to not understand why people have these types of dogs in their homes

[FunnysInLaJardin]

I've heard the arguments for and against keeping pit bull/mastiff type dogs and just don't understand at all why anyone would keep a powerful muscular dog as a pet in a family home. Yet another sad news story today in a village just down the road from my home village.

This isn't a AIBU really, just a 'why do they do it'. Is a pet really worth the risk? There are so many other dog types to chose from. I don't understand at all.

Auriga, not all rescues are equal, some are not even rescues and and there a few that most other rescues refuse to work with, same as breeders really, except most breeders are irresponsible whereas most rescues are not.

You encountered one rescue who lied. This does not mean that they all do. I can guarantee they don't.

Of course I do understand that, DOoin but it was such an awful experience, I honestly couldn't risk it again .

But doin, how would you know which rescue was lying and which wasn't?

Buying from a breeder is as much as risk, rehoming without rescue back up even more so.

If you're still interested in a dog join a few rescue forums and ask which rescues in your area are legit. Or simply ask on here, a lot of posters work with rescues and will be able to point you in the direction of a decent rescue. Dog's Trust have very good rehoming policies.

It is often the owners, and sometimes the dog. Dogs are animals and like all animals you can't say that they are all perfect and its always the owner's fault. That is just a foolish thing to say.

By doing your homework and asking questions basking, the same as you would have to if you were going to a breeder.

Join forums, research on Google/Facebook, speak to people who've used the rescue. Expect to be grilled like you were wanting to adopt one of the rescuers own children.

Lem, you might think it's sad that people like me wouldn't consider taking a rescue dog, but what it means is that people like me who know our limitations wouldn't take on a dog which may be problematic. And I know there are no guarantees with a puppy from a proper breeder, and a bad owner can make a good dog bad. But if more people were like me, and had reservations about taking on dogs who need more experienced handling, then dogs who need experienced handling won't go to people like me. And fewer incidents of biting, dogs out of control, and dogs being returned back to rescues.

I have had a rescue dog from Battersea. No problem. She was donated because her family couldn't cope with her (probably because of the weeing all over the carpets all the time due to bad spay). And it used to make me very sad indeed when sometimes she would look wistfully into the distance at certain people, and her entire rear end would wag, and I think she thought she may have spotted her previous owners. Anthropomorphising I know.

Bit I am older now. I have a 12 year old child. I love dogs. But all I see now are s**t machines at one end and loads of teeth at the other, and smelly bits in between (but still fantasise about getting a dog). I saw a friend in the street last week -she fosters dogs and has fallen in love with the most glamorous looking JRT, so she has adopted him. He can't be let off the lead because he will go for any man -any man, or young man. His previous owner taught him to attack men with hats, especially black men. I spoke to him and I saw that look in his eye and then-bingo -he went for me, fast as lightening, straight for the face. (I am a white woman, BTW.) So no thanks, while I sympathise with their plight and the circumstances that created them, they are not for me. We have a hamster. He doesn't bite. XX

"Tabular, I DID not buy my dog from a breeder.
He is from an old family friend who shoots a lot, and is involved on big shoots. He had both parents."

He bred your dog, that makes him a breeder...if he didn't bother health testing it doesn't make him a responsible one. But I'm not sure what that has to do with the fact that doing all the breed relevant tests on your dog costs more than buying a puppy with everything done as it should be, which is what I was pointing out.

i dont mean people lke you talulah - i think your approach is sensible, but some folk will discount a rescue dog out without a second thought.

I have to however disagree with you regarding hamsters - i used to be a vet nurse, hamsters are mini demons with huge teeth! My heart used to sink when folk brought those bastards things in :)

See people always talk about Battersea as a rescue - but it isn't, it's a pound. If they cannot rehome then they will kill. Simple as that really. They will also kill dogs with ongoing medical issues, because people 'won't take on a dog that needs treatment', or blind dogs, or deaf dogs. Whereas, for example, the Rescue I volunteer at, and indeed Many Tears Animal Rescue in Camarthen, will rehome dogs with medical issues, forgoing the rescue fee, for people willing to take them on. Battersea also kill older dogs because they say they can't be rehomed - Many Tears asks their supporters to foster them until the end... Which is what we will be doing once I have retired.

I used Dogs Trust for my first rescue, MTAR for my second (MuttDog) and the Rescue I vol at for my third (RottDog). When Rott was diagnosed with Cancer the Rescue offered to take her back whilst being treated, but it was OK because we could afford it - thats the kind of service you get from a decent rescue - they were willing to take back on a dog whose treatment cost ££££s before she died...A pound (or a back yard breeder ) wouldn't do that.

I had a hamster years ago...I'm pretty sure it had been attack trained before I got it

The thing is with rescue dogs - people don't seem to realise that you can get puppies from rescues, puppies that have been born in lovely foster homes at that. If you're at all worried about unknown history and considering looking for a breeder then rescuing a puppy is still an option.

The rescue centre we got our from was fantastic. They really got to know the dogs before passing them on, and we fostered our girl first before taking her on permanently. Best thing we ever did.

You got him from a breeder then!

And if you live in such a tiny place, where are all the puppies, and their puppies and their puppies going to go??

Reading back over your posts, you're actually more irresponsible than I thought. You admit your dog can easily escape from your garden. If he gets a whiff of an in season bitch he WILL escape.

Honestly!

Lam and Tabula,

Alfred, my DS hamster, is from a reputable breeder, a hobbyist breeder who shows hamsters and wins. She is also a judge (hamster shows, not law). I have a pedigree for Alfred. She said he would not bite and he never has. He is gentle and funny, with no health issues, a huge chunky boy. However, one before came from petshop (rodent mill), a little thing who was scared of everything, and he bit me to the bone on many occasions. Like being stapled with a staple gun. That's why I went to a proper breeder second time around.

Sums it all up really, doesn't it.

I think I see the situation for Baskin.

The lord of the manor, Lord X (let's say) has a shoot, and enjoys shooting himself. he has two good working dogs who perform well and are much admired by the local people and people who pay a fortune to shoot during the season. Lord X wants another working dog, and wants a pup from his two working dogs (and I think quite reasonably). He has had them for years, they are healthy and good tempered, and he will take the pick of the litter and knows he can sell other pups to either local people who want a working dog from his strain, or the other people who come on the shoot who also want a good working dog from this proven strain. So he can sell the unwanted ones, quite properly, to people whom he knows are responsible and who want a working dog. This is working stock primarily. This is how it would work in the country, on farms for sheepdogs, etc. Do we imagine hill farmers etc go to pounds or 'reputable breeders'. No, this is for we non farming (city sometimes) folk.

This is not what we mean by irresponsible breeders is it, surely? I mean puppy mills, where dogs never see a home environment or outside a breeding crate, pups not handled or socialised.

Re the expensive tests -can you please elaborate on what these are, who does them and what they cost? Genetics can only show a possibility, a likelihood of carrying/getting a defect, not a certainty. For example, i think Lord X would know if his dogs had hip dysplasia or entropy of the eyes (or whatever) because they are old enough to manifest it. He's know if one was vicious or nervous. But lame blind scared savage dogs wouldn't make good gun dogs anyway.

I can't help but feel Baskin is being picked on here. There are pros and cons of neutering. If she doesn't want to she doesn't have to. Like we decide on whether to have immunisations for our children. She has to do what she thinks is right. And she lives out in the country. If I had to put my money on a dog from a rescue being a problem, or her dog, i know where my money would go.

Nicest dog I ever knew was the product of an unknown male paying an uninvited visit via hole in fence to female dog. He was a real Heinz 57 - the common denominator of dogs. But very clever, fantastically behaved without a great deal of training and a wonderful temperament. He really gave dogs a good name.

My dog is from a proper breeder. He has excellent lineage and his father is a Crufts champion. His mother was as calm as calm. I took every precaution as, like Tululah, I know my limitations! Boy, has that dog driven me to the limits of my limitations. I am putting in a huge amount of training effort, but I can imagine if I gave up and couldn't be bothered, he would have become rather a menace.

Btw, I agree hamsters can be mean. Thank goodness they're so small. Can you imagine if someone bred dog-sized hamsters?

But a lot of my dogs' relatives are extremely successful in obedience, agility and media.

Does that mean I should breed from mine??

Media?
Limbo dancing journalists? News hounds indeed.

Lol!
No they're just cute and bright so I often see them pop up on telly in various bits and bobs.

I think my head should be on the desk.

I did not buy my dog from a breeder. I bought my dog from an old friend who works on shoots on the local estate, probably he is in charge of the beaters, I am not sure. He has dogs, working dogs, who he uses on the shoots.

My dog was not advertised for sale. I heard that he had a litter of puppies, went to his house and saw them. I actually thought that my dog might have been the great great grandson of the Labrador I remembered them having when I was a teen, but he wasn't. He certainly does not make his living from breeding. He might train gun dogs as a sideline, I honestly don't know, but I doubt he would describe himself as a dog breeder. Fwiw he is also the ex vicar.

Thank you again tuhlulah for understanding the situation.

Kate, you sound a bit like my mil.

One of my tiny victories over her is the fact that my dog does not escape. She was determined that he would and that I was irresponsible in not getting him neutered, but has had to eat humble pie, quite tricky for her, as he has NEVER escaped.

We have an Alaskan Malamute and a Border collie, both worship the ground the children walk on. Any dog can turn for any reason.

Beverly Concannon bred from the dogs that killed Jade Anderson. That's a good example of why random people shouldn't be indiscriminately breeding dogs.

He bred the dogs so whether or not he makes a living as a breeder or describes himself as one, he is one. He's a back yard breeder.

It may surprise you to learn that the best breeders don't make a living out of it either. In fact by the time they've shelled out on stud fees, vet fees, fees for health testing, food for the pups etc etc etc.....many just break even or make a loss. Good breeders won't breed very often, and then only to keep their lines going/improve them.

What's being a vicar got to do with it? And you've yet to explain why you think that the fact you live in the country and your dog gets lots of lovely walks, means that it's ok for you to breed.