Please share your dog rescue/adoption success stories.

[retainertrainer]

I’ve always thought the right thing to do if you want a dog is to adopt rather than buy. We lost our first dog to old age a couple of years ago. She was a rescue dog and she was absolutely wonderful.

As our child was still quite young we didn’t feel it was the right time to introduce a new dog or puppy.

DS is now 10 and we’re all ready to commit but scouring the local rescue centres daily makes me think we were incredibly lucky with our first dog. They just seem to be full of dogs with behavioural problems and I don’t think we’ve got the experience to deal with them. I hate to adopt and then have to return the poor thing.

I don’t know if we need to just keep waiting for the right dog to come along or start looking to buy one (from a reputable breeder of course).

I have a little Jack Russell x poodle who had been bred as a "designer" Jackadoodle, but turned out to be scruffy looking instead of cute and floppy. She's also completely deaf and her owner decided they didn't want her, she was untrainable, didn't look pretty etc. So they were going to have her put down because the local shelter said nobody wants deaf dogs.
I heard about her through a friend who knew the owner and said I'd have her. They dropped her off and she's the best little dog ever. She has learnt hand signals and she's so funny. My best buddy and I love her. I was going to buy a puppy but I'm so glad I didn't. I think I was lucky though, she was very sad for a while but easy to train when she got the hang (and the treats.)

Have you just been looking at websites or have you actually been? A lot of rescues don’t put their easier dogs online because they don’t need to - they’ll get rehomed quickly anyway and it’s just a waste of resources.

I’ve had 3 rescues, one was left tied to our gate, one from a supermarket ad (pre internet) and one from a pound.

They were all great dogs, yes they needed retraining, but only what you’d have to do with a puppy and it’s quicker and easier with an older dog.

Mine is from a beeed specific rescue, although he is a cross of that breed. He actually came from Cyprus and although I appreciate the ridiculousness of importing foreign strays when we have plenty of our own etc etc actually, in our experience there are not plenty of strays in the uk
Waiting to be rehomed. We waited and looked for 18 months for s suitable dog and believe me we’re not fussy, although we do have young ish children and a cat. Anyway, he’s clever, gorgeous, beautiful, no behavioural or health issues and has taken to family life like a duck to water. We 💕 him

I’ve just been looking on line. Thanks for the advice. We haven’t got a centre local to us, they’re all about an hour away so when DS is back in school and I’ve got a day off I’ll visit.

I think lots of people would like to adopt but get stuck with stringent rules so can’t.

We got ours off facebook! Not quite what it seems - there is a charity here that foster. A woman who volunteers for greyhound rescue found our dog wandering an industrial estate, took her to a vet to check chip etc, chipped her there and then, got her checked over and washed etc, took her home and contacted the foster charity. Foster charity has an excellent facebook page which details the dog's history and age and temperament.

It was love at first sight.

Bith the foster charity and the greyhound woman who found her visited us as a family to check us out. 5yo DS walked her a bit and was super-calm. Doggy gave me snuggles. Twas meant to be!

The first 2-3 weeks were eye-opening as she'd been abandoned so many times she was slow to trust us, but we gave her lots of space and chicken and won her round.

It 's been 2 years now and she 's brought so much to our lives - SO MUCH FUR! I tell her every day i love her and i'm glad we found her.

Wow, that was waffly!

Take a look at smaller rescues too, there's several that operate through FB that are foster based. I used to foster for a few, we had a mixed bag of dogs; some had issues we had to work on, but many just needed bit of basic training

I have a rescue cockapoo who was abandoned. She’s turning into a great wee dog. She has cuddle issues - she has to be beside me all the time and she’s a complete scatterbrain but she’s mending up just fine.

When i was a young teenager our family adopted a Jack Russell from a rescue centre- he was lovely the first week but he was aggressive with other dogs when on the lead and bit my sister unprovoked. We had to return him. When we were there the shelter mentioned a young puppy who had been abandoned, my parents weren't keen on having a puppy initially but we met her and she was absolutely perfect. She was a wonderful family pet and has only recently passed away. We had no problems training her and she was lovely with other dogs. So I'd say it's definitely worth visiting a couple of shelters.

This is nothing more than a shameless opportunity to share one of my favourite photos of our beautiful rescue girl. We sadly lost her last year after 7 years at the age of 13. This photo shows her at her happiest- on holiday. She loved everything about it- the car ride, lazing in the sun, even staying in the motorway motels in dodgy suburbs in France!

She was feisty and always tried to eat the vet- out of fear and a need to protect me from the vet! But she loved her people and adored cuddles, ear scratches and chats. She was not keen on other dogs, but we could work with that and in the last few years of her life she recovered from a broken back and would never have been allowed to take part in doggie play.

We aren’t in a position to take on another dog now, but will definitely rehome when we can. A few months of learning her ways and her learning about us was worth it. She came toilet trained so the time we would have had to put into that was used differently.

We rescued a dog from a Facebook rescue site too (Black Retriever X) - we didn’t meet her before hand but she had been in foster for three months and I basically got the entire low down from the foster Mum, and she asked for the entire low down on us! I collected her from a van that had come straight off a ferry from Ireland and already felt like I knew her. After the initial settling in period of her meeting our other dog and cat, she’s been amazing. I love her and would find it very difficult to choose puppy over rescue in the future.

My sister got a rehomed cocker poo from a specific rehoming charity, small one. She’s gorgeous lovely temperament.

We have had 4 or 5 rescue dogs over the years, and never had any problems. Our first was adopted when I was about 8, from SSPCA. Out of all the dogs barking and begging for attention, Doug just sat there looking very depressed and quiet. He was a collie/Alsatian cross, and became my best friend. Great guard dog, patient with my siblings and I and extremely intelligent. The best dog I’ve ever had As a child, I have no idea whether he was identified as ‘safe around children’ or where he came from, but the adoption process has definitely changed. Not terribly helpful, sorry.

My friend rescued dogs in the new year. She posts and talks about them all the time. Shared lovely and loving photos and seems very happy. I finally met them in the flesh the other day and they are stranger aggressive, snappy and couldn’t be walked by me or anyone else. Not cat or small animal friendly, can’t be walked too close by, or leant over, or touched
Obviously it’s up to them, their circs mean no grandkids etc but it actually put me right off rescuing

We rescued a mixed breed from a charity who take in dogs needing to be rehoused and also rescue dogs from kill shelters in Europe. Our boy was rescued from Romania as a little pup, fostered in a home with other dogs and children and we adopted him when he was 6 months.

I think the fostering part of the process was really important, he learned to socialise and was toilet, crate and lead trained. He has a few issues -he can be nervous around stocky men, big dogs and he’s petrified of the shower/garden hose. But he’s the most loving dog I’ve ever met, loves nothing more than cuddling up on the couch . He actually spoons my husband in bed 😂

I know I’m biased but I think he might be the most gorgeous boy I’ve ever seen 😍

Awwww now that’s what I expected Tickety.
My friends dogs are real rescue. As in scarred and abandoned and both used to carry multiple litters/puppy farmed.
I could rescue a dog like yours: but I need child and small pet friendly

QOD you'd be surprised how many dogs like your friend's come through rescue & actually adjust really well. Foster based rescues are the way forward in my mind, especially if you have kids. After a few weeks fostering a dog i could have given you a complete breakdown of its likes, dislikes, what makes it edgy etc. With all the will in the world you can't do that with kennel based dogs

We've rescued a dog from The Dogs Trust and he has settled in brilliantly.
He was in a centre quite a distance away which meant a few long journeys but he was so worth it.
He filled the dog shaped hole in our hearts when we had lost our two dogs and I wouldn't be without him now.

My dear old girl. Got her from the pound aged around 5 years. Vet thought she'd been used for puppy farming. Not house trained, unfit, overweight. So grateful to come home with me.
She adored me and the whole family. Discovered walkies and the pleasure of being a family pet. The gentlest animal, liked by people who didn't like dogs. Hugged by babies often.
We had 9 years until she was put to sleep in March due to old age problems.

A decent rescue centre will match a dog to you and your experience of dog handling. I've had 4 rescue dogs and two were normal and 2 a bit special. I was fully aware of the challenges of the 2.

Here's my old girl, we have had her for 9 years and she came from Bath Cats and Dogs home. Been the best dog ever, she isn't keen on collies and huskies but apart from that she has been the gentlest, most fantastic family pet ever!

OP, try Pets4homes.com. There are always mature dogs on there who need to be rehomed because of family circumstances.