Tell me about your rescue dogs

[Newdogexcitement]

We’ve got a dog arriving from Spain tomorrow.
Can’t wait!
Please tell me about your rescue dogs and how they settled in. Photos would be nice too!

We recused our eldest dog about 9 years ago and I remember the first day she just went straight into her new bed and slept for about 6 hours she was exhausted.

She was on anxiety medication at the time though which probably helped her settle.

A woman I know fosters a lot of rescue dogs from abroad while they find them homes here and I know it can be a lot of work, some are extremley nervous but others settle quickly.

Just don't expect too much straight away. Our old girl settled quickly as in she accepted our house as her home, didn't bark or act nervous etc. but it did take time before she showed any affection or played with any toys.

This is Archer, from the day I picked up that scrawny clumsy weird looking pup, and now 7years later. He’s certainly grown into his looks!

I got him at about 7-10months old with no training, no impulse control, no socialisation and no bite inhibition. We did every training class and agility class we could find.

He was really friendly and trusting right from the start, and toilet trained which was a big bonus.
However he would get over aroused very quickly during play and especially on walks, mouthing and biting arms very hard.
Took a long time to get him out of that.

I think at about 2-3years old he really found himself and I started to really enjoy him. He calmed down, started listening, I could relax when taking him out etc

He makes me laugh everyday, he is such a character.

We also do canicross together which has been the making of him, he loves it and it has really strengthened our bond.

He’s starting to go grey and slow down a little bit now so I’m excited to see where this next chapter of his life takes us.

I've also got an overseas rescue dog. He's brilliant- loving, playful. funny.

But it's taken a while to get to that. We had about 2 weeks of 'honeymoon' where he was calm, quiet (but didn't seem overly nervous), never put a foot wrong. Then he started to bark/lunge at any strangers and other dogs as well as stealing food from the table, barking at me and trying to push the kids off the sofa and destroying his bed. From discussions with out behaviourist I now understand that this is not uncommon- they can be shut down and on best behaviour at first.

Our behaviourist said to give him at least 6 months to 'decompress' as an overseas rescue before we'd see his true personality. That's starting to really shine though now (after about 10 months) and I feel we're really getting to know each other.

We had a rescue staffy named Angel. She was so gentle and was happy with the smallest things. Even a slice of that plastic individually wrapped cheese would make her so happy she would be wagging her whole body. She was like this right from the beginning, she seemed so happy just to have a comfy bed and her garden to potter about.

She could never get on with men or other dogs though - she wasn’t aggressive but would hide away. She never really changed in that way but became so comfortable with me. She was a slightly older dog (6) when we adopted her so she was a bit more chilled out than younger puppies and was happy to lie about the couch watching telly a lot!

She had to be put to sleep two years ago as she got ill - she was 10. We’ve toyed with the idea of having another rescue but don’t think any other dog would live up to her! If we did get another dog, it would definitely be a rescue dog rather than a puppy; the experience was lovely.

This is milo. He’s 8 years old now. We got him from dogs trust when he was 3 years old.
He had been rehomed once before, so we where his 3rd family.
He didn’t know how to walk on a lead, was terrified of the grooming brush and didn’t know how to behave like a dog. He didn’t know what dog toys where, or what to do with a ball.
He quickly wrapped himself around our hearts. Can honestly say he’s the best dog we have ever had.
It may take time, but rescues rule!!

Thanks for your helpful comments and lovely photos! Archer is a beaut ❤️
I’ve been reading about rehoming rescue dogs so I hope we’re somewhat prepared.
I’m planning to take him to training classes once he’s settled in.

Yes it’s so hard to know what he’s going to be like character-wise. The rescue have said he’s pretty laid back, eats and travels well. He’s 5 and gorgeous - I’ve seen lots of photos of him!

Love Staffs @Kanaloa - ours is an English Bull Terrier - wish us luck

Milo, you are too cute!

I know a couple of people with Spanish rescue dogs, lovely dogs that have settled well.
I'm on my 2nd from a UK rescue but I think I will be having a break from dogs after this one leaves. She's very sweet tempered and gentle, but so timid and clingy. Her first owner really has broken her. It's very sad to see. I think she's been quite badly treated, she's terrified of being in the garden, she's scarred on her muzzle from dog bites. I can't take her out for the day as she panics if she can't see me and won't let anyone else walk her. She's happy and relaxed on known walks though.
It does make me sad how poorly treated some animals are. Well done to those of you who take these dogs on and give them nice homes.

6 months to decompress? Our rescue was an angel until 8 months after she arrived then she went nuts. we are working on it now. Still love her though.

@mogtheexcellent crikey - any idea what caused the change? And what sort of behavioural changes?

@Beamur that’s so sad. It’s lovely that she has you though.
Her previous owners sound awful. Some people should never be allowed to have animals

@Newdogexcitement
I think the first owner was neglectful rather than spiteful. They had more dogs than they could look after and kept getting more. I suspect that they weren't walked and were shut in a garden and the bites were from competing for food. She used to collect food in her mouth and then run off to eat it away from the bowl.
You couldn't ask for a gentler dog though. She was actually adopted by my Mum and then came to me after she died. She was the perfect dog for my Mum and made her last years very happy. She's snoring in her bed now

My sister's rescue looks EXACTLY like @ArcherDog! I'll have to get her to send me a photo this evening!

We've had ours a year and a half, she's nearly three. She is our world, but a total nightmare. The first 6 weeks I cried every day and the first 6months I made myself sick with stress whereas now she just makes me want to tear my hair out whilst adoring her. It's been a real learning curve haha.
My main recommendation is make sure you give them to time to decompress - give them space and let them come to you!

We have had Bella a couple of years now. She was nine and had been used for breeding. She was scruffy and matted and thin when we got her and we had been told that she wouldn't tolerate any dogs. She was very quiet initially but we gave her her space and she slowly came round.
After a fortnight we took her to be groomed, groomer reported that she had loved it and she really does enjoy being groomed. She was sad during lockdown as her hair grew long.
We did a slow introduction to exh's dog, there were never any issues as he is submissive and now they love each other's company and any mention of a playdate gets her dancing.
As she settled and got confident she worried less about other dogs and now she is pretty happy meeting and greeting dogs out and about and likes to play chase with some we meet regularly.
The only sign that she might have had a rough time is that she does growl when on walks at men, people with sticks, shopping trolleys and anyone in hi-viz clothing.
Photos are of her on her first day and last week

Our current boy is a cocker spaniel, nearly 10, adopted 18 months ago through a local rescue when his original family had a baby and he became very depressed. He's just gorgeous - funny, chatty, cuddly and utterly ridiculous.

Before him, we had the most beautiful blue merle collie/lurcher type boy for 15 years. He was abandoned in terrible condition and we rescued him ourselves, sitting out in a field at dusk every evening for ten days throwing food at him until he eventually decided we were safe and came and lay down next to me to have a lead slipped onto him. Nobody ever claimed him and he wasn't chipped or reported missing, so he came home with us and was quickly transformed from an emaciated fleabag into the most beautiful dog I've ever seen. He was wary of strangers until his dying day but he was just the most perfect dog at home. Broke our hearts when we lost him.

We also had a fabulous springer, mad as a box of frogs, rescued via the RSPCA when her mum and dad were found locked in a stinking shed. Mum was 4 and our pup was from her 5th litter :( She bounced from her first home at 16 weeks and came to us, and drove us mad with her quirks and her incredible intelligence for 13 years.

Loving these posts, especially the photos.
What beautiful dogs!
Your gorgeous (if maddening) lurcher looks very relaxed @Lurchermom

I’m equally excited and terrified if I’m honest.
I can only compare it to having a baby - you just don’t know what little personality you’re going to get!

@BearSoFair

My sister's rescue looks EXACTLY like *@ArcherDog*! I'll have to get her to send me a photo this evening!

What?! I thought he was one of a kind! Would love to see a photo. He was found as a stray in South London at about 7months old. We guess him to be German shepherd x bull breed

@Newdogexcitement

Loving these posts, especially the photos. What beautiful dogs! Your gorgeous (if maddening) lurcher looks very relaxed *@Lurchermom*

I’m equally excited and terrified if I’m honest.
I can only compare it to having a baby - you just don’t know what little personality you’re going to get!

Haha yes she's a total nut bag, hence most of the crying and stress. She's also dog reactive which has caused a lot of issues, and when she was younger she would bite a lot but I didn't want to give her back in case they put her down! She's improved so much and is a total cuddle monster. Some of it was just not knowing the breed - I'd always had labradors and my DH had a lurcher when he was a young boy but from a puppy and niether of us knew what we were getting into with Saluki blood. We are currently buying a new house, in part to get s bigger garden so she can stretch her legs at home better because she can't always be allowed off lead (if she sees a dog even 2 fields away, she's off and loses all recall).

Let us know how you get on, I always see the posts from some Spanish rescues and it breaks my heart. Part of me is tempted towards a Galgo (Spanish greyhound) and then wonder what on earth I was thinking