let the dog find you.