to think that adopting a dog from a rescue is really not a middle-class thing to do ?

[Myfoofneedspruning]

I live in a very affluent area and I couldn't help a trend starting. A mum from school got a puppy lab then in the following months, other parents also got puppies from various breeds. None are rescue dogs. It's sad.

I'm currently waiting on a border terrier puppy to be born from a very reputable breeder.

I've spent ages researching this. The Doghouse on MN saved me from buying a poodlecross from a puppy farm! Anyway, that's beside the point. I have dog allergies and don't want a large dog. Most of my local rescue centers won't re-home to homes with children under 10. They also mostly have staffies (which I'm sure are lovely but not for my allergies etc). So, after spending a few weekends at border terrier dog shows and pelting and loving a LOT of dogs we've gone for a puppy.

If I didn't have children and was a more experienced dog owner with no allergies I would go for a rescue. It's not always easy though.

Petting not pelting!

I think that a family with no dog experience would be a bit crazy to get a rescue dog.

Why? That seems a very odd thing to say. I agree that dogs which are seen as "problems" like staffies are best suited for someone like my brother who has been around animals all his life. But there are many,many perfectly nice, ordinary friendly dogs dumped at rescue centres.

My parents have just got a dog from Dogs Trust that was advertised as being good with small children. I would never have a pedigree we have always had mongrels.

They found it really hard to adopt a dog. They have visiting grandchildren and a visiting staffie. Most places wouldn't rehome with those factors they treated them like they lived there.

The Dogs Trust were really good and hekped them choose a suitable dog.

There are loads of indiviual rescues that will re home with children as long as the dog is suitable! It's nothing to do with class...

We've rescued before and it has nothing to do with our class at all, we just wanted to give a poor dog who had been mistreated a loving home!

It's just as much, if not more, a matter of education than class. Some people just haven't educated themselves properly on the issue.

There's a strong Mail reader mentality of "rescued dog=damaged goods" and "rescued dog=no background information" out there. They've read it in the Mail/heard it from like-minded friends/settled on that point of view and are inflexible about it.

This sector of people are often, but not always, lower middle class. That a responsible rescue will assess both the dog over time and their family in various ways doesn't seem to cross their minds. It's sad. In fact, it's tragic.

I think children aside I know friends who have paid ridiculous amounts of money for more unusual dogs - often with much shorter life spans and negative breed traits etc. It seems to be about bragging rights - "we paid more for our dog" or "we had to travel hundreds of miles to find a breeder" or "nobody i know has one".

I don't understand it - I don't think I could ever not go to the rescue for a dog. And there are plenty of puppies in rehoming centres if you're prepared to wait.

I'm confused to what is your point op

The last two dogs my (very wealthy) parents have owned have been rescue dogs.

I would say i am middle class. When we were looking to get a dog we went round the rescues but there just wasn't anything suitable. We live far away from all the rescues and found it hard to manage visits to see what they had. Eventually we bought a puppy which has suited us very well.

This is not a subject I had ever thought of in terms of class.

We have a rescue dog (more a rehomed dog, really - the dog hasn't been ill-treated, but the owner could no longer look after it) and we are, I suppose, middle-class.

It's not just dogs bt cats too. I know someone who runs a Ragdoll cat rescue, she generally has around 40 at a time....we are talking about cats who cost upwards of £400 as kittens. I got my adult Ragdoll from her and he's gorgeous.

My very middle class in laws always get rescue dogs,

I actually don't get it.

I'm Australian and we don't have 'class' here (), but I suppose I'd be the equivalent of UK middle class (lawyer, home owner, both parents professionals, privately educated, blah blah). My dog is a rescue, and every dog my parents had was a rescue.

Most (not all) of the people I know who have non-rescue dogs are either uneducated about dogs and/or want a 'fashion statement' pet.

I don't think it's a money thing as people who get rescue dogs do so for ethical reasons rather than for a cheap dog. I think in this case PPs are right in thinking it's because families want dogs that have a reputation for being docile (you rarely see labs in rescue centres) and which can be trained from the outset.

There is nothing wrong with getting a puppy from a breeder I don't understand that either a dog or cat is a pet and if a family want a lab or border terrier pup then getting 1 froma breeder is pprobably the best way to go we didn't have a breed. In mind we just knew we didn't want a huge dog

No the money isn't really the issue but a pedigree dog can. Cost hundreds

From what I observe, in the extremely middle class place that I live, there is nothing more middle class than adopting a rescue greyhound. Nothing.

What a snotty OP.
Perhaps I should say it's not a MC thing to have a staffie cross and then dump it when you can't be bothered with it any more, or you have a vet's bill to meet.
Would be equally as true.

carabos That is true, but it's not a bad thing. And they are beautiful.

Most are hell on skates for cats though.

Plummy, I 100% agree with you.

Too true. Our Dachshunds both came from Fortnum & Masons.